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HRV vs. Subaru Crosstrek XV

79K views 63 replies 28 participants last post by  leavenfish 
#1 ·
The Subaru Crosstrek has been a vehicle that I used to have my eyes on for a very long time, until researching how many oil consumption complaints there are with Subarus. The boxer engine, in my opinion, is prone to oil burning due to the oil always being in constant contact with the piston rings, and the coolant is always in contact with the head gasket, and dirty coolant and oil can accelerate oil burning. Because the HRV will have a vertical inline engine, it will be less prone to oil consumption issues.

I also believe that...

The HRV will have more interior cargo space.

The HRV will have a more upscale interior.

The HRV will have better fuel economy.

In one of the several photos of the HRV on this site, there even are some Honda HRV rims that look quite reminiscent to the Crosstrek rims!
 
#49 ·
A friend of mine bought a new Subaru Forester last year.
Drives him crazy, the steering is off, soon as you let go it drifts to one side.
He's had it back countless times, still not fixed.

Last report, it's now going through oil.

Seems they are great cars, if you get a good one.
 
#50 ·
I have to admit a have never heard of Subarus burning oil. My family has owned Subarus since the mid 80's and the only problem I have seen is rust on the hatch handles back in the '80s. I have read of VWs and BMWs burning oil though. and I also had a Toyota Camry with an oil issue after only 4 years.

I'm planning on testing out an HR-V vs a Crosstrek next week so I'll be sure to ask the dealer about this.

I also own a 2010 CR-V and am familiar with the engine vibration issues Hondas have. I have heard the HR-V has the same problem, especially when at a stop light. I guess I will see.

In terms of reliability, I would expect the Crosstrek to be more reliable simply because its into its fourth year on the platform and the bugs should be worked out. The HR-V is a new product made at a new Mexican assembly plant so its reliability is unknown.

I checked all the Edmunds feedback on the two cars and have found people are having many more problems with their HR-Vs than with their Crosstreks. So that worries me too.
 
#51 ·
Google "Subaru Class Action Oil Suit". Not only did they have a major problem with a large percentage leaking, but they would not fix it, until the owners finally did a class action.

I have not experienced, or heard of HR-V's having the vibration issue, this was a know issue with the 2015 CR-V when the engine is not under load.

The Honda typically does better then Subaru for reliability, and the HR-V is not new, it was released as the Vezel in japan 2 years ago, so this is like the second generation. Our family has only had one car for the last 20 years, a Civic. The new HR-V seems just as great, but only time will tell.
 
#52 ·
I think the most accurate description of a good or bad Subaru is indeed, hit or miss. I've had a Subaru for 10 years and I'll add my experience.

I've not had the ongoing oil-burning problem. I've added 1-2 cups twice in the first 145,000 miles. Then I had to add 1.5 quarts. I found out my head gaskets were leaking, a common problem with certain year models. That costs $2400 and up for repair and takes 2-3 days.

Since the car is AWD, you have to be aware that the tires need to be replaced all at the same time so the diameter is equal. If the tires are mis-matched, the drivetrain can be damaged. If it is towed, it must be on a flatbed as lifting only two wheels and leaving two to spin on the ground…can damage the drive train. If you get a flat tire, you need to move the tire to the front and install a fuse to disable the AWD. The fuse puts the car into FWD mode so the donut spare can be put on the rear. If the flat is beyond repair, you must buy 4 new tires since the new one will be taller than the used tires already on the vehicle.

I've owned Toyotas in the past and the Subaru is more expensive to repair but it's so far been very reliable (except the head gasket). It's a fun car to drive and the AWD is nice to have when needed. I never enjoyed driving any Toyota.

If you are looking at a Subaru, read some forums and look for consistent complaints. Since Subaru is such a niche car, the owners tend to think it's a little better than other car brands and are usually less inclined to speak ill of beloved Subaru. If you can, talk to a Subaru specialist in your area and ask what are common problems and see what the costs are for normal maintenance too. Compare the costs of 30,000, 60,000 maintenance schedules and even oil changes.

I've never owned a Honda so I cannot compare. I just wanted to point out some things I've encountered while owning my car that you may not think of before purchasing.

Each brand has its history of problems. Toyotas seems to have weak water pumps and cheap interior materials. Observe how many Toyotas have lost their clear coat and have bad paint.

Drive both and start there. When I bought my car, I would stop people and ask them how they liked their car. You'd be surprised how many people like to talk about their car.

The Crosstrek is mostly a lifted Impreza so look at Impreza forums too for common problems.
 
#56 · (Edited)
I know many happy Subaru owners, that swear by their reliability.
I also know some that just swear at them, as they’ve gone through 2 engines in 6 years.

Honda and Subaru were number 1 and 2 of my choices, so I do think highly of them.
I do think it’s only fair to bring up the oil problems that Subaru boxer engine has been plagued with.

I see in the 2015 JD Power Dependability study they are having some problems
http://www.jdpower.com/press-release...dability-study



 
#57 ·
Ask the Subaru dealer about the oil burning issue...that will get you an honest answer. You will get the same result as asking a Honda dealer about the CR-V vibration issue.
My thought, it's a car that has an engine...it will vibrate. You put the car in drive and hold it with the brake on and you will get a vibration. That is true for every car other than an electric. There truly may be a vibration issue with the CR-V, I can't say as I have never driven one.
I don't know of a vibration issue with the HR-V. There may be a thread on here where a person mentioned that their HR-V vibrates when in gear with the brake on. Really, what car doesn't. My impression is that people are looking for an issue based on what they heard about the CR-V.
You can spend your life analyzing and reading all of these forums to the point of driving yourself crazy. Go drive both cars and decide which one you like. They are both good cars, but offer very different benefits. Check them out, pick one, buy it, drive it, enjoy it and don't look back.
OK, I now return this thread to its original intent.
 
#59 ·
...You can spend your life analyzing and reading all of these forums to the point of driving yourself crazy.
Absolutely on target. In 2007 I purchased a used BMW R1100RT with ~64,000 miles on the odometer, despite advice from several people not to touch it. Then I joined a BMW forum, and read all sorts of horror stories about transmission failures, rear drive failures in less than 10,000 miles, electrical failures, etc. I replaced the clutch at 97,000 miles, and approaching 120,000 miles, the engine uses less oil than when I bought it. It's the nature of forums to attract people who have experienced problems.
 
#61 ·
The HR-V, which I bought in July, is my first Japanese car. I usually buy German or American (to be patriotic).

For the past 30 years, I have known, as proclaimed by experts much knowledgeable than me in Japanese cars, that Subarus are at the bottom of the heap when it comes to Japanese car engineering and quality.

Not a scientific statement, but one echoed by a large number (well may be a good number) of top quality mechanics and mechanical engineers.
 
#63 ·
Neither the HR-V nor the Crosstrek have been available long enough for good data, so I went to TrueDelta and compared the Fit and Forester (I have owned both)



Except for a bad patch in 2007-2008, Forester reliability scored quite well. Over the same time period (except for 2007-2008), the Forester also had better reported reliability than the Mazda 3 or Nissan Versa, and if you want a real horror story, look at the reliability scores for the Ford Fiesta 2011-2014.

My first Subaru was a 1993 Legacy, which was something of a rattle trap, and suffered both a failed A/C compressor and a failed power steering pump in ~97,000 miles. Overall, however, it was about as reliable as the 1982 Accord that it replaced.

My second was a 2003 Forester, which was extremely reliable through its first ~120,000 miles, with a burned out fog light bulb the only failure. Since then, it has developed an A/C leak, rusty brake problems and possibly leaky head gaskets, but those could be possibly be linked to a move to Delaware, where it had to cope with snow and salt, and a new owner who wasn't as meticulous about preventive maintenance.

I found my two Subarus very easy to work on (except for changing spark plugs) for routine maintenance.
 
#64 ·
Neither the HR-V nor the Crosstrek have been available long enough for good data, so I went to TrueDelta and compared the Fit and Forester (I have owned both)





I found my two Subarus very easy to work on (except for changing spark plugs) for routine maintenance.
My dad had a Forrester (I think...don't recall at the moment) for about 300,000 miles. He's in his 70's a a couple of years ago decided to get a Civic (knowing how much I've loved my two)...and he likes it, but pines for his old Subaru.

With the 2016 Crosstrek out I decided to check it out last night as I hope to FINALLY decide between my three candidates: HRV, CX3, Crosstrek within 2 weeks.

I have to say, they have improved the 2016 Crosstrek. I drove it and immediately went across the street to drive a red HRV EX-L. I came away with these impressions:

I may actually like the new Subaru on the inside better than the HRV. The seating and the comfort was a bit better than the HRV. The black interior of the HRV in comparison seemed bland and too, well...black. Black everywhere!

What has been a big contention with me with the Subaru and the CX-3 is the amount of road/wind noise compared to the HRV. Yesterday, the HRV sounded every bit as loud as the Subaru. Of the 5 different HRV's I've drive...2 seemed to let in too much outside noise on the highway/interstate. I do not know what to think about that.
 
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