Flash Drive: 2024 Subaru Crosstrek Wilderness

Flash Drive: 2024 Subaru Crosstrek Wilderness

All-New Compact SUV Ready to Hit the Trails

The automotive media was invited to Zion National Park in Utah recently to test the all-new 2024 Subaru Crosstrek Wilderness, which Subaru calls its most rugged and trail-capable Crosstrek ever.

The Subaru Crosstrek has five trim levels—Base, Premium, Sport, Limited and Wilderness. All have all-wheel drive, a non-turbocharged 4-cylinder boxer (horizontally opposed pistons) gasoline engine and a continuously variable transmission (CVT) with an 8-speed manual shift mode and paddle shifters.

The Base and Premium are powered by a 2.0-liter that is EPA rated at 27 city/34 highway/29 combined, putting-out 152 horsepower (hp) and 145 pound-feet of torque (lb.-ft.)

The Sport, Limited and Wilderness (which we drove) have a 2.5-liter, good for 182 hp and 178 lb.-ft. of torque, and an EPA rating of 25 city/29 highway/27 combined.

With upgrades and improvements to the powertrain, structural rigidity, suspension, steering, braking, seats, interior sound deadening, infotainment system and driver safety assistance, Subaru says the 2024 Crosstrek is all-new.

On-Road Confidence

A full day on and off the road began by driving through the Zion, and then the surrounding mountains, which included Bureau of Land Management (BLM) open space. The in-park drive was on pavement where the scenery was spectacular and the reason Zion is so popular. After departing convenient shuttle buses, hikers lined the trailheads, ready to tackle the back country and canyons.

The Subaru Vehicle Dynamics Control technology is the key to the Crosstrek Wilderness’ handling and good ride. It has been engineered for smooth and quiet open highway driving, while remaining easy to maneuver and park in the city. Quiet on the highway was an achievement, considering the off-road-ready tires we were riding on. New for 2024 the dual-pinion electric power steering, first used on the sporty Subaru WRX, delivers a quicker response and a more natural feel of the road than previous models.

When the road became a series of moderate speed sweepers and tight corners, the suspension required very small steering wheel corrections to find and keep the apex, as the handling became more confident, utilizing the all-wheel, all-speed traction control and the brake-based active torque vectoring. This combination helped put needed power to the correct wheel, at the correct time, even on the fastest corners, with any noticeable body roll easily managed. There were no issue of not feeling planted; the 3,417-pound Crosstrek Wilderness never felt heavy or unbalanced.

The CVT has driver-selectable drive modes of Sport, Intelligent and Manual.

Performance wise, the Crosstrek Wilderness does 0-60 mph in about 7.9 seconds, which we found to be sufficient for highway merging. However, the CVT, which has no gears like a conventional automatic transmission, always tried get into the highest setting to maximize fuel economy. This meant, when pulling a grade at 50 mph, the engine became sluggish. Dropping it into Manual and blipping the left side paddle shifter took us to “4th gear” and we pulled the hill with ease. Many people don’t like a CVT, but I do and Subaru’s may be the best. It is smooth and quiet, and does perfectly what it was designed to do—maximizing fuel efficiency while also providing the necessary power and low-end torque when driving off-road.

The Crosstrek Wilderness has a 3,500-pound tow rating thanks to an added transmission cooler, so hauling a small camper to comfortably sleep four should be easy.

Subaru says for those wanting some off-road capability, but plan on driving their Crosstrek for commuting and in-town errands, mostly on paved roads, will opt for the Base model.

Off-Road Fun

The Subaru Crosstrek Wilderness isn’t designed or built for rock crawling, but is capable of handling some messy and tough situations. When on rutted or washboard gravel surfaces, the Crosstrek Wilderness was not bouncy, nor were we jarred mercilessly, easily handling loose rock and gravel. That type of driving capability is nice and reassuring, providing a sense of security and safety, but the Crosstrek Wilderness offers far more when it is time to get dirty.

When selecting the dual-function X-Mode setting, we had confidence on any surface we encountered, which for us included many miles on dirt, sandy and gravel roads. At one point at about 35 miles per hour, on a flat section of dirt road and opting for the Snow/Dirt mode, I came to an off-camber left hand corner with a small rise that caused the rear end to step-out. The X-Mode quickly corrected the slide and we were once again confidently headed in the right direction.

Where we had some real fun was on an off-road course that challenged with steep ascents and descents in loose sand. This allowed us to test the hill descent control, which safely took us down a hill without touching the brake or accelerator pedal. The 225/60 Yokohama Geolandar All-Terrain tires, mounted on 17-inch matte black alloy wheels, were up to the task for any surface we attacked. We’ve got video proof below.

Exterior

To clear nasty objects the Crosstrek Wilderness has 9.3-inches of ground clearance; a 20º approach angle, 21.1º breakover angle and 33º departure angle. Combine this with an aluminum skid plate, wide arches on the aluminum fenders that, along with the rockers, front and rear facia are trimmed in cladding for protection when going off-road, and you are ready to take on the great outdoors.

Toss in the roof rails, which are raised a bit higher than most others, and the Crosstrek Wilderness tells you immediately what is in store when owning one. Whether camping, kayaking, biking, skiing or just backroad adventuring, it is designed to get you there. The ladder-type roof rack is load-rated for 176 pounds when driving and 700 pounds when parked, which makes it versatile for loading cargo, but also a capable base for a tent.

Design features unique to the Wilderness are anodized cooper cladding and trim, and a S-U-B-A-R-U-embossed rear bumper.

If you like color options, the Crosstrek Wilderness it comes in nine choices: Alpine Green, Crystal Black Silica, Geyser Blue Pearl, Ice Silver Metallic, Lithium Red Pearl, Magnetite Gray Metallic, Sun Blaze Pearl, Sapphire Blue Pearl and Crystal White Pearl.

Interior

Thin A-pillars and tall windows provide excellent forward and side visibility. If the rear seat head rests folded, it would increase rearward visibility, but that isn’t a big deal as most people will drop the 60/40 second row seat to increase the cargo space to 54.7 cubic feet. The rear seating area is ample and comfortable for two adults on those long road trips. The rear doors almost open to a full 90º to accommodate access for child safety seats and loading dogs, which Crosstrek owners seem to love! The power moonroof was a welcome option as was the rubber, removable mat in the rear cargo area.

The Crosstrek Wilderness has StarTex water-repellent upholstery, a synthetic material made from recycled plastic water bottles. The front seats are heated, with the driver getting 10-way power adjustments and the passenger manual adjustments. The front cabin is comfortable and the gauges on the 4.2-inch driver information screen were positioned for easy viewing. A head-up display is not available.

The Crosstrek Wilderness comes with an 11.6-inch multimedia touchscreen for the Harmon Kardon 432-watt, 10-speaker system. The touchscreen houses the StarLink in-vehicle technology with voice-activated Tom Tom navigation, plus multimedia offerings of SiriusXM/AM/FM HD radio/CD, with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. USB A and C ports, front and rear, and a wireless phone charger complete the connectivity features.

Subaru makes it easy to personalize your Crosstrek Wilderness with a robust accessories catalog. You can add door edge guards, door scuff protectors, mud flaps, and an extensive selection of pet-friendly items to make their time inside more enjoyable.

Safety and Convenience

The 2024 Subaru Crosstrek comes with front, seat-mounted and full side pelvis/torso airbags, along with curtain airbags with a rollover sensor, and a driver-side knee airbag. The EyeSight system, consisting of dual cameras mounted behind the windshield and on both sides of the rearview mirror, is standard on all models. The cameras monitor forward-facing traffic conditions and help drivers see what they may miss. It would be nice if the front camera could be activated when driving off-road.

Either standard or available as a package on certain models, advanced driver assist systems (ADAS) include advanced adaptive cruise control with lane centering, automatic pre-collision braking and throttle management and lane departure prevention. Additional safety features include reverse automatic braking, blind spot detection, and rear cross traffic alert.

Additional safety and convenience features include automatic climate control, rear vision camera, push button start/stop, remote keyless entry, leather wrapped steering wheel with audio and Bluetooth control switches, exterior power mirrors, tire pressure monitoring system, compact spare, and 4-wheel disc anti-lock brakes.

Pricing

The 2024 Crosstrek comes in five trim levels, with these prices that include the $1,295 mandatory destination and delivery charge.

• Base            $26,290
• Premium      $27,440
• Sport           $29,055
• Limited        $32,190
• Wilderness   $33,290

Warranties

• Standard: Three years/36,000 miles
• Powertrain: Five years/60,000 miles 
• Wear: Three years/36,000 miles
• Roadside Assistance: Three years/36,000 miles
• Rust Perforation: Five years/Unlimited miles

Observations: 2024 Subaru Crosstrek Wilderness

Garrick Goh, manager of carline planning for Crosstrek, said Crosstrek owners are characterized as “youthful explorers” that enjoy “outdoor adventuring” and are “smart and educated.” After driving the 2024 Crosstrek Wilderness, it is easy to see why this group has taken to it so strongly. He went on to say: “With the car having been around for almost 12 years now, it has been one of the most successful cars we have ever had. It has been our quickest growing model to a million (cumulative) sales.”

The Crosstrek is also the best-seller in the compact SUV category, offering standard AWD, two gasoline engines and a reputation for safety. The Crosstrek has a loyal customer base that appears to see a Subaru in their future for a long, long time.

The Subaru Crosstrek Wilderness, built in Lafayette, Indiana, may be high on your shopping list if you are the adventurous type, are single or a married couple with no kids. The mud will barely have dried before you will be planning your next weekend trip.

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Story by John Faulkner. Photos by John Faulkner and Subaru.

Disclosure:

Clean Fleet Report is loaned free test vehicles from automakers to evaluate, typically for a week at a time. Our road tests are based on this one-week drive of a new vehicle. Because of this we don’t address issues such as long-term reliability or total cost of ownership. In addition, we are often invited to manufacturer events highlighting new vehicles or technology. As part of these events we may be offered free transportation, lodging or meals. We do our best to present our unvarnished evaluations of vehicles and news irrespective of these inducements.

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