Best Lift Kits for 2018-2023 Subaru Crosstrek: Snow Guide

The best lift kits for the 2018-2023 Subaru Crosstrek turn an already snow-capable crossover into a genuine winter weapon — more ground clearance, room for taller all-terrain tires, and the attitude to match. The second-generation Crosstrek already leaves the factory with about 8.7 inches of clearance, standard Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive, and dual-function X-MODE, so it is one of the easiest vehicles on the road to winterize. Add 2 inches of lift and a set of aggressive A/T tires and you clear unplowed driveways, snowbanks, and frozen ruts that stop a stock car cold. In our Tampa shop we fit these Subaru kits for customers chasing ski-country trailheads and Northeast snow, and three kits do the job better than the rest.

Why Lift a 2018-2023 Subaru Crosstrek for Winter?

A lift kit helps a Crosstrek in winter by adding ground clearance and making room for taller, more aggressive snow tires. The stock second-gen Crosstrek sits at roughly 8.7 inches of clearance — good for a crossover, but a 2-inch lift pushes that to nearly 10.7 inches, on par with many mid-size trucks. That extra height keeps your front bumper and underbody out of packed snow, raises the approach and departure angles for climbing drifts, and lets the Subaru’s Symmetrical AWD and X-MODE put power down instead of high-centering.

The bigger payoff is tires. A factory Crosstrek wears a 225/60R17, which has limited winter tread depth and sidewall. With 2 inches of lift you can run a 215/75R15, 225/65R17, or even a 235/75R15 all-terrain — roughly a 28-inch tire with deep snow-biting lugs and a 3-Peak Mountain Snowflake rating. Taller sidewalls also let you air down for extra grip on ice without risking the wheel. For a daily driver that has to get to work in a snowstorm, that combination of clearance and tire is the single most effective winter upgrade you can make.

The 3 Best Lift Kits for the 2018-2023 Subaru Crosstrek

There are three proven ways to lift a second-gen Crosstrek, and each kit below represents one of them: bolt-on strut spacers (cheapest, keeps your struts), lift springs (best ride quality), and full replacement strut assemblies (most capable). Here is how our three top picks stack up.

1. Tuff Country 51705 2-Inch Lift Kit — Best Overall Value

The Tuff Country 51705 is our top pick because it delivers the full 2 inches of lift the Crosstrek needs for winter tires at the lowest price — around $270. It uses CNC-machined, black powder-coated steel strut spacers front and rear that bolt on over your factory struts with no cutting and no permanent modifications. Because it reuses the OE struts and springs, your ride stays exactly as Subaru tuned it, just 2 inches taller. It is proudly made in the USA and backed by a limited lifetime warranty, and the same kit fits the Forester. For the budget-minded buyer who wants maximum clearance per dollar before the first snow, nothing beats it.

2. Eibach Pro-Lift-Kit Springs — Best Ride Quality

The Eibach Pro-Lift-Kit takes the opposite approach from a spacer: it is a set of four progressive-rate lift springs that raise the 2018-2022 Crosstrek 2.0L AWD about 1.2 inches front and rear while keeping your factory struts. Because the spring rate is tuned rather than simply spaced, the Eibach kit preserves — and many owners say improves — the car’s composure on broken winter pavement, reducing the bounciness a spacer can leave behind. It is the pick for the daily driver who wants a little more clearance and winter tire room without giving up the plush OE feel, and it is covered by Eibach’s renowned million-mile warranty. At roughly $400 it is a modest step up from the spacer, and right now it carries an extra 5% off at NLP Performance.

3. Pedders TrakRyder 50mm HD Kit — Most Capable

If you load the Crosstrek with gear and tow a small trailer to the mountains, the Pedders TrakRyder 50mm Heavy Duty kit is the one to buy. Instead of spacers or springs alone, it replaces the entire front and rear corners with pre-assembled 50mm (2-inch) lift struts using nitrogen gas-pressurized twin-tube dampers and matched heavy-duty springs. That means more wheel travel over frozen ruts, better control of a loaded tail on snowy descents, and a damper tuned for sustained rough-road abuse. It is a premium kit in the $1,300-plus range, but it is the closest thing to a purpose-built overland suspension for a second-gen Crosstrek, and the EziFit assemblies make installation far simpler than building struts from parts.

Crosstrek Lift Kit Comparison: Spacer vs Spring vs Full Assembly

Here is how the three best 2018-2023 Subaru Crosstrek lift kits compare on lift height, design, and who each one is for. All three fit the second-generation car; the Tuff Country and Pedders cover the full 2018-2023 range, while the Eibach springs are listed for the 2018-2022 2.0L AWD.

What Tire Size Fits a Lifted 2018-2023 Crosstrek?

A 2018-2023 Crosstrek with a 2-inch lift typically clears a 215/75R15, 225/65R17, or 235/75R15 all-terrain tire. The 235/75R15 is the popular winter choice — it stands roughly 28.9 inches tall, which usually needs minor trimming of the plastic fender liner and fender lip at full lock or on compression. On a 15x7 wheel with around 15mm of offset, the 235/75R15 tucks cleanly and leaves room for snow chains. Owners who keep the factory 17-inch wheels can step up to a 225/65R17 A/T for a near-stock look with more sidewall. Whichever you choose, look for a dedicated winter or all-weather tire with the 3-Peak Mountain Snowflake symbol for the best ice and snow traction.

Installation: What to Expect

Lifting a Crosstrek is a weekend driveway job for a confident DIYer, or a couple of shop hours for a professional. The Tuff Country 51705 spacer kit is fully bolt-on — the front spacers mount above the strut towers and the rear spacers sit atop the rear struts, with no welding or cutting. The Eibach spring kit requires compressing and swapping the coils on each strut, so a spring compressor (or an off-the-car strut service) is the safer route. The Pedders TrakRyder arrives as complete EziFit assemblies, so you unbolt the old struts and bolt the new ones straight in — the simplest install of the three for the capability it delivers.

Three tips from our shop: always get a four-wheel alignment afterward to reset camber and toe; add extended sway-bar end links or a rear differential spacer only if your kit calls for them; and re-torque the hardware after your first 100 miles. Do that and your lifted Crosstrek will track straight and ride like Subaru intended — just higher. For the newer third-generation car, the Whiteline 2024-2026 Crosstrek HD lift kit is the current equivalent with heavy-duty rear springs rated for a 440 lb constant load.