Compared: 2024 Subaru Crosstrek vs. 2024 Kia Seltos

Rugged adventure battles urban chic in this subcompact crossover showdown.

Jill Ciminillo | 

Jan 29, 2024 | 3 min read

Subaru | Kia

Whether you live in the city or suburbs, a subcompact crossover provides nimble maneuverability and flexible cargo storage. Finding the right one is about more than just the price point — it's also about lifestyle fit and features. In this vehicle showdown, the rugged styling of the 2024 Subaru Crosstrek squares off against the sleek, refreshed 2024 Kia Seltos.

Kia

Crosstrek Pricing Is Slightly Higher

The all-new Crosstrek's price has increased slightly over last year's model. You're looking at a little more than $26,000 for the Base trim with a four-cylinder engine making 152 horsepower. All trims come standard with all-wheel drive (AWD). No other drivetrain is available.

A 182-hp engine is available starting at the Sport trim level, which costs about $4,000 more than the base price. The 2024 Crosstrek also offers a top-tier Wilderness trim with a more off-road-capable design, an extra 0.6 inches of ground clearance, all-terrain tires, and water-repellent upholstery for slightly more than $33,000 total.

The cheapest 146-hp Seltos costs about the same as the base Crosstrek at just under $26,000. It, too, comes standard with AWD in the base model. The Seltos also offers front-wheel drive on its mid-level trims, with AWD an option, and it has a 195-hp turbocharged powertrain available on the top two trims. The Kia tops out at around $31,000 with a well-optioned SX trim.

Subaru

Seltos Offers Higher-End Features and Crosstrek Has More Safety Tech

It's worth noting the Crosstrek is nearly 4 inches longer than the Seltos, yet the Seltos has about 7 cubic-feet more cargo volume behind the back seat. Both the Crosstrek and Seltos start with smaller infotainment screens — 7.0 and 8.0 inches, respectively. Higher-trim-level Subaru crossovers get an 11.6-inch vertical display, compared with 10.3 inches in the Seltos' higher-trim-level horizontal screen.

While both vehicles have standard safety features such as automatic emergency braking and lane-keeping assist, they also offer available features such as blind-spot monitoring and rear-cross-traffic assist. One safety feature the Crosstrek has that the Seltos does not: available automatic reverse braking.

The Crosstrek also has standard dual automatic climate control, which is an option on Kia's crossover. Seltos offers available in-car navigation alongside smartphone mirroring software, whereas the Crosstrek makes its drivers depend on Apple CarPlay or Android Auto connectivity for turn-by-turn navigation.

Kia

Fuel Economy for Seltos and Crosstrek AWD Models Is Similar

Comparing apples to apples by looking at AWD models, the fuel economy for the smaller AWD Crosstrek engine is 27/34/29 mpg city/highway/combined, while the base-engine AWD Seltos gets 27/31/29 mpg.

With more power comes less efficiency, and the larger engine on the AWD Seltos brings in just 25/27/26 mpg. The FWD Seltos, on the other hand, gets 28/34/31 mpg.

Jill Ciminillo

Jill Ciminillo is a Chicago-based automotive writer, YouTube personality, and podcast host, with her articles and videos appearing in outlets throughout the U.S. Additionally, she co-hosts a weekly radio show on cars for a local Chicago station. Previously, Jill has been the automotive editor for both newspaper and broadcast media conglomerates. She is also a past president for the Midwest Automotive Media Association and has the distinction of being the first female president for that organization.