Let’s get something out of the way: When it comes to Subaru, I’m a fan-boy.

I’ve owned eight of them, including my current Outback. When friends, relatives or readers ask for car-buying advice, there’s usually a Subaru among my recommendations. Several dozen have taken the advice, and not one has ever complained.

Yes, I’ve got stars in my eyes when it comes to Subaru, and not just because its logo represents a cluster of six stars from the Taurus constellation.

A lot of folks seem to share my feelings about Subaru these days. Once a niche brand sold only in rural areas, Subaru ranked ninth in U.S. auto sales last year. It sold more cars than Volkswagen, Chrysler, Dodge, Audi, BMW, Buick, Mercedes-Benz and nearly 30 other brands.

And sales are increasing at a record pace. Subaru sold more cars in August than any other month in its history, and has increased its sales for 57 consecutive months. That’s nearly five straight years of monthly sales increases. If Donald Trump’s income grew like that, he wouldn’t have to run for president – he could just buy the country.

Buying a Subaru is a pretty sound investment – at least, as far as cars are concerned. Kelley Blue Book recently ranked Subaru No. 1 in resale value for the second straight year.

Most people had never even heard of Subaru when I bought my first one back in 1979. That was just five years after Subaru became the first company to sell a 4WD car in the U.S.

Now, every Subaru except the two-passenger BRZ sports car comes standard with one of the most sophisticated all-wheel drive systems you can buy. That includes this week’s test car, a 2016 Subaru Crosstrek 2.0i Premium. The Crosstrek is one of Subaru’s most affordable models, slotting between the least-expensive Impreza and the Legacy sedan. It shares a lot of engineering with the 2016 Impreza (an all-new Impreza is on its way for 2017), but has the personality of an Outback.

Like the Outback, it has rugged good looks and plays the part as well as most owners will ever want or need it to. Its beefy (225/55R17) all-terrain tires and 8.7 inches of ground clearance help make the Crosstrek a very capable off-road vehicle.

Subaru provides specs to help prove it: 18-degree approach angle, 27.7-degree departure angle and 21.1- degree ramp break-over angle. If you understand those numbers, you’re probably driving a Jeep Wrangler, so I’ll make it simpler for everyone else. The Crosstrek is capable of getting you to just about any remote fishing hole or hunting cabin this side of, say, Mongolia.

One of the things that makes the Crosstrek a capable off-roader is Subaru’s fantastic four-wheel drive system. The system operates automatically all the time, sending power in slippery conditions to the individual wheel or wheels with the most traction. Most competitors’ AWD systems can only divert power front or back, not to individual wheels.

There are several other elements that help make Subaru’s AWD so effective – weight, balance and front-to-rear bias, for example – but this isn’t an engineering lesson. Suffice it to say that Subarus are as surefooted as a tightrope walker.

There was no opportunity to drive the Crosstrek in snow, but my Subie experience tells me only Santa gets around better in the white stuff. The few times I drove the Crosstrek in the rain and on gravel and dirt roads, it delivered confidence-inspiring traction and handling.

The Crosstrek’s handling on smooth, dry roads is also pretty good. It doesn’t provide the steering response and feedback or cornering prowess of a BRZ, but it is fun to drive, and more than holds its own on curvy, country roads.

It’s pretty comfy too. With its fairly short, 104-inch wheelbase, tall stance and ruggedized underpinnings, the Crosstrek is no limo. But the ride is never harsh, the seats are comfortable, and the cabin is quiet enough to please all but the pickiest passengers.

Lead-footed drivers may be less impressed. The Crosstrek’s 2-liter, horizontally opposed four-cylinder tops out at 148 horsepower and 145 pounds-feet of torque. The engine feels peppy enough, even when mated to a continuously variable automatic (a five-speed manual is available). But the stopwatch says the 3,200-pound Crosstrek takes around 9.5 seconds to get from zero to 60.

At least it gets good mileage. The EPA rating is 26 city/34 highway/29 combined mpg, good for an AWD crossover.

The Crosstrek’s price is also appealing. Starting prices for the four gasoline-powered models (there also are two hybrid models available) range from $21,595 to $25,095.

There aren’t many other sporty looking, fun-to-drive and capable crossovers in that price range. You don’t have to be a Subaru fan-boy to recognize an appealing vehicle when you see it.