Subaru knows its customers are not content to sit in suburbia, casually drinking mocha lattes. Even while slogging through daily traffic, they yearn to take their baby peeps and puppies to parks and trails for hiking, biking, and camping. It’s for these people Subaru created more confident Wilderness models, whether talking about the Outback, Crosstrek, or recently redesigned Forester.
It’s actually the second generation of the Forster Wilderness. I drove the first one near Bend, Oregon on trails so rough the vehicle was often balancing on three wheels and beat me so thoroughly as to need two bourbons after. But it took every rock, log and rut in stride.
It definitely looks ready with its black grille, hexagon foglamps and 17-inch black alloy wheels shod in all-road tires. Additional black plastic protects wheelwells and lower sills. Ride height was increased about a half-inch to 9.3-inches to clear trail obstacles and deep snow. All of those copper accents conceal attachment points for tow hooks and roof rack accessories. Skid plates protect delicate under-bits.
Subaru added other appreciated features. That roof rack will hold 800 lbs. of static weigh, perfect for roof-top tent camping. There’s a LED light in the hatch for loading gear after dark. The Forester Wilderness gets a full-size spare tire so there’s never a doubt about getting home. Flip two latches in the cargo area to fold down rear seats for easy loading of bicycles, strollers, or IKEA haul.
Fun continues inside with copper stitching, steering wheel accent and star pattern on the dash. All flash, but I really like the comfy seats upholstered in StarTex vegan leather that can be washed and scrubbed of dirt and baby muck. Front seats are also heated with power lumbar on the driver’s side. Comfy, but heated rear seats would also be nice.
Subaru’s tablet touchscreen was quick and crisp with intuitive access for navigation, audio and dual-zone automatic climate control. There are redundant knobs for volume/tuning and buttons for temperature and defrosters. Wireless phone connections and console charging add convenience. Base stereos are terrible, but the Harman Kardon system in our vehicle sounded great. I’m also a big fan of the panoramic sunroof with manually sliding cover. Simple works best.
I’ve spent thousands of miles in the Outback Wilderness and love its turbo engine when hauling through hills and mountains, but the Forester packs much weaker non-turbo 2.5-liter “boxer” four-cylinder engine that produces 180 horsepower and 178 lb.-ft. of torque. That’s enough for a crossover this size, but the continuously variable transmission is more revvy without the turbo’s torque. A plus, fuel economy rated 24/28-MPG city highway –good considering the Forester’s capability.
Subaru did not engineer Wilderness models to bang skid plates on boulders, but it goes almost anywhere. Beyond added ground clearance, engineers specified an upgraded transmission cooler, active torque vectoring and shorter final drive ratio. It’s noticeably quieter and more refined than the previous generation. Subaru’s Dual-Mode X-Mode system employs hill descent control but also a Mud/Deep Snow mode for trails and snowy streets. Even on challenging park roads, power shifts seamlessly to keep the vehicle moving.
I’ve driven all of the Subaru Wilderness models on trails that would scare most drivers, through dense urban traffic, and for days on wide-open Interstate. The same fat tires and increased suspension travel that eat nature’s rough eat potholes and highway expansion joints. Drive with confidence.
Prices are rising, but Foresters are relatively affordable. Base models start at $29,995 while Wilderness editions rise from $38,385 to our vehicle’s loftier $42,035. That compares favorably to the Ford Bronco Sport, Jeep Compass, and Kia Sportage X-Pro Prestige.
Storm Forward!
Send comments to Casey at AutoCasey@aol.com; follow him on YouTube @AutoCasey.