Compare the2023 Subaru CrosstrekVS 2023 Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Environmental Friendliness
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Economic Advantages
Recommendations

Safety

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In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the Crosstrek CVT are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The Eclipse Cross doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Crosstrek has standard Whiplash-Reducing Front Seats, which use a specially designed seat to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the Whiplash-Reducing Front Seats system allows the backrest to travel backwards to cushion the occupants and the headrests move forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. The Eclipse Cross doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Crosstrek Limited has standard Reverse Automatic Braking that uses rear sensors to monitor and automatically apply the brakes to prevent a rear collision. The Eclipse Cross doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

When descending a steep, off-road slope, the Crosstrek CVT’s standard Hill Descent Control allows you to creep down safely. The Eclipse Cross doesn’t offer Hill Descent Control.

The Crosstrek CVT’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The Eclipse Cross doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Crosstrek and the Eclipse Cross have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, all wheel drive, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, daytime running lights, rearview cameras, available crash mitigating brakes, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rear parking sensors and rear cross-path warning.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Subaru Crosstrek is safer than the Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross:

	Crosstrek	Eclipse Cross
	Driver
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	121	290
Neck Stress	304 lbs.	467 lbs.
Neck Compression	42 lbs.	65 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Subaru Crosstrek is safer than the Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross:

	Crosstrek	Eclipse Cross
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	138	145
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Hip Force	428 lbs.	464 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	13 inches	14 inches
HIC	201	358

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

Instrumented handling tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and analysis of its dimensions indicate that the Crosstrek is 2.9% less likely to roll over than the Eclipse Cross.

For its top level performance in IIHS driver and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, side impact, roof strength and head restraint tests, with its optional vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention system, with its optional vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention system, and its available headlight’s “Good” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Crosstrek the rating of “Top Safety Pick” for 2022, a rating granted to only 164 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Eclipse Cross has not been fully tested, yet.

Warranty

The Crosstrek’s corrosion warranty is unlimited miles longer than the Eclipse Cross’ (unlimited vs. 100,000 miles).

There are almost 2 times as many Subaru dealers as there are Mitsubishi dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Crosstrek’s warranty.

Reliability

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the Crosstrek’s reliability 40 points higher than the Eclipse Cross.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Subaru vehicles are better in initial quality than Mitsubishi vehicles. With 35 fewer problems per 100 vehicles, JD Power ranks Subaru higher than Mitsubishi.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Subaru vehicles are more reliable than Mitsubishi vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Subaru 12 places higher in reliability than Mitsubishi.

Engine

The Crosstrek Sport/Limited’s standard 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder produces 30 more horsepower (182 vs. 152) than the Eclipse Cross’ 1.5 turbo 4-cylinder.

As tested in Motor Trend the Subaru Crosstrek is faster than the Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross (automatics tested):

	Crosstrek 2.0	Crosstrek Sport/Limited	Eclipse Cross
Zero to 60 MPH	8.8 sec	7.8 sec	9.6 sec
Quarter Mile	16.7 sec	16 sec	17.3 sec

The flat cylinder configuration of the boxer engine in the Crosstrek lowers its center of gravity, enhancing handling stability without compromising ground clearance. The Eclipse Cross doesn’t offer a boxer engine configuration.

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Crosstrek gets better mileage than the Eclipse Cross:

			MPG
Crosstrek
AWD	Auto	2.0 DOHC flat-4	28 city/33 hwy
		2.5 DOHC flat-4	27 city/34 hwy
Eclipse Cross
AWD	Auto	ES 1.5 turbo 4-cyl.	25 city/28 hwy
		1.5 turbo 4-cyl.	25 city/26 hwy

In heavy traffic or at stoplights the Crosstrek CVT’s engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. The engine is automatically restarted when the driver gets ready to move again. If the conditions warrant or the driver wishes, the system can be manually disabled at any time for the duration of a trip. The Eclipse Cross doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

Environmental Friendliness

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Subaru Crosstrek higher (7 out of 10) than the Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross (5). This means the Crosstrek produces up to 8 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Eclipse Cross every 15,000 miles.

Brakes and Stopping

The Crosstrek stops shorter than the Eclipse Cross:

	Crosstrek	Eclipse Cross
70 to 0 MPH	169 feet	178 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	120 feet	129 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Crosstrek has larger tires than the Eclipse Cross (225/60R17 vs. 215/70R16).

The Crosstrek’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 60 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Eclipse Cross ES’ standard 70 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Crosstrek has standard 17-inch wheels. Smaller 16-inch wheels are standard on the Eclipse Cross ES.

Suspension and Handling

The Crosstrek Limited handles at .81 G’s, while the Eclipse Cross SE pulls only .76 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Crosstrek Premium executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.7 seconds quicker than the Eclipse Cross SEL (27.3 seconds @ .62 average G’s vs. 29 seconds @ .56 average G’s).

Chassis

The Subaru Crosstrek may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 200 to 300 pounds less than the Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross.

Passenger Space

The Crosstrek has 4.2 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Eclipse Cross (100.9 vs. 96.7).

The Crosstrek has .3 inches more front headroom, 2.2 inches more front legroom, 2.1 inches more front hip room, .5 inches more front shoulder room, .7 inches more rear headroom, 3.2 inches more rear hip room and .5 inches more rear shoulder room than the Eclipse Cross.

Cargo Capacity

The Crosstrek has a larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Eclipse Cross with its rear seat folded (55.3 vs. 50.1 cubic feet).

A standard locking glovebox (which can’t be accessed with the valet key) keeps your small valuables safer in the Crosstrek. The Eclipse Cross doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

Servicing Ease

The engine in the Crosstrek is mounted longitudinally (North-South), instead of sideways, as in the Eclipse Cross. This makes it easier to service and maintain, because the accessory belts are in front.

Ergonomics

The power windows standard on both the Crosstrek and the Eclipse Cross have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the Crosstrek is engaged the driver can still operate all of the windows, for instance to close one opened by a child. The Eclipse Cross prevents the driver from operating the other windows just as it does the other passengers.

The Crosstrek’s front power windows open or close fully with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The Eclipse Cross’ standard passenger windows don’t open or close automatically.

In case you lock your keys in your vehicle, or don’t have them with you, you can let yourself in using the Crosstrek’s available exterior PIN entry system (not available on Crosstrek Base). The Eclipse Cross doesn’t offer an exterior PIN entry system, and its Mitsubishi Connect can’t unlock the doors if the vehicle doesn’t have cell phone reception or the driver can’t contact the service.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Crosstrek has a standard rear fixed intermittent wiper with a full on position. The rear wiper standard on the Eclipse Cross only has an intermittent setting, so in a hard rain visibility isn’t as good.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) conducts detailed tests on headlights for their range both straight ahead and in curves and to be certain they don’t exceed acceptable amounts of glare to oncoming drivers. The Crosstrek’s available headlights were rated “Good” by the IIHS, while the Eclipse Cross’ headlights are rated “Acceptable” to “Poor.”

To help drivers see further while navigating curves, the Crosstrek Limited has standard adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle. The Eclipse Cross doesn’t offer cornering lights.

The Crosstrek’s optional rear and side view mirrors have an automatic dimming feature. These mirrors can be set to automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on them, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The Eclipse Cross offers an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

Economic Advantages

Insurance will cost less for the Crosstrek owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the Crosstrek will cost $980 to $2790 less than the Eclipse Cross over a five-year period.

The Crosstrek will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The IntelliChoice estimates that the Crosstrek will retain 57.4% to 60.77% of its original price after five years, while the Eclipse Cross only retains 44.85% to 45.54%.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Subaru Crosstrek will be $5118 to $8368 less than for the Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends the Subaru Crosstrek, based on reliability, safety and performance. The Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross isn't recommended.

The Subaru Crosstrek outsold the Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross by almost 14 to one during the 2022 model year.

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