Compare the2023 Subaru Crosstrek HybridVS 2023 Fiat 500X

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Transmission
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 Hybrid are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The 500X doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety tests front crash prevention systems. With a score of 6 points, IIHS rates the Pre-Collision Braking in the Crosstrek Hybrid as “Superior.” The 500X scores only 4 points and is rated only “Advanced.”

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Crosstrek Hybrid has standard Reverse Automatic Braking that use rear sensors to monitor for objects to the rear and automatically apply the brakes to prevent a collision. The 500X doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

When descending a steep, off-road slope, the Crosstrek Hybrid’s standard Hill Descent Control allows you to creep down safely. The 500X doesn’t offer Hill Descent Control.

The Crosstrek Hybrid’s standard lane departure warning system alerts a temporarily inattentive driver when the vehicle begins to leave its lane and gently nudges the vehicle back towards its lane. A lane departure warning system costs extra on the 500X and is only available on 500X Sport.

The Crosstrek Hybrid has a standard blind spot warning system that uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them. A system to reveal vehicles in the 500X’s blind spot costs extra.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Crosstrek Hybrid has standard Rear Cross Traffic Alert, helping the driver avoid collisions. Fiat charges extra for Rear Cross Path Detection on the 500X, and only on the Sport.

Both the Crosstrek Hybrid and the 500X 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, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights and rearview cameras.

The Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid weighs 412 pounds more than the Fiat 500X. The NHTSA advises that heavier vehicles are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.

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, its standard vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention system, with its optional vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention system, and its standard headlight’s “Good” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Crosstrek Hybrid its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2022, a rating granted to only 128 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The 500X last would have qualified as only a standard “Top Safety Pick” in 2017.

Warranty

Subaru’s powertrain warranty covers the Crosstrek Hybrid 1 year and 10,000 miles longer than Fiat covers the 500X. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 5 years or 60,000 miles. Coverage on the 500X ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

There are over 77 percent more Subaru dealers than there are Fiat dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Crosstrek Hybrid’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 Hybrid’s reliability 45 points higher than the 500X.

Engine

The flat cylinder configuration of the boxer engine in the Crosstrek Hybrid lowers its center of gravity, enhancing handling stability without compromising ground clearance. The 500X doesn’t offer a boxer engine configuration.

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Crosstrek Hybrid running on electricity gets better mileage than the 500X (99 city/80 hwy MPGe vs. 24 city/30 hwy).

On the EPA test cycle the Crosstrek Hybrid running its gasoline engine gets better fuel mileage than the 500X (36 city/35 hwy vs. 24 city/30 hwy).

The Crosstrek Hybrid can travel with zero emissions for 17 miles. The 500X can’t move without running its internal combustion engine.

Regenerative brakes improve the Crosstrek Hybrid’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The 500X doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid uses regular unleaded gasoline. The 500X requires premium for maximum efficiency, which can cost on average about 82.8 cents more per gallon.

The Crosstrek Hybrid has a standard locking fuel door and a locking charge port and which locks and unlocks with the power locks, respectively. The 500X doesn’t offer a locking fuel filler door. A locking fuel door helps prevent fuel theft and vandalism, such as sugar in the tank and a locking charge port prevents tampering and damage.

Transmission

The Crosstrek Hybrid has a standard continuously variable transmission (CVT). With no “steps” between gears, it can keep the engine at the most efficient speed for fuel economy, or keep it at its peak horsepower indefinitely for maximum acceleration. The 500X doesn’t offer a CVT.

Brakes and Stopping

The Crosstrek Hybrid stops shorter than the 500X:

	Crosstrek Hybrid	500X
60 to 0 MPH	129 feet	130 feet	Consumer Reports
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	136 feet	146 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Crosstrek Hybrid has larger tires than the 500X (225/55R18 vs. 215/60R17).

The Crosstrek Hybrid’s tires provide better handling because they have a lower 55 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the 500X AWD’s standard 60 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Crosstrek Hybrid has standard 18-inch wheels. Smaller 17-inch wheels are standard on the 500X AWD.

Suspension and Handling

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Crosstrek Hybrid’s wheelbase is 3.7 inches longer than on the 500X (104.9 inches vs. 101.2 inches).

For better maneuverability, the Crosstrek Hybrid’s turning circle is .9 feet tighter than the 500X’s (35.4 feet vs. 36.3 feet).

For greater off-road capability the Crosstrek Hybrid has a greater minimum ground clearance than the 500X (8.7 vs. 7.9 inches), allowing the Crosstrek Hybrid to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

Chassis

To almost totally eliminate engine vibration in the passenger area, the Crosstrek Hybrid has liquid-filled engine mounts. The liquid helps further dampen engine harshness. The 500X uses conventional solid rubber engine mounts.

The front grille of the Crosstrek Hybrid uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The 500X doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

Passenger Space

The Crosstrek Hybrid has 9.1 cubic feet more passenger volume than the 500X (100.8 vs. 91.7).

The Crosstrek Hybrid has .7 inches more front headroom, 1.7 inches more front legroom, 1.8 inches more front hip room, 2.4 inches more front shoulder room, 1.9 inches more rear legroom, 1.8 inches more rear hip room and 2.8 inches more rear shoulder room than the 500X.

The front step up height for the Crosstrek Hybrid is 1.9 inches lower than the 500X (17.5” vs. 19.4”). The Crosstrek Hybrid’s rear step up height is 1.6 inches lower than the 500X’s (18” vs. 19.6”).

Cargo Capacity

The Crosstrek Hybrid has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the 500X with its rear seat up (15.9 vs. 14.1 cubic feet). The Crosstrek Hybrid has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the 500X with its rear seat folded (43.1 vs. 39.8 cubic feet).

The Crosstrek Hybrid’s cargo area is larger than the 500X’s in every dimension:

	Crosstrek Hybrid	500X
Length to seat (2nd/1st)	28.9”/63.1”	n/a
Max Width	53”	41.3”
Min Width	43”	37.8”
Height	30”	28.8”

A standard locking glovebox (which can’t be accessed with the valet key) keeps your small valuables safer in the Crosstrek Hybrid. The 500X doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

Servicing Ease

The engine in the Crosstrek Hybrid is mounted longitudinally (North-South), instead of sideways, as in the 500X. This makes it easier to service and maintain, because the accessory belts are in front.

Ergonomics

In case you lock your keys in your vehicle, or don’t have them with you, you can let yourself in using the Crosstrek Hybrid’s exterior PIN entry system. The 500X doesn’t offer an exterior PIN entry system, and its extra cost Uconnect Access can’t unlock the doors if the vehicle doesn’t have cell phone reception or the driver can’t contact the service.

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 Hybrid’s headlights were rated “Good” by the IIHS, while the 500X’s headlights are rated “Poor.”

The Crosstrek Hybrid has a standard automatic headlight on/off feature. When the ignition is on, the headlights automatically turn on at dusk and off after dawn. The 500X only offers an automatic headlight on/off feature as an extra cost option.

The 500X Sport’s cornering lamps activate a lamp on the front corner when the turn signal is activated. The Crosstrek Hybrid’s standard adaptive cornering lights turn the actual headlight unit up to several degrees, depending on steering wheel angle and vehicle speed. This lights a significant distance into corners at any speed.

On extremely cold winter days, the Crosstrek Hybrid’s optional heated steering wheel provides comfort, allowing the driver to steer safely and comfortably before the vehicle heater warms up. The 500X doesn’t offer a heated steering wheel.

The Crosstrek Hybrid has a standard center folding armrest for the rear passengers. A center armrest helps make rear passengers more comfortable and it can provide a boundary between children. The 500X doesn’t offer a rear seat center armrest.

For greater rear passenger comfort, the Crosstrek Hybrid has standard rear heat vents to keep rear occupants more comfortable. The 500X doesn’t offer rear vents.

Economic Advantages

The Crosstrek Hybrid will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The IntelliChoice estimates that the Crosstrek Hybrid will retain 51.71% of its original price after five years, while the 500X only retains 36.13% to 38.37%.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid will be $108 to $4847 less than for the Fiat 500X.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends the Subaru Crosstrek Hybrid, based on reliability, safety and performance. The Fiat 500X isn't recommended.

The Subaru Crosstrek outsold the Fiat 500X by over 177 to one during 2022.