2026 Subaru Forester Wilderness Review
With the 2026 Forester Wilderness, Subaru improves its compact SUV.
Christian Wardlaw
Rocks, ruts, and a steep drop if something were to go wrong lie ahead of the 2026 Subaru Forester Wilderness. Leveraging the standard all-wheel-drive (AWD) system, all-terrain tires, and 9.3 inches of ground clearance, and with the X-Mode traction system set to Snow/Dirt mode, I pick a path and make my move to climb past this technical stretch of the trail. Three attempts later, the scrappy Subie successfully scrabbles through to reach the crest of a mountain ridge in southern Washington state.
Had Subaru not pre-approved this trail, I likely would not have tried to conquer it solo in the Forester Wilderness. A Ford Bronco, Jeep Wrangler, or Toyota 4Runner would have been more suitable and inspired more confidence. Still, Subaru's popular compact SUV made it to the top, proving its capability when the going gets tough, as long as its driver dares to push the Forester Wilderness to its limit.
Based on the redesigned Forester that debuted in 2025, the 2026 Forester Wilderness boasts slightly better ground clearance, marginally wider tires, and a 500-pound increase in towing capacity over its predecessor. Additionally, drivetrain improvements promise faster response by the AWD system to limit wheelspin, and Subaru has added more underbody protection to the SUV. All 2026 Forester models feature a new center-console design, and Subaru has revised the rear seat belts to enhance occupant protection.
Further updates improve the Forester Wilderness model's capability, utility, and daily driveability. The upshot is that — while room for improvement remains — it is a better SUV thanks to this redesign.
Christian Wardlaw
About the 2026 Subaru Forester Wilderness
The Wilderness is one of six 2026 Forester trim levels. The others include the base model, Forester Premium, Forester Sport, Forester Limited, and Forester Touring. Prices range from approximately $31,000 to more than $43,000, including the destination charge for shipping the SUV to a dealership from the Lafayette, Indiana, assembly plant. A Forester Hybrid is also available, but as of publication, Subaru hasn't announced the 2026 lineup or prices for that model.
For this 2026 Forester Wilderness review, I test-drove the SUV in the Portland, Oregon, area. It had an option package that installed a power liftgate, a 12.3-inch digital instrumentation panel, a navigation system, and an 11-speaker Harman Kardon premium sound system. That brought the manufacturer's suggested retail price to $42,035, including the $1,450 destination charge. Subaru provided the Forester Wilderness vehicle for this review.
Christian Wardlaw
Vegan Interior for the 2026 Forester Wilderness
Although it remains excessive in my opinion, the 2026 Forester Wilderness model's body cladding is better integrated with the SUV's overall design. Additionally, Subaru has added more anodized copper accents to visually distinguish this as the more capable Wilderness version of the Forester.
The animal-free vegan interior features StarTex upholstery, a water-resistant artificial leather with a new, appealing texture. All-weather floor mats and a rubber cargo tray are ready for the grit of the outdoors, and Subaru characterizes the cabin as easy to clean. Despite its status as an early-build, pre-production vehicle, the test car appeared to have been assembled with drum-tight precision.
Physical controls are available to perform common functions, I saw during my test drive, including stereo-volume adjustment, radio tuning, and temperature control. Others are frustratingly difficult to find, such as a way to manually activate the front camera or the air recirculation setting to limit dust. It doesn't help that the Forester's infotainment screen suffers from glare and was frequently slow to respond to inputs in my time with it.
Christian Wardlaw
Generally speaking, the Forester Wilderness is comfortable. Drivers enjoy 10-way power adjustment, and both front seats are heated. Unfortunately, a heated steering wheel, heated rear seats, and front seat ventilation are not available. If you want those, the Forester Touring offers them. Additionally, the power panoramic sunroof glass lacks tinting, so on sunny summer days, you'll likely keep the cover closed to beat the heat, which seems like a defeat of its purpose.
A redesigned center console debuts in all 2026 Foresters, equipping the SUV with larger cupholders for big water bottles, additional storage, and a more comfortable center armrest. In-cabin stash space is more than adequate, front and rear.
Open the Forester Wilderness' rear liftgate and it rises to reveal 27.5 cubic-feet of cargo space. In my experience, that's not an impressive number, but thanks to the SUV's cube-shaped cargo area, it is practical. Maximum cargo space with the 60/40-split rear seat folded down measures 69.1 cu-ft. The raised roof rack rails make it easy to secure items to the roof and feature a 176-pound dynamic load rating. The static load rating is 800 pounds, making it suitable for rooftop camping.
Christian Wardlaw
2026 Forester Wilderness Keeps Older Starlink Infotainment System
Subaru should replace its Starlink infotainment system as soon as possible — in my experience, the tech frequently suffers from unacceptable lag, and the voice recognition system often misinterprets speech. Add its portrait-oriented, glare-reflecting 11.6-inch touchscreen with its busy screen layout, and it's a tool I try to use only when necessary.
Fortunately, the Forester Wilderness includes wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity, allowing you to bypass some of the frustration inherent in the native tech. My test vehicle also featured the available Harman Kardon premium audio system, which sounded excellent during a brief test while listening to SiriusXM satellite radio.
Front and rear cameras are standard on the 2026 Forester Wilderness. However, they produce distorted imagery on the Starlink display, and I didn't find them particularly helpful, whether parking the SUV or when off-roading in challenging situations.
Christian Wardlaw
Every Forester Wilderness has Subaru's EyeSight collection of advanced driver-assistance systems. It includes adaptive cruise control, lane-centering assist, and an automatic emergency stop system that can bring the SUV to a stop in the event the driver becomes unresponsive. Additionally, active blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and evasive-steering assist are standard features on this version of the Forester.
I used the adaptive cruise control and lane-centering assist on local Portland freeways and on Washington Route 14 heading east into the Columbia River Gorge. Occasionally, I had to override the tech's steering input, and it issued a couple of false warnings to hold the steering wheel (which I was doing). Otherwise, it operated in this environment in an unobtrusive and trustworthy manner.
Subaru has updated rear-occupant protection in all 2026 Foresters. In 2025, the SUV received an Acceptable rating in a new evaluation conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), one notch below a Good rating. It's likely that the automaker's modifications aim to address that shortfall and to improve the Forester's overall rating.
Christian Wardlaw
Impressive Off-Roading Capability in the 2026 Forester Wilderness
Subaru equips the Forester Wilderness with a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine making 180 horsepower and 178 pound-feet of torque. That's merely adequate, but during this test drive, the engine's lack of power wasn't a problem. The modified continuously variable transmission in the Wilderness also wasn't bothersome. But with just two people aboard, no luggage, and no trailer in tow, that doesn't mean much.
A key competitor of the Forester Wilderness is the Bronco Sport Badlands. That vehicle comes standard with a turbocharged engine that produces 250 horsepower and 280 lb-ft of torque. If you're looking for speedy acceleration, especially at high elevations, consider this model. Just know it offers less towing capacity, less maximum cargo capacity, and less ground clearance than the Subaru.
What makes the Forester Wilderness compelling is its off-roading capability. To that end, it has all-terrain tires; a raised suspension with 9.3 inches of ground clearance; and improved approach, breakover, and departure angles. Like other Forester models, the standard AWD system boasts quicker response and less wheelspin than before. The enhanced X-Mode system with hill-descent control is also available in other Foresters.
Christian Wardlaw
As mentioned above, the Forester Wilderness is remarkably capable off-road. In less extreme situations, it remains more confidence-inspiring than a typical crossover, thanks to its rugged tires, added clearances, and underbody protection. It might not be ready to take on the Rubicon Trail, a famed off-road-driving route, but from what I saw, the Forester Wilderness can go places and do things most Forester rivals can't.
When weekend adventures are over and you're slogging through traffic during the daily commute, the Forester Wilderness is agreeable to drive. Outward visibility is fantastic, the ride quality is comfortable, and tire noise doesn't intrude upon the cabin. One of the most surprising aspects of the new Forester Wilderness is its quiet and composed demeanor on the open road, which is something I'd never say about a Ford Bronco or Jeep Wrangler.
It's not particularly fuel-efficient, though. Subaru estimates the Wilderness will return 26 mpg in combined city and highway driving. I observed 22.7 mpg, but that figure included a significant amount of off-road travel.
Christian Wardlaw
Is the 2026 Subaru Forester Wilderness a Good SUV?
Subaru fans will likely love the redesigned 2026 Forester Wilderness. It represents an undeniable improvement over the previous-generation model, and, with one exception, it still doesn't face credible factory-built competition.
That exception is the Ford Bronco Sport Badlands. With turbocharged power, a 13.2-inch touchscreen infotainment system, and numerous standard and available off-roading enhancements, it resolves some of the Subaru's glaring flaws. However, the Ford has its own issues, including unimpressive safety ratings from the IIHS.
Choosing one over the other comes down to your budget and what you value in an off-road-capable compact crossover SUV.
Written by humans.
Edited by humans.
Christian WardlawChris says his first word was "car." For as long as he can remember, he's been obsessed with them. The design. The engineering. The performance. And the purpose. He is a car enthusiast who loves to drive, but is most passionate about the cars, trucks, and SUVs that people actually buy. He began his career as the editor-in-chief of Edmunds.com in the 1990s, and for more than 30 years has created automotive content for CarGurus, J.D. Power, Kelley Blue Book, the New York Daily News, and others. Chris owns Speedy Daddy Media, has been contributing to Capital One Auto Navigator since 2019, and lives in California with his wife, kids, dog, and 2004 Mazdaspeed Miata.
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