Whenever a carmaker comes up with a new nameplate, it comes with the expectation that the overall experience would be new and transformative. Yet when Subaru decided to axe the “XV” name in favor of “Crosstrek,” the resulting crossover feels like it took two steps forward and two steps back. It continues the Subaru XV’s careful, and at times, painfully slow evolution. To be fair, the crossover formerly known as the XV, is hard to beat. Among its competitors—the beautiful Mazda CX-30 among them—the Crosstrek is the one we’d take in a heartbeat. It’s a bit boring, sure, but it’s just so well-attuned to our road conditions be it in design, packaging, and safety.
