The Subaru Crosstrek has been with us since 2012, and has become a cult classic in its own right, with owners loving it for its flat-four engine, relatively good off-road chops when compared to rivals, and its chunky, go-anywhere design. It is no surprise that, in recent years, Subaru has tried to double down on that off-road image with its new Wilderness line of models, aimed at people going off the trail and into the unknown, so long as it isn’t too technical. The Crosstrek was the third model to get the Wilderness treatment, and we will be looking at what you get for stepping up to the package. We will first look at the Crosstrek as a whole, including its drivetrain options, then the Wilderness package and what you gain with it, and finally answer the question of whether it’s worth it, or if you should just stick with the regular version of Subaru’s compact crossover?
This Buyer’s Guide combines on-paper information and independent tests/real test drive reports, where available.
Subaru Crosstrek Overview
2024 Subaru Crosstrek Sport. Off-road. Front, three-quartersSubaru
The current GU Crosstrek has been on sale since 2022, riding on SGP, which is Subarus Global Platform. It originally launched with 2.0-liter FB20D and 2.5-liter FB25D engine options, but the 2.0-liter was dropped in 2026 in favor of the 2.5-liter, which is used in all non-hybrid models. The Crosstrek also lost its manual transmissions for this generation, leaving either a CVT or E-CVT, depending on the drivetrain configuration. The Crosstrek starts at $26,995 for a base-model trim with the gas 2.5-liter engine, and goes all the way up to the Limited Hybrid at $34,995. It is important to note that you cannot get the Wilderness as a hybrid, so it stands as the most expensive non-hybrid trim at $33,750.
2026 Subaru Crosstrek Engine And Performance
The engine of the 2024 Subaru Crosstrek Wilderness.Nicole Wakelin/CarBuzz/Valnet
Engine
2.5-liter Four-cylinder
Horsepower
180 hp
Torque
178 lb-ft
Transmission
CVT
Drivetrain
AWD
Fuel Economy (city/highway/combined)*
29/24/26
*As per the EPA
Subaru has only just begun to hybridize the Crosstrek lineup, using a slightly older version of Toyota’s hybrid technology. This means that the powertrain is not available on most trim levels yet, including the Wilderness. Without the hybrid powertrain, Wilderness buyers are stuck with one powertrain, for better or worse. The 180-hp 2.5-liter FB25D is the engine used right across the gas Crosstrek range, so you don’t get anything better than the $6,000 cheaper base model. To give credit to Subaru, you get a re-tuned CVT gearbox that is better suited to low-speed off-road conditions, along with an additional CVT cooler meant to stop the transmission from overheating when the going gets rough.
The final drive ratio has also been tinkered with, using 4.111:1 compared to the standard 3.7:1 ratio. Lastly, an upgraded rear differential is also included in the Wilderness trim. These improvements make the Wilderness more formidable off-road at the cost of fuel economy, as the Wilderness trim loses three miles per gallon in the combined cycle when compared to the rest of the Crosstrek lineup.
Subaru Crosstrek Wilderness Exterior
3rd Generation Subaru Crosstrek Wilderness, Pair, Front 3/4Subaru
The Crosstrek Wilderness is a very distinct trim level in the Crosstrek lineup. Firstly, the wheels and suspension get a noticeable upgrade over the regular model, now riding on 17-inch matte black-finish wheels and Yokohama all-terrain tires. Put a Wilderness side by side with a regular Crosstrek, and you will notice the 9.3 inches of ground clearance, up 0.6 inches over the standard car. The roof rack is rated for 700 pounds, allowing you to store bikes or tents for your wilderness escapes. The body cladding around the car is different, with distinct Wilderness anodized copper-finish accents and new front and rear bumpers with integrated tow points and extended lower cladding. These wheel and suspension differences make the Wilderness 0.8 inches wider and 0.6 inches taller than a normal Crosstrek.
Subaru Crosstrek Wilderness Interior Design
2024 Subaru Crosstrek WildernessSubaru
Inside your Subaru Crosstrek Wilderness, you will find more of the anodized copper accents, along with the now ubiquitous 11.6-inch Multimedia Plus touchscreen. Unique to the Wilderness is StarTex water-repellent upholstery, meant to be easier to wipe down and clean when and if you get mud inside after a trail walk or other activities. The Crosstrek Wilderness also gets a heated steering wheel as standard and offers an optional Harman Kardon audio system; these amenities are not available on the lower trims. There is one optional interior package available for the Wilderness that adds a moonroof, ten-way electric seats, and the previously mentioned audio system.
Subaru Crosstrek Wilderness Common Problems
2025 Subaru Crosstrek Wilderness front 3/4 on trailSubaru
The current Crosstrek Wilderness is too new to have many known issues, but there are two current NHTSA recalls.
Front Driveshaft Assemblies May Crack And Break
Affecting the 2023 and 2024 models, this issue can cause the entire driveshaft to fail, causing the car to lose power when driving, or causing the car to roll away if left in park without the handbrake on. This issue affected 4,701 Crosstrek Wilderness models.
Instrument Panel Harness Damage
Affecting both the Crosstrek and the Impreza, the instrument panel harness may rub and touch off the steering beam bracket, damaging the wire insulation and causing a short circuit. This affected 35,357 cars in total.
Key Rivals
This little off-roader segment has more competition than you would think. Let’s look at a few rivals that you might look at instead of the Crosstrek Wilderness.
Ford Bronco Sport Badlands
Ford Bronco Sport BadlandsFord
Ford’s offering in this space is the Bronco Badlands. It is a bit bigger than the Crosstrek, offers more power and has no CVT. This makes it a statically better car off-road than the Crosstrek Wilderness, but with Ford’s very shaky reliability record as of late, and increased MSRP of $38,265, the Crosstrek Wilderness can be seen as a more reliable, value-oriented model.
Jeep Compass Trailhawk
2024 Jeep Compass Trailhawk driving on trailJeep
Coming in at around the same price as the Crosstrek Wilderness, the Compass Trailhawk is Jeep’s baby off-roader, although it is not as capable as the Wilderness in some areas. Still, it offers more power, has a low-range gearbox mode, and keeps a bit more of a boxy off-road look compared to the Crosstrek. The Subaru, on the other hand, has a 0.7 inch ground clearance advantage, better resale value, and better reliability.
Should You Buy A Subaru Crosstrek Wilderness?
Side shot of a 2024 Subaru Crosstrek Wilderness off-roadingSubaru
While let down in fuel economy compared to the hybrid versions, and using what is quickly becoming an underpowered drivetrain paired with a CVT, the Crosstrek Wilderness still manages to make a good case for itself. There are real differences between the Wilderness and the regular Crosstrek. The ride height, interior and exterior upgrades, and rugged look makes the Crosstrek a really cool little crossover and while its rivals are saddled with reliability woes, it offers the only sense of longevity in this segment. Neither Honda nor Toyota offer this type of car at this price point, so if you can stomach the 180 hp and CVT transmission, the Crosstrek Wilderness could be a great choice for light off-roading.
Sources: Subaru, Ford, Jeep, NHTSA
FAQ
Q: What is special about Crosstrek Wilderness?
The Wilderness trim is a reworked off-road version of the Crosstrek, with beefed-up suspension, better rock protection cladding on the front, back and underneath the car, and some reworked mechanical components. It is aimed at the light off-roader lifestyle, consisting of light trails and dirt paths.
Q: Is the Crosstrek Wilderness too slow?
With a 180-horsepower boxer flat-four, paired with a CVT transmission, the Crosstrek Wilderness can do 0–60 mph in 8.5 seconds. It has a top speed of 120 mph. It is not dangerously slow, but the Crosstrek Wilderness is down on power when compared to most rivals, and even its own hybrid counterpart.
Q: What are the benefits of the Subaru Wilderness?
The benefits of Subaru Wilderness are a unique appearance package that distinguishes it from the other trims in the lineup. Wilderness trimmed models also have off-road upgrades to the suspension, tires and running gear to make them better suited to the trails.
