Driving Impression: Subaru Crosstrek Wilderness

Sport utility vehicles, even before they were known by that name, focused on the “utility” part. Back when the segment included the Land Rover , International Scout, 福特 Bronco, Toyota Motor Corporation Land Cruiser, 日产 Patrol, and Jeep CJ, these were trucks with hose-out interiors and solid axles. The ideal buyer owned some property, perhaps a farm or ranch, and needed the ability to get to a remote part to fix a fence or feed some animals. Driver comfort gave way to off-road performance and cargo room for equipment.

These four-wheel drive models were not intended to be used on the highway in the design of their suspension or driveline. Leaf spring suspensions, live axles, and two-speed transfer cases allowed them to climb and crawl and cross creeks, but they were shifted into two-wheel drive to drive into town. They were tools of the trade.

With a few low-volume exceptions, Subaru introduced four-wheel drive to the civilized world. In September 1972, the Subaru Leone wagon hit the market with a part-time four-wheel drive system. Subaru made the vehicle simple by leaving out the locking hubs and adding an interior shift to transition the wagon from front-wheel drive to four-wheel drive. In 1975, Subaru of America introduced the 4-Wheel Drive Wagon, arguably the first of what would become the crossover segment.

Four-wheel drive, and later all-wheel drive, would spread across the Subaru lineup as an option until the brand decided to showcase this driveline as the hallmark of the brand. This led to the introduction of the Outback package option on the 1995 Subaru Legacy wagon with its raised ride height and bodyside cladding. The Outback created a new segment that would eventually gain the name “crossover.”

The Legacy Outback led to the smaller Impreza Outback Sport, a compact four-door wagon with the same updates as its bigger sibling. Lessons learned from the Outback Sport would, eventually, become the XV (XV Crosstrek in North America, simplified as the Crosstrek in its second generation) as a dedicated model. Crossover models, including the Forester and Ascent, pushed aside the sedans and traditional wagons as the market appreciated the SUV-like look merged with the on-road comfort. Subaru blossomed and continues to grow as they find new and exciting ways to explore these segments.

First Hand Impressions

In its third generation, the Crosstrek has become Subaru’s second-best selling model, just ahead of the Forester and behind the Outback. For the 2024 model year, the Wilderness trim was added to the Crosstrek. Introduced on the ‘22 Outback and Forester, the Wilderness package increases the ground clearance and adds unique cladding for a more SUV-like look. The same updates have been made on the Crosstrek Wilderness, breaking cover at the 2023 New York International Auto Show and introduced to the public with the ‘24 model year.

Based on the Subaru Global Platform (SGP) just like the standard edition, the Crosstrek Wilderness is not an SUV, for good and bad. With 15mm (0.6 inches) more ground clearance, the Wilderness model sits higher and can handle more terrain. As a car-based model, the Wilderness is not expected to go rock crawling with Jeep Wranglers and Ford Broncos.

Since the vast majority of Subaru owners will never take these vehicles seriously off road, the limitations of its platform will not hamper sales. Actually, the SCP platform is quite solid and performs very well on road and to a significant level of light-duty off roading. With its short overhangs and greater ground clearance, the Crosstrek Wilderness will find its way in and out of just about anywhere on the civilized side of Moab.

An improvement over the previous Crosstrek, the new model provides much better on-center feel from the steering wheel with a better sense of the road. Part of the Wilderness package are the Yokohama GEOLANDAR all-terrain tires which promise better off-road traction without the on-road noise typically associated with tires like these. Additionally, the tires do not penalize normal handling, although the Crosstrek naturally has heavy understeer making the small car feel like a much heavier vehicle.

Drivers should not expect this vehicle to drive like the WRX. The non-turbocharged 2.5L engine retains Subaru’s trademark horizontally-opposed layout for its four cylinder and power is good at 182hp. Getting this 3,417-lb vehicle moving takes a bit of effort, especially with the continuously variable transmission, and the claimed 8.6 second time to get to 60 mph would have been good not too long ago, but the non-Wilderness version of this same model accomplishes the same feat in about 8 seconds. Another disadvantage to the Wilderness package comes in the form of fuel economy, which takes a slight hit over the standard Crosstrek models.

Part of the added ability of the Crosstrek Wilderness comes from Subaru’s X-Mode Dual Mode system. The driver can engage the X-Mode from the center screen and select Normal, Snow/Dirt, or Deep Snow/Mud settings. Designed for use at speeds below 18 mph, X-Mode adjusts engine throttle response and the CVT to provide the right amount of power while the Subaru “Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive” system, Vehicle Dynamic Control system, and Hill Descent Control adjust each wheel for optimum traction over that particular surface and condition.

Some of the added capability of the Crosstrek Wilderness over its lesser brethren comes in the form of bringing stuff on the trip. While the standard Crosstrek has a tow rating of up to 1,500 lbs., the Wilderness more than doubles that ability. The surprisingly high 3,500-lb tow rating is combined with the roof rack rated to hold a 700-lb static load.

Being based on a standard passenger car, the Crosstrek does not have the high roofline of a dedicated crossover. Models like the Bronco Sport or Compass are taller and provide a more upright seating position which also leads to greater cargo and interior space. With those negatives out of the way, the Crosstrek positions the driver lower, providing a sportier angle on the road. It will turn off buyers looking for the “command of the road” seating that comes from taller vehicles, but the Subaru must appeal to a wide audience for its significant market share.

The Wilderness edition eschews the cloth and leather interior options of the lower trim levels choosing “Wilderness StarTex” instead. Made from 25% recycled plastic, the water-repellant StarTex is a man-made material specifically designed to feel like leather and have a lower impact on the environment and remain durable enough to survive automotive-level abuse. Definitely doesn’t feel like recycled soda bottles while retaining the upscale feel of leather.

Cargo space is ample, but loses out to the taller competition. With the rear seat in place, nearly 20 cubic feet of space fills with regular grocery shopping or a vacation for two. Drop the seat, and the cargo area more than doubles with about 55 cubic feet of room; a couple can throw their outdoor equipment in the back, but may need that accessory roof rack for mountain bikes.

Subaru’s Starlink system features a 10-speaker, 432-watt Harmon Kardon sound system and its own navigation. If the built-in terrestrial or satellite radio isn’t good enough, 苹果 CarPlay and Android Auto easily link to your phone for even more choices. A large 11.6-inch screen, mounted portrait style, provides large buttons making the system especially easy to use. Instead of studying a large number of choices, just nine tiles fit on a page which can reduce the amount of time needed to decide; a minor issue with the system is delay in reacting to touched button. Digital screens in the center of the instrument panel are expected, however the analog gauges in front of the driver, flanking a smaller digital display, is a pleasant surprise. The Starlink system also provides an app for a phone to allow for remote starts, adjusting vehicle temperature, and various notifications on vehicle use such as drivers breaking a pre-set curfew or speed limit.

Subaru’s lauded EyeSight provides many of the safety features found on other brands in a system affordable enough to appear in lower priced vehicles. While it does warn of vehicles slowly leaving the Subaru’s path of travel, but not significantly more often than in other systems. The Automatic Emergency Steering or the Automatic Pre-Collision Braking didn’t kick in when it wasn’t expected during our test.??

The Subaru Crosstrek Wilderness starts at US$32,195 which puts it US$7,000 more than the base Crosstrek with its 2.0L engine and US$3,000 more than the 2.5L Crosstrek Sport. Add in the US$2,270 option package to get the Harmon Kardon premium audio system, power moonroof, and power driver’s seat. Destination and delivery adds another US$1,295 for a total price of US$35,760. Ford’s more civilian Escape Active AWD starts at US$33,805 while the arguably more competitive Bronco Sport Big Bend starts at US$33,470 and Jeep Compass Sport starts at US$27,495, all with destination charges included but no other options. Chevrolet’s Trax, while competitive in size and sales volume, is not offered with all-wheel drive.

Inside Analysis

Subaru has been capacity constrained for years. The Lafayette (Indiana) plant started making the Crosstrek in May 2023, replacing the imported previous generation and displacing the lower volume Impreza. The automaker is shuffling its production footprint to make the best use of its plants. Instead of producing the relatively low volume Legacy and best-selling but related Outback, the U.S. plant will gain the Forester with the next generation of the popular crossover.

Dislodging the Ford Escape from its perch as the best selling crossover in the class, the Crosstrek set a record in 2022 cresting 150,000 units of sales for the first time. That record fell in 2023 as sales neared 160,000 with local production possibly allowing for another record year. Success of the little Subaru means it has a secure position in the brand’s lineup and is not expected to be replaced before 2028. Hybridization could extend the life of an ICE-powered Crosstrek, but expect an electric model to arrive in the next decade.