it took me a while to find someone WITH a tape measure to tell me how big it actually is, not just showing me what bags will fit, I don't care about bags, what I care about is whether Me, Myself and I will fit... THANK YOU Rick!
This was really helpful. I’m a drummer who is very close to purchasing a 2018 Crosstrek and cargo space is pretty important. Your measurements really helped and allowed me to skip doing that at the dealer. 👍🏼
Great videos! We just bought a 2018 Outback for the family. I am in need of another car. Looks like I will get the 2018 Crosstrek. Also, I too want a Porsche one day. Keep the good videos coming. Very chill and relaxed and practical.
Thank you for this review! Actually using a tape measure tells me what I can put in the car length wise (ladders, lumber, etc...). The other reviews just talk about cu in which doesn't help me much.
Hi Julie, thank you! I did a video just awhile back called "The biggest Negative" about cargo space. It goes into more detail on what the car can hold etc. Really the only time it is an issue is when you have to carry stuff and 4 people in the car at the same time. Here is the link if you want to check it out. Best of luck with the new Crosstrek! th-cam.com/video/r62ArFvXxeI/w-d-xo.html
Thanks! I sometimes have to carry photographic light stands and backgrounds, and I'm considering the Crosstrek but needed to know the dimensions. This really helps.
Excellent video. I really like how you go into great detail using precise measurements and actual examples of what cargo looks like loaded into the vehicle. Have you done a video yet on the off road capabilities of the new 2018 Crosstrek? How does she fair over sand, gravel and on inclines? Have you camped out yet in the vehicle on taken her on a road trip or camping trip? Thanks!
Hi Joe, thank you for watching and for your nice comments. I have yet to take my new Crosstrek camping or on a road trip, but hope to soon. As for the tests you mentioned I have been trying to figure out how to do a video like you mentioned, but have been leery about getting stuck in the sand with no way out LOL. I'll try to get something up here soon Joe. Thanks again. Cheers
You made my day when you laid in the back! I am 5'9 too! I'm so looking forward to getting this car knowing I could sleep in it if desired or needed too!
Hey Michael, that's awesome and why I like to make these videos. Thank you very much for letting me know. Once it warms up around here I am going to get out a few nights myself. I heard from someone who was 6 foot I believe and he sleeps in the back too! Cheers.
Thank you! I am out of town for a few days so I am unable to measure the suit cases, but they are standard size. I believe they are 30 inches but I’m not 100% sure. In that ballpark for sure.
@@AZdroptop thank you! By the way, is the cabin quiet on highway, compared with common sedans like Camry or Corolla? I found people saying there are ridiculous wind and road noise, but there are others feeling it is quiet. Of course I am not expecting it to be very quiet like a luxury sedan. I tested drive it but no obvious feeling about noisy or not.
It was quiet and rattle free off the showroom floor and much better than the 2014 Crosstrek I had. Night and day better. With the BFG tires on the car it is pretty loud on the freeway, but stock it is great. Like you said, not a luxury sedan, but good.
Thank you Mike. appreciate your watching and commenting. Honestly it works just fine..just as good as the 14 I had. My only complaint is the Left center vent placement. Gets blocked a little by the steering wheel...Otherwise it cools off quick and works well. If there are other videos you would like to see let me know and I'll try and get it up for you. Cheers.
Rick, Thanks for the measurements. A lot of cargo videos leave those out. Looking at a 19 Impreza. What do you think about hauling a beach cruizer bike in there (front wheel off)? I was able to do it in a Honda CR-V with even the rear passenger set up. I would be willing in the Impreza to leave both seats down.
I can lay my road bike back there with the wheel off, but not standing up. I.e. resting on the front fork and rear tire. Saddle does not clear the roof. So it should fit with seats down, definitely not with seats up. One seat up and bike leaning on fork and rear tire my road bike fits. Hope that helps
Just purchased a 2020 Crosstrek Touring. Probably called Premium in the US. Delivery from Japan is only in 4-6 weeks. Would fitting 2 adult size mountain bikes in the back with the seats down be a feasible idea? Or should I simply fork over more cash for a hitch and rack?
Hey Steve, honestly it depends on what size the bikes are. Are we talking 29er's? What size frames and how tall your saddle sits. You could most likely get them in there laying on their side with the front wheels off...stocked a bit. If the frames are Small and your saddle height isn't super tall you could fit them sitting up, saddle towards the roof of the car, with the front wheels off. My suggestion is to spring for the hitch and rack or do crossbars and roof mounted bike racks. The car get's small really quick if you have to carry people and stuff back there.
Hey Rick sorry to be a pest once again. The crossbars you have mounted on your roof rails, are they one of the models sold by Subaru? My local dealer has 2 models. One that looks like yours and the other which approx 3x the price are slightly wider. I may still choose the roof rack bike option. But I don't want to make the same mistake I made with my Subaru Legacy. The crossbars are bowed to follow the roof line. Which makes the mounted bikes angled outward. Are yours pretty straight or are they curved a bit?
No bother at all. Mine do have a slight curve to them, but it isn't significant. They are also Crossbars I purchased in 2011 when I had my STI. My understanding is they have New bars for the 18+ models, but I am not sure how different they are. My bars seems to fit fine and I have had no problems with them in 3 years. They are Subaru bars! Racks are Yakima made for Subaru
It would be tight, but it is doable. The back hatch area measures right at 4 foot across above the "humps" of the tires. You would have to put it in on a diagonal to make it work.
That outro music lol. Does the front passenger seat fold flat forward? I'm 6'0" and am curious about sleeping completely on one side putting my feet up on the passenger seatback. No particular reason.
Hey rick, I’m sure you knew this but in the back middle you can unclip the seat belt from the seat so it won’t be in the way while you are folding the seats down flat
Hey Brother, than you. I did indeed know that, but I appreciate your sharing the info anyway. I tend to leave it clipped so when i carry my bike wheel in the back it doesn't flop around back there. Just tuck it under the belt. :) cheers and thank you again.!
HI Victoria, I'm not sure exactly what measurement you are looking for, but here are a couple. From the ground to the top of the bumper where the opening starts is about 32 inches. From the floor of the back area to the top of the opening it is about 29 inches. Here is an old video I made about the cargo room back there. Happy to help if I didn't get what you need here.th-cam.com/video/NHMCeQ5jKOk/w-d-xo.html
@@AZdroptop sorry, should've clarified. What is the height of the opening in the back cargo area? Ex: if something were to go in "standing up", how tall could it be?
Very good. :) The opening is about 29 inches, but you could probably wiggle something a small amount bigger through the opening. From the floor of the cargo area, seats folder down, I would say 30 inches is pretty much it for height to the roof of the car. It slopes a little back there so that is at the highest point.
Hi Rick , I think the spare tyre is not full sized in your car ? Here in Saudi they have stuffed a full sized tyre under compromising cargo space , shall send you pictures soon , they are using a thicker polystyrene for the cargo mat , eliminating cargo loading depth.
He Abdul, the tire is considered full size by Subaru in so much as it isn't a "doughnut" size spare. It is definitely more narrow than the standard tire/wheel set up through. It worked well for me after my tire destruction on my off-road adventure. :) It sits nicely under the rear cargo space so not too bad.
Thank you Gabriel very much, glad the videos were helpful. I really like the seats in the 18 a lot actually, not too stiff in my opinion and there is more shape to them then in the 14. Cheers
Scott, that is a good question...but I am not sure of the basic dimensions of a pallet...my first thought would be no, but you might be able to wedge it in there at an angle. Happy to check with a tape measure if you can send me the rough dimensions of the pallets you use. Cheers Scott
@Rick does it have rear heating vents like an hvac in the centre console for the rear passengers thanks greats vids by the way on the fence on buying this car
Hi The Pickle Man, thank you very much! Unfortunately there are no rear vents in the back. Not sure why Subaru doesn't add them. Let me know if I can answer any other questions for you. They are great little cars!
Horizontal distance of the hatch opening is 41 inches. Diagonally it is 48. I don't believe you could get a 55 inch TV in there. Thank you for watching
Hey Dave, you can move the seats to their furthest back position with the back seats down. You just need to move them Forward a bit on the vertical axis so the rear headrest can clear as you put the seat down. Then move the front seat to a comfortable position. Cheers
Thanks, that's good to know. A lot of cars advertise that you can fold the rear seats down all the way for additional cargo space. But what they don't tell you is that often times, this limits the amount of space you can move the front seats back. And in some cases, you're even forced to move the front seats forward to accommodate.
I'm so jealous! In my 2016 crosstrek the seats don't fold down all the way which means I can't sleep in it. Had I known this I wouldn't have purchased the vehicle.
For me the thing I like least about my 2016 Crosstrek is the tiny hatch space. i'd rather have less room in the back seat area (I don't have kids or back seat passengers) and a bigger hatch area like, say, the Ford focus hatch.
HI Ed, thanks for the comment. You can definitely run out of space quick of you are carrying gear and more that 2 people at a time. the 18 has just a bit less space than the early Crosstrek's, but more with the seats down I guess? The rear opening is a little bigger too which is nice. I plan on getting a basket for when I need to carry extra gear. Cheers Ed.
Hi Craig, that is something I have not tried as of yet, but I bet its possible. Depending if we are talking Mountain or road, how big your frame is and how tall your saddle height is. I am pretty certain my 54 road bike would fit with no wheels if that helps at all. I'm at work with out my bike today, but if I find out different tomorrow I'll let you know. cheers and thanks for watching.
Rule of thumb 7ft is the norm for crossovers from The front of the dash to the rear hatch. My buddy sells cars and hit me with that knowledge. I have a mazda cx-7 when i purchased it new in 2010, i asked why the name. He said the 7ft was the measure, industry standard in crossovers. Who knows cars salesman are worse than politicians you give them viagra. And they grow
Nice video rick that’s probably my only real issue with this Subaru we like to go Costco bout every week end I’m off work and take my in laws with us there’s really not much room back there with the seats up we was gonna go on vacation to Florida next year round July and I’m thinking we want have enough room with 4 adults and all there luggage we will be taking I am ordering my wife a cargo basket that goes on top I’m disappointed that the bars they said I needed Tulley I believe they called it 500$ for cross beam supports and 400$ for the basket but oh well maybe with that on top the car we can drive this I also like the look it adds to the car does anyone know of any other brand I can buy that is any cheaper
Brad, thank you! That is very true. Seats up you run out of room in back back pretty quick. I have been thinking of putting a hitch on this one like I had on the 14 so I could throw on a carrier basket for camping etc. You could always strapped the in laws on the roof. :) Just kidding. That will be tough and the roof rack is another great idea. I am using the same crossbars I bought in 2011 so I am lucky to not have to spring for new ones. $500 sounds like a lot. Check out Heuberger Subaru. They are the biggest, if not one of the biggest, Subaru dealerships out West and have very good prices on accessories. I saved quite a bit when I bought my bike racks from them. My Subaru dealership even priced matched them when I brought the price in. Worth a shot anyway. Actually I just checked the price and they are 142.97 Here is the link. parts.bestbuysubaru.com/p/Subaru__Crosstrek/Cross-Bar-Aero/49925122/E361SFJ100.html Cheers
Laying in the back was exactly what I wanted to know and I appreciate it greatly!!!!
Glad it was helpful!
This video is usefull almost 7 years later. Great work.
Thank you! Great to hear.
it took me a while to find someone WITH a tape measure to tell me how big it actually is, not just showing me what bags will fit, I don't care about bags, what I care about is whether Me, Myself and I will fit... THANK YOU Rick!
Glad it was helpful. :) And thank you for watching.
This helps to visualize what this cargo space is capable of. Thanks
Glad it was helpful! Thank you for watching.
This was really helpful. I’m a drummer who is very close to purchasing a 2018 Crosstrek and cargo space is pretty important. Your measurements really helped and allowed me to skip doing that at the dealer. 👍🏼
AAron that’s great, glad it was helpful and good luck with your car purchase.
Great videos! We just bought a 2018 Outback for the family. I am in need of another car. Looks like I will get the 2018 Crosstrek.
Also, I too want a Porsche one day. Keep the good videos coming. Very chill and relaxed and practical.
HI Mark, thank you very much! Really appreciate it. I think you will love the Crosstrek and it will be a nice friend to the Outback. :)
Just the video I was looking for! Just moved to the Bay Area and definitely considering the crosstrek. Thanks for your all your vids!
Very cool! Let me know if I can answer any question for you...And thank you for watching.
Thank you for this review! Actually using a tape measure tells me what I can put in the car length wise (ladders, lumber, etc...). The other reviews just talk about cu in which doesn't help me much.
Glad it was helpful and thank you for watching.
Just what i was looking for. Thanks for your informative crosstrek videos!
Thank you! Very appreciated. Glad they are helpful.
Super helpful - thanks! I just ordered a 2019 that is coming next month and was a little concerned about cargo space. Looks great!
Hi Julie, thank you! I did a video just awhile back called "The biggest Negative" about cargo space. It goes into more detail on what the car can hold etc. Really the only time it is an issue is when you have to carry stuff and 4 people in the car at the same time. Here is the link if you want to check it out. Best of luck with the new Crosstrek! th-cam.com/video/r62ArFvXxeI/w-d-xo.html
Appreciate your efforts... Very helpful vedio for anyone like to compare with other cars
Thank you very much!
Thanks! I sometimes have to carry photographic light stands and backgrounds, and I'm considering the Crosstrek but needed to know the dimensions. This really helps.
Glad it was helpful. Cheers
Finally found a cargo test for the crosstrek. Very helpful. Thank you!
LeonMusicful Leon, thanks for watching. Glad it was helpful!
Thanks for laying, helps visualize for sure. Want to road trip!
Glad it was helpful!
hahaha thank you for sleeping demonstration. I was looking for this info 😁
Glad it was helpful! :)
This configuration is pretty useful when camping in the Crosstrek. You can always move the front seats forward for additional space.
Hey Adam, have you been out in yours a bunch? How are you liking it? Once it warms up around here I want to get out and do an overnight. Cheers.
Excellent video. I really like how you go into great detail using precise measurements and actual examples of what cargo looks like loaded into the vehicle. Have you done a video yet on the off road capabilities of the new 2018 Crosstrek? How does she fair over sand, gravel and on inclines? Have you camped out yet in the vehicle on taken her on a road trip or camping trip? Thanks!
Hi Joe, thank you for watching and for your nice comments. I have yet to take my new Crosstrek camping or on a road trip, but hope to soon. As for the tests you mentioned I have been trying to figure out how to do a video like you mentioned, but have been leery about getting stuck in the sand with no way out LOL. I'll try to get something up here soon Joe. Thanks again. Cheers
You made my day when you laid in the back! I am 5'9 too! I'm so looking forward to getting this car knowing I could sleep in it if desired or needed too!
Hey Michael, that's awesome and why I like to make these videos. Thank you very much for letting me know. Once it warms up around here I am going to get out a few nights myself. I heard from someone who was 6 foot I believe and he sleeps in the back too! Cheers.
Thank you for the helpful video! May I ask the size of that two cases? 28 inches?
Thank you! I am out of town for a few days so I am unable to measure the suit cases, but they are standard size. I believe they are 30 inches but I’m not 100% sure. In that ballpark for sure.
@@AZdroptop thank you! By the way, is the cabin quiet on highway, compared with common sedans like Camry or Corolla? I found people saying there are ridiculous wind and road noise, but there are others feeling it is quiet. Of course I am not expecting it to be very quiet like a luxury sedan. I tested drive it but no obvious feeling about noisy or not.
It was quiet and rattle free off the showroom floor and much better than the 2014 Crosstrek I had. Night and day better. With the BFG tires on the car it is pretty loud on the freeway, but stock it is great. Like you said, not a luxury sedan, but good.
@@AZdroptop thank you!
Really like your continuing updates on your new Crosstrek. How does the AC in Az? Seen some comments elsewhere that it may be somewhat weak.
Thank you Mike. appreciate your watching and commenting. Honestly it works just fine..just as good as the 14 I had. My only complaint is the Left center vent placement. Gets blocked a little by the steering wheel...Otherwise it cools off quick and works well. If there are other videos you would like to see let me know and I'll try and get it up for you. Cheers.
Rick, Thanks for the measurements. A lot of cargo videos leave those out. Looking at a 19 Impreza. What do you think about hauling a beach cruizer bike in there (front wheel off)? I was able to do it in a Honda CR-V with even the rear passenger set up. I would be willing in the Impreza to leave both seats down.
I can lay my road bike back there with the wheel off, but not standing up. I.e. resting on the front fork and rear tire. Saddle does not clear the roof. So it should fit with seats down, definitely not with seats up. One seat up and bike leaning on fork and rear tire my road bike fits. Hope that helps
Just purchased a 2020 Crosstrek Touring. Probably called Premium in the US. Delivery from Japan is only in 4-6 weeks. Would fitting 2 adult size mountain bikes in the back with the seats down be a feasible idea?
Or should I simply fork over more cash for a hitch and rack?
Hey Steve, honestly it depends on what size the bikes are. Are we talking 29er's? What size frames and how tall your saddle sits. You could most likely get them in there laying on their side with the front wheels off...stocked a bit. If the frames are Small and your saddle height isn't super tall you could fit them sitting up, saddle towards the roof of the car, with the front wheels off.
My suggestion is to spring for the hitch and rack or do crossbars and roof mounted bike racks. The car get's small really quick if you have to carry people and stuff back there.
More than likely go the hitch and rack route. Thanks for the feedback.
My pleasure and best of luck. I love my Curt hitch.
Hey Rick sorry to be a pest once again.
The crossbars you have mounted on your roof rails, are they one of the models sold by Subaru? My local dealer has 2 models. One that looks like yours and the other which approx 3x the price are slightly wider.
I may still choose the roof rack bike option. But I don't want to make the same mistake I made with my Subaru Legacy. The crossbars are bowed to follow the roof line. Which makes the mounted bikes angled outward.
Are yours pretty straight or are they curved a bit?
No bother at all. Mine do have a slight curve to them, but it isn't significant. They are also Crossbars I purchased in 2011 when I had my STI. My understanding is they have New bars for the 18+ models, but I am not sure how different they are. My bars seems to fit fine and I have had no problems with them in 3 years. They are Subaru bars! Racks are Yakima made for Subaru
Can you fit a half sheet of plywood with the seats down? Thanks!
It would be tight, but it is doable. The back hatch area measures right at 4 foot across above the "humps" of the tires. You would have to put it in on a diagonal to make it work.
That outro music lol. Does the front passenger seat fold flat forward? I'm 6'0" and am curious about sleeping completely on one side putting my feet up on the passenger seatback. No particular reason.
Hey Stefan, it does not fold flat. Best bet would be to slide it as far forward as possible for the most room. Cheers!
Hey rick, I’m sure you knew this but in the back middle you can unclip the seat belt from the seat so it won’t be in the way while you are folding the seats down flat
Hey Brother, than you. I did indeed know that, but I appreciate your sharing the info anyway. I tend to leave it clipped so when i carry my bike wheel in the back it doesn't flop around back there. Just tuck it under the belt. :) cheers and thank you again.!
Great video, thanks! I'm considering a crosstrek. How tall is the tailgate area, if you wouldn't mind checking?
HI Victoria, I'm not sure exactly what measurement you are looking for, but here are a couple. From the ground to the top of the bumper where the opening starts is about 32 inches. From the floor of the back area to the top of the opening it is about 29 inches. Here is an old video I made about the cargo room back there. Happy to help if I didn't get what you need here.th-cam.com/video/NHMCeQ5jKOk/w-d-xo.html
@@AZdroptop sorry, should've clarified. What is the height of the opening in the back cargo area? Ex: if something were to go in "standing up", how tall could it be?
Very good. :) The opening is about 29 inches, but you could probably wiggle something a small amount bigger through the opening. From the floor of the cargo area, seats folder down, I would say 30 inches is pretty much it for height to the roof of the car. It slopes a little back there so that is at the highest point.
Hi Rick , I think the spare tyre is not full sized in your car ? Here in Saudi they have stuffed a full sized tyre under compromising cargo space , shall send you pictures soon , they are using a thicker polystyrene for the cargo mat , eliminating cargo loading depth.
He Abdul, the tire is considered full size by Subaru in so much as it isn't a "doughnut" size spare. It is definitely more narrow than the standard tire/wheel set up through. It worked well for me after my tire destruction on my off-road adventure. :) It sits nicely under the rear cargo space so not too bad.
Thank you for all the info! I find your reviews really helpful. I had a question, do you find the seats to be stiff?
Thank you Gabriel very much, glad the videos were helpful. I really like the seats in the 18 a lot actually, not too stiff in my opinion and there is more shape to them then in the 14. Cheers
nice video rick. wanted to know what the height of the large suitcase is. tia.
Thank you! The taller one is about 27.5 inches.
Might sound odd but can you fit a pallet in the back? We make crafts out of pallets and I am thinking of a Crosstrek
Scott, that is a good question...but I am not sure of the basic dimensions of a pallet...my first thought would be no, but you might be able to wedge it in there at an angle. Happy to check with a tape measure if you can send me the rough dimensions of the pallets you use. Cheers Scott
@@AZdroptop thank you. Actually just found out a friend recently purchased a 2018 Crosstrek and he is going to stop by the house and see if one fits.
Awesome.
so much more helpful than cubic feet.
Glad it was helpful!
@Rick does it have rear heating vents like an hvac in the centre console for the rear passengers thanks greats vids by the way on the fence on buying this car
Hi The Pickle Man, thank you very much! Unfortunately there are no rear vents in the back. Not sure why Subaru doesn't add them. Let me know if I can answer any other questions for you. They are great little cars!
Rick Hutton thank you so much not a deal breaker but yes ur right it's definitely right it's a fun little pocket rocket
Is the opening to the hatchback/trunk also 52 inches? Say I want to put a big screen tv back there, what's the max room?
Horizontal distance of the hatch opening is 41 inches. Diagonally it is 48. I don't believe you could get a 55 inch TV in there. Thank you for watching
How far back can you move the front seats when the rear seats are folded flat?
Hey Dave, you can move the seats to their furthest back position with the back seats down. You just need to move them Forward a bit on the vertical axis so the rear headrest can clear as you put the seat down. Then move the front seat to a comfortable position. Cheers
Thanks, that's good to know. A lot of cars advertise that you can fold the rear seats down all the way for additional cargo space. But what they don't tell you is that often times, this limits the amount of space you can move the front seats back. And in some cases, you're even forced to move the front seats forward to accommodate.
Very true. Yep, no problem having the seats back at all.
Thank you for sharing!
i was wondering if you could fit back there thank you for this!
My Pleasure. Thank you for watching!
I'm so jealous! In my 2016 crosstrek the seats don't fold down all the way which means I can't sleep in it. Had I known this I wouldn't have purchased the vehicle.
Really? they don't fold all the way down? I don't remember how my 14 was now?
thanks very nice video wath's the height?
At the back 30 inches or so and from the rear seat to the high part of the roof about 35" Thank you for watching and cheers!
For me the thing I like least about my 2016 Crosstrek is the tiny hatch space. i'd rather have less room in the back seat area (I don't have kids or back seat passengers) and a bigger hatch area like, say, the Ford focus hatch.
HI Ed, thanks for the comment. You can definitely run out of space quick of you are carrying gear and more that 2 people at a time. the 18 has just a bit less space than the early Crosstrek's, but more with the seats down I guess? The rear opening is a little bigger too which is nice. I plan on getting a basket for when I need to carry extra gear. Cheers Ed.
Can you get a bike with seats up and no wheels?
Hi Craig, that is something I have not tried as of yet, but I bet its possible. Depending if we are talking Mountain or road, how big your frame is and how tall your saddle height is. I am pretty certain my 54 road bike would fit with no wheels if that helps at all. I'm at work with out my bike today, but if I find out different tomorrow I'll let you know. cheers and thanks for watching.
Would a bike fit back there...don't feel putting the bike on the roof
Steve, I am 5'9"s tall and my road bike will fit with my front wheel off.
Rear seats down...
Hey, where did you get the trunk liner and the bumper protector?
alcajm hi, it came as part of the “popular package 2” set up. Also come with all weather mats and homelink mirror. Cheers
Rule of thumb 7ft is the norm for crossovers from The front of the dash to the rear hatch. My buddy sells cars and hit me with that knowledge. I have a mazda cx-7 when i purchased it new in 2010, i asked why the name. He said the 7ft was the measure, industry standard in crossovers. Who knows cars salesman are worse than politicians you give them viagra. And they grow
Nice video rick that’s probably my only real issue with this Subaru we like to go Costco bout every week end I’m off work and take my in laws with us there’s really not much room back there with the seats up we was gonna go on vacation to Florida next year round July and I’m thinking we want have enough room with 4 adults and all there luggage we will be taking I am ordering my wife a cargo basket that goes on top I’m disappointed that the bars they said I needed Tulley I believe they called it 500$ for cross beam supports and 400$ for the basket but oh well maybe with that on top the car we can drive this I also like the look it adds to the car does anyone know of any other brand I can buy that is any cheaper
Brad, thank you! That is very true. Seats up you run out of room in back back pretty quick. I have been thinking of putting a hitch on this one like I had on the 14 so I could throw on a carrier basket for camping etc. You could always strapped the in laws on the roof. :) Just kidding.
That will be tough and the roof rack is another great idea. I am using the same crossbars I bought in 2011 so I am lucky to not have to spring for new ones. $500 sounds like a lot. Check out Heuberger Subaru. They are the biggest, if not one of the biggest, Subaru dealerships out West and have very good prices on accessories. I saved quite a bit when I bought my bike racks from them. My Subaru dealership even priced matched them when I brought the price in. Worth a shot anyway. Actually I just checked the price and they are 142.97 Here is the link. parts.bestbuysubaru.com/p/Subaru__Crosstrek/Cross-Bar-Aero/49925122/E361SFJ100.html Cheers
Missed height