The Biggest Benefit of the Hybrid Powertrain in the 2026 Subaru Crosstrek Isn't MPG

If you’re new to the Subaru Crosstrek line, welcome. We owners and fans have, for a decade, been bemoaning the fact that Subaru stubbornly refuses to let us buy the engine we really want. We thought we wanted the 2.4-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder BOXER engine that produces 260 horsepower and 277 lb-ft of torque. It turns out, we were right to want a better powertrain, but wrong about that turbo. The new hybrid powertrain in the Crosstrek Sport Hybrid is what we needed, wanted, and deserved, but didn’t get. Until now.

Too Few Pound Feet 
The problem with the Crosstrek’s past engines was torque. Too little and too late in the rev band. It’s embarrassingly low for 2026. Virtually every brand offers a more responsive, more satisfying engine, either as an option or as standard equipment. The Ford Bronco Sport Badlands 2.0 turbo is so good that it’s hard to overstate what it would do in a Crosstrek.

When you set off in a Crosstrek from a stop, it’s not that bad. However, shortly after you get rolling, you discover the first torque gap. Then, when you want to accelerate, say to pass or merge onto the highway, you’re disappointed. At least I am. And so is my 78-year-old dad, with whom I share a 13-month-old Crosstrek Wilderness. Sure, we use S mode ALL THE TIME, but it’s not enough. We. Want. A. Better. Engine. Money is no object. Name your price, Subaru.

The New 2026 Crosstrek Sport Hybrid
Recently, Subaru did name the price. It’s $3,400. That’s the added cost of a hybrid powertrain in a Crosstrek Sport. Pretty steep, actually. And I am here to tell you as a 5-time Subaru owner, it’s worth every penny.

The new engine pairs two electric motors with a newish version of the 2.5-liter boat anchor that Subaru has been putting in almost anything with an engine bay since the Carter Administration. Together, they are magical.

Gone is the torque gap after setting off. Gone is the sluggish acceleration. You can even accelerate uphill! All joking aside, I just back-to-backed the Hybrid against my own Crosstrek Wilderness with its “normal engine”, and I am now in love with the Hybrid. It’s not snappy like Ford’s turbo. Maybe not even as capable as the 2.4-liter turbo in some Outbacks. But it is gloriously torquey and enough to make the Crosstrek really shine on hilly, twisty back roads and on-ramps alike.

Not only is the powertrain more capable, but it is also more enjoyable in its quietness. Most of the time, it’s silent. Only if you flog it, or if it wants to make heat, will you hear that gas engine. My favorite of its party tricks is to glide me out of my garage, up the driveway, and down the road a ways before the gas engine comes on in the morning. That never gets old. 

The added MPG comes almost entirely from regenerative braking. Sure, the engine is tweaked and runs a slightly different combustion cycle, but that alone doesn't do much for fuel economy. It’s the electrons being stuffed back into your battery every time you coast, let the Crosstrek slow down, or apply the brakes that is the big MPG booster. Once you have a hybrid, you feel sort of dumb when you slow down, knowing you’re missing out on free energy. Ask an EV driver if you have a few hours. They’ll give you an earful.

The Mileage Gain Is Almost Shocking
The Monroney sticker on the Sport Hybrid Crosstrek we tested promised 36 Combined, 36 Highway, and 36 City. So, I guess it’s 36 all the time. Despite S mode constantly on, liberal paddle shifter usage, many hills, a lot of jack-rabbit(ish) starts, I saw 38.2 MPG over about 500 miles of real-world testing in rural New England. The mileage is very consistent. It’s not better on the highway than it is in town.

Contrast this with the 25 MPG our Subaru Crosstrek Wilderness has delivered over about a year, and the gap is pretty impressive. And the funny thing is, Subaru left a lot of mileage on the table.

Subaru could have lowered the Crosstrek Sport Hybrid an inch or two. That would add about 3 MPG. Subaru could have ditched the huge, heavy steel front-to-back driveshaft and used Toyota’s all-electric rear wheel drive system. That would probably add a few more MPG. And Subaru could have paired the hybrid with its 2.0-liter engine (boo). It didn’t do any of these things. Thank goodness.

It’s All Good But One Pesky Detail
So, as a five-time Subaru owner and current driver of a Crosstrek Wilderness, am I going to rush out and get a Crosstrek Hybrid? I can’t. You can if you wish. Sadly, Subaru pulled out the spare to give the hybrid battery a home. My kind of Subaru crossover driving involves a lot of off-pavement and extreme winter driving, and I won’t do that without a spare. Maybe you will. Tell us in the comments what you plan to do. 

John Goreham is a 14-year veteran of Torque News. An accomplished writer and a long-time expert in vehicle testing, Goreham also serves as the Vice President of the New England Motor Press Association and has a growing social media presence. He’s also a 10-year staff writer and community moderator for Car Talk. Goreham holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering and an undergraduate Certificate in Marketing. In addition to vehicle and tire content, he offers deep dives into market trends and opinion pieces. You can follow John Goreham on X and TikTok, and connect with him on LinkedIn.