Subaru Outback Wilderness: Built for Adventure
The Outback Wilderness takes Subaru's legendary wagon and adds real off-road capability. Here's whether it lives up to the hype.
The Overland Wagon
Subaru took their best-selling Outback and asked "what if we made it actually go off-road?" The result is the Wilderness — 9.5 inches of ground clearance, all-terrain tires, skid plates, and a revised X-MODE AWD system. It bridges the gap between a comfortable highway cruiser and a capable trail vehicle.
Off-Road Performance
The extra ground clearance and all-terrain Yokohama Geolandar tires make a huge difference. Forest service roads, rocky mountain passes, muddy campground access roads — the Wilderness handles them all with confidence. The dual-function X-MODE system has a deep snow/mud setting that actually works. It's not a Jeep Wrangler, but it'll get you places a standard SUV can't.
On-Road Compromise
The all-terrain tires create noticeable road noise at highway speeds — this is the biggest trade-off. Fuel economy drops to 22 city / 26 highway (the standard Outback gets 26/32). The ride is slightly firmer due to the revised suspension. If you spend 90% of your time on pavement, the standard Outback is the smarter buy.
Living With It
The Outback's interior is excellent: comfortable seats for long drives, a massive 11.6-inch vertical touchscreen (love it or hate it), and Subaru's EyeSight safety suite. Cargo space is 32.5 cubic feet, expandable to 75.7 with seats folded. The roof rails are rated for 700 lbs static load — plenty for a rooftop tent.
Verdict
Rating: 4.5/5. The Wilderness earns its name. If your lifestyle involves forest roads, trailheads, and campgrounds that aren't paved, it's one of the best vehicles you can buy under $40,000. Just know you're trading highway refinement for backcountry capability.