We're looking hard at the Crosstrek, Outback, or Mazda CX-5 as our next vehicle, assuming we don't go used to save some depreciation costs. Have you read about the hybrid Crosstrek though? Not terribly significant gains in MPG, but it does add 13 HP and 48 lb-ft of torque to make the performance more acceptable. There are other goodies as well, like better spring rates and steering ratios. Take a look at this article:

http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/...e_first_drive/

So maybe wait a few months on the hybrid to appear before buying?