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Many seemed to feel that the Jetta I drove last week had a cheap interior for a $30,000 car, but it was down right luxurious compared to the Subaru XV Hybrid that is certainly spartan, certainly plain and decidedly boring at this price bracket.
The all black interior makes life a little dull on the inside of the CrossTrek. Very little accenting or fancy trim certainly leave a lot to be desired, the most appealing part of the interior is the shiny red hazard switch at the top of the dash, other than that you could fall asleep pretty quickly in the XV.
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There is somewhat of an advantage to the simple interior though, it is all business. Simple radio controls and simple HVAC controls with automatic climate control leave you to your driving instead of fooling around with electronic gizmos and settings. No available Navigation on the Hybrid (an odd omission) makes sure that there are no options to spruce up the inside either.
The small screen on top of the dash that displays fuel economy and drivetrain information also doubles as the screen for the backup camera. The camera works well, oddly though this vehicle is one of the few I’ve driven recently where the visibility is good enough I find it is not really required.
Cargo space is great in the XV, as mentioned the 60/40 split seats fold flat and offer excellent cargo carrying options. The XV is smaller than the regular Impreza hatch though so despite the “SUV” intentions utility is compromised slightly. Passenger space is great and there is a ton of leg room — I tend to have issues with Subaru’s seats in terms of comfort but after a few days of driving I’ve become accustomed to the seats and they are supportive and comfy so far.
