Subaru Crosstrek Wilderness: Off-Road Features

This edition of the compact SUV is focused on giving you more trail-focused capability.

Andrew Ganz | 

May 13, 2025 | 3 min read

Subaru

Venturing into the wilderness requires a capable vehicle. If you want that vehicle to be a Subaru, it might be worth considering the aptly named Subaru Crosstrek Wilderness, an off-road-ready version of the automaker's smallest crossover SUV.

The Crosstrek is the third model in the Subaru family's Wilderness group; it debuted for the 2024 model year, joining Wilderness versions of the taller Forester and the longer Outback. Here are some of the features that make the Crosstrek Wilderness more ready for trails than the other models in its lineup.

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The Crosstrek Wilderness: Ground Clearance

Driving on a trail covered in rocks and ruts is common during off-roading, which makes ground clearance important. The Wilderness Crosstrek rides on Wilderness-specific coil springs and shock absorbers, giving it 9.3 inches of rock-straddling ground clearance.

Additionally, the springs have tuning intended to reduce harshness over rough bumps. The Wilderness comes with 17-inch alloy wheels mounted with Yokohama Geolandar all-terrain tires, providing a better grip on rough terrain, compared with the all-season rubber used on other Crosstrek trims.

The Crosstrek Wilderness also features a rear differential with revised gearing and a continuously variable transmission tuned for the kind of slow, low-speed driving necessary to climb rocky terrain. A transmission oil cooler comes standard, so the Crosstrek Wilderness can tow up to 3,500 pounds — more than double the regular model's 1,500-pound rating.

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The Subaru Wilderness Option Improves Capability

The Crosstrek Wilderness offers some exterior components to set it apart from other trims, such as big fender flares and unpainted lower trim that give it an outdoorsy vibe. Special front and rear bumpers provide improved approach and departure angles, enabling the Crosstrek Wilderness to climb or descend steeper terrain than the standard model. Plus, Subaru said the Wilderness trim's roof rack can hold up to 700 pounds when the vehicle is parked. That's enough for a rooftop tent and two adults.

Inside, the Crosstrek Wilderness eschews cloth or leather in favor of StarTex, Subaru's water-resistant synthetic leather, which is designed to be hard wearing and easier to clean.

Subaru

All That Off-Road Gear Comes at a Price

One downside to the higher suspension, all-terrain tires, and off-road-friendly features is lower fuel-economy estimates than other Crosstreks. According to EPA figures, the Crosstrek Wilderness is estimated to return 25/29/27 mpg in city/highway/combined driving, a drop from the 27/33/29 mpg estimates for non-Wilderness Crosstreks with the same 2.5-liter flat-four engine.

All those features contribute to a higher price, too. The 2025 Crosstrek Wilderness costs about $34,000 to start. Add the $2,300 option package containing a Harman Kardon audio system, a sunroof, and a power-adjustable driver's seat, and it can set you back around $36,000 — nearly $10,000 more than the base Crosstrek.

Andrew Ganz

Andrew has been hooked on cars since his mother coaxed him into naps by driving him around in her rattly old diesel Mercedes-Benz. Perhaps it was the diesel fumes that lulled him to sleep. Either way, he has since parlayed his automotive enthusiasm into a decades-long career as a journalist writing for such well-known sites as Auto Express, Autoblog, Car and Driver, Leftlane News, Motor1, Motor Authority, and The Car Connection, not to mention numerous classic-car publications. When he's not researching cars, he's probably working on one — though he has yet to own a diesel Mercedes. Off to the classifieds he goes.