Subaru XV SUV review - CarBuyer

The XV is a compact SUV and an entirely new type of car for Subaru. It's aimed at the hugely successful Nissan Qashqai, although top-spec models overlap on price with more premium rivals like the Audi Q3 and BMW X1. There's a choice of three engines -- 1.6 and 2.0-litre petrols and a 2.0-litre diesel -- as well as manual and CVT gearboxes. All engines have horizontally-opposed cylinders, also known as 'Boxer' engines, for which Subaru has become famous.

[mohdfarouk]

No matter what you said about this car...but I do enjoyed driving Subaru XV

[michaelrosendahl]

My XV is now 9 yo. A little noisy of course but workung flawlessly. I'll by a new car in about 15 years.

[Toastmaster_]

A few things:
1.  It's AWD, not 4WD
2.  99% of cars use plastic for the interior.  Some just do a better job at making it less obvious.
3.  I have a feeling Subaru isn't really a popular brand in the UK, so I suppose the high pricing isn't too unusual over there (especially compared to other European cars).  To my knowledge, Subarus are only produced in Japan and with the UK being it's own island, I doubt it's very economical to ship there.  I'm sure for the rest of Europe, the cars are brought over via trains.  Other countries in the Americas or Australia have more demand for Subarus and are also easier to get to.

[Kvasiir]

Hmm but an audi would fall apart long before the subaru would...

[thieveslikeus]

Switch off the traction control and then try taking off hard. I love the fact that the XV is considered "gutless" because at the lights people get quite a shock when I take off hard. Switch the traction control back on and it sedately sips fuel, saving me a few bucks every 100kms over my old Outback.

[Phrancis]

I like how in all her car reviews she suggestively grips the handbrake and features bananas!

[oddities-whatnot]

And furthermore, she goes on about hard plastic. What is it with reviewers about interior quality? Soft touch wont last, especially arm rests, and does it matter what the dashboard is made of? You aren't going to be touching it constantly while driving are you! People are so easily sold on gimmicks - soft touch dashboards must be the most pointless feature ever. Oh yes, not forgetting that the Subaru is built to last. Bmw and Audi are not.

[PedalTheMetal]

Rebecca has become so good at doing reviews. And always with her funny sentence "5ft 4 AND A HALF" lol

[qqkikia]

Pretty much everyone in europe can drive a stick shift :)

[jerryqin]

How reliable is this car for a college student?

[jargarbo]

Made the right decision getting this car! Enjoyed the exclusivity and not a common car on the road. confident with Subaru's AWD system that it won't fail me when I need it plus and good diesel consumption for an AWD car. Happy owner here.

[LJHuang-jnbj]

It is more adequate for those live and work in a city but sometimes have a trip to the forest. Crossover life is fantastic and this car is nice due to its Boxer engine and symmetric AWD systems.

[adswu]

"Five foot four and Half" .. Bless her she hates being short ..We one the other hand love it

[mahmutk]

4 adults will be fine in the back here? WTF

[shilloshillos]

The XV is a good looking car, to be sure, but Rebecca is downright stunning! excellent review by the way.

[grapesofbaath]

Wasn't sure if the interior of the XV would be posh enough, thanks for clearing that up for me, A++++ would watch again.

[vincentphan]

bought my orange XV 2.0i-L at the end of march and I love the car... by far the best looking subaru and crossover vehicle in the market. Theres also quite a few negatives tho. She was right about the suspension... it is too firm. The boot size is way too small... lucky for me I rarely use it. The stop/start tech can be glitchy sometimes and the engine is underpowered. But all that helps save fuel so I guess it evens things out. Other than that.. it is perfect =D

[nicholasraben]

The XV is very versatile. It'll go anywhere that the Outback can. It'll get 31 on the hwy going 70mph with the AC on, two adults in the car. It's not a car to beat anyone off the line. This XV will take anything the road can dish out, sand, mud, snow, ice and rain AND get you there safely. It's another top safety pick. I'm 6 foot and have plenty of head &leg room. I'm an owner of the XV, w/ popular pkg and sunroof; former owner of the Outback. Gas mileage is good. AWD is great.

[nikik]

I would rather not sit 4 adults in the back...! :D :D

[Sherukka]

1/2: I also had this XV out for a test-drive but no thank you! The suspension is way, way, way, too firm to be driven as an everyday car. This is a actually a sports car more suitable for driving on a track. But do not trust me, make up your own mind because we all have different taste. Met some Impreza owners and it was not too firm for them. The steering is excellent though but perhaps because of the firm suspense the car steers "by itself" and especially if the road banks.