Video: 2024 Subaru Crosstrek Wilderness Review: No Rocks? No Problem

So naturally, we settled on the 2024 Subaru Crosstrek Wilderness. Alright, both of those things are total bologna. I mean, urban Chicago's hardly the environment where you need a lifted, jacked-up four-wheel drive truck, and the Crosstrek is hardly that. But despite being one of the most trail-ready Subarus you can get, I do suspect that this might be one of the better inner city runabouts that you can buy. It sure is a lot chunkier than all other Crosstreks, starting with the front fascia. Well, everything that you see that is bulky black plastic is unique to the Wilderness, and that includes the aggressive grill insert, heavier-duty fog lights. And if you'll notice this mustard colored accent right here, well, that's a aesthetic theme that extends throughout the entire vehicle. For the most part, all exterior trim is a little darkened to make it a little bit more aggressive. And that is complemented by a large black hood decal that is a staple of other Wilderness trims, as is the popular Wilderness exclusive geyser blue paint. If you do end up taking it on some trails, but you're kind of worried about putting some desert pin-striping in that gorgeous blue paint, the Wilderness has you covered, literally. There is larger plastic cladding on the front and rear wheel wells that you know extends all alongside the door as well. Of course, there is a lot of badging to make sure that everybody knows what you're driving, starting with this oversized Subaru Wilderness badge. There are three of them spread out around the exterior, one on each door, one on the rear, and there is this alarmingly large Crosstrek lettering on the door cladding that I kind of find a little dorky. Sorry, Subaru. I know you Wilderness types. You're gonna want to put a roof tint on this sucker and you can, right from the factory. Specific Wilderness roof rails have a 700 pound static load limit. And of course, can't forget more mustard trim. No bonus points awarded if you can guess what is all Wilderness-y on the rear end. We've got another large plastic bumper here. There's that oversized Wilderness badge. We've got blacked-out Crosstrek trim here, and oh, you can't forget mustard accents. To back up the badge and that distinctive exterior package, there's a bucket of Wilderness-specific off-road upgrades under the skin, a 0.6 inch suspension lift and a set of black wheels wrapped in Yokohama GEOLANDAR all-terrain tires are the most meaningful upgrades, the former boosting total ground clearance to a very impressive 9.3 inches. The larger 2.5 liter naturally aspirated 182 horsepower flat-four with a CVT is the only powertrain choice. And for extra low-speed punch, the all-wheel drive differential packs a higher 4.11 final drive ratio and the Wilderness get a dual-mode version of Subaru's XMO terrain settings offering a selection of either snow, dirt, or deep snow mud. There's far less differences inside the cabin, but Subaru's popular StarTex water-repellent upholstery is great for sweaty hikers or salty surfers. The mustard trim makes another appearance with matching stitching on the seats, steering wheel and center console. Finally, Subaru knows you're gonna get plenty muddy. So a full set of branded all-weather floor mats extend throughout the cabin. Ah, the Crosstrek Wilderness. This was an interesting review for me because I actually own the previous generation Crosstrek in sport trim. So I was really interested to learn the dynamic differences between the generations, especially given the Wilderness's squishy off-road tires and lifted suspension. I was excited to see what the differences are. And I'm pleased to report that all the stuff that I like on my car, it's still here, for the most part. The best thing that you can do when approaching a Crosstrek is understand what it is. It is essentially a lifted Subaru Impreza hatchback. This means you have some of the admirable qualities of the compact hatchback with a bit more capability afforded by the lifted suspension. Power delivery is exactly the same, and although this is the largest engine available in the Crosstrek lineup, it is never more than adequate. I'd always love more power, but until the day that the mythical imaginary Crosstrek WX comes along, this will do just fine. For on-ramps and passing, it's, again, it's not the fastest, but it's more than enough to keep you safe. (engine revs) Can you hear that? Not really? Well, the reduction in noise, vibration and harshness over the previous generation is far and away the most significant change for the new Crosstrek. Truthfully, Subaru's naturally aspirated powertrains have always been a bit coarse, but this has been exacerbated by the automaker's comprehensive use of CVTs across the model range. CVTs hold RPMs high under full-throttle applications, which really lends a sense of thrash and coarseness throughout the cabin. In this new generation, and by extension the Wilderness, they have gone to great lengths to isolate the engine from the cabin and it's worked phenomenally well. This might not be high on a buyer's list of must-haves when they're looking at a range of vehicles, but good powertrain isolation goes a long way in elevating a car past its price point. I would love to tell you how this beefier Crosstrek handles all the rocks and ruts and mud and trails that we could throw at it since that's what it's, well, not built for, but that's what it's ready for. But unfortunately I am road-bound at the moment, so all you are gonna get is a city-slicker perspective. In that regard, the slightly chunkier tires and raised suspension have done little to hurt the Crosstrek's already stellar ride quality. The ride is soft without being too squishy and I really don't hear much noise from those all-terrains, which is quite surprising. In my opinion, it is exceptional for this price point. Invest in (indistinct) On the steering front, compared to the previous generation, it's a bit over-boosted, it's a bit numb, it's a bit vague. This is not a hot hatch. That doesn't really matter, it's just something to keep in mind, especially if you're coming from a previous generation, like you're upgrading. The brake pedal tuning is is kind of sus. It's really, really sensitive and it feels... It feels almost as if it has regenerative braking like a... like a hybrid or an electric vehicle. Obviously, it does not. I'm just saying that is how the pedal is tuned and initial bite, it's not very confidence-inspiring. Just as I suspected, you don't need to be somebody who lives perpetually outdoors to benefit from what the 2024 Subaru Crosstrek Wilderness offers. It's comfortable, it rides extremely well, and I'll tell you, it sure makes a statement when you drive it around. So if you're into that, there you go. For more expert reviews, make sure to like, subscribe and turn on notifications. (upbeat music)