Compare the2026 Subaru Crosstrek VS 2026 Alfa Romeo Tonale

For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Subaru Crosstrek have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The Alfa Romeo Tonale doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the Crosstrek are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The Tonale doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

In a Vehicle-to-Vehicle Frontal Crash Prevention 2.0 test conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the Subaru Crosstrek achieved a “Good” rating - the highest possible - for its performance in forward collision warning and automatic braking systems, demonstrating its excellent capabilities in preventing collisions. The Alfa Romeo Tonale has not been tested.

The Subaru Crosstrek’s rear backup camera has a standard washer for maintaining a clear view under various conditions. In contrast, the Alfa Romeo Tonale does not offer a rear camera washer, meaning its effectiveness relies on manual cleaning by the user when necessary.

Both the Crosstrek and the Tonale have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, all-wheel drive, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras, available blind spot warning systems, around view monitors, rear cross-path warning and driver alert monitors.

The Subaru Crosstrek has achieved the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s (IIHS) highest rating of “Top Safety Pick Plus” for the 2026 model year. This distinction is based on its exceptional performance in IIHS’ rigorous battery of safety tests. Specifically, it earned a “Good” rating in the latest, more stringent moderate overlap front crash test, a “Good” result in the updated side impact test, a “Good” score in the revised pedestrian crash prevention test, and a “Good” score in the revised vehicle-to-vehicle crash prevention test. The Tonale has not yet been evaluated by the IIHS for 2026.

Subaru’s powertrain warranty covers the Crosstrek 1 year and 10,000 miles longer than Alfa Romeo covers the Tonale. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 5 years or 60,000 miles. Coverage on the Tonale ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

There are over 6 times as many Subaru dealers as there are Alfa Romeo dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Crosstrek’s warranty.

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the Crosstrek’s reliability 48 points higher than the Tonale.

The flat cylinder configuration of the boxer engine in the Crosstrek lowers its center of gravity, enhancing handling stability without compromising ground clearance. The Tonale doesn’t offer a boxer engine configuration.

On the EPA test cycle the Crosstrek gets better mileage than the Tonale:

			MPG
Crosstrek
	AWD	2.5 flat-4 Hybrid	36 city/36 hwy
		Sport/Limited 2.5 DOHC flat-4	26 city/33 hwy
		Wilderness 2.5 DOHC flat-4	24 city/29 hwy
Tonale
	AWD	2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	21 city/29 hwy

Regenerative brakes improve the Crosstrek Hybrid’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The Tonale doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Subaru Crosstrek uses regular unleaded gasoline. The Tonale requires premium for maximum efficiency, which can cost on average about 84.9 cents more per gallon.

The Crosstrek has 3.1 gallons more fuel capacity than the Tonale (16.6 vs. 13.5 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

The Crosstrek has a standard continuously variable transmission (CVT). With no “steps” between gears, it can keep the engine at the most efficient speed for fuel economy, or keep it at its peak horsepower indefinitely for maximum acceleration. The Tonale doesn’t offer a CVT.

For better stopping power the Crosstrek’s standard brake rotors are larger than those on the Tonale:

	Crosstrek	Tonale
Front Rotors	12.4 inches	12.1 inches
Rear Rotors	11.2 inches	10.9 inches

The Crosstrek’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the Tonale are solid, not vented.

The Crosstrek has a standard space-saver spare (not available on Hybrid) so you can replace a flat tire and drive to have the flat repaired or replaced. A spare tire isn’t available on the Tonale; it requires you to depend on roadside assistance and your vehicle will have to be towed.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Crosstrek’s wheelbase is 1.1 inches longer than on the Tonale (104.9 inches vs. 103.8 inches).

For better maneuverability, the Crosstrek Wilderness’ turning circle is 3.2 feet tighter than the Tonale’s (34.8 feet vs. 38 feet). The Crosstrek’s turning circle is 2.6 feet tighter than the Tonale’s (35.4 feet vs. 38 feet).

For greater off-road capability the Crosstrek has a 2.6 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Tonale (8.7 vs. 6.1 inches), allowing the Crosstrek to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The Crosstrek Wilderness’ minimum ground clearance is 3.2 inches higher than on the Tonale (9.3 vs. 6.1 inches).

The Subaru Crosstrek may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 50 to 400 pounds less than the Alfa Romeo Tonale.

The front grille of the Crosstrek uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The Tonale doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

As tested by Car and Driver while cruising at 70 MPH, the interior of the Crosstrek Limited is quieter than the Tonale Veloce (69 vs. 72 dB).

The Crosstrek has 1 inch more front headroom, 1.2 inches more front legroom, .8 inches more front hip room, 1.1 inches more front shoulder room, 1.7 inches more rear hip room and .5 inches more rear shoulder room than the Tonale.

A standard locking glovebox (which can’t be accessed with the valet key) keeps your small valuables safer in the Crosstrek. The Tonale doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

Maximum trailer towing in the Alfa Romeo Tonale is limited to 3307 pounds. The Crosstrek offers up to a 3500 lbs. towing capacity.

The engine in the Crosstrek is mounted longitudinally (North-South), instead of sideways, as in the Tonale. This makes it easier to service and maintain, because the accessory belts are in front.

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Subaru service is better than Alfa Romeo. J.D. Power ranks Subaru third in service department satisfaction. With a 31% lower rating, Alfa Romeo is ranked 19th.

In case you lock your keys in your vehicle, or don’t have them with you, you can let yourself in using the Crosstrek’s exterior PIN entry system. The Tonale doesn’t offer an exterior PIN entry system, and its SOS Call can’t unlock the doors if the vehicle doesn’t have cell phone reception or the driver can’t contact the service.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Crosstrek has a standard rear fixed intermittent wiper with a full on position. The rear wiper standard on the Tonale only has an intermittent setting, so in a hard rain visibility isn’t as good.

Consumer Reports® chose the Subaru Crosstrek as its “Top Pick,” the highest scoring vehicle in its category, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The Subaru Crosstrek outsold the Alfa Romeo Tonale by over 79 to one during 2025.