Coming out of some heavy-hitting offroad vehicles such as the Ford Ranger Raptor and Bronco with Sasquatch Package gives you an idea of how far offroad prowess has come directly from the manufacturer. Subaru wants in on the game with its popular Crosstrek and the new Wilderness package. Not only does it look the part with a unique styling treatment inside and out, but the upgraded suspension provides 9.3 inches of ground clearance. That’s even more than a stock Bronco! The icing on the cake? It’s delivered in a comfortable yet economical package that eeks out 30 MPG on the highway and 25 MPG in the city. Let’s take a closer look at the little Subaru that can conquer big outdoor adventures on a reasonable budget.
Most Rugged Crosstrek Ever
To elevate the Subaru, you see the brand-familiar Yokohama Geolandar all-terrain tires with the cool white lettering. But tires alone do not make an offroad rig. According to Subaru, exclusive suspension components give the 2024 Crosstrek Wilderness the aforementioned 9.3-inch ground clearance. This is a half-inch increase over other Crosstrek models, which already were among the highest in their segment. Longer coil springs and shock absorbers provide the added ground clearance, while special tuning helps maintain dynamic performance. The suspension offers longer travel for the shock absorbers, keeping the tires in contact with rough surfaces, which increases vehicle stability. In addition, a longer damping compression stroke helps improve absorption on rough road surfaces, providing a smoother ride. Even with its added ground clearance, the Crosstrek Wilderness maintains a low step-in height for ease of entry. More impressive is how relatively quiet the Subaru is. The tires aren’t remarkably noisier than regular all-season tires, and the Crosstrek remains quiet on the freeway.
You can really take the Crosstrek Wilderness offroad: the approach angle is increased from 18.0 degrees to 20.0 degrees on the Wilderness, while the angle of departure increases from 30.1 to 33.0 degrees. This is also aided by the cool-looking rear bumper emblazoned with the Subaru name. On the electronics front, Subaru’s X-Mode helps you tackle the trails safely and without too much drama. Using the vehicle’s sensors and communicating with the drivetrain, X-Mode has selections for snow, dirt, and mud. The X-Mode display features a Roll-Angle Indicator to help the driver judge potentially hazardous situations. Subaru notes this technology helps make the Crosstrek Wilderness a nimble climber. When the X-Mode system is activated, Low Speed / Low Ratio Gradient Control is put on standby to sense when the vehicle is traveling on a steep incline at low speed. When it does, the system shifts the CVT to its lowest ratio (4.066:1). Combined with the Wilderness model’s lower differential ratios, the system is ready to conquer rough off-pavement. Although I did not take it on any hardcore trails, according to Subaru, the Wilderness Crosstrek excels at low-speed drivability over rocks and other situations that require repeated on/off accelerator usage.
Look the Part
Subaru’s goal was to make the Crosstrek Wilderness blend trail-enhanced function with style. We liked the gold trim work around the vehicle, which sets off this special version of the Crosstrek. There are new front and rear bumpers, a bold hexagonal front grille, larger wheel arch cladding, a metal front skid plate, unique hex-design LED fog lights, and an anti-glare hood decal in a matte-black finish. Subaru Wilderness badges are on the doors and hatch. A body-color roof spoiler and black side mirrors with integrated turn signals complement the SUV’s rugged look. In fact, the Crosstrek Wilderness features a versatile ladder-type roof rack system with a 700-lb static load limit. This lets you hit the trails with safe use of larger rooftop tents. The roof rail design provides flexibility to fit a wide variety of cargo boxes or mountain bike racks.
Multimedia Star
The Wilderness comes standard with the Starlink 11.6-inch Multimedia Plus system. The 11.6-inch high-resolution touchscreen is equipped with wireless Apple CarPlay and wireless Android Auto with full-screen display. The climate controls live at the bottom of the screen. Over-the-air updates help keep the infotainment current. For audio, a ten-speaker Harman Kardon unit is an option with 432 watts of power. It sounds pretty good and will satisfy many folks. However, those looking for more oomph can consult a mobile electronics specialist for extra sub-bass and amplification.
The Subaru Crosstrek Wilderness is a rig you can take down the trail, starting with a solid package of equipment from the factory. Hardcore offroad enthusiasts may look elsewhere, but the Crosstrek Wilderness can go places most folks dare not try to take it. With my tester coming in at a very reasonable price of $35K, I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it to someone who lives a little off the beaten path or to an urban adventurer who wants to escape on the weekends.
