2026 Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid Quick Spin: The Best of the Breed

Key Points in This Review:

• The Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid is the most powerful and best-driving variant of the Crosstrek family.
• It’s not the most fuel-efficient hybrid in its class, but it makes up for it in capability and excellent driving dynamics.
• A fuel-economy estimate of 36 mpg combined makes it easily the most efficient Crosstrek available.

I’ll keep it short and simple:

For 2026, the Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid is the one to get in the Crosstrek lineup as long as it’s within budget and you don’t need the capability of the Wilderness trim. The hybrid drives the sweetest, is the most powerful configuration and is notably more efficient than the gas-only model.

It’s a bit of a no-duh moment — again, provided you can swallow the extra $3,370 for the Crosstrek Sport Hybrid and $2,000 for the Crosstrek Limited Hybrid when compared with the gas-only trim counterparts. Though much like the current Subaru Forester Hybrid — from which the Crosstrek Hybrid’s new green guts are directly copied and pasted — the efficiency gains are not quite on par with other subcompact hybrid SUVs.

What Is the Fuel Economy of the 2026 Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid?

• Takeaway: The 2026 Crosstrek Hybrid is rated at 36/36/36 mpg city/highway/combined.

Compare Subaru’s fuel-economy estimates of 36/36/36 mpg for the Crosstrek Hybrid with the non-hybrid 2025 Crosstrek’s 27/33/29 mpg (official EPA estimates are not yet available for the 2026 model). So, a clear step up from the all-gas version, but now compare it to the all-wheel-drive 2026 Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid’s manufacturer-estimated 42 mpg combined rating and the front-wheel-drive 2025 Kia Niro Hybrid’s 53/54/53 mpg rating.

Not as strong as the competition, but the Niro’s lack of AWD makes it an apples-to-oranges comparison, and the Crosstrek Hybrid’s retention of Subaru’s signature mechanical AWD is generally more effective than the electric-motor-based e-AWD setup in the Corolla Cross. It’s also what’s likely sapping some efficiency from the Subaru’s hybrid drivetrain.

A very rudimentary cost analysis of the Crosstrek Sport versus the Crosstrek Sport Hybrid reveals an annual fuel savings of around $400, requiring 8.5 years of ownership to break even based on the Sport Hybrid’s upfront price premium. It’s a calculation based on broad averages — $4.40 per gallon fuel, 13,500 miles a year — but it’s worth considering if max efficiency and savings is your goal.

How Does the 2026 Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid Drive?

• Takeaway: As the most powerful drivetrain in the lineup, the new Crosstrek Hybrid is the nicest for both daily driving and road trips thanks to both power and efficiency.

Personally, I think the fuel savings are simply an added bonus to the Crosstrek Hybrid’s sweet, sweet driving character. Its 194 combined horsepower is up 14 hp over the 180 hp in the gas-only ‘Trek, and even though it’s not significantly quicker than its non-hybrid counterpart, it turns the Crosstrek’s “Totally Fine” acceleration into “Totally Fine+” on an on-ramp or when passing.

The key here is smoothness. At lower speeds and extended moments of coasting, the eco-‘Trek is significantly quieter and more refined than the non-hybrid. It’s a satisfying powertrain, with excellent handoff between gas and electric propulsion and with enough power for any realistic scenario that’s made better by the Crosstrek’s impressive driving character. As this is very much an Impreza hatch on stilts, the Crosstrek — in all configurations — remains one of the sharpest-driving subcompact SUVs you can buy. Slicing through the squiggled back roads of rural Washington state wasn’t so much fun as it was satisfying, with little body roll and excellent composure.

Good stuff, all around. It’s not the most efficient in the segment, but the 2026 Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid is a welcome addition to one of the most compelling and capable subcompact SUV model lines on the market.

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