Just got a Crosstrek - fabric treatment, Lo-Jack, trailer hitch?

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fuzzybabybunny

fuzzybabybunny

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I just got a 2014 Crosstrek CVT Premium and I need some recommendations:

1. The fabric inside is light-colored. Can anyone recommend a good fabric treatment that will resist stains and spills? The dealer tried to sell me one in addition to paint protector for $550.

2. Should I get Lo-Jack? I won't get it at the dealer, but just generally - is Lo-Jack recommended?

3. The car alarm that it has gets actuated only via a door handle slap. It does not get actuated by the window being broken. Should I upgrade the security system?

4. I want to get a trailer hitch that will be able to support a cargo carrier:

http://www.etrailer.com/Merchant2/graphics/00000001/pics/T/H/TH665C_v3_1000.jpg

- will a non-"hidden" style hitch decrease the rear ground clearance of the car?

- should I go for a 2" one?

- hitch recommendations?
 
J

Jumpem

Lifer
Sep 21, 2000
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I wouldn't worry about alarms or Lo-Jack.

As for the trailer hitch, I would get the one from Subaru.
 
iamwiz82

iamwiz82

Lifer
Jan 10, 2001
30,772
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No to all of the questions:

Automotive fabrics are amazingly resilient, but I have no Subaru experience. I suspect you wouldn't have to worry though.

No to lo jack and don't worry about the alarm. That's what insurance is for. It will stop casual intruders, anyone who really wants your car is going to get it regardless, and I would rather get my money back than a car that ends up being a theft-recovery via lo-jack.

Towing with a Subaru? It can only pull 1,500lbs, including the trailer.
 
nerp

nerp

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Dec 31, 2005
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Best security is to not have anything worth anything visible when you peek inside. Make it look empty, it will stay untouched.
 
EagleKeeper

EagleKeeper

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Oct 30, 2000
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Contact a fabric re-upholstery shop to get their recommendations if you should get an after-market spray to the seats.
 
phucheneh

phucheneh

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Jun 30, 2012
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iamwiz82 said:
No to all of the questions:

Automotive fabrics are amazingly resilient, but I have no Subaru experience. I suspect you wouldn't have to worry though.
Click to expand...

Seconded. The seats on most newer cars hold up ridiculously well. I spilled soda on my Mazda's driver's seat recently, and it actually beaded up and gave me enough time to pretty much completely soak it up. That's all I did...absorb it with paper towels. Cheap ones. No sign of it now. Seats had nothing applied...I think the synthetic materials they have now are just not absorbent.

Of course, this is a black cloth interior. Treatment for light-colored cloth interior: kick yourself in ass for not buying a dark interior. ;P

I wouldn't have anything besides black carpet and mostly black seats (grey inserts and whatnot are common). Leather can do better in brighter colors, but you still want darker-trimmed stuff around it. I dunno how people manage to buy some of the super light grey and brown interiors out there without thinking 'wow this idea...it is not good.'
 
fuzzybabybunny

fuzzybabybunny

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phucheneh said:
Seconded. The seats on most newer cars hold up ridiculously well. I spilled soda on my Mazda's driver's seat recently, and it actually beaded up and gave me enough time to pretty much completely soak it up. That's all I did...absorb it with paper towels. Cheap ones. No sign of it now. Seats had nothing applied...I think the synthetic materials they have now are just not absorbent.

Of course, this is a black cloth interior. Treatment for light-colored cloth interior: kick yourself in ass for not buying a dark interior. ;P

I wouldn't have anything besides black carpet and mostly black seats (grey inserts and whatnot are common). Leather can do better in brighter colors, but you still want darker-trimmed stuff around it. I dunno how people manage to buy some of the super light grey and brown interiors out there without thinking 'wow this idea...it is not good.'
Click to expand...

I didn't have a choice. It was all they had. And I got quotes from 7 different dealers too.

White exterior, taupe interior, white exterior, taupe interior, etc... Over and over and over and over.

EDIT: Yup, looks like a white exterior Crosstrek with dark interior actually doesn't even exist. And white exteriors are very important to me because I'll be living in the car and I need it to be as cool as possible.
 
Last edited:
fuzzybabybunny

fuzzybabybunny

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Jan 2, 2006
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iamwiz82 said:
No to all of the questions:

Automotive fabrics are amazingly resilient, but I have no Subaru experience. I suspect you wouldn't have to worry though.

No to lo jack and don't worry about the alarm. That's what insurance is for. It will stop casual intruders, anyone who really wants your car is going to get it regardless, and I would rather get my money back than a car that ends up being a theft-recovery via lo-jack.

Towing with a Subaru? It can only pull 1,500lbs, including the trailer.
Click to expand...

The Crosstrek can tow 1500 lb without trailer brakes and 3000 lb with trailer brakes. That's definitely enough for a toy hauler for bikes or a small teardrop live-in trailer.
 
ElFenix

ElFenix

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Mar 20, 2000
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nerp said:
Best security is to not have anything worth anything visible when you peek inside. Make it look empty, it will stay untouched.
Click to expand...

this is one of the biggest problems with wagons/hatches.
 
Drako

Drako

Lifer
Jun 9, 2007
10,706
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fuzzybabybunny said:
I didn't have a choice. It was all they had. And I got quotes from 7 different dealers too.

White exterior, taupe interior, white exterior, taupe interior, etc... Over and over and over and over.

EDIT: Yup, looks like a white exterior Crosstrek with dark interior actually doesn't even exist. And white exteriors are very important to me because I'll be living in the car and I need it to be as cool as possible.
Click to expand...

The Taupe will be fine without fabric treatment.
 
Meghan54

Meghan54

Lifer
Oct 18, 2009
11,528
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If you're going to put a receiver hitch on that car, it'd be a waste of money to limit yourself to the 1 1/4" receiver.....get the 2" receiver hitch. The number of accessories sold that fit 1 1/4" receiver hitches is vastly dwarfed by what fit 2" receivers.

And I wouldn't worry too much about how much it hangs down and reduces your clearance. Appears there aren't too many choices in receiver hitches for your car anyway, so how it fits is pretty irrelevant. Etrailers only has the Curt. I'm sure Subaru sells one, which is probably made by Curt.

Remember, your car only has a 900# cargo capacity, so subtract what you weigh and that's how much cargo capacity you have left. Not a helluva lot.

About towing. since you have the CVT, absolutely the first thing I'd do is add an external transmission cooler. Towing puts a load strain on every part of the car, but esp. on the trans. And the result of that is a lot of heat being created. An external trans. cooler will help mitigate that, extending the life of the trans. significantly.

Next, I'd investigate better brake pads, something like EBC or Hawk. Since the Crosstrek is basically an Impreza, while the Crosstrek isn't listed in catalogs yet, a call to EBC or Hawk or the like could probably get you a cross-reference to better pads than stock....better initial bite, better fade resistance, etc.

And, not to be contrary or anything, but what about the Crosstrek made you buy one? From what I've heard and read, it's rather noisy inside, the ride is stiff, and its little engine has to work darned hard to maintain highway speeds. I'd have thought you'd have been better off with an Impreza hatch....quieter, quicker, cheaper, and better-riding.
 
Kaido

Kaido

Elite Member & Kitchen Overlord
Feb 14, 2004
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fuzzybabybunny said:
I just got a 2014 Crosstrek CVT Premium and I need some recommendations:

1. The fabric inside is light-colored. Can anyone recommend a good fabric treatment that will resist stains and spills? The dealer tried to sell me one in addition to paint protector for $550.

2. Should I get Lo-Jack? I won't get it at the dealer, but just generally - is Lo-Jack recommended?

3. The car alarm that it has gets actuated only via a door handle slap. It does not get actuated by the window being broken. Should I upgrade the security system?

4. I want to get a trailer hitch that will be able to support a cargo carrier:

http://www.etrailer.com/Merchant2/graphics/00000001/pics/T/H/TH665C_v3_1000.jpg

- will a non-"hidden" style hitch decrease the rear ground clearance of the car?

- should I go for a 2" one?

- hitch recommendations?
Click to expand...

Get Wet Okele seat covers:

http://www.wetokole.com/

They are waterproof (easy cleanup). Also, get Weathertech all-weather floormats & a cargo liner:

http://www.weathertech.com/

Wet Okele + Weathertech will make your Subaru bulletproof. If you want to keep track of your car, get a Zoombak. It's like "Find my iPhone" for your car:

http://www.zoombak.com/

Service plan is $20 a month (or $15/mo if you pre-pay for a year), so you have to decide is $180 a year is worth it to keep track of your car. If you are going to be living in your car, I would definitely check it out. Small price to pay to always be able to find where you parked or track it if it gets stolen. Not sure if it works outside the US. If you're interested in both tracking & an upgraded security system, check out the Viper SmartStart system - it lets you remote-start your car from a smartphone: (and also has an optional tracking feature)

http://www.viper.com/SmartStart/

Since it's from Viper, you can also get an upgraded security system - I'm sure they have bump sensors and stuff available. All depends on how much you want to invest. If you're going to live in your car and depend on it for survival/job/getting around/etc., I would definitely get a Wet Okele/Weathertech/Viper SmartStart system. Plus, if you lose your key, you can open the car locks from your cell phone in a pinch - especially useful if you lock your keys in your car! ;)
 
J

Jumpem

Lifer
Sep 21, 2000
10,757
3
81
Meghan54 said:
And, not to be contrary or anything, but what about the Crosstrek made you buy one? From what I've heard and read, it's rather noisy inside, the ride is stiff, and its little engine has to work darned hard to maintain highway speeds. I'd have thought you'd have been better off with an Impreza hatch....quieter, quicker, cheaper, and better-riding.
Click to expand...

The Impreza sits too low. The Crosstrek addresses its biggest short coming.
 
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