CORRECTION: Actual approach/breakover/departure angles of the Forester Wilderness are 23.5/21/25.4º. We forgot to check the data before exporting to RUclips. #oops
@@drivingsports Any idea what the official water crossing depth is for the forester wilderness? Is it modified compared to the non-wilderness forester? We have a 2023 Ascent and are about to lift it 2 inches (already have the primitive racing skid plates, all of them). We've crossed a couple shallow water spots, but manual says to keep the water below the bottom edge of the car (basically the ground clearance height). I figure at some point we'll find deeper water we need to cross, but don't want to ruin anything in the process that I'm not prepared to ruin. :) Also been wanting to get down to Tahuya ORV park, just over an hour from my house. Is it a place a newcomer can just drive through without a guide? Love the videos, thanks!
I’ve owned a 2018 Subaru Outback since summer of 2020 and I love it! I bought it used when it had 67k miles and yes miles were a bit high for only being two years old but the Subaru dealer gave me a very good deal at $20k for the vehicle plus an extended warranty a 3 year 36k miles Subaru Gold Extended Warranty that covered pretty much everything & anything that could potentially break and what’s really cool unlike other type of extended warranty’s which are provided by a third party, Subaru actually covers the warranty and they cover you at any Subaru dealer in the country so all that plus other fees and taxes came to a total financed amount of $22,750 plus a down payment of $1000 with payments of $350 per month for 72 months at 3.9%…so I was super happy with that payment especially because the Outback was fully loaded with all the optional features that I wanted or I originally thought I wasn’t going to be able to get or afford…anyways ever since I bought it I’ve been offroading with it like on a biweekly basis and let me tell you….i don’t take it very easy…I mean I try to take easy but at the same time I like to push it’s limits on a constant basis because it’s so damn fun and it just leaves me speechless at how surprisingly capable this Subie has been in handling all the different offroad obstacles and offroad terrain…it handles snow mud sand dirt ice tarmac steep hills steep descends bumpy rot filled trails, vast dry and wet sand dunes and going fast thru vast empty and extremely hot flat salt lakes! It takes it all! It has never left me stranded at the trail! Or anywhere else for that matter. As matter of fact in the 4 years that I owned it I already used up two different sets of all terrains tires (BFG ko2’s and Toyo open country AT3’s) because of all the Offroading that I do. The current miles on my Outback are 122k miles and it’s running like new! It feels perfect! Nice and smooth! Now to get to my point…I’ve had some issues with it but they all been my fault and not the vehicles….not to mention all the offroading I do with it and a lot of it being pretty abusive, 1st thing was when I accidentally went over a pretty high sidewalk at 50mph! It hit and went over it so hard that my front driver side after market rim broke into several peaces! Along with messing up the alignment….i was able to mount the spare and drove it to a tire shop where I had them install the original rims and then took it to my local Subaru dealer where I told them I hit a very big pot hole at a very high speed, they went ahead checked it out and found like 2 some front suspension parts that were bent and maybe some ball joints that could be damaged and since they were in a “train chain” connection with the transmission, they ahead and replaced the transmission with a brand new one! Even though the transmission was running perfectly fine! I mean I don’t care I’ll take it! 😂 hell yeah! They said they would replace it as a good will measure in order to avoid me having any future issues with the transmission even though the chances of the transmission getting any damage was rather low and not to mention my Subaru Gold extended warranty covered everything 100% I just pay a deductible of $100! Hell yeah! Plus I got a new loaner vehicle for the 2 months that it took them to get a new transmission! Hell yeah! Other things that were replaced and covered by the warranty was the infotainment display(some weird stains appeared on the screen kinda looked like sun burns), another part that was the air intake valve or flap or something like that I forget….its the part in the front by the grill that opens and closes to let air in or to block it(for efficienc) that was replaced….later on another 2 suspension parts needed to be replaced because they just seemed really used and again it was covered and finally 1 or 2 other minor things that were also replaced and covered….and Subaru knew about all the offroading I did they even saw my RUclips Offroading videos! And yet they still covered everything! So heck yeah I’m so happy and impressed with Subaru!
We ditched our 4Runner for one of these and have not looked back. For weekly mountain trips for snowboarding, biking, fishing and hiking in some remote places in the Canadian Rockies it’s perfect. The power is surprisingly good compared to the comments, and I actually like the CVT compared to the 4R’s laboured highway performance (and MPGs). I was hesitant to go back to Subaru after owning a few foresters in the past, but am glad we did.
This Wilderness continues to impress with every video. Im a little sad this is the last one. Its been a fun adventure to take with you. I'm glad you and Subaru have such a great relationship and they trust their product enough to really put it up the test. Ryan should be top of the list once Crosstrec Wilderness rolls out for a long term demo.
I love seeing you push it like this. I'm one of those abnormal people that would absolutely do that if I had a Forester. In fact I did do that kind of stuff way back when I had a 1982 Subaru wagon. Good times.
WOW. first for Subaru to contact you is a badge of honor! You keep your videos objective which is what I really like. They know what they made with those wilderness editions! Everyone may pull this awesome machine apart but I think they really knocked this out of the park. I can’t believe how crazy capable it is I wouldn’t do this if I had one but it sure is nice to know you got some power behind those wheels. Rock climbing was incredible and nail biting lol. Nice that your dad was there, next time he should drive and you spot 😂. Looking forward to the next Subaru adventure. VIVA SUBARU 🏆
I like your offroad testing the most. Its the most dynamic for my purposes. I also like Sarah and her big hill she tries to climb. The water fording test helps because its flash floods here where I live and it creeps around 1 foot deep when it does. Usually even my old CRV can handle the flooded streets but there have been times I've turned around. I usually look at another car that tries fording and see how high its up against their door to see if I want to attempt it or not.
This is why Subaru is my top favorite brand. Direct from factory ready, it's ready, and capable (especially with skid plates). Awesome video Ryan. Been looking forward to it.
The skid plates from factory on the FW are a joke. Literally. A thin sheet aluminum with some sound insulation under the bumper, then a plastic shield under the engine. And two plastic covers under both sides of the gas tank. All of it held on with plastic clips and a few screws. They'll protect the car from rocks small enough to get kicked up by the tires, but if the car came down on any of those rocks in that gate keeper obstacle, they wouldn't do anything but crumble.
1: It is really cool that Subaru told you that you could do more. Kind of funny because TFL cant even get a Subaru anymore 😂 2: I love this car, especially in the blue. The only issue for me is not having cooling seats and a little extra power. 3: It only goes to show that most people don’t need a 4Runner. Yes, it’s a better off roader but not everyone needs a huge off roading truck. Plenty of fun for this and Bronco Sport and the Passport. Great review!
Love that you said that. TFL…..ughhhhh. Useless channel. Are they even still on? They test Subarus but just on rollers and then discuss how terrible it is and wwaaaaaaghhhhhh. Lol. They got upset one year and bought an outback, I believe How logical since each year doesn’t change right? This channel makes them look obsolete
@@martinr8278 you sound like a butthurt troll. I’m no TFL fan, in fact I’m a vocal critic of Tommy and Kase to the point where they anticipate my comments. But Andre and Nathan are phenomenal reviewers with a lot of talent. However, the Subaru challenge that got them in trouble was the cliffhanger challenge. They exposed how worthless the cvt is. Subaru didn’t like that. Win some lose some I suppose. Cheers.
I have personally chosen to discontinue watching TFL's reviews due to perceived biases. In my experience, TFL tends to focus on negative aspects of Subaru vehicles, even when there are numerous positive aspects present. I have concerns that TFL may have a bias against Subaru. As a proud owner of 2 Foresters, including a 2020 Premium model, I am a firm believer in Subaru's exceptional quality and performance. In fact, I am so pleased with my experience that I have already made plans to pass my current Forester on to my wife next year and get an Outback in 2024. With such a strong level of satisfaction, it's clear that investing in a Subaru is well worth the cost.
Took our Forester Wilderness over Cinnamon Pass in Colorado this last summer! Great to see you testing it to its extent as well. Has been such a great vehicle for my wife and I.
Would love to hear more about your experience going over Cinnamon. Any difficulties or things to know? We want something to make it from Lake City to American Basin. I feel like a Forester Wilderness could make that easy enough, but was also wondering about Cinnamon Pass. I had gotten the impression from others it might be an issue due to lack of low gear, but maybe that’s not the case?
@@b.rhodes1342 We started from Silverton and made our way over to American Basin. We didn't experience too much difficulty until we started the decent down from Cinnamon. You'll have to lineup for some of the switchbacks and ensure that you're in xmode for assist on crawling going down. We only hit the skid plate once on the back due to my fault in line choice. It's do-able, but it's all about your comfort. I would have been more comfortable in a jeep honestly. I would do it again, but my wife stated she would not. It will push the limit of the vehicle, but again I was there to see what it could do. I would watch out for bigger rocks and def bring a bike pump to air down your tires, that'll make crawling easier. Bigger tires and more suspension would have been nice, as entry level jeeps had no problem, we had to go much slower due to this. Expect at least 3 hours for the drive. I would also be nervous doing cinnamon pass going from American Basin to Silverton, just due to rock size and crawl potential going uphill on the steepest terrain you'll encounter. I cannot say if that direction is do-able as we did not go that direction. You will be perfectly fine getting to American Basin from Lake City. Zero issues there. It's mostly a jeep road until you get within 1 mile of AB. We saw some CRVs and Corollas up there, how idk lol. Have fun!
Great video. Thank you for taking the extra time to do additional videos on the Forester Wilderness. I haven't been able to take mine off road like I've wanted to yet, so this helps give me more trust in what I want it to do. More than enough vehicle for me.
This is a lot closer to what I was hoping to see! Great job and thank you to Subaru. I'm looking to get the Forester wilderness having recently moved to Michigan Upper Peninsula
Great video. IMHO the best in this channel. Time and info is perfect!! The best part of the video is to see your dad active, helping and smiling. Very motivational for everyone to see somebody with two knee surgeries enjoying the outdoors…. Chears!!! Carlos.
I feel that’s all dads watching or tagging along with their sons/ children. No idea what we’re doing there, We’re just happy to be there to support our kid.
I was going to pre-order the 2024 Crosstrek Limited, but the more I see how capable, rugged, and durable the Forester Wilderness is, the more I am leaning towards that instead. My Nissan lease ends the end of August, so I will miss the Crosstrek Wilderness release (dealership arrivals) that is scheduled for November/December from what I been told. I don't like the low profile tires on the Crosstrek, and worry about the perforated leather with the orange showing a lot of dirt and stains after hiking, kayaking, and fishing trips.
@@trailrunnah8886 I previously had a 2014 and a 2016, they both got around 28-32 mpg and got me home many very late nights (2.5 hr commute) through some very nasty weather. They towed my jet ski and motorcycle, and were bulletproof in terms of reliability.
Shout out to Driving Sports TV Dad. And wish him a speedy recovery. As I've had both of my knees operated on.. Cool video showing the prowess of the Wilderness edition Forester.
I'm not sure what it is, but there's something about driving through water, big puddles, that is satisfying. It reminds me of when I was young, and when I saw a big puddle, I would instinctively go and jump in it much to the dismay of my mom. I'm not looking to drive in mud, dirt yes. Mud no. Or driving over a rocky path. But the facial expression you have when you drove through the water is how I feel. 😃😬😬😃
I felt the same way but for me it was SNOW back when I lived in Michigan. I LOVED snow, and I was given new snow tires every winter from my job. Basically to help managers get to work with no excuses. I've had so many different snow tires but I would go out 3 am if there was a snow storm to drive on fresh powder. Especially if it snowed a good 6-12 inches I'd be out cruising around just enjoying no traffic and carving through snow.
Hello, nice to meet you! I manage the Forester channel in Japan. Wilderness specifications that are not in Japan are cool! I learned a lot, thank you for the valuable information!
Another great review by DST. I love my SFW, so sorry this is your last review with it 😢. However you & SOA went all out to truly give this Subie a real workout, KUDOS 👏🙌👍💪👊
Colorado Subaru fans absolutely love the Wilderness. I see them at every trailhead! Hopefully, their success with a mild off- road edition will inspire Subaru to attack the 4Runner/Jeep market in the future.
I want to see you get through the gatekeeper without adding rocks and logs, I felt that was cheating the way you did it :-) At first I thought the water crossing was not very deep, but when you drove through it I could see it was pretty deep. Great video thank you, cannot wait for the Crosstrek Wild
Something to note for water crossings, is that you risk blowing the radiator fan fuse. I've blown mine twice already and both times were on water crossings. The fan stalls out and blows the fuse.
Sorry if I missed a mention of this in the video, but it is probably a good idea to make a big deal out of removing the rocks and logs that you placed to make the gatekeeper easier. I’m sure you did the right thing… but there are a lot of people on here who are impressionable and don’t know proper trail etiquette.
This sums up what off-roading in a subaru is like perfectly. Be prepared to exit the vehicle and do a bit of road construction. At least the ride home after a long day of moving rocks around will be nice and comfortable, and the gas mileage can't be beat : ).
"So, for this rocky gatekeeper section, we're gonna pile some wood and rocks and whatever to make a nice even surface to summit..." Woulda been nice to see which parts scrape off first, but too much attention to cosmetics for that (especially considering its "scrapper" status)...
I once crossed a high running stream at night in my 98 jeep cherokee. The water was almost coming over my hood and my jeep started to be pushed down stream. It was scary . I pushed ahead. My cousin wanted me to turn around. I made it to other side barely.. Key is dont cross moving water at night . Its just too dangerous
'Surprisingly good performance. Now, if only a purchase order would include a "Wilderness Cladding Delete" option (along with slightly-taller wheels/tires).
Would love to see the Outback Wilderness go through this test 😊. Do you think the Outback Wilderness would have passed "The Gatekeeper"? It's got higher ground clearance but the breakover angle isn't as good as the Forester Wilderness
Thank you for this video. Great review and test! I recently bought a '23 Forester Wilderness. It seems to be a very good car and is perfect for the "light" off-roading I do getting firewood on my small woodlot.
Approach and departure angles look off to me, I am seeing 23.5 approach and 25.4 departure when I search online. Also, the price of the current 2023 wilderness is about $1,500 more than stated in this video. A Forester Wilderness with no options is $35,545 including destination.
Even if you keep water out of the air intake system, diff's have breather tubes, and if they are normal, you will suck water into your diff. jeep and other off road vehicles extend the breather tubes higher to avoid this. Do you know how high the diff breather tubes are on the Wilderness?
hmmm you are too smart. not driving unknown into standing water and actually getting out of the vehicle to check positioning and avoid tearing off your trim pieces. Great content!
I think this is currently one of the best bargains for a "soft roader" that's meant to be used as a daily driver and tackle some light off road adventures on the weekend. Sure, a Tacoma, 4Runner, 4x4 full size truck etc, is gonna be better in almost every way offroad, and a solid axle vehicle like a Jeep will be even better than those, but the Subaru is going to be better day to day and you can still get to a ton of cool places. You're also not paying the current offroad/overland tax (it seems like everything with a transfer case has increased in MSRP a good 5-10k over the last few years).
You make a really good point. I know my 4Runner is much more capable off road than this, and most likely a lot more durable as well. But honestly, it's my daily driver and I commute 60 mi a day to work, and it kind of sucks for that. As much as I kind of don't want to like Subaru, I actually really like this Forester. My only issue with it is that I trust the 2.5 /CVT combo as far as I can throw it. Otherwise, this seems to be a pretty good value for its class.
@@trailrunnah8886 We'll have to wait and see how they hold up on these new Wilderness models, but it's my understanding they beefed up the CVT on this model, gave it a better final drive ratio, improved shift points for lower end torque, and it has a transmission cooler to prevent it from overheating and going into limp mode as easily. I haven't driven one off road yet, but this one is on my short list for my next vehicle.
I think the newest generation styling is starting to grow on me... EDIT: I hope the lower power numbers compared to some older models equal better high mileage reliability. I would like to see a Wilderness XT or something with the sti powertrain in the more versatile forester body... Idk just daydreaming, I'd buy one new in a heartbeat if I could be assured that "regular maintenance" doesn't include what would be seen as major repairs in other vehicles.
AWD drive cars can get you places you would not believe! They are no real 4x4s that is true (no low range) but they are quite capable to take you beyond the trail head. Kudos to Subaru for the “yes we can“ attitude (I understand it was going to be crushed but still). Subaru has got a pedigree in off road, but I was really suprised for example by this little AWD kei-car www.youtube.com/@tinyadventuresoffroad/videos (not available in the US unfortunately).
I would love to see a huge showdown video! One that finds the best entry level/mid tier adventure vehicle! (maybe broken down by price like 30-40k) just to see all these cars head to head!
Thank you for your work testing Subarus! I’ve followed it and have been very pleased with the results. May I ask, did Subaru give you a wading depth for this vehicle or did you figure out a limit for yourself?
My 2022 forester wilderness is awesome. The worse place I took up a trailhead parking lot in the San Juan’s to wetterhorn peak trail head. Really rocky and inclined road. We passed lots of others cars including some jeeps who didn’t want to risk it. At the parking lot only the forester and couple of jeeps. I really don’t know how we made it 😂😂😂😂 that road was so f… up I also took it off roading to Big Sur on a sketchy road and did amazing. On snow only once on really icy conditions I used cables. On non icy conditions it performs amazing. Total I’ve driven it 70k miles all over the country. From all the national parks in California, Utah, all over Colorado, Montana and so many other states and off roads. Love mine
![Noob To Max With DRAGON REWORK In Blox Fruits [FULL MOVIE]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/LnBMOinoOvA/mqdefault.jpg)
CORRECTION: Actual approach/breakover/departure angles of the Forester Wilderness are 23.5/21/25.4º. We forgot to check the data before exporting to RUclips. #oops
I was wondering why they were exactly what you said
1 thing i guess the manufacturer wants to point out, during the creek, did you get any water on the interior floor, via door seals or pedals?
@@smulle96 no water came in. If it had, we would have mentioned it.
@@drivingsports Any idea what the official water crossing depth is for the forester wilderness? Is it modified compared to the non-wilderness forester? We have a 2023 Ascent and are about to lift it 2 inches (already have the primitive racing skid plates, all of them). We've crossed a couple shallow water spots, but manual says to keep the water below the bottom edge of the car (basically the ground clearance height). I figure at some point we'll find deeper water we need to cross, but don't want to ruin anything in the process that I'm not prepared to ruin. :)
Also been wanting to get down to Tahuya ORV park, just over an hour from my house. Is it a place a newcomer can just drive through without a guide?
Love the videos, thanks!
Big props to Subaru for letting you to be more rough with the car and push it to the limit. Their confidence is greatly respectable
I’ve owned a 2018 Subaru Outback since summer of 2020 and I love it! I bought it used when it had 67k miles and yes miles were a bit high for only being two years old but the Subaru dealer gave me a very good deal at $20k for the vehicle plus an extended warranty a 3 year 36k miles Subaru Gold Extended Warranty that covered pretty much everything & anything that could potentially break and what’s really cool unlike other type of extended warranty’s which are provided by a third party, Subaru actually covers the warranty and they cover you at any Subaru dealer in the country so all that plus other fees and taxes came to a total financed amount of $22,750 plus a down payment of $1000 with payments of $350 per month for 72 months at 3.9%…so I was super happy with that payment especially because the Outback was fully loaded with all the optional features that I wanted or I originally thought I wasn’t going to be able to get or afford…anyways ever since I bought it I’ve been offroading with it like on a biweekly basis and let me tell you….i don’t take it very easy…I mean I try to take easy but at the same time I like to push it’s limits on a constant basis because it’s so damn fun and it just leaves me speechless at how surprisingly capable this Subie has been in handling all the different offroad obstacles and offroad terrain…it handles snow mud sand dirt ice tarmac steep hills steep descends bumpy rot filled trails, vast dry and wet sand dunes and going fast thru vast empty and extremely hot flat salt lakes! It takes it all! It has never left me stranded at the trail! Or anywhere else for that matter. As matter of fact in the 4 years that I owned it I already used up two different sets of all terrains tires (BFG ko2’s and Toyo open country AT3’s) because of all the Offroading that I do. The current miles on my Outback are 122k miles and it’s running like new! It feels perfect! Nice and smooth! Now to get to my point…I’ve had some issues with it but they all been my fault and not the vehicles….not to mention all the offroading I do with it and a lot of it being pretty abusive, 1st thing was when I accidentally went over a pretty high sidewalk at 50mph! It hit and went over it so hard that my front driver side after market rim broke into several peaces! Along with messing up the alignment….i was able to mount the spare and drove it to a tire shop where I had them install the original rims and then took it to my local Subaru dealer where I told them I hit a very big pot hole at a very high speed, they went ahead checked it out and found like 2 some front suspension parts that were bent and maybe some ball joints that could be damaged and since they were in a “train chain” connection with the transmission, they ahead and replaced the transmission with a brand new one! Even though the transmission was running perfectly fine! I mean I don’t care I’ll take it! 😂 hell yeah! They said they would replace it as a good will measure in order to avoid me having any future issues with the transmission even though the chances of the transmission getting any damage was rather low and not to mention my Subaru Gold extended warranty covered everything 100% I just pay a deductible of $100! Hell yeah! Plus I got a new loaner vehicle for the 2 months that it took them to get a new transmission! Hell yeah! Other things that were replaced and covered by the warranty was the infotainment display(some weird stains appeared on the screen kinda looked like sun burns), another part that was the air intake valve or flap or something like that I forget….its the part in the front by the grill that opens and closes to let air in or to block it(for efficienc) that was replaced….later on another 2 suspension parts needed to be replaced because they just seemed really used and again it was covered and finally 1 or 2 other minor things that were also replaced and covered….and Subaru knew about all the offroading I did they even saw my RUclips Offroading videos! And yet they still covered everything! So heck yeah I’m so happy and impressed with Subaru!
Hanging out with your dad is something this generation needs to see more and learn from. Great video and awesome work, as usually.
ok boomer
People don’t hangout with their dad anymore? That’s news to me.
Haha, I don't have a dad
can you show on video the cooler oil gearbox from this wilderness Forester?
thanks a lot.
We ditched our 4Runner for one of these and have not looked back. For weekly mountain trips for snowboarding, biking, fishing and hiking in some remote places in the Canadian Rockies it’s perfect. The power is surprisingly good compared to the comments, and I actually like the CVT compared to the 4R’s laboured highway performance (and MPGs). I was hesitant to go back to Subaru after owning a few foresters in the past, but am glad we did.
This does look much more noob friendly than the manual 4wd system in the 4Runner and would be better for a guy like me
@@mattkeith530 With today's cost, I wouldn't take a 4Runner through there either... What's happened to simple 4x4 vehicles?
just the comment I needed, thanks!
@@jeremytoms9698 ya imagine spending 55k on a car and then taking it to get completely beaten up on rocks
This Wilderness continues to impress with every video. Im a little sad this is the last one. Its been a fun adventure to take with you.
I'm glad you and Subaru have such a great relationship and they trust their product enough to really put it up the test. Ryan should be top of the list once Crosstrec Wilderness rolls out for a long term demo.
This is the last one?? What do you mean?
@@griffinballard8763 Ryan said in the video this was his final video with it.
@@jediguy634 The next videos will be with the Crosstrek Wilderness, so don't worry, more are coming :)
Your videos + one month in a rental Ascent + one test drive = me purchasing a Forester Wilderness two weeks ago.
I must say, of all the car reviewers, i find your videos most soothing to look at, perfect balance between hype, and pure joy, but still controlled
I love seeing you push it like this. I'm one of those abnormal people that would absolutely do that if I had a Forester. In fact I did do that kind of stuff way back when I had a 1982 Subaru wagon. Good times.
"Is a normal person ever going to do this with their Subaru? Probably not." -- As I'm making plans to visit Tahuya in my Forester Wilderness. LOL
Impressive performance Subaru. Tell your dad good luck with the recovery.
WOW. first for Subaru to contact you is a badge of honor! You keep your videos objective which is what I really like. They know what they made with those wilderness editions! Everyone may pull this awesome machine apart but I think they really knocked this out of the park. I can’t believe how crazy capable it is I wouldn’t do this if I had one but it sure is nice to know you got some power behind those wheels. Rock climbing was incredible and nail biting lol. Nice that your dad was there, next time he should drive and you spot 😂. Looking forward to the next Subaru adventure. VIVA SUBARU 🏆
I like your offroad testing the most. Its the most dynamic for my purposes. I also like Sarah and her big hill she tries to climb. The water fording test helps because its flash floods here where I live and it creeps around 1 foot deep when it does. Usually even my old CRV can handle the flooded streets but there have been times I've turned around. I usually look at another car that tries fording and see how high its up against their door to see if I want to attempt it or not.
Best part of the video TAKING DAD TO THE TRAIL
This is why Subaru is my top favorite brand. Direct from factory ready, it's ready, and capable (especially with skid plates). Awesome video Ryan. Been looking forward to it.
Except for the extra skid plates Ryan added
The skid plates from factory on the FW are a joke. Literally. A thin sheet aluminum with some sound insulation under the bumper, then a plastic shield under the engine. And two plastic covers under both sides of the gas tank. All of it held on with plastic clips and a few screws. They'll protect the car from rocks small enough to get kicked up by the tires, but if the car came down on any of those rocks in that gate keeper obstacle, they wouldn't do anything but crumble.
@@TheBabadush It was just extra. It still came with some.
@@ThinkFreely2012 Yeah, jeep steel plates are way better
@@atmartens it's literally like a cookie baking sheet, just made from aluminum instead of steel. It's very light and very flimsy.
1: It is really cool that Subaru told you that you could do more. Kind of funny because TFL cant even get a Subaru anymore 😂
2: I love this car, especially in the blue. The only issue for me is not having cooling seats and a little extra power.
3: It only goes to show that most people don’t need a 4Runner. Yes, it’s a better off roader but not everyone needs a huge off roading truck. Plenty of fun for this and Bronco Sport and the Passport.
Great review!
I think if TFL wants to test a subaru, they have to use theirs or borrow one from someone.
Love that you said that. TFL…..ughhhhh. Useless channel. Are they even still on? They test Subarus but just on rollers and then discuss how terrible it is and wwaaaaaaghhhhhh. Lol. They got upset one year and bought an outback, I believe How logical since each year doesn’t change right? This channel makes them look obsolete
@@sl5932 I know. They got in trouble with Subaru so they can’t test them anymore.
@@martinr8278 you sound like a butthurt troll. I’m no TFL fan, in fact I’m a vocal critic of Tommy and Kase to the point where they anticipate my comments. But Andre and Nathan are phenomenal reviewers with a lot of talent. However, the Subaru challenge that got them in trouble was the cliffhanger challenge. They exposed how worthless the cvt is. Subaru didn’t like that. Win some lose some I suppose. Cheers.
I have personally chosen to discontinue watching TFL's reviews due to perceived biases. In my experience, TFL tends to focus on negative aspects of Subaru vehicles, even when there are numerous positive aspects present. I have concerns that TFL may have a bias against Subaru. As a proud owner of 2 Foresters, including a 2020 Premium model, I am a firm believer in Subaru's exceptional quality and performance. In fact, I am so pleased with my experience that I have already made plans to pass my current Forester on to my wife next year and get an Outback in 2024. With such a strong level of satisfaction, it's clear that investing in a Subaru is well worth the cost.
I opened RUclips link at work just to cool down a little bit. This video came recommended to me. Now I cannot wait to go home to watch it.
Took our Forester Wilderness over Cinnamon Pass in Colorado this last summer! Great to see you testing it to its extent as well. Has been such a great vehicle for my wife and I.
The Forester was launched on Sept 2 2022, so don't think you drove it last summer ;)
@@Traumatree Took delivery in December 2021 👌🏻
@@aBowski97 You're right, my bad!
Would love to hear more about your experience going over Cinnamon. Any difficulties or things to know? We want something to make it from Lake City to American Basin. I feel like a Forester Wilderness could make that easy enough, but was also wondering about Cinnamon Pass. I had gotten the impression from others it might be an issue due to lack of low gear, but maybe that’s not the case?
@@b.rhodes1342 We started from Silverton and made our way over to American Basin. We didn't experience too much difficulty until we started the decent down from Cinnamon. You'll have to lineup for some of the switchbacks and ensure that you're in xmode for assist on crawling going down. We only hit the skid plate once on the back due to my fault in line choice. It's do-able, but it's all about your comfort. I would have been more comfortable in a jeep honestly. I would do it again, but my wife stated she would not. It will push the limit of the vehicle, but again I was there to see what it could do. I would watch out for bigger rocks and def bring a bike pump to air down your tires, that'll make crawling easier. Bigger tires and more suspension would have been nice, as entry level jeeps had no problem, we had to go much slower due to this. Expect at least 3 hours for the drive. I would also be nervous doing cinnamon pass going from American Basin to Silverton, just due to rock size and crawl potential going uphill on the steepest terrain you'll encounter. I cannot say if that direction is do-able as we did not go that direction.
You will be perfectly fine getting to American Basin from Lake City. Zero issues there. It's mostly a jeep road until you get within 1 mile of AB. We saw some CRVs and Corollas up there, how idk lol. Have fun!
Great review, I love how capable Subarus are. Love that Subaru challenged you to go harder!
Great video Ryan! Very cool of Subaru to reach out and say "push it more" lol
Best vehicle review channel hands down
Great video. Thank you for taking the extra time to do additional videos on the Forester Wilderness. I haven't been able to take mine off road like I've wanted to yet, so this helps give me more trust in what I want it to do. More than enough vehicle for me.
This is a lot closer to what I was hoping to see! Great job and thank you to Subaru. I'm looking to get the Forester wilderness having recently moved to Michigan Upper Peninsula
Great video. IMHO the best in this channel. Time and info is perfect!!
The best part of the video is to see your dad active, helping and smiling.
Very motivational for everyone to see somebody with two knee surgeries enjoying the outdoors….
Chears!!!
Carlos.
I will say in my Outback Wilderness using left foot breaking really helps on rocks to not surge and stops initial wheel-spin.
Props to Subaru for taking on the challenge with a press car.
Ryan, you are my favorite auto reviewer. I bought my 2021 Crosstrek Sport because of your review. Forrester Wilderness will be my next acquisition.
I feel that’s all dads watching or tagging along with their sons/ children. No idea what we’re doing there, We’re just happy to be there to support our kid.
Love the new off-road filming format and video quality of these videos!
I was going to pre-order the 2024 Crosstrek Limited, but the more I see how capable, rugged, and durable the Forester Wilderness is, the more I am leaning towards that instead. My Nissan lease ends the end of August, so I will miss the Crosstrek Wilderness release (dealership arrivals) that is scheduled for November/December from what I been told. I don't like the low profile tires on the Crosstrek, and worry about the perforated leather with the orange showing a lot of dirt and stains after hiking, kayaking, and fishing trips.
I think the Crosstrek is kind of dumb. To me. It's too small to really be useful, the Forester seems like a much better value.
I just got one... No regrets.. Impressed. No panic mode when alone in harsh conditions. You can breathe easy.
@@trailrunnah8886 I previously had a 2014 and a 2016, they both got around 28-32 mpg and got me home many very late nights (2.5 hr commute) through some very nasty weather. They towed my jet ski and motorcycle, and were bulletproof in terms of reliability.
They don’t sell the Wilderness version in Australia but I take my regular MY22 Forester on the beach all the time. Goes great!
Congrats Dad! Your son is doing a great job! (he already knows that but it's always nice to hear it from strangers I guess :D )
The Forester is such a capable little machine I love it! Thanks for the experiment!
Shout out to Driving Sports TV Dad. And wish him a speedy recovery. As I've had both of my knees operated on.. Cool video showing the prowess of the Wilderness edition Forester.
Thanks!
Awsome, thanks for the tip!
I'm not sure what it is, but there's something about driving through water, big puddles, that is satisfying.
It reminds me of when I was young, and when I saw a big puddle, I would instinctively go and jump in it much to the dismay of my mom.
I'm not looking to drive in mud, dirt yes. Mud no. Or driving over a rocky path. But the facial expression you have when you drove through the water is how I feel.
😃😬😬😃
I felt the same way but for me it was SNOW back when I lived in Michigan. I LOVED snow, and I was given new snow tires every winter from my job. Basically to help managers get to work with no excuses. I've had so many different snow tires but I would go out 3 am if there was a snow storm to drive on fresh powder. Especially if it snowed a good 6-12 inches I'd be out cruising around just enjoying no traffic and carving through snow.
Yessssss this was the video I was waiting for. My wilderness is arriving in a week. So excited.
Let's hear the truth when you start offroading it.
Hello, nice to meet you!
I manage the Forester channel in Japan.
Wilderness specifications that are not in Japan are cool!
I learned a lot, thank you for the valuable information!
Man you are really helping to sell Subies these days! (Coming from a 4x Subie wagon owner!)
It’s cool to see how capable crossovers are getting straight from the factory.
They arent, if anything they're getting worse. Forester and Rav4 being the exceptions, they were built for trails not groceries
Even Subarus used to be more capable, before they got the CVT that limits torque to prevent chain slip.
@@motioncompensation1544 Spot on. The CVT transmission is the off-road capability killer.
@@keponen331 Your forgot the Bronco Sport, which is much better than the Forester and the crapy rav4
A Leone from 1982 would run circles around this pig.
Can you do this same test in the new Crosstrek? I heard they might make a CrossTrek Wilderness. I'd love to see it do this test.
Subaru is the best for light/medium adventure and everyday driving in my opinion!! Ryan, you are the best reviewer for Subaru~
Very thankful for your reviews - you're part of the reason I bought a bronco! Would love to see you test a base bronco on these trails.
Are you Fixing or Repairing Daily??? Lol
It wouldn't get to the trail. Recalls keep them parked safely in driveways and dealer lots.
Didn't expect so much negativity. My bronco has been totally reliable for the 4000 miles I have driven it so far.
This is a very impressive outing from Subaru! Would love to see the new Pilot Trailsport on your tests!
Well done. Now go put all those rocks back like you're supposed to when you move them. lol
Love the drone footage out there. We live in a beautiful area.
You and your dad have the same sense of humor! I love it!!
Another great review by DST. I love my SFW, so sorry this is your last review with it 😢. However you & SOA went all out to truly give this Subie a real workout, KUDOS 👏🙌👍💪👊
Good job to you and your Dad, and of course Subaru.
Subaru Wilderness Edition is incredible
I probably won’t drive that extreme in my new forester wilderness, but it’s nice to know I can. Great video.
another epic review!! thank you to your dad for helping out!
Colorado Subaru fans absolutely love the Wilderness. I see them at every trailhead! Hopefully, their success with a mild off- road edition will inspire Subaru to attack the 4Runner/Jeep market in the future.
Impressive stuff from a stock Forester. I would not have been as patient as you were on those rocks with a car I knew was destined for the crusher
Looks good, and looks even better doing stuff.
I want to see you get through the gatekeeper without adding rocks and logs, I felt that was cheating the way you did it :-) At first I thought the water crossing was not very deep, but when you drove through it I could see it was pretty deep. Great video thank you, cannot wait for the Crosstrek Wild
Agreed. No point in a gatekeeper if you need to pave it to be able to cross it.
Yeah I had the same thought
But in no way was this a biased video. We should applaud Subaru for allowing biased reviews designed only to make them look good. Yay Subaru.
Something to note for water crossings, is that you risk blowing the radiator fan fuse. I've blown mine twice already and both times were on water crossings. The fan stalls out and blows the fuse.
Sorry if I missed a mention of this in the video, but it is probably a good idea to make a big deal out of removing the rocks and logs that you placed to make the gatekeeper easier. I’m sure you did the right thing… but there are a lot of people on here who are impressionable and don’t know proper trail etiquette.
The presenter is genuine and funny he does a great job!!
This sums up what off-roading in a subaru is like perfectly. Be prepared to exit the vehicle and do a bit of road construction. At least the ride home after a long day of moving rocks around will be nice and comfortable, and the gas mileage can't be beat : ).
"So, for this rocky gatekeeper section, we're gonna pile some wood and rocks and whatever to make a nice even surface to summit..." Woulda been nice to see which parts scrape off first, but too much attention to cosmetics for that (especially considering its "scrapper" status)...
I've seen my husband do trail construction like this in a full size Chev Silverado.
I’m new to the Subaru brand. This makes me appreciate my FW!
Awesome choice
Omg this video was a real kick in the pants! Thanks for making this video!
Gonna buy it the moment they turbo it. Love this channel !
“I didn’t put that skid plate on because I was lazy because I don’t have a lift.” Brother.. I felt that to my core
It can do it but that doesn’t mean it should. Thanks for showing us Ryan! Props to Subaru for the confidence.
I once crossed a high running stream at night in my 98 jeep cherokee. The water was almost coming over my hood and my jeep started to be pushed down stream. It was scary . I pushed ahead. My cousin wanted me to turn around. I made it to other side barely.. Key is dont cross moving water at night . Its just too dangerous
'Surprisingly good performance. Now, if only a purchase order would include a "Wilderness Cladding Delete" option (along with slightly-taller wheels/tires).
Another great video especially like the tips on how to drive a vehicle like this over various terrain.
Would love to see the Outback Wilderness go through this test 😊.
Do you think the Outback Wilderness would have passed "The Gatekeeper"? It's got higher ground clearance but the breakover angle isn't as good as the Forester Wilderness
I could probably get it through, but I would need twice as many rocks. 😂
I took my off road today against a 4Runner ,Jeep ,cross trek ,and outback touring . Let’s just say everyone was impressed!
Nice ride/video, thanks!!
Thank you for this video. Great review and test!
I recently bought a '23 Forester Wilderness. It seems to be a very good car and is perfect for the "light" off-roading I do getting firewood on my small woodlot.
Thanks for the video Ryan
Approach and departure angles look off to me, I am seeing 23.5 approach and 25.4 departure when I search online. Also, the price of the current 2023 wilderness is about $1,500 more than stated in this video. A Forester Wilderness with no options is $35,545 including destination.
Cool. More capable than what I expected. Thanks for sharing!
Even if you keep water out of the air intake system, diff's have breather tubes, and if they are normal, you will suck water into your diff. jeep and other off road vehicles extend the breather tubes higher to avoid this. Do you know how high the diff breather tubes are on the Wilderness?
Great Video of the Forester Wilderness 2022 and no Scratch!
Danke schön
Gotta go with this one. Most off-road capable compact suv in the market
Thanks for that test!
Should rename channel: driving subaru TV
😮
JK. SOA must love you.
hmmm you are too smart. not driving unknown into standing water and actually getting out of the vehicle to check positioning and avoid tearing off your trim pieces. Great content!
Love watching your channel
LOVE your Subaru reviews !
Keep doing the Crostrek, Forester & Outback reviews !!
Soooo good 💥👍👌👌
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I think this is currently one of the best bargains for a "soft roader" that's meant to be used as a daily driver and tackle some light off road adventures on the weekend. Sure, a Tacoma, 4Runner, 4x4 full size truck etc, is gonna be better in almost every way offroad, and a solid axle vehicle like a Jeep will be even better than those, but the Subaru is going to be better day to day and you can still get to a ton of cool places. You're also not paying the current offroad/overland tax (it seems like everything with a transfer case has increased in MSRP a good 5-10k over the last few years).
You make a really good point. I know my 4Runner is much more capable off road than this, and most likely a lot more durable as well. But honestly, it's my daily driver and I commute 60 mi a day to work, and it kind of sucks for that. As much as I kind of don't want to like Subaru, I actually really like this Forester. My only issue with it is that I trust the 2.5 /CVT combo as far as I can throw it. Otherwise, this seems to be a pretty good value for its class.
@@trailrunnah8886 We'll have to wait and see how they hold up on these new Wilderness models, but it's my understanding they beefed up the CVT on this model, gave it a better final drive ratio, improved shift points for lower end torque, and it has a transmission cooler to prevent it from overheating and going into limp mode as easily. I haven't driven one off road yet, but this one is on my short list for my next vehicle.
Awesome video! Thanks!
I think the newest generation styling is starting to grow on me...
EDIT: I hope the lower power numbers compared to some older models equal better high mileage reliability. I would like to see a Wilderness XT or something with the sti powertrain in the more versatile forester body... Idk just daydreaming, I'd buy one new in a heartbeat if I could be assured that "regular maintenance" doesn't include what would be seen as major repairs in other vehicles.
AWD drive cars can get you places you would not believe! They are no real 4x4s that is true (no low range) but they are quite capable to take you beyond the trail head. Kudos to Subaru for the “yes we can“ attitude (I understand it was going to be crushed but still). Subaru has got a pedigree in off road, but I was really suprised for example by this little AWD kei-car www.youtube.com/@tinyadventuresoffroad/videos (not available in the US unfortunately).
Hopefully, Subaru will add more power to Forester's engine.
I'd rather have lower gearing than power through this trail.
They already added turbo for this 2.5 engine on 2023 model year which now the engine produce over 230+ hp
@@dolguldur4706 where do you see this at?
@@tonychau1983 australia already got the turbo variant...not gonna be long before the american get the turbo variant as well..
@@dolguldur4706 do you have a link?
I would love to see a huge showdown video! One that finds the best entry level/mid tier adventure vehicle! (maybe broken down by price like 30-40k) just to see all these cars head to head!
The best in its class, without competition, and a very unique driving pleasure 👌
=competition
BOLD statement.
i would take any toyota , same class, over Subaru any day or night!
Well said indeed. BEST AWD out there. I’d trust a Subaru over a rav4 or passport anyday. I did watch them go through puddles, it was awesome! 😂😂😂
It unbelievable how the 2.5L boxer engine in the Forester is low on power figures but quite capable.
I drove my forester 2021 on a
Flooded mud all the way up to emblem level and did fine. But i airdown to half just to get a better grip and not stall.
Oh my. I can't wait to watch this when I get home! 🙂
I would love to see a review of the off-road capabilities of the Onyx/Onyx Limited trim 2023 Ascent.
Thank you for your work testing Subarus! I’ve followed it and have been very pleased with the results. May I ask, did Subaru give you a wading depth for this vehicle or did you figure out a limit for yourself?
I loved my 85 GL wagon with the dual range 4WD. When it was time to crawl, that thing was superb.
please do a base wrangler v6 offroad test
My 2022 forester wilderness is awesome. The worse place I took up a trailhead parking lot in the San Juan’s to wetterhorn peak trail head. Really rocky and inclined road. We passed lots of others cars including some jeeps who didn’t want to risk it. At the parking lot only the forester and couple of jeeps. I really don’t know how we made it 😂😂😂😂 that road was so f… up
I also took it off roading to Big Sur on a sketchy road and did amazing. On snow only once on really icy conditions I used cables. On non icy conditions it performs amazing. Total I’ve driven it 70k miles all over the country. From all the national parks in California, Utah, all over Colorado, Montana and so many other states and off roads. Love mine
Geezz Ryan, you brought your dad with you to stack rocks? You crazy man.
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