Compare the2026 Subaru CrosstrekVS 2026 Honda CR-V

Safety
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Environmental Friendliness
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Towing
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Economic Advantages
Recommendations

Safety

© 1999 - 2025Advanta-STAR Automotive Research, all rights reserved. This vehicle comparison and all of the content in it are provided only by license from Advanta-STAR Automotive Research Corporation of America (“Advanta-STAR”). If you are not a legally licensed user of this vehicle comparison, it is against federal law to access it, copy it, forward it, or use it in any manner whatsoever. Any unauthorized use of this vehicle comparison is a violation of U.S. and international law and is punishable criminally and civilly. Removal of this watermark/notification without prior written license and approval received from Advanta-STAR is an agreement, understanding, and/or stipulation by the person(s), entities, agents, attorneys, and any other persons involved in the removal of this watermark/notification (including but not limited to Search Optics, LLC and any and all parent entities, sister entities, and subsidiary entities of Search Optics, LLC and/or any other entity, agent, attorney, and persons related in any manner to Search Optics, LLC) to: 1) an agreed upon amount of liquidated monetary damages of a minimum of $1,250,000.00 US Dollars in favor of Advanta-STAR; 2) the jurisdiction and enforcement of any legal claims associated with this matter asserted by Advanta-STAR in the United States Federal District Court in Portand, Oregon; and 3) service of process of any legal claims asserted by Advanta-STAR associated with this matter may be accomplished by First-Class Postage by the United States Postal Service or comparable service. SRGB2-WYXKA 2a06:98c0:3600::103 2025/12/18

The Crosstrek has standard Whiplash-Reducing Front Seats, which use a specially designed seat to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the Whiplash-Reducing Front Seats system allows the backrest to travel backwards to cushion the occupants and the headrests move forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. The CR-V doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

With its standard EyeSight, the Subaru Crosstrek is better at preventing collisions with pedestrians than the Honda CR-V, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety:

	Crosstrek	CR-V
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
	Crossing Child - DAY
12 MPH	AVOIDED	-10 MPH
25 MPH	AVOIDED	-18 MPH
	Crossing Adult - NIGHT
12 MPH Brights	AVOIDED	AVOIDED
12 MPH Low beams	AVOIDED	No Slowing
25 MPH Brights	AVOIDED	AVOIDED
25 MPH Low beams	AVOIDED	-17 MPH
	Parallel Adult - NIGHT
25 MPH Brights	AVOIDED	AVOIDED
25 MPH Low beams	-24 MPH	No Slowing
37 MPH Brights	AVOIDED	-33 MPH
Warning Issued-Brights	3.3 sec	2.4 sec
37 MPH Low beams	-5 MPH	No Slowing
Warning Issued-Low beams	3.2 sec	No Warning

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the Crosstrek. But it costs extra on the CR-V.

The Crosstrek Limited Hybrid offers an optional Surround View Monitor to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The CR-V only offers a rear monitor and front and rear parking sensors that beep or flash a light. That doesn’t help with obstacles to the sides.

The Subaru Crosstrek’s rear backup camera has a standard washer for maintaining a clear view under various conditions. In contrast, the Honda CR-V does not offer a rear camera washer, meaning its effectiveness relies on manual cleaning by the user when necessary.

Both the Crosstrek and the CR-V have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front and rear side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras, available blind spot warning systems, rear cross-path warning and driver alert monitors.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Subaru Crosstrek is safer than the Honda CR-V:

	Crosstrek	CR-V
OVERALL STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	170	357
Chest Compression	.5 inches	.5 inches
Neck Injury Risk	28.8%	54%
Neck Stress	158 lbs.	211 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	291/273 lbs.	408/341 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Subaru Crosstrek is safer than the Honda CR-V:

	Crosstrek	CR-V
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Chest Movement	.5 inches	.8 inches
Hip Force	297 lbs.	347 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	254	302
Spine Acceleration	47 G’s	48 G’s
Hip Force	721 lbs.	753 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

Reliability

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the Crosstrek’s reliability 14 points higher than the Honda CR-V and 20 points higher than the Honda CR-V Hybrid.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ March 2025 Auto Issue reports that Subaru vehicles are more reliable than Honda vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Subaru first in overall reliability. Honda is ranked fourth.

Engine

The Crosstrek Hybrid’s standard 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid produces 4 more horsepower (194 vs. 190) than the CR-V’s standard 1.5 turbo 4-cylinder.

As tested in Motor Trend the Subaru Crosstrek 4 cyl. is faster than the Honda CR-V turbo 4 cyl.:

	Crosstrek	CR-V
Zero to 60 MPH	7.9 sec	8.7 sec
Quarter Mile	16.1 sec	16.7 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	88.6 MPH	86.4 MPH

The flat cylinder configuration of the boxer engine in the Crosstrek lowers its center of gravity, enhancing handling stability without compromising ground clearance. The CR-V doesn’t offer a boxer engine configuration.

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Crosstrek gets better mileage than the CR-V:

			MPG
Crosstrek
	AWD	2.5 flat-4 Hybrid	36 city/36 hwy
		Sport/Limited 2.5 DOHC flat-4	26 city/33 hwy
CR-V
	FWD	1.5 turbo 4-cyl.	28 city/33 hwy
	AWD	TrailSport 2.0 4-cyl. Hybrid	38 city/33 hwy
		1.5 turbo 4-cyl.	27 city/31 hwy

Both the Crosstrek and the CR-V have a standard automatic start/stop engine feature to stop unnecessary fuel waste and pollution at stoplights and heavy traffic. All Crosstreks have a standard disable switch for the system, so a driver can keep the engine from shutting off when the vehicle stops temporarily. The CR-V Hybrid doesn’t offer a way to disable start/stop.

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Subaru Crosstrek uses regular unleaded gasoline. The CR-V with the 1.5 turbo 4-cylinder engine requires premium for maximum efficiency, which can cost on average about 84.9 cents more per gallon.

The Crosstrek has 2.6 gallons more fuel capacity than the CR-V (16.6 vs. 14 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

Environmental Friendliness

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Subaru Crosstrek higher (6 out of 10) than the Honda CR-V (5 to 6). This means the Crosstrek produces up to 6.9 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the CR-V every 15,000 miles.

Brakes and Stopping

The Crosstrek’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the CR-V are solid, not vented.

The Crosstrek stops much shorter than the CR-V:

	Crosstrek	CR-V
70 to 0 MPH	172 feet	182 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	121 feet	130 feet	Motor Trend
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	138 feet	147 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

The Crosstrek’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 60 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the CR-V LX’s standard 65 series tires.

Suspension and Handling

The Crosstrek handles at .81 G’s, while the CR-V Sport Touring Hybrid pulls only .79 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Crosstrek Limited executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 2 seconds quicker than the CR-V Sport Touring Hybrid (27.3 seconds @ .61 average G’s vs. 29.3 seconds @ .57 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the Crosstrek Wilderness’ turning circle is 2.2 feet tighter than the CR-V Hybrid’s (34.8 feet vs. 37 feet). The Crosstrek’s turning circle is 1.9 feet tighter than the CR-V 1.5T’s (35.4 feet vs. 37.3 feet).

For greater off-road capability the Crosstrek has a greater minimum ground clearance than the CR-V (8.7 vs. 8.2 inches), allowing the Crosstrek to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The Crosstrek Wilderness’ minimum ground clearance is 1.1 inches higher than on the CR-V (9.3 vs. 8.2 inches).

Chassis

The Crosstrek is 8.4 inches shorter than the CR-V, making the Crosstrek easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

Passenger Space

The Crosstrek has 1.6 inches more front legroom and 2.6 inches more rear hip room than the CR-V.

Towing

The Crosstrek’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the CR-V’s (1500 vs. 1000 pounds). Maximum trailer towing in the Honda CR-V is only 1500 pounds. The Crosstrek offers up to a 3500 lbs. towing capacity.

Servicing Ease

The engine in the Crosstrek is mounted longitudinally (North-South), instead of sideways, as in the CR-V. This makes it easier to service and maintain, because the accessory belts are in front.

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Subaru service is better than Honda. J.D. Power ranks Subaru third in service department satisfaction. With a 15% lower rating, Honda is ranked 7th.

Ergonomics

The Crosstrek’s front power windows open or close fully with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The CR-V’s standard passenger windows don’t open or close automatically.

In case you lock your keys in your vehicle, or don’t have them with you, you can let yourself in using the Crosstrek’s exterior PIN entry system. The CR-V doesn’t offer an exterior PIN entry system.

The Crosstrek’s standard Keyless Access and Start allow you to unlock the doors from either front door handle, unlock the cargo door, and start the engine, all without removing the key from the pocket or purse. Pushbutton Start standard on the CR-V only offers hands-free access for the ignition, none to unlock the vehicle. Pushbutton Start is not available on the CR-V EX/EX-L/Sport/TrailSport/Sport-L/Sport Touring.

To help drivers see further while navigating curves, the Crosstrek has standard adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle. The CR-V doesn’t offer cornering lights.

The Crosstrek’s optional rear and side view mirrors have an automatic dimming feature. These mirrors can be set to automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on them, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The CR-V offers an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

The Crosstrek has a standard dual zone air conditioning allows the driver and front passenger to choose two completely different temperatures so people with different temperature preferences won’t have to compromise. This makes both the driver and front passenger as comfortable as possible. Dual zone air conditioning is only available on the CR-V EX/EX-L/Sport/TrailSport/Sport-L/Sport Touring.

Compared to the Honda CR-V, the Subaru Crosstrek eliminates the need for separate garage door openers and associated risks of losing, breaking, or having dead batteries with its optional integrated Homelink® universal remote controlled from the rear view mirror.

Compared to traditional radio, the Subaru Crosstrek’s standard SiriusXM satellite radio provides an unmatched listening experience. Its extensive coverage guarantees consistent, crystal-clear reception across the continental U.S., and access to over 100 channels dedicated to a multitude of genres, including music, news, sports, talk shows, and comedy, many with only limited commercial breaks. Satellite radio is only offered on the CR-V EX-L/Sport-L/Sport Touring.

Economic Advantages

According to iSeeCars.com the 2025 Subaru Crosstrek retains 66.41% of its original value after 5 years, more than the 61.29% to 65.48% resale value of the 2025 Honda CR-V after five years, which can save the Subaru’s owner up to $4871.709721 in depreciation.

Recommendations

Both are recommended, but Consumer Reports® chose the Subaru Crosstrek as its “Top Pick,” the highest scoring vehicle in its category, based on reliability, safety and performance.

See Available Inventory