Image versus reality: Even among those of us who do genuinely like to go off the beaten path and venture out into nature, most of the time we're not doing that. While Subaru is raking it in with Wilderness editions of its vehicles, including the Crosstrek Wilderness I reviewed in November, that's not where most of us spend most of our time. And some of us never go there. Ask around. You'll get a few blank stares and one or two "but bugs and snakes and bears live out there" responses.
Which is why Subaru is wise not to Wilderness all the things, and to build not only base versions, but upscale versions of its vehicles, including the 2024 Crosstrek Limited.
Under the hood, the Limited gets the more powerful of the two available Crosstrek engines---a 2.5-liter BOXER four shared with the Sport and Wilderness models. 182 horsepower, 178 lb-ft of torque mated to a continuously variable transmission with an eight-speed manual shift mode.
Even though this isn't wearing Wilderness Edition duds, the Crosstrek Limited is more than capable off the pavement. All-wheel-drive is standard, as is dual-function X-Mode with hill descent control. And its 8.7 inches of ground clearance is more than adequate for most casual off-road situations (the Wilderness has only 6/10ths of an inch more).
Riding on 18-inch wheels with all season tires, zero to 60 runs take 7.9 seconds and the EPA fuel economy estimate is a solid 29 mpg combined city/highway.
There's room for 19.9 cubic feet of cargo behind the rear seats. Fold those down, and the Crosstrek Limited can swallow 54.7 cubic feet of whatever you're hauling, whether it's from REI or West Elm.
Rear seat legroom is generous for a small vehicle, too---at 36.5 inches.
The base price of the 2024 Subaru Crosstrek Limited is $32,190, including destination. And a lot comes standard at that price---paddle shifters, roof rails, full LED steering-responsive headlights with automatic on/off and automatic high beams, LED fog lights, an 11.6-inch touchscreen, a six-speaker audio system, illuminated USB ports front and rear, dual-zone climate control with air filtration, heated seats, wipers and exterior mirrors, a wireless phone charger, keyless access with pushbutton start, a retractable cargo cover, leather-trimmed upholstery, a leather-wrapped steering wheel and shifter, a 10-way power driver seat with two-way lumbar support and a comprehensive suite of active safety features.
Our tester had only one extra-cost option package---bundling a power moonroof, a Harman Kardon speaker system and navigation for $2,445, bringing the bottom line on the window sticker to $34,635.
If you haven't shopped small crossovers lately, that sticker might induce a bit of shock, but $35K-ish is the ballpark these days.
The Crosstrek Limited strikes me as the best of both worlds. Most of the capability of the Wilderness and considerably more luxury.
