The True Cost of Owning a Subaru Crosstrek

Cost example updated October 26, 2026

Start with the price you will actually pay

For a representative example, use a 2026 Subaru Crosstrek Premium at $27,995 starting MSRP (Subaru's own pricing release lists the Premium at $27,995 before destination). That is the volume trim: KBB calls Premium the best-selling Crosstrek grade and its recommended trim, and it carries the 2.5-liter engine with all-wheel drive and a continuously variable automatic (CVT, one gear that slides smoothly instead of shifting in steps). Gas trims run from the Base near $26,995 up to the Wilderness near $33,795, so replace this starting point with a written quote for the exact trim you are considering. The example price leaves out the $1,420 destination charge, with destination, the Premium stickers at $29,415.

Here is the bottom line first: over five years, this Crosstrek costs roughly $38,531, or about $642 a month. The loan payment alone is $569 a month, with 10% down ($2,800), 8% APR (the yearly interest rate on the loan) and 60 months, this example finances $28,055 and the loan costs about $6,076 in interest over five years. The payment is about 89% of the average month's true cost, and during the loan years the cash actually going out is the payment plus insurance, fuel and upkeep.

Fuel: steady mileage, everyday gas

The Crosstrek Premium's 2.5-liter engine is rated 29 mpg combined (26 city, 33 highway, per Edmunds). At 12,000 miles a year that is about 414 gallons annually. At the AAA national average regular price of $4.29 a gallon on October 26, 2026, that is roughly $1,775 a year, $8,876 over five years. Gas prices move, so re-run this line at your local price. The method is in the EV vs. gas guide: miles divided by mpg, times price, times years.

Depreciation is not the big bite here

Depreciation is the value a car loses over time, the gap between what you pay and what it is worth later. iSeeCars' data puts the Crosstrek's five-year value loss at about 29%, it keeps roughly 71% of its price. On a $27,995 purchase, plan on roughly $19,876 after five years, about $8,119 of depreciation, roughly $135 a month. That resale figure is a planning assumption, not a forecast. A second published figure, from CarEdge, puts five-year retention at 66.3% instead of 71%, that would mean $9,434 of depreciation and an $18,561 resale value, lifting the five-year total to about $39,846. The gap between the two sources looks like a study-vintage difference: older iSeeCars pages show about 66.4% retention, matching CarEdge, while iSeeCars' current model page shows 71%. Run a second scenario with resale 10% lower so the decision does not depend on an optimistic used market.

Insurance: mid-pack, not luxury money

Published full-coverage averages for the Crosstrek range from about $151 a month to about $192 a month, but the two averages that anchor this example sit close together: Compare.com puts full coverage at $169 a month and CarEdge at about $165 a month. This example uses $169 a month, or $10,140 over five years. Premiums depend heavily on the driver, ZIP code, coverage and insurer, so get a quote on the exact trim with matching deductibles (the amount you pay out of pocket before insurance pays) and limits before treating any average as yours.

Crosstrek maintenance costs: light for an SUV

RepairPal puts the Crosstrek's annual repair and maintenance cost near $492 a year, and rates the model 4.5 out of 5.0 for reliability, the top score among compact SUVs. CarEdge puts the first five years of new ownership near $529 a year on average ($2,643 over five years). This example allows $492 a year, or $2,460 all-in, enough for routine service, a set of tires inside five years at 60,000 miles, and a cushion for the wear items that show up as the miles add up.

The full five-year example

Every figure below comes from the site's own calculator math. The stated inputs are: 2026 Subaru Crosstrek Premium, $27,995 starting MSRP, 10% down ($2,800), 8% APR, 60 months, 7% sales tax, $900 in title and dealer fees, 12,000 miles per year, 29 mpg, $4.29 per gallon regular, $169 per month insurance, $492 per year maintenance, $19,876 resale value after five years.

Depreciation: $8,119 ($27,995 minus $19,876 resale)
Insurance: $10,140 ($169 x 60 months)
Fuel: $8,876 (12,000 / 29 x $4.29 x 5 years)
Maintenance: $2,460 ($492 x 5 years)
Tax, fees and interest: $8,936 ($1,960 sales tax, $900 fees, $6,076 loan interest)
That totals roughly $38,531, or about $642 a month. Notice what that says about the $569 payment: on this vehicle the payment is not the whole story, it is about 89% of the average month's true cost, and during the loan years the cash actually going out is the payment plus insurance, fuel and upkeep.

Formula

The five-year total is the sum of five buckets: depreciation, insurance, fuel, maintenance, and tax, fees and interest. Depreciation is the $27,995 price minus the $19,876 resale value after five years, which is $8,119. Insurance is $169 a month times 60 months, which is $10,140. Fuel is 12,000 miles a year divided by 29 miles per gallon, times $4.29 a gallon, times 5 years, which is about $8,876. Maintenance is $492 a year times 5 years, which is $2,460. Tax, fees and interest is 7% sales tax on $27,995, which is $1,960, plus $900 in title and dealer fees, plus about $6,076 of loan interest, which is $8,936.

Added together, $8,119 plus $10,140 plus $8,876 plus $2,460 plus $8,936 comes to roughly $38,531, or about $642 a month. The amount financed is the $27,995 price plus $1,960 sales tax plus $900 in fees, minus the $2,800 down payment, which is $28,055. At 8% APR over 60 months, the payment on $28,055 is $569 a month, and the loan costs about $6,076 in interest over five years.

Thinking past year five

Small SUVs are often keepers, and that is where the economics can improve: the loan ends at year five, and the depreciation curve (how fast the value drops) flattens. The costs that arrive in years six through ten are the wear-and-repair years: a second tire set, suspension work, and the out-of-warranty items a repair cushion exists for. The keep it 10 years guide shows how to extend this same math honestly.

Shopping the Crosstrek against other small SUVs? The Car Showdown runs any two vehicles through the same five buckets side by side. Cross-shopping a Forester too? See what a Subaru Forester really costs over 5 years. And if the value it loses is your biggest worry, the why cars lose value guide explains what drives it.

Calculation transparency

Jurisdiction. United States. Sales tax, titling, registration and insurance rules are set by your state, so your exact numbers depend on where you buy and register the car. The 7% sales tax and $900 in fees in this example are planning figures, not any one state's actual rates.

Rules and time period. Five years, 12,000 miles a year, gas at $4.29 a gallon (AAA national average, October 26, 2026), 8% APR, 60 months, 10% down. The resale value is a planning assumption, not a forecast.

Scope and limitations. Educational estimate only. Insurance and maintenance are planning figures, not quotes. Get a real quote for the same trim, coverage and loan before you decide.

Sources disagree on the Crosstrek's five-year value loss: iSeeCars' dedicated resale page puts it at 29 percent, which matches the figure used here, while its comparison pages put it at 33.6 percent and CarEdge puts retention at 66.3 percent, so the 29 percent figure used here is kept as a planning assumption, not as a current reading. RepairPal puts the Crosstrek's average annual repair cost at $492, while Edmunds shows a RepairPal figure of $456 a year for 2026 models, and the $492 figure used here is kept as printed.

Source links checked November 6, 2026. Figures: Subaru 2026 Crosstrek Premium price, $27,995 before destination, $29,415 with destination; EPA combined fuel economy, 29 mpg; Compare.com Crosstrek full-coverage average, $169 a month; Insuraviz Crosstrek average, $148 a month; Insure.com Crosstrek average, $192 a month; RepairPal Crosstrek average annual repair cost, $492, reliability 4.5 out of 5; AAA national average regular gas, $4.29 a gallon (October 26, 2026).

Primary sources: Subaru, 2026 Crosstrek pricing; fueleconomy.gov, EPA fuel economy ratings; Compare.com, Subaru Crosstrek car insurance; RepairPal, Subaru Crosstrek reliability. How the numbers are calculated is written down on the methodology page, and every source is listed on the sources page.

Definitions

Depreciation. The value a car loses over time, the gap between what you pay and what it is worth later. On this page, the $27,995 price minus the $19,876 resale value after five years, which is $8,119.

Resale value. What the Crosstrek is worth after five years in this example, $19,876. A planning assumption, not a forecast.

APR. Annual percentage rate, the yearly interest rate on the loan. This example uses 8%.

Down payment. The cash paid up front. Here it is 10%, or $2,800.

Destination charge. The fee to ship the car to the dealer. It is $1,420 on the Crosstrek, and the $27,995 example price is before destination, so $29,415 with destination.

Combined mpg. The EPA city and highway ratings blended into one figure. It is 29 for the gas Premium, 26 in the city and 33 on the highway.

Full coverage. Insurance that covers damage to your own car as well as damage you cause to others, and it is what a lender usually requires while a loan is open. This example uses $169 a month, or $10,140 over five years.

Sales tax. The tax charged when you buy the car. This example uses 7%, which is $1,960 on the $27,995 price.

Questions people actually ask

How much does a Subaru Crosstrek depreciate in 5 years?

About $8,119 on a $27,995 purchase, using iSeeCars' 71% five-year retention, leaving a resale value near $19,876. A second published figure, from CarEdge, puts five-year retention at 66.3%, which would mean $9,434 of depreciation instead.

What gas mileage does a Subaru Crosstrek get?

The gas Premium is rated 29 mpg combined (26 city, 33 highway) per Edmunds. At 12,000 miles a year and the October 26, 2026 AAA national regular average of $4.29 a gallon, fuel runs about $1,775 a year.

How much is insurance for a Subaru Crosstrek?

Published full-coverage averages range from about $151 to $192 a month; Compare.com puts it at $169 a month, and this example uses $169 a month, or $10,140 over five years. Your quote will depend on the driver, ZIP code, coverage and insurer.

Is a Subaru Crosstrek expensive to maintain?

No, by SUV standards. RepairPal puts it near $492 a year for repairs and maintenance, rating it 4.5 out of 5 for reliability; this example allows $492 a year, or $2,460 over five years.

Is there a hybrid Subaru Crosstrek?

Yes, the Sport Hybrid starts near $33,995 and the Limited Hybrid near $34,995, both rated 36 mpg combined. This page's example is the gas Premium, so a hybrid's price and fuel lines would differ; run your own numbers for the hybrid.

Related: Compare the Subaru Outback, the Honda HR-V and the Chevrolet Trax, or browse all models.

Buying in Texas? Texas adds its own layer to these numbers, a 6.25% sales tax, its own fees, and some of the highest insurance in the country. See the true cost of a car in Texas.

Honest gaps and conflicts on this page: the $27,995 example price is the 2026 Premium starting MSRP per Subaru, before the $1,420 destination charge, with destination the Premium stickers at $29,415, while KBB lists $29,445 with destination, a $30 difference no source explains. The 7% sales tax is the site's standard example assumption, not any state's actual rate. Depreciation sources disagree (iSeeCars 71% retention vs CarEdge 66.3%); both figures are shown above, and the gap looks like a study-vintage difference rather than an error in either source. Compare.com's own pages differ by $3 ($169 a month in its table, $166 in its FAQ text); this example uses $169. RepairPal's $492 a year is an all-model-years average, not a 2026-specific figure. The $4.29 regular price is an October 26, 2026 national snapshot and moves with the market. This example covers only the gas Premium; the hybrid and Wilderness versions cost different amounts to buy, insure and fuel.