The 2025 Subaru Crosstrek boasts a more supple suspension, a quieter cabin, a stiffer chassis, more available tech features, and updated safety aids since its redesign last year. Its off-road visage is enhanced by the Wilderness trim, making Subaru’s adventure-seeking small SUV even more capable when off-road driving.
Despite all that’s new, the Crosstrek remains very much the same all-wheel-drive wagon that Subaru fans have come to love. It’s no wonder the affordable Crosstrek is one of the brand’s top sellers.
Receiving a mid-cycle refresh last year, the Kia Seltos provides a modern dual-screen dash setup and subtle exterior tweaks to the lighting and grille. It enters 2025 with trim-specific upgrades and options. Its outdoorsy grade is called the X-Line, and it resides in the middle of the Seltos lineup with the turbo engine standard.
Let’s explore the highlights of the Subaru Crosstrek and Kia Seltos.
2025 Subaru Crosstrek
Serving as the third generation of Subaru’s small SUV-meets-wagon, the 2025 Crosstrek starts at $27,115. Five trims are offered: Base, Premium, Sport, Limited, and Wilderness. The Base and Premium models are powered by a 2.0-liter flat-4 with 152 horsepower; the Sport, Limited, and Wilderness get a 2.5-liter 4-cylinder engine with 182 hp. All-wheel drive (AWD) is standard, as is a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT).
Subaru Crosstrek Highlights
Off-road credentials: Knowing exactly what to call the Crosstrek is a challenge. Technically it’s a small SUV. But to our eyes, you could easily call it a high-riding wagon. Whatever the label, having standard all-wheel drive and class-leading ground clearance gives the Crosstrek better off-road credentials than just about any other similarly sized SUV (or wagon, or whatever!).
Standard and available cabin tech: Affordability is a key component of the Crosstrek formula, but the standard and available features aren’t limited by some annoying accounting department. The base Crosstrek features dual 7-inch touchscreens, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and dual-zone climate control. All Subaru Crosstreks benefit from comfy front seats with extra padding and support.
Technology touches: Only one trim level above the base Crosstrek, you get a handsome 11.6-inch touchscreen that takes pride of place in the center of the dash. Additional extras with this system are more front and rear USB ports, along with a Wi-Fi hot spot.
Check this week’s Fair Purchase Price or see the Crosstrek models for sale near you.
2025 Kia Seltos
The 2025 Kia Seltos is available in five trims: LX, S, EX, X-Line, and SX. The three lower models feature a 2.0-liter 4-cylinder engine with 146 hp and a CVT. X-Line and SX models get a more powerful turbocharged 1.6-liter 4-cylinder with 195 hp and an 8-speed automatic transmission. The base LX front-wheel drive (FWD) has an asking price of $25,965. To get all-wheel drive, you must move up a level to the S trim. With the all-wheel-drive premium, the S price is $27,965. The X-Line represents the most affordable means of getting the turbocharged 4-cylinder. It comes with black exterior trim and heated front seats, plus it rides on unique 18-inch alloy wheels.
Kia Seltos Highlights
Panoramic infotainment display: The new dash, with a 10.25-inch digital instrument panel and a 10.25-inch infotainment touchscreen, looks great and works fantastically well. This slick system is standard in all but the entry-level LX Seltos.
Passenger and cargo space: The Seltos is small but certainly not cramped. That’s important for SUV shoppers who want something affordable and accommodating for people and cargo, or both. With 38 inches of rear legroom and 26.6 cubic feet of cargo volume behind the rear seats, the Seltos surprises us with its abundant interior space.
X-Line trim: Think of the X-Line as a peppier version of the Seltos designed to perform better on dirt roads. Its main attraction is the more potent turbo 4-cylinder, though extras like gloss-black alloy wheels, a chunkier roof rack, an underbody skid plate, and a gunmetal-colored grille add (a little) toughness to the otherwise huggable Seltos. All-wheel drive is standard on the X-Line.
Check this week’s Fair Purchase Price or see the Seltos models for sale near you.
Similarities
The Subaru Crosstrek and Kia Seltos are compelling choices in the subcompact SUV segment. Both have similarly powered 2.0-liter base engines with CVTs, and both are available with upgraded engines offering more power. Both have similar base prices, and both are also rated by the EPA at up to 29 mpg combined with all-wheel drive.
We’ve always loved the adventurous spirit – and reasonable price tag – of the Subaru Crosstrek. The same, however, also holds true for the Seltos, which isn’t quite as adventurous but is a multiple-time KBB Best Buy Award winner.
Despite their compact dimensions, each has adult-friendly rear seating. Both the Crosstrek and the Seltos also come standard with driver aids like automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, lane-keeping assist, and automatic high-beam headlights.
Conclusion
This is a seesaw battle. The Crosstrek and Seltos each have key advantages.
Working in the Crosstrek’s favor is standard all-wheel drive and better off-road driving capability. It also has a slightly stronger resale value.
The Seltos strikes back with its peppy turbocharged engine option, a better outward view, and more cargo space than you’ll find in the Crosstrek. And we’d be remiss not to mention the substantial coverage Kia offers, which is highlighted by a fantastic 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty.
If you plan to visit, say, a remote mine in the Mojave or a favorite fishing spot 10 miles up a bumpy dirt road, we’d take the Crosstrek. Yet for a life spent on paved surfaces, the more refined Seltos, with its larger cargo compartment, is hard to beat.
New 2025 Subaru Crosstrek Prices
|
Retail Price
|
Fair Purchase Price (92620)
|
|||
|---|---|---|---|---|
$27,230 |
$25,656 |
|||
$28,480 |
$26,665 |
|||
$31,030 |
$29,425 |
|||
$32,930 |
$31,227 |
|||
$34,030 |
$32,270 |
The Kelley Blue Book Fair Purchase Price for any individual used vehicle can vary greatly according to mileage, condition, location, and other factors. The prices here reflect what buyers are currently paying for New 2025 Subaru Crosstrek vehicles and New 2025 Kia Seltos vehicles in typical condition when purchasing from a dealership. These prices are updated weekly. The manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) quoted includes the destination fee, but does not include tax, license, document fees, and options.
| 2025 Subaru Crosstrek | 2025 Kia Seltos | |
| Popular Powertrains | ||
| Engine | 2.0-liter flat-4 | 2.0-liter 4-cylinder |
| Horsepower | 152 hp @ 6,000 rpm | 146 hp @ 6,200 rpm |
| Torque | 145 lb-ft @ 4,000 rpm | 132 lb-ft @ 4,500 rpm |
| Transmission | CVT | CVT |
| Fuel economy | 27 mpg city/34 mpg highway/29 mpg combined | 27 mpg city/31 mpg highway/29 mpg combined |
| Also Available | 2.5-liter flat-4 | Turbo 1.6-liter 4-cyl, 8-speed automatic; AWD |
| Specs | ||
| Basic Warranty | 3 years/36,000 miles | 5 years/60,000 miles |
| Powertrain Warranty | 5 years/60,000 miles | 10 years/100,000 miles |
| NHTSA Overall Safety | 5-Stars | NA |
| Max Seating Capacity | 5 | 5 |
| Wheelbase | 105.1 inches | 103.5 inches |
| Overall Length | 176.4 inches | 172.6 inches |
| Width | 70.9 inches | 70.9 inches |
| Height | 62.8 inches | 63.4 inches |
| Turning Diameter | 35.4 feet | 34.8 feet |
| Headroom, Front | 39.8 inches | 40.0 inches |
| Headroom, 2nd Row | 38.0 inches | 38.4 inches |
| Legroom, Front | 42.9 inches | 41.4 inches |
| Legroom, 2nd Row | 36.5 inches | 38.0 inches |
| Shoulder Room, Front | 56.8 inches | 55.5 inches |
| Shoulder Room, 2nd Row | 55.3 inches | 54.7 inches |
| Cargo Volume | 19.9 cubic feet | 26.6 cubic feet |
