The 2026 Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid Is Worth the Premium

Despite weighing more than the regular Crosstrek, the Hybrid posted better handling figures on our skidpad, pulling 0.86 g — a solid performance for any compact crossover SUV. The Crosstrek Hybrid feels light and easy to drive. The steering doesn’t offer a ton of feedback, but it’s light and direct, making it easy to park or change direction quickly.

Only the Hybrid’s braking performance fell short of that of other Crosstreks, and even then, it was only slightly behind. I’m attributing some of that to extra weight; the components for the hybrid system add more than 300 pounds. The Crosstrek Hybrid stopped in a respectable 124 feet, and the stops themselves were nice and even. While some hybrids have soft, squishy brake pedals that feel more like an arcade game than a real automobile, Subaru’s engineers have done a solid job of tuning the Crosstrek.