Yeah, very happy I got my made-in-Japan 2023 with a manual, proper parking brake, and knobs and buttons.
Also more than happy with the little 2.0 now that I’ve had a chance to wind it out. Still no rocket ship, but it is more than adequate. With a downshift to fourth, 100-120 km/h passing power is perfectly fine. It actually pulls away pretty smartly, and makes a nice growl while doing so.
Got me thinking about a post in another thread about how great the engine sounds in the new GTI…. Uh, you mean how great the fake engine noises pumped into the cabin sound in the new GTI.
I think that’s a lot of what I like about the Crosstrek: feels like a good, old-fashioned, analog car. Not many of those left.