LOVE my ‘22 Crosstrek! I agree with Ryan. It is by far, IMO the best all around vehicle you can buy for the money. Plenty zippy around town, great mileage, comfortable on the highway for long trips and plenty capable for trail and off-road use. Not huge cargo capacity but plenty for camping gear etc, for my use case anyway. And the comfort is amazing. I have a terribly bad back and neck from heavy labor for most of my adult life and this is the only car I’ve ever owned that I can road trip and not be sore on the other end of the trip. I’ve had several Subies over the years but this is by far my favorite. Thanks to Ryan and his reviews of it for talking me into buying this little beast. Lol.
@@ololosha9733 so for 40K you get a stripped down SR5 model 2wd 4Runner. Add the 4WD powertrain, you jump up to 43,975 immediately. That’s without adding ANY options. So not even close. If you spec out a 4Runner with options close to what the CTW offers you’re looking at close to 50k.
I love our new Crosstrek Wilderness. We could not afford a 70k money pit Jeep Rubicon so we got this. VERY happy! Fun car! Thank you for these tests! Crazy how much it can do!
Got my Wilderness 3 months ago, and it feels like more car than what it is. Its road presence is very tame and responsive, it doesn’t feel like an off roader. I love every time I get behind the wheel, it’s the most fun car I’ve ever owned. And I’ve owned over 2 dozen cars in my life so far, and this little Subie just knocks my socks off every day!
I have a 2019 Crosstrek, lifted 2 inches with 15 inch wheels and Falkin AT Wildpeak tires. Manual transmission, It's amazing with 33mpg on hiway. I do wish it had adaptive cruise control.
My 2019 crosstrek with Readylift 2 inch lift, off road Falkin Wildpeak ATs on 15 inch wheels would easily crawl up this course because I have the rare and elusive Manual Transmission.
Getting up "The Ladder" section alone is respectable and commendable. All things considered (AWD, CVT) the Crosstrek Wilderness actually outperformed. It's punching way above its class. Very impressive. Gives me an idea what my new 2024 Crosstrek Wilderness is capable of.
i totally agree with you, the fact that it can do all the very difficult courses with a CVT is amazing, imagine what a manual or automatic gear will made if only they offered it.
Just purchased a used 2023 forester wilderness. Lots of research went into it, and this channel had lots of good information to assist me in the decision. Thank you!
12:56 That beeping is the collision warning system detecting an obstacle. It will cut power to "help" you not hit the obstacle, sometimes it even cuts power when it's not giving an audible or visual warning. You need to turn off the collision mitigation when you are having trouble off-road. I wish we could see what it would do without the collision mitigation holding it back. The Crosstrek Wilderness is a little mountain goat. I'm glad to hear you've still got your 2021 Crosstrek. I'm enjoying my 2021 Crosstrek Limited. Keep up the great videos!
My 2018 Crosstrek Premium has always gotten me to end of the trail; to the amazement of many people in way more expensive and tricked out rigs. 225/70R16 Geolanders on Motegi 339's, Asfir skid plates (3), .5 inch Rallitek rear overload springs, and lots of lights help. It is also very easy to spot in a parking lot.
Gonna miss the Crosstek Wilderness! Thanks Subaru for working with Ryan & Driving Sports TV to make this happen. PLEASE keep up the great relationship between you two and continue to give Ryan more long term test vechiles.
Awesome vehicle! Had a few friend change from their leased Toyota rav and Honda pilot to outback’s and a crosstrek. They love them so much better. I can see why
I owned a 2016 was a beast, but lacked any tech had the older CVT etc but still a wonderful safe vehicle, had a 2020 Forester for 5 years and just traded for an Ascent Touring. We test drove a Crosstrek wilderness for fun but it’s too small for a large family but maaaaan!!!! That thing is a total blast so fun to drive so funky it’s awesome!!
@@prettysheddylove it! Rides perfect, handles great and very very usable space. Fuel economy is 18-20 in town and 20-24 highway in Arizona (keep in mind it’s the middle of the summer so that is the worst mpg I should ever see)
After watching all the videos you made on this Subaru, I've been trying to convince my wife that we should get one. Very capable little vehicle. Impressive
Thanks for all your work Ryan! Really appreciate how engaged you are with your viewers and questions/comments! Was rooting for the Crosstrek here on its final run
Anything is capable when you cheat the test and swap out the OEM tires for much better ones. I could put Wildpeak AT4Ws on a Kia Sportage and get the same results. That's not the point of these reviews, it's to review the car how it comes off the assembly line. No other car in Ryan's history has he allowed the OEM to tire swap to cheat his tests.
@@TexasStormChaser"I could put Wildpeak AT4Ws on a Kia Sportage and get the same results" ROFLMAO. It would have hung itself up any number of times early on in and it's AWD system would have choked at 1/4 the ascension distance the Crosstrek made it up. I tell you though, I really appreciate the laugh, it sure put a nice period to my otherwise crappy day. 😅
@@knightryder3757 Subaru has the same identical AWD system as Hyundai, Honda, Kia, Nissan, BMW, etc. Most of those other brands have moved on from CVT's and into 8-10 speed autos which is vastly superior. Ignorance is bliss. You're soaking up the Subaru deceptive marketing exactly as they planned. It ain't any different bud. No low range. No locking differentials. Open differential. They are all two wheel drive not AWD. All 4 wheels are not powered. Pick two. One front, one rear. One left or one right. That's your choice. You don't get them all. Literally every AWD car works exactly the same.
Should have aired down. And turned off pre collision detection like you've done before. I pulled the front and rear swaybars off my Crosstrek Wilderness. Substantial more rubber to the ground before lifting wheels.
I watched you reviews of the Crosstrek Wilderness before purchasing my own. You have taken it through terrain and places above and beyond my off road explorations , but it's nice to see what it's possible to do in my fun little car.
We have watched your entire series about this long-term crosstrek wilderness. We are torn between the obw with 90 more hp vrs the ctw smaller size for tighter trails. Either way they both seem to be very capable. We love your hands on reviews Ryan.
I've spent a lot of time researching and I have a feeling the crosstrek was limited in this video by its power not off-road capabilities. I bet the OBW could have done at least that first hill that stumped the trek
I had a 21 crosstrek sport and bought a 2023 outback. I miss the crosstrek tbh. It felt like a little dune buggy. Great on gas as well. I was averaging 33mpg compared to 26.7 on the outback.
I have a 21 base and its proven to be exactly the car I needed. I got snowed in at hotel with about 34 inches of snow and it didn't flinch. The plow didn't snow about half of it from the main drive and nothing else. I jumped in my car and lasted out of there to the mountain no problem. Then I found out the mountain was closed...
The Forester and the Outback would have struggled with that course just because of their longer wheelbase alone. The Crosstrek Wilderness did pretty dang well for what it was truly designed for. Just the stuff you have done with these cars on your courses, tells me I'd be perfectly fine in a Subaru Forester Wilderness, even if I wanted to go camping, I've taken my 2WD Ranger up to where I go camping several times without issues, so a Subaru would make that a breeze. I don't do much offroad stuff, so the Subaru would be fine for my needs....unless the snow gets too deep LOL.
As an owner of a '22 OBW, I feel there is an issue with this Crosstrek not able to send power to the rear wheels. Each time the car struggle, you could see the rear wheels not spinning. I don't that issue with the Outback Wilderness when in Xmode-2 and flooring it: all 4 wheels will spin.
@@Traumatree I think that is why Subaru OBW can climb a hill that is 40% I think most of this has to do with the gearing and the turbo. The only fault of the Crosstrek is the lack of power. Now if only Subaru would drop the 2.4 Turbo into that little Crosstreck it would be a Monster. Of course Subaru will never do that, and that is a shame!
@@AmirSharon No it's not it is even worse than the Crosstrek as the Crosstrek lighter and could not make it up a hill at 26% THE Outback Wilderness can climb a grade that is 40% Keep telling yourself what you wish facts are facts. They made the OBW the most capable out of the 3 of them. I really think both the Forester and the Crosstrek need more power. If they get more power than I will agree with you, but as it's stands they are underpowered especially on the steeper stuff.
@@johnkkkj the Forester and crosstrak has the TR 580 cvt trasmission better then the OBW ,you can watch Sarah tunes on the the same climb OBW failed where Forester and Crossterk passed on the same climb. the Turbo isnt importing in this kind of climb track the transmission is more importing. in general all Subaru's does not have law transfer on the transmisdion so the differenses is minor between them.
I'm impressed it didn't over heat the CVT, Great job Subaru. Now it's time to take a Bronco Sport Badlands up the new courses and see what it can do, though you may want to wait for the 2025 refresh.
Thank you for touching on whether or not the larger tires rub at all. I have 35"x11.5''s on my stock 2024 Gladiator, and, sure, there is no rubbing while on the street, but once you get the front suspension fully articulated, there is some very slight rubbing while at full tilt and turn. Next time, check for rubbing while at full articulation and full turn.
When you're doing those real trails out there that are narrow with sharp angles, be glad you have a Crosstrek or Forester Wilderness that that is more nimble and capable of fitting through.
Own a ‘22 Forester Wilderness that sees trails not infrequently. On a particularly steep hill (at least 22 degrees) with x-mode in snow/dirt, I got stuck about halfway. With x-mode turned off and a reasonable amount of acceleration, it made it up. No sweat. Couldn’t help but feel I could have gone up either climb in this video. These things are immensely more capable than what can be seen from behind a screen. Nice try nonetheless🙌
We bought a 2019 Crosstrek Limited on the basis of the reviews you’ve done on the Crosstrek, and I only stumbled across the channel by accident. We’re now looking at getting an Outback Wilderness next year.
debating on getting this or the outback wilderness. This car fits my lifestyle more, but I love the way the outback looks and has more of a sense of safety.
Ryan gave up before the Crosstrek did 😂 very cool. Im trying to convince the Mrs to get a wilderness so that i dont always have to take my truck everywhere off pavement.
I love seeing the crosstreck wilderness put to the limit, knowing I'll never even try that terrain. Gives me full confidence my subie will get me anywhere I really need to get as long as the path was graded at one time or another.
Hey Ryan, awesome video! After running both the falken at trails and the at4w I am curious which one would be better for snow and winter driving? It seemed like there were no downsides to the at4w compared to the at trails in terms of noise, mpg, handling, plus they look awesome! Just wondering how you think they would do in the snow compared to the at trails which for me have been great in the winter.
I Believe the reason it was cutting power on the anaconda is because it was detecting an obstacle ahead (My OBW does the same) try killing Eyesight next time and that may help with momentum runs :)
Both my OBW 22' and 24" cut power if the eyesight front collision detection is not turned off. Turn it off and you'll see a marked improvement when in difficult off-road situations ("for a Subaru"). On hard trails, it is essential to disable eyesight.
Splendid video, this vehicle is definitely not for 26+ steep climbs with loose stones and dirt, BUT it goes so well for 99% roads we normally drive. Great vehicle, great video, thanks.
A more rear bias AWD will help with extremely steep uphill trails, as there is not sufficient weigh on the front axel where the power is never cut, but the rear can do only 50% max torque. Crosstrek is a front bias 60-40 or 50-50 torque split. Very capable as is the CVT has not overheated like many other competitors
What were your tire pressures at on this test? they looked above 30 psi. That kind of loose terrain really demands a softer tire with less pressure. Obviously not too low because no beadlocks on stock wheels, but that car should be capable of most of that course with proper throttle control and tires at the correct pressures for the terrain. approach and breakover will be its limiting factors. I have a Goodyear winter tire on my 16 crosstrek with no x mode and 20 psi in all 4 tires gets me around off road quite well. Id be interested to see these tests done again comparing the difference between overinflated and properly aired down tires.
Try Subaru Outback Wilderness, Crosstrek has small wheel base for this hill this is why i believe it count make it up all the way unlike long wheel base taco
Curious to know if my Forester can take it 🤔 I have a dual range, 22:1 ratio and a front LSD and rear Torq locker. I'll be in Washington in a few days if it's available to test 😁
I live here in Washington near you. I'd be curious to see how my 23 Bronco sport Badlands would fair. I lifted it with the HRG 1.5 lift and put a larger Wildpeak AT3 tires on it. If you'd like to put it through your test track reach out and I'll bring it out to you.
It was a valiant effort! I'm impressed with what it was able to do, after all the Tacoma barely made it up that first hill. Even with the good tires, they're still relatively small and offer little flotation, so super soft stuff like that will always be more difficult for it.
I think it would be responsible if you would monitor transmission temps with a scangauge. That was some rough driving, and anything beyond 240F will start permanently damaging the rubber seals or any type of transmission. We've found that the transmission overheating light doesn't pop up until 270F on the TR580 variant of CVT, which is well passed the damage threshold. One thing that really hurts an AWD is that there's no rotational lock to the front and rear, so there's a lack of balanced grip on the loose stuff. People will modify their Subarus with coil over systems, delete their sway bars front to rear (for more clearance and articulation), mount even larger tires and higher clearance bumpers to more safely use momentum.
Yes, I'm sure you know much more than the engineers that designed this transmission on its safety and longevity limits... Have you broken down Subies CVT and tested all the seals for thousands of mileage at different temp levels? I bet you Subaru did.
I was looking through the digital gauges on my 22FW the other day and thought it was annoying Subaru doesn't have a CVT temp gauge or rear diff temp gauge. That would be really helpful in these situations.
@@ForestGallipoi Lol. Subaru designed/opted for this transmission with only fuel economy in mind, not durability. They know 95% of their customers will never take it offroad so they don't care
@@ForestGallipoi LOL, you don’t know more than Subaru engineers or even the average Joe 😂. It’s COMMON KNOWLEDGE that at 240F varnish forms and rubber seals harden. That’s not good for a transmission. CVT failures are well documented, you don’t need a degree in thermal physics, just common sense.
@@ForestGallipoi but to answer your question. Engineers from all car manufacturers have tested those rubber seals. Yes… they are rubber seals. They’re not going to magically handle higher temperatures because they’re put in a Subaru. What Subaru had to do instead is upgrade the cooling in their wilderness models.
I bought my Forester Wilderness because of this channel. I always like to say Subarus can probably do 90% of what other 4x4s can do, with the exception of steep grades and rock climbing.
I really like your channel and reviews! You always go out of your way to show people what these cars can do and this video is no exception! I really appreciate that! I would love to see if a two door Jeep Wrangler JL sport can do this. I don't think people know how capable they actually are even stock tires. I only see reviews of the rubicon model trying harder trails.
I’ve really enjoyed this series, and it inspired me to get my own Crosstrek Wilderness which I love. Also, it’s a lifted wagon, not a crossover, because I don’t like crossovers 😂
great episode. thankes. Why didnt you clinb with deep mud and snow ? mud and snow with shifting brake power from side to other side will not work in lose climb. i recomand to install Torq locker to this kind of trailes it will climb them like a Rangerover.
On one hand, I should be a RUclips expert because I’ve consumed at least seven hours of RUclips a day since 2019 but on the other hand, I only watch videos and learn and I don’t know how this site works and I just discovered there’s a system where you say thanks and I can pay people. I literally did not know that existed Until seven minutes ago and you are the first person after hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of hours of watching RUclips you are the very first person I have ever given a thanks to 10 bucks. I mean 10 bucks is not a lot of money but it’s potentially the best 10 bucks I’ll ever spend who knows what’s gonna happen next.
C'mon! C'mon! We all know that Ryan wants his testers to succeed. Some do and some don't. He does, however, take each vehicle to its limit. Failure is not an option... but it does happen. The take-away... this is a great vehicle and it would check ALL my wants. You?
Thank you for this great video once again. I think it's an absolutely fantastic vehicle in its capabilities. Nothing it could do in the stock setup attempting to fight against gravity on loose ground. This is probably when you would pull out your recovery boards or air-down your tires in a real-life situation, but that was not the intent of the video.
@@TexasStormChaser True, understood it's the Wilderness model. But without much traction on any of its tires, the X-mode feature could not be engaged properly unless there was some user intervention to enable said traction.
@@TexasStormChaser Actually wasn't too interested on it competing against any other vehicle. At that price point, it's a very capable machine. I do own a 2019 model year.
@@piyushan_abeynayake what? No. A 2024 XV Wilderness with options is right around 40k. 40k for an “off road” CUV with 170hp engine, no 8-10 speed auto just a weak CVT, no low range or lockers is insane. It’s a 25k car at best. At the 40k range just go buy a Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk. 270hp. 9 speed auto. Low range. Locking diff.
Yeah the course was a bit more difficult than the crosstrek could handle unfortunately. Looks very loose and dusty. I really thought it would be able to handle it. But it still handled it nicely and without overheating! Still a really great video. Love seeing the limits of the vehicles.
Here in Denver Colorado we have between 4-10 inches of snow and my son loves his 2019 Crosstrek. I've owned 3 Subaru a Outback and Legacy and my Forrester. All are fantastic but I'm waiting for the new Brat truck.
I am absolutely enthralled and what I’m watching and I’m still interrupting myself to tell you that I have yet to see the Crosstrek accomplish anything in your video and I never been in one myself, but I’m almost certainly going to make an entire channel and Website dedicated to my 2025 Crosstrek and how I plan to make money by renting it and only driving it three days a week myself And I feel like I want to partner with you and I’m only five minutes into your video like I literally want to go into business with you. I just thought of this as I was getting this message. I may be a little stoned right now, but I just came to the bank. I just opened up a money market account. I’m earning 5% interest and something tells me we can do a lot better than that my friend, I did not know you 27 minutes ago, but I like your personality. I don’t know what state you live in. We may never hang out, but I look forward to talking to you on the phone soon.
Would have been really cool if it made it, but totally understandable that it didn't. Those more challenging courses are really meant for the top tier off road vehicles that have locking diffs, 2 speed transfer cases (for optimal low gearing to help with climbs) and even more ground clearance. That said, for a regular (inexpensive) crossover, this thing would walk all of its competitors. Pretty much everything else would have overheated and left you stuck until it cooled down and the Wilderness Subarus will still get you further than pretty much everything but the most extreme alternatives. I would be curious if those tires would fit on our Forester Wilderness. It will be a few years until we need to replace the tires, but I do like those Falkens. I assume they should fit the same way they fit on the Crosstrek Wilderness.
I'm certain that the 1981 Subaru GL wagon with selectable 4WD and low range that I used to have, would have crawled up all of those hills with no problems. It couldn't be left in 4WD on dry pavement as the tires would bind and of course it was a tractor compared to any modern Subaru, but it sure was capable. If you can find a nice one, or a Brat, I'd highly recommend it for bombing around off road.
This is true. I have the same car as the video and forgot to turn the systems off once and it got me stuck because I went into a deep ditch and it detected a collision and shut off all my power, so I couldn't power through the mud section as planned.
![Tee Grizzley - Robbery 8 [Official Video]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/34_vkNV6wrU/mqdefault.jpg)
LOVE my ‘22 Crosstrek! I agree with Ryan. It is by far, IMO the best all around vehicle you can buy for the money. Plenty zippy around town, great mileage, comfortable on the highway for long trips and plenty capable for trail and off-road use. Not huge cargo capacity but plenty for camping gear etc, for my use case anyway. And the comfort is amazing. I have a terribly bad back and neck from heavy labor for most of my adult life and this is the only car I’ve ever owned that I can road trip and not be sore on the other end of the trip. I’ve had several Subies over the years but this is by far my favorite. Thanks to Ryan and his reviews of it for talking me into buying this little beast. Lol.
Nice work Ryan! Your work makes so much easier on consumers to choose vehicles we are after..... cheers
for $40K (or ~$37K in 2022) you can get 4Runner SR5 which is one notch higher than Crosstrek :)
@@ololosha9733 so for 40K you get a stripped down SR5 model 2wd 4Runner. Add the 4WD powertrain, you jump up to 43,975 immediately. That’s without adding ANY options. So not even close. If you spec out a 4Runner with options close to what the CTW offers you’re looking at close to 50k.
Till it starts leaking oil and the CVT goes out, both of them statistically will happen.
My 22 Crosstrek sport. Same as above. Great car
My 2010 Forester has 204,000 miles and is still running like a champ!!!
rebuilding the engine in my 2009. what a fantastic car its been with, although 350,000km and a rod bearing failure has taken its toll....
@@danielbuysen2488 hell yeah!! Still worth rebuilding though. These are one of the toughest cars I believe you can get. Simple to work on as well.
Just getting it broken in with that mileage 🏆🏆🏆
151k on my 2014 and still runs like new.
damn
Субару достойно проявил себя .Всегда с удовольствием смотрю этот канал ,👍 !!!
I love our new Crosstrek Wilderness. We could not afford a 70k money pit Jeep Rubicon so we got this. VERY happy! Fun car! Thank you for these tests! Crazy how much it can do!
Plus it's really really good on fuel. We average 7.8l/100km on the highway and less than 9 in the city
You made a good choice I have a 2023 subaru crosstrek and love it it's not a power house but it does ok
I just got one a couple weeks ago. Nice rig!
Tbf, my 2012 Outback has been a money pit
@@louisvilaros9066 I also have a 23 trek and you can definitely still have some fun with it even with the lack of power.
Every time I get in my Wilderness, it reminds me how much I like it. I've never had that experience with a car before. It's fun to drive, too.
Same here. Got mine 2 months ago. Just yesterday I was driving it and it dawned on me "I've never had a car I like this much".
Try to imagine what it it’s like to drive a 1980s Toyota…even better!
Got my Wilderness 3 months ago, and it feels like more car than what it is. Its road presence is very tame and responsive, it doesn’t feel like an off roader. I love every time I get behind the wheel, it’s the most fun car I’ve ever owned. And I’ve owned over 2 dozen cars in my life so far, and this little Subie just knocks my socks off every day!
I have a 2019 Crosstrek, lifted 2 inches with 15 inch wheels and Falkin AT Wildpeak tires. Manual transmission, It's amazing with 33mpg on hiway. I do wish it had adaptive cruise control.
My 2019 crosstrek with Readylift 2 inch lift, off road Falkin Wildpeak ATs on 15 inch wheels would easily crawl up this course because I have the rare and elusive Manual Transmission.
Getting up "The Ladder" section alone is respectable and commendable. All things considered (AWD, CVT) the Crosstrek Wilderness actually outperformed. It's punching way above its class. Very impressive. Gives me an idea what my new 2024 Crosstrek Wilderness is capable of.
i totally agree with you, the fact that it can do all the very difficult courses with a CVT is amazing, imagine what a manual or automatic gear will made if only they offered it.
Just purchased a used 2023 forester wilderness. Lots of research went into it, and this channel had lots of good information to assist me in the decision. Thank you!
12:56 That beeping is the collision warning system detecting an obstacle. It will cut power to "help" you not hit the obstacle, sometimes it even cuts power when it's not giving an audible or visual warning. You need to turn off the collision mitigation when you are having trouble off-road. I wish we could see what it would do without the collision mitigation holding it back. The Crosstrek Wilderness is a little mountain goat.
I'm glad to hear you've still got your 2021 Crosstrek. I'm enjoying my 2021 Crosstrek Limited. Keep up the great videos!
Driving Sports TV since 2006. 17 years on RUclips and getting better every day. Love this channel.
I'm with you...
You gave it every chance, I really respect that. You make the best videos! Im loving those Crosstreks.
My 2018 Crosstrek Premium has always gotten me to end of the trail; to the amazement of many people in way more expensive and tricked out rigs. 225/70R16 Geolanders on Motegi 339's, Asfir skid plates (3), .5 inch Rallitek rear overload springs, and lots of lights help. It is also very easy to spot in a parking lot.
I get 30 and 31 mph on my 24 wilderness sixth SUBARU and really love this one
Wow. 31 mph. That’s almost faster than the Model T
@@MistrBiggles
U had to edit your comment 😂
Gonna miss the Crosstek Wilderness! Thanks Subaru for working with Ryan & Driving Sports TV to make this happen. PLEASE keep up the great relationship between you two and continue to give Ryan more long term test vechiles.
You beat the snot out of that vehicle and no overheating WOW, if that was a 24 Taco it would have broke !!!!
But it wouldn’t break my 23 Tacoma TRD
That was a one off issue
@@thomas735no it wasn’t. Look it up
@@lawdog516 i agree. Toyota is having one heck of a midlife crisis at the moment. And I was a former mega fanboy.
Quite literally his last video was a 24 taco on the same track and it did just fine.
love my crosstrek wilderness
I just bought one 6 days ago! I love it too!👍
I love my 2024 Crosstrek Wilderness! It's so fun to drive!! Just got it April 22!!
I've been loving my Crosstrek Wilderness since I got it last October. Have been thoroughly enjoying all of your videos on this awesome vehicle!!!!
I'ts good to see that Subaru makes a vehicle that doesn't overheat the transmission easily.
❤❤my 2024 crosstrek wilderness, All I can say is wow! Exceeded all expectations.
that's exactly how i feel
2018 crosstrek 190k miles and still kicking ass!
Awesome vehicle! Had a few friend change from their leased Toyota rav and Honda pilot to outback’s and a crosstrek. They love them so much better. I can see why
Love your reviews, so in depth, precise, honest and informative. 👌
Your videos convinced me to buy my first Subaru, and I've enjoyed it very much so far! Thank you for your fantastic reviews!
Tires are everything! I just bought my Crosstrek Wilderness. I’ll be taking the Yokohama tires off and putting Toyo A/Ts on.
Go straight for 235 65 r17. No rubbing.
I went with Nitto Nomads on my FW and I’m super happy with them in case you are cross shopping
@@tristancefail those are nice and light. How is the road noise?
@@TheOGMattBurns there’s a little bit but it’s not bad at all!
Your videos are some of the best out there … your series on this crosstrek wilderness has been amazing !
I owned a 2016 was a beast, but lacked any tech had the older CVT etc but still a wonderful safe vehicle, had a 2020 Forester for 5 years and just traded for an Ascent Touring. We test drove a Crosstrek wilderness for fun but it’s too small for a large family but maaaaan!!!! That thing is a total blast so fun to drive so funky it’s awesome!!
How are you liking the Ascent and what fuel economy are you getting? That's what I am very concerned about before we purchase one.
@@prettysheddylove it! Rides perfect, handles great and very very usable space. Fuel economy is 18-20 in town and 20-24 highway in Arizona (keep in mind it’s the middle of the summer so that is the worst mpg I should ever see)
After watching all the videos you made on this Subaru, I've been trying to convince my wife that we should get one. Very capable little vehicle. Impressive
Very very fun cars. 33 mpg with the 2.5 I strongly suggest the 2.5
Thanks for all your work Ryan! Really appreciate how engaged you are with your viewers and questions/comments! Was rooting for the Crosstrek here on its final run
Incredibly capable, probably the most capable in its class 🎉
Anything is capable when you cheat the test and swap out the OEM tires for much better ones. I could put Wildpeak AT4Ws on a Kia Sportage and get the same results. That's not the point of these reviews, it's to review the car how it comes off the assembly line. No other car in Ryan's history has he allowed the OEM to tire swap to cheat his tests.
@@TexasStormChaser"I could put Wildpeak AT4Ws on a Kia Sportage and get the same results"
ROFLMAO. It would have hung itself up any number of times early on in and it's AWD system would have choked at 1/4 the ascension distance the Crosstrek made it up. I tell you though, I really appreciate the laugh, it sure put a nice period to my otherwise crappy day. 😅
@@knightryder3757 Subaru has the same identical AWD system as Hyundai, Honda, Kia, Nissan, BMW, etc. Most of those other brands have moved on from CVT's and into 8-10 speed autos which is vastly superior. Ignorance is bliss. You're soaking up the Subaru deceptive marketing exactly as they planned. It ain't any different bud. No low range. No locking differentials. Open differential. They are all two wheel drive not AWD. All 4 wheels are not powered. Pick two. One front, one rear. One left or one right. That's your choice. You don't get them all. Literally every AWD car works exactly the same.
😅😅😅
@@TexasStormChaser "Literally every AWD car works exactly the same."
Yes, I can agree with you, ignorance is bliss. 🤣
Should have aired down. And turned off pre collision detection like you've done before. I pulled the front and rear swaybars off my Crosstrek Wilderness. Substantial more rubber to the ground before lifting wheels.
This breaks my heart but respect for trying so hard to make it work, maybe Xmode 3 will get it done, one can dream
Little beast. Always admired Subaru’s. Thanks for sharing the year long experience and adventure.
I watched you reviews of the Crosstrek Wilderness before purchasing my own. You have taken it through terrain and places above and beyond my off road explorations , but it's nice to see what it's possible to do in my fun little car.
We have watched your entire series about this long-term crosstrek wilderness. We are torn between the obw with 90 more hp vrs the ctw smaller size for tighter trails. Either way they both seem to be very capable. We love your hands on reviews Ryan.
I've spent a lot of time researching and I have a feeling the crosstrek was limited in this video by its power not off-road capabilities. I bet the OBW could have done at least that first hill that stumped the trek
What is the obw?
@@slo4295 Outback wilderness I should have left the b out
Just picked up this exact car yesterday after a 2 month wait from the factory.
I love this thing..
I had a 21 crosstrek sport and bought a 2023 outback. I miss the crosstrek tbh. It felt like a little dune buggy. Great on gas as well. I was averaging 33mpg compared to 26.7 on the outback.
Really impressed by this little thing!
Now get the Frontier Pro 4X out here so we can see how it compares to the Tacoma!
I've mentioned it before, but thanks to you I got myself a Crosstrek Wilderness, 2 months ago. Best car I've had hands down.
I'll be picking up one as my very first new vehicle, super excited.
I have a 21 base and its proven to be exactly the car I needed. I got snowed in at hotel with about 34 inches of snow and it didn't flinch. The plow didn't snow about half of it from the main drive and nothing else. I jumped in my car and lasted out of there to the mountain no problem. Then I found out the mountain was closed...
I bet that Subie is a hoot. Impressive off-road capability. Very nice and fuel efficient to boot.
I was impressed with the little Subaru in a little better than I thought it would
The Forester and the Outback would have struggled with that course just because of their longer wheelbase alone. The Crosstrek Wilderness did pretty dang well for what it was truly designed for. Just the stuff you have done with these cars on your courses, tells me I'd be perfectly fine in a Subaru Forester Wilderness, even if I wanted to go camping, I've taken my 2WD Ranger up to where I go camping several times without issues, so a Subaru would make that a breeze. I don't do much offroad stuff, so the Subaru would be fine for my needs....unless the snow gets too deep LOL.
As an owner of a '22 OBW, I feel there is an issue with this Crosstrek not able to send power to the rear wheels. Each time the car struggle, you could see the rear wheels not spinning. I don't that issue with the Outback Wilderness when in Xmode-2 and flooring it: all 4 wheels will spin.
@@Traumatree I think that is why Subaru OBW can climb a hill that is 40% I think most of this has to do with the gearing and the turbo. The only fault of the Crosstrek is the lack of power. Now if only Subaru would drop the 2.4 Turbo into that little Crosstreck it would be a Monster. Of course Subaru will never do that, and that is a shame!
@@johnkkkj
Forestrr wilderness better then obw
@@AmirSharon No it's not it is even worse than the Crosstrek as the Crosstrek lighter and could not make it up a hill at 26% THE Outback Wilderness can climb a grade that is 40%
Keep telling yourself what you wish facts are facts. They made the OBW the most capable out of the 3 of them. I really think both the Forester and the Crosstrek need more power. If they get more power than I will agree with you, but as it's stands they are underpowered especially on the steeper stuff.
@@johnkkkj
the Forester and crosstrak has the TR 580 cvt trasmission better then the OBW ,you can watch Sarah tunes on the the same climb OBW failed where Forester and Crossterk passed on the same climb.
the Turbo isnt importing in this kind of climb track the transmission is more importing.
in general all Subaru's does not have law transfer on the transmisdion so the differenses is minor between them.
Very impressive considering it's price. Ryan, have you managed to work your magic on Mercedes-Benz?
I'm impressed it didn't over heat the CVT, Great job Subaru. Now it's time to take a Bronco Sport Badlands up the new courses and see what it can do, though you may want to wait for the 2025 refresh.
They didn't add that CVT cooler for nothing haha.
Thank you for touching on whether or not the larger tires rub at all. I have 35"x11.5''s on my stock 2024 Gladiator, and, sure, there is no rubbing while on the street, but once you get the front suspension fully articulated, there is some very slight rubbing while at full tilt and turn. Next time, check for rubbing while at full articulation and full turn.
When you're doing those real trails out there that are narrow with sharp angles, be glad you have a Crosstrek or Forester Wilderness that that is more nimble and capable of fitting through.
Love the Crosstrek from day 1.
Own a ‘22 Forester Wilderness that sees trails not infrequently. On a particularly steep hill (at least 22 degrees) with x-mode in snow/dirt, I got stuck about halfway. With x-mode turned off and a reasonable amount of acceleration, it made it up. No sweat. Couldn’t help but feel I could have gone up either climb in this video. These things are immensely more capable than what can be seen from behind a screen. Nice try nonetheless🙌
We bought a 2019 Crosstrek Limited on the basis of the reviews you’ve done on the Crosstrek, and I only stumbled across the channel by accident. We’re now looking at getting an Outback Wilderness next year.
We’re taking the 4th section of the BDR from Cashmere to Lake Chelan today in my 23 TRD Off Road.
It’ll be a fun day
debating on getting this or the outback wilderness. This car fits my lifestyle more, but I love the way the outback looks and has more of a sense of safety.
Outback Wilderness also has a lot more power.
Got the 2024 sport over the wilderness. Love it!
Torq Locker! By far the best upgrade after a set of tyres
Ryan gave up before the Crosstrek did 😂 very cool.
Im trying to convince the Mrs to get a wilderness so that i dont always have to take my truck everywhere off pavement.
I love seeing the crosstreck wilderness put to the limit, knowing I'll never even try that terrain. Gives me full confidence my subie will get me anywhere I really need to get as long as the path was graded at one time or another.
the only person that actually tests vehicles to their limit
Unlike the roller boys of TFL. pathetic RUclips videos
Hey Ryan, awesome video! After running both the falken at trails and the at4w I am curious which one would be better for snow and winter driving? It seemed like there were no downsides to the at4w compared to the at trails in terms of noise, mpg, handling, plus they look awesome! Just wondering how you think they would do in the snow compared to the at trails which for me have been great in the winter.
I Believe the reason it was cutting power on the anaconda is because it was detecting an obstacle ahead (My OBW does the same) try killing Eyesight next time and that may help with momentum runs :)
+ manual mode 1st gear is „lower” than auto
Both my OBW 22' and 24" cut power if the eyesight front collision detection is not turned off. Turn it off and you'll see a marked improvement when in difficult off-road situations ("for a Subaru"). On hard trails, it is essential to disable eyesight.
Came here to say exactly this.
These are perfect for forest service roads and little bit more. Which is perfect for most people that “overland”.
Because you love these trail rides...we love them
Ryan, Many of us are waiting to see the upcoming Crosstrek hybrid.
Many of us waiting for 2.4 XT!😉
Splendid video, this vehicle is definitely not for 26+ steep climbs with loose stones and dirt, BUT it goes so well for 99% roads we normally drive. Great vehicle, great video, thanks.
I think it’s a great little crossover
A more rear bias AWD will help with extremely steep uphill trails, as there is not sufficient weigh on the front axel where the power is never cut, but the rear can do only 50% max torque. Crosstrek is a front bias 60-40 or 50-50 torque split. Very capable as is the CVT has not overheated like many other competitors
I put Falken Wildpeak AT4W 235s on my Outback Wilderness stock rims. Love the Falkens!
Scooby Doos are just amazing. I loved my Blob Eye WRX.. Would still have it but.. It saved my life when It was hit.
What were your tire pressures at on this test? they looked above 30 psi. That kind of loose terrain really demands a softer tire with less pressure. Obviously not too low because no beadlocks on stock wheels, but that car should be capable of most of that course with proper throttle control and tires at the correct pressures for the terrain. approach and breakover will be its limiting factors. I have a Goodyear winter tire on my 16 crosstrek with no x mode and 20 psi in all 4 tires gets me around off road quite well. Id be interested to see these tests done again comparing the difference between overinflated and properly aired down tires.
Was going to ask same thing, didn't notice him airing down
Try Subaru Outback Wilderness, Crosstrek has small wheel base for this hill this is why i believe it count make it up all the way unlike long wheel base taco
Curious to know if my Forester can take it 🤔 I have a dual range, 22:1 ratio and a front LSD and rear Torq locker. I'll be in Washington in a few days if it's available to test 😁
I live here in Washington near you. I'd be curious to see how my 23 Bronco sport Badlands would fair. I lifted it with the HRG 1.5 lift and put a larger Wildpeak AT3 tires on it. If you'd like to put it through your test track reach out and I'll bring it out to you.
It was a valiant effort! I'm impressed with what it was able to do, after all the Tacoma barely made it up that first hill. Even with the good tires, they're still relatively small and offer little flotation, so super soft stuff like that will always be more difficult for it.
I just traded my Frontier for a 16 Crosstrek and I'm extremely happy. Its good at almost everything.
I think it would be responsible if you would monitor transmission temps with a scangauge. That was some rough driving, and anything beyond 240F will start permanently damaging the rubber seals or any type of transmission. We've found that the transmission overheating light doesn't pop up until 270F on the TR580 variant of CVT, which is well passed the damage threshold.
One thing that really hurts an AWD is that there's no rotational lock to the front and rear, so there's a lack of balanced grip on the loose stuff. People will modify their Subarus with coil over systems, delete their sway bars front to rear (for more clearance and articulation), mount even larger tires and higher clearance bumpers to more safely use momentum.
Yes, I'm sure you know much more than the engineers that designed this transmission on its safety and longevity limits... Have you broken down Subies CVT and tested all the seals for thousands of mileage at different temp levels? I bet you Subaru did.
I was looking through the digital gauges on my 22FW the other day and thought it was annoying Subaru doesn't have a CVT temp gauge or rear diff temp gauge. That would be really helpful in these situations.
@@ForestGallipoi Lol. Subaru designed/opted for this transmission with only fuel economy in mind, not durability. They know 95% of their customers will never take it offroad so they don't care
@@ForestGallipoi LOL, you don’t know more than Subaru engineers or even the average Joe 😂. It’s COMMON KNOWLEDGE that at 240F varnish forms and rubber seals harden. That’s not good for a transmission. CVT failures are well documented, you don’t need a degree in thermal physics, just common sense.
@@ForestGallipoi but to answer your question. Engineers from all car manufacturers have tested those rubber seals. Yes… they are rubber seals. They’re not going to magically handle higher temperatures because they’re put in a Subaru. What Subaru had to do instead is upgrade the cooling in their wilderness models.
this channel has gone next level
Next level cheating with the tire swap.
Great video! I was hoping Subaru would let you get that car, since your video probably sold a lot of them. Including mine! (Same color too)
I also bought my CTW because of these videos. Subaru owes them big time.
Thankfully, the last two trails are not so often to encounter, even if you go offloading.
Great Video 😊
I bought my first Subaru this year, a 2024 Crosstrek Premium for $27,450.00. Really enjoying it. 😊
I bought my Forester Wilderness because of this channel. I always like to say Subarus can probably do 90% of what other 4x4s can do, with the exception of steep grades and rock climbing.
I really like your channel and reviews! You always go out of your way to show people what these cars can do and this video is no exception! I really appreciate that! I would love to see if a two door Jeep Wrangler JL sport can do this. I don't think people know how capable they actually are even stock tires. I only see reviews of the rubicon model trying harder trails.
I’ve really enjoyed this series, and it inspired me to get my own Crosstrek Wilderness which I love. Also, it’s a lifted wagon, not a crossover, because I don’t like crossovers 😂
Wouldn’t it be a lifted hatchback, since it’s the same as an Impreza hatch?
@@sensiblecougar2723 I’m good with that too 😂
It's funny when he says, This is Tough! He is not the one trying to climb, he just sitting there. lol
great episode. thankes.
Why didnt you clinb with deep mud and snow ?
mud and snow with shifting brake power from side to other side will not work in lose climb.
i recomand to install Torq locker to this kind of trailes it will climb them like a Rangerover.
On one hand, I should be a RUclips expert because I’ve consumed at least seven hours of RUclips a day since 2019 but on the other hand, I only watch videos and learn and I don’t know how this site works and I just discovered there’s a system where you say thanks and I can pay people. I literally did not know that existed Until seven minutes ago and you are the first person after hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of hours of watching RUclips you are the very first person I have ever given a thanks to 10 bucks. I mean 10 bucks is not a lot of money but it’s potentially the best 10 bucks I’ll ever spend who knows what’s gonna happen next.
Impressive, especially when you know that's a CVT.
C'mon! C'mon! We all know that Ryan wants his testers to succeed. Some do and some don't. He does, however, take each vehicle to its limit. Failure is not an option... but it does happen. The take-away... this is a great vehicle and it would check ALL my wants. You?
Thank you for this great video once again. I think it's an absolutely fantastic vehicle in its capabilities. Nothing it could do in the stock setup attempting to fight against gravity on loose ground. This is probably when you would pull out your recovery boards or air-down your tires in a real-life situation, but that was not the intent of the video.
This Crosstrek isn't stock.
@@TexasStormChaser True, understood it's the Wilderness model. But without much traction on any of its tires, the X-mode feature could not be engaged properly unless there was some user intervention to enable said traction.
@@piyushan_abeynayake Yeah but it’s a review of a stock vehicle. Now cheating to make it look better.
@@TexasStormChaser Actually wasn't too interested on it competing against any other vehicle. At that price point, it's a very capable machine. I do own a 2019 model year.
@@piyushan_abeynayake what? No. A 2024 XV Wilderness with options is right around 40k. 40k for an “off road” CUV with 170hp engine, no 8-10 speed auto just a weak CVT, no low range or lockers is insane. It’s a 25k car at best. At the 40k range just go buy a Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk. 270hp. 9 speed auto. Low range. Locking diff.
Come on Subaru give this Crosstrek a REAL transmission and this would be perfect SUV!!! I still love my Crosstrek Wilderness in white. 😎
Thanks for all the cool videos, Ryan!
Yeah the course was a bit more difficult than the crosstrek could handle unfortunately. Looks very loose and dusty. I really thought it would be able to handle it. But it still handled it nicely and without overheating! Still a really great video. Love seeing the limits of the vehicles.
Buying one for a chase car :) Great review Ryan...
Here in Denver Colorado we have between 4-10 inches of snow and my son loves his 2019 Crosstrek. I've owned 3 Subaru a Outback and Legacy and my Forrester. All are fantastic but I'm waiting for the new Brat truck.
We miss our Crosstrek! Great video
I am absolutely enthralled and what I’m watching and I’m still interrupting myself to tell you that I have yet to see the Crosstrek accomplish anything in your video and I never been in one myself, but I’m almost certainly going to make an entire channel and Website dedicated to my 2025 Crosstrek and how I plan to make money by renting it and only driving it three days a week myself And I feel like I want to partner with you and I’m only five minutes into your video like I literally want to go into business with you. I just thought of this as I was getting this message. I may be a little stoned right now, but I just came to the bank. I just opened up a money market account. I’m earning 5% interest and something tells me we can do a lot better than that my friend, I did not know you 27 minutes ago, but I like your personality. I don’t know what state you live in. We may never hang out, but I look forward to talking to you on the phone soon.
Love the fuel economy with those awesome tires. When my OEM’s wear out I am going AT4’s.
Would have been really cool if it made it, but totally understandable that it didn't. Those more challenging courses are really meant for the top tier off road vehicles that have locking diffs, 2 speed transfer cases (for optimal low gearing to help with climbs) and even more ground clearance. That said, for a regular (inexpensive) crossover, this thing would walk all of its competitors. Pretty much everything else would have overheated and left you stuck until it cooled down and the Wilderness Subarus will still get you further than pretty much everything but the most extreme alternatives. I would be curious if those tires would fit on our Forester Wilderness. It will be a few years until we need to replace the tires, but I do like those Falkens. I assume they should fit the same way they fit on the Crosstrek Wilderness.
Love how the subaru never goes into limp or overheat mode
So glad you did this. Great video.
I'm certain that the 1981 Subaru GL wagon with selectable 4WD and low range that I used to have, would have crawled up all of those hills with no problems. It couldn't be left in 4WD on dry pavement as the tires would bind and of course it was a tractor compared to any modern Subaru, but it sure was capable. If you can find a nice one, or a Brat, I'd highly recommend it for bombing around off road.
With those tires it's perfect for light off road in car from factory. Great review. Greetings
Turn eyesight offf it will cut power if it thinks it’s gonna hit something. I turn all my safety nannies off in my subie when I off road
Yeah we experienced that on the upper section. Cut it out of the video because I didn’t articulate what was happening very well.
@@drivingsports You can hear the eyesight cutting power.
This is true. I have the same car as the video and forgot to turn the systems off once and it got me stuck because I went into a deep ditch and it detected a collision and shut off all my power, so I couldn't power through the mud section as planned.
I know you've done a lot of videos with the Outback Wilderness already but I would to see it tested again with the added new sections of your course
We’ll probably get it again when refreshed for 2025.
@@drivingsports The cvt transmissions made subarus less capable guarantee you that.
@@billybobbob3003 have you actually watched any of the Outback Wilderness videos on this channel?