Just a note on the wilderness as I’ve learned with mine. The transmission technically starts in the second “gear” ratio when in normal drive. If you kick over to manual mode the first “gear” is actually a lower ratio and provides better torque. Just thought I’d throw that out there for those of us taking it to the dirt.

Stoked to hear you're keeping it. I just got an Outback Wilderness myself and your videos have been extremely helpful for learning what the building process looks like, pros and cons and what not. As a new and first time Subaru owner your channel has been extremely valuable for someone in my position and I'm sure others feel the same.

I've driven my Wilderness less than half as many miles as you have. I'm also new to Subaru, and didn't know there was a strong brand loyalty out there. So far my experience with this Outback has been a pleasure. On the highway, the comfort level is light-years better than my Ford Mustangs. Off road, it's been up to the task on everything I've done so far. My off-road adventures will get more challenging as I check out Death Valley and Gold Butte. I'll keep watching your channel to see how your mods work for you.

I sold my 2010 Outback 3.6R recently, that car had LSD rear diff and smooth as butter V6 boxer engine with 350nm torque. I also had a 2 inch lift on it giving it a massive 270mm ground clearance. I often regretted selling it. The performance of the Subi on tarmac was unbeatable, strong and responsive, it was real sweet to drive. Off raod, at 9 tenths, the Subi could do everything that any IFS 4x4 wagon can do. I found the Subaru traction control will cut power in difficult off road situations like pushing against a rock, but when you switch off the traction control the power comes back on and you can often get through that obstacle. But ultimately the long nose, lack of front and rear diff lock, no winch, no rated recovery points stops you taking it to harder tracks with confidence. All these can be fixed by fitting a lift, aftermarket bull bar with winch mount, and diff locks front and back. To be fair, no one buys a 4x4 and take it on hard tracks straight out of the box, everyone has to make modifications, it's all part of the fun.

As a subie guy myself who takes his off road, you got a lot of good points. It's a great daily driver that has the ability to go off pavement, but it's definitely no jeep. But man... that fuel economy.. haha. In regards to the suspension, it's definitely made for comfort.. that's for sure, used to drive a '19 forester that I had lifted with a long travel suspension kit, and that made a world of a difference. Currently driving a forester wilderness and I'm just waiting till I can get another long travel kit for this one. Oh! Another thing in case you aren't doing so already, make sure you are monitoring the CVT temperatures. I know the wilderness trims come with an added transmission cooler, but it never hurts to keep an eye on things. Don't want to be running it hard, just to kill the transmission on the middle of a trail.

It's interesting seeing the comments in here and some of the people who looked at this vs a Jeep, Bronco, or 4Runner... and I think it's important to make the distinction that this thing isn't really out to compete with any of the trucks... and if you're considering one of those 3, you probably aren't the demographic for the Wilderness Subies. It's just supposed to be a capable soft-roader/overlander. It's not designed to be a rock crawler. It's for those of us who are looking for some trail capability without having to sacrifice gas economy and on-road comfort. I'm coming out of a 4th Gen 4Runner with a frame that sadly rotted out on me. My budget's a bit tight, and I'm taking a look at some lightly used Wilderness Outbacks and Foresters. The newer Broncos and 4Runners are just a bit too far out of my price range, and I know that I need a gas economic vehicle as a daily driver. So I would like a trail capable, roadtrip worthy vehicle, and then save up for a 3rd gen 4Runner as more of a technical crawler/off-roader. The Subie helps scratch the itch while I'm saving up for a more proper "toy". I think if you're purely looking for a true off-roader, you shouldn't even be looking at something that's not something like a truck/suv. I think this is more targeted at the demographic who want something with some of the capabilities of the off-roaders, but definitely spend more time on paved roads than trails.

Great overview. Basically all the same points I’ve experienced with my Forester. CVT is fine for daily commuting, but it’s what I’m always worried about when off-road. I also plan to do all the same mods you mentioned at the end. Still won’t make it a jeep, but maybe a bit more fun ha.

Thanks for this video. I've been on the fence on this vehicle because of the limitations I've heard from a lot of reviewers. Hearing from an owner that the limitations are real was what I was looking for. So my remaining list of vehicles are the Bronco Sport, the Bronco, and the 4Runner TRD. Thanks!

I am looking forward to the upgrades on the Outback! I have a 2019 outback premium (4cly no turbo, stock) and have been pulling a square drop camper with camp gear thoughtfully distributed with my family (wife, two kids and dog) without any major issue. Planning on getting a wilderness this year and swapping out rear suspension immediately for the same reasons you noted. We live in Illinois and keep our travels to mild gravel, Great Lakes area adventuring. Just discovered your channel and love the Jeep and Subaru stuff your family have done.

I bought my wife a 19 Outback to commute to work. We have to put it in X mode just to get up our private road and into our garage during the winter months. We Love our Outback and plan on buying me an Outback Wilderness next year.

*watches this sitting in my 2011 outback with 200,000+ miles on it still going strong, chanting* keep it.

Great video. Lot's of real world feedback and interesting points, and thanks for including Courtney. It's helpful to hear feedback from the primary driver. Thank you for all of the OBW content!

There is no comparison between a body on frame and a unibody. X mode works well allowing the computer to brake individual wheel spin, or to allow more wheel spin. We average 4-5 feet of snow every winter. We live on a private road in which we have to plow and maintain. Furthermore our road is 1/2 a mile from the end of a county road that is seldom plowed or is the last to be plowed. We have to engage X mode on our Outback just to get up our road and into our garage from the county road. We also have to engage our Rav and our pickup into 4WD to make it to our house. In first stage X mode in a Subaru will disengage at 25 mph, then reengage under 22 mph. A lot of our neighbors use to own Jeeps but have now gone to Subaru’s, as they are more reliable and more efficient than the jeeps

It is great to hear that you are getting a torq locker.... I'm really interested to see what kind of difference it makes.

Thank you for this video! I sold my Tacoma (and got ridiculous $ for it in this market) that I adored in Oct for the OBW. I do love and appreciate the OB, much better car for our dogs, however I miss "something" I had in the Tacoma. I was just shopping a Wrangler as I've had many prior to the Taco, but am hemming and hawing. I also want to totally LOVE the OB, and echo all your likes/dislikes (love the Subaru community but the warnings/beeping & shock travel issue drive me nuts) . I do think its capable enough for what my BF and I do - this video swayed me to ultimately keep the OBW, & perhaps start adding some mods. I look forward to your experiences, recommendations, upgrades and love your brutal candid honesty. Cheers, Susan :-)

Big Subaru outback fan, glad you’re keeping it. I drive mine every day and it’s so comfortable but of course I don’t do the extreme off-road you do but I think you will find it a good fit for the family.

Drove my 2024 OBW of the lot this weekend- my third Subaru- love it so far!

Glad you guys are keeping it. I am not selling my outback because of the long history of Subi's safety and reliability. I use to go off road and I had a 2013 lifted jeep wrangler just for that. Wishing you guys all the best in your future travels.

I’m not an off-road guys at all but I definitely like driving on maintained gravel roads and plan on getting one of these for overland camping. I am little bummed out that you still have to drop more cash on a vehicle that is already up there in price. My wife and I are obsessed with the wilderness and probably will pull the trigger sometime by the end of this year. I’m enjoying your videos and appreciate you documenting your journey!

I’m in the same boat. The beeping gets on my nerves but can turn it all off. Bought this car with plants to run it into the ground over 20 years (I got a lifetime powertrain warranty, and will get multiple free engines) My biggie is the low end toque. Now I have a fwd car so I’m used to full send into sketchy sections, but it’s not a rock crawler whatsoever.

One other reason to keep - safety. You have a little one and its far more like you will be hit by another vehicle then get stick on a rock! My experience - Subaru protects a family.

Hey! So I finally received my Wilderness & I have been doing some research on it throughout the time I have been waiting for it & also once I received it, I did my adjustments on the settings. You can adjust notifications volume & choose what you want to get notified to you like your emails, texts or just screen . Just thought I would let you know that it doesn't need to be so loud. Even text notifications can be eliminated or volume set low so its not blaring. Wishing You the best!

Owned a lifted and armored Jeep wrangler, have a Jeep cherokee trailhawk, currently trading that in for an outback wilderness. I know it won't be anywhere as capable as either when the going gets rough. It will be however much more comfortable on the road, it's much larger for the fam, and it'll be considerably more fun to drive on the road then the other two.

Lol you guys are great!! Love all the honesty from her and you trying to convince. 👍🏻👍🏻 great video. Cant wait to see the mods

i just got my 2023 OBW and start to watch all your content..

Subaru should just get rid of CVT, period and get a real transmission. And bring back a good V6!

Hi from Montreal Canada! I really appreciate your guys documenting all these videos, showing and explaining how what and where the wilderness can go/do. As for your suspsensio issue, may I suggest you look up ironman 4x4. I installed it on my 2021 crosstrek, and aside from the real 2" lift, it does ride stiffer, handles better, but most important for off-road, much longer downtravel and better flex. It really is a world of difference For your case, they even have the spec c coils for extra heavy loads Hope it helps

What color should I get ?

Glad to hear the Subaru community was a pro to the Outback! It seems you guys have a lot of knowledge off-roading and would love if you documented the changes you make. I think it'd be a great service to a lot of people who have Subarus or are getting the Wilderness variations. I feel like the community will start to get involved more in off-roading the release of these wilderness variations and would like to learn how to make them more capable. Thanks for going thru the process and helping the community out!

First modification to do!!!! Pinion gear transmisión. Jajaja This video just opened my eyes,... I was a tacoma driver. With 33 inches tires, I'm my research of a capable car , saw this outback but thanks for you guys. Opening my eyes. This car never will do same , as tacoma trd off road 2018. In the market are just 2 cars. Capables to do everything as jeep does. . Bronco. Is the one.

Good review. I'm thinking of the wilderness for faster off-road driving. Not rock crawling. I want to swap the suspension and rear diff, and add more armor plating underneath. Too bad Subaru didn't use the same turbo engine in the Forester. What you're talking about with the CVT could be helped with an upgraded rear diff too. Also, maybe by adding some strut braces, you could avoid flex and glass breaking?

Thought it was gone! The mods will definitely help, but as you know....it's not a Jeep. Still surprised a Jeep guy went Subie...that rarely happens. Usually the other way around. Either way, I'm a fan! Keep going 🤘🤘🤘

Great review! Two points: x-mode actually does make a pretty big difference when crossed up or lifting a wheel. Yes really only at low speeds but I'm definitely glad to have it when off-road. Secondly, the washer fluid washing is ridiculous but the trick is to go ahead and use up the rest of it - then it won't constantly warn you over and over.

Thanks for the awesome review. I’m actually considering this vehicle. I only need to get through sand and gravel that’s 3 - 6” deep

Our order wont get here until late April. Coming from a Civic hatchback i think our pros and cons may be opposite. Down the line we hope to get a jeep to play on the rocks but for now its just about getting to the places we want to go. We love watching your videos and can wait to see what you do to make the wilderness even more capable.

I was surprised by you not using X-Mode off road. When it is enabled it also is an electronic low range by approximately 20%. Subaru would never tell me what the actual 1st gear ratio was so it was easy to figure out. On a flat level surface put it in 1st gear and drive at a steady 10 mph and record the RPM’s. Now put it in X-Mode and repeat. At the same exact speed your RPM’s will be approximately 20% higher. See it does make a difference doesn’t it? By using X-Mode it will enable you to pull your trailer easier off road. Subaru says you can up a 40% grade with the Wilderness, I think it’s true when using X-Mode, probably not without. I’m on my 3rd Subaru with X-Mode and I am a believer. Your comments about the infotainment are spot on. Try and change the controls when it’s below zero, not happening. I’ve learned to park it for the night with everything adjusted for the morning. Makes it a little easier to live with. Would I sell it? Nah, it’s too good of a car.

Just picked up mine from having a Tacoma, didnt want to get rid of it long story. I love my outback thus far. There are torque converters aftermarket that can be installed to vastly improve low end torque. I knew about the windshield issues so I actually purchased a maintenance plan that covers that and other issues. Also because of what a mechanic did to my Tacoma. A little pricey but gives me peace of mind!

Very cool. Thanks for sharing! Definitely on my bucket list to do overlanding.

Thanks for taking the time to share the information.

Thanks for the review. I'd add a comment for X-Mode users if I could, however: it's not some game-changer for rock crawling. As you said, this car isn't a rock crawler. However, in a snowy environment up/down hills or corners? Amazing. I drive a M/T 2013 forester, and my fiancee's 2017 (cvt) with X-mode, side by side in the snow? It's no contest: X-mode and CVT for sure. It's more predictable and stable, thus safer. X mode does a great job mitigating brake pressure on the tires to keep the car going where it should. Drive in the snow (slow: not past 8 mph with old systems or 25 with new) with it and you'll feel it :)

My 22 Wilderness kept me from getting hurt in an accident a couple of weeks ago when someone turned left in front of me…car slammed on the breaks for me before I could & the airbags held me in my seat snugly. That’s a huge plus for me…planning on getting another one.

I think you are trying to compare this vehicle to a Jeep. I also have a Subaru Outback Wilderness and a Jeep JKU with a custom suspension including long-arms. I tow my Jeep to places I am using it's capability like when I took my family to Colorado. I tow it with my husband's F350 because the Jeep is not comfortable and too small on long roadtrips. We are a family of 4 with 2 dogs. My Subaru is very nice and holds us all comfortably with luggage rack. A much better daily driver that can handle some weekend fun or a cross country mostly road trip; just fine. Also, the vehicle is great during seriously adverse weather; my expertise is floods and thick mud. But, If your trip is for wheeling or moderate to hard trails...this is not the vehicle to take. Take the gladiator. I paddle board often; drive down sketchy dirt roads to get to the river, take the paddle board down easy and the Subaru gets seriously dirty on in the interior and wipes clean; no problem. I had a few problems with the infotainment, but only like 2 or 3; so y'all said "half the time" and I would suspect something is wrong with yours in particular. The windshield statement I totally agree. Get it together Subaru and those windshields! Oy. It sounds to me like y'all have a great setup with a Subaru and a Jeep! Spend the mod money on the Jeep. The Sube is fine mostly stock. One last thing, you can destroy your suspension in a Jeep when GOING TOO FAST over speed bumps. ok. Sorry this is so long. Thank you if you read this far down. :)

Torque locker, 2 inch lift and skid plates… game changer! Except for huge boulders.

This content has been really helpful. I currently have a Ford Maverick Tremor on order, but still no build date. Not sure if I will ever get it. The Outback Wilderness, which on paper won't be quite as capable as the Maverick, is one of my backup options. The other option I am looking at is getting a slightly used 4Runner for about the same price (right around ~$40k). I'm going back and forth on how much capability I'll be giving up with the Subaru vs the 4Runner.

Removing the sway bar will cause the drive axels to over extend and damage them.. Nice review..

Apologies if this has been answered or is posted somewhere I am not looking; what is the brand and size of the wheels and tires you have in the video? Great content!

I don’t think anybody is expecting this vehicle to match a Wrangler Sport or any vehicle with 4Lo etc. But, I don’t think you can get that frustrated with a vehicle for telling you to fill up wiper fluid, especially after it seems like you continued to no fill the wiper fluid 🤷🏻‍♀️ I’ve had my White OBW for nearly a month now and love its characteristics on road. Can’t wait to get her out camping though. Love the vids, can’t wait for the locker install!

I was going to suggest torq locker, and you you also mentioned it on the video. It should improve its traction issues a lot.

I've had my Crosstrek for 4 years now and never had a broken windshield, guess I'm lucky. A roof top tent would probably allow you to get to a few more places. I have a Outback wilderness on the way and my biggest concern is that big touch screen. Kinda makes me wanna back out. Oh and also, the 4 prong trailer plug in. All my trailers are 7 way. I'll find out tomorrow if the dealership will install a 7 way instead. I'm afraid they will say sorry, it's not Subaru parts. I thank you for bringing that to my attention in a previous video.

It's funny...I got rid of my Gladiator for this. I haven't done the things you both have done with the trails and traveling. Always wanted to. The Gladiator I loved, but, it was so uncomfortable on my back that I couldn't do more than an hour in it without almost crying. The outback, I've sat in for almost a solid 8 hrs and it's night and day. I do miss my Gladiator it was fun

The XMode doesn't shut off in the Outback wilderness after 25 mph of spin however the non wilderness version or the Forrester Wilderness shuts off. And their windshield doesn't in fact blow.

Hey there! Just saw your video. Thank you sharing your experience so far. I have a 2015 OB 3.6 and thinking of putting on the torque locker that you mentioned towards the end of your video. Let me know when you’re your doing that part cuz it does have limited capabilities going steeper hills. Talk to you more next time.

Hey guys great video. With that said no Subaru was ever designed to go where a Jeep can go. Even the wilderness edition is basically lite off road. I do agree on the infotainment and the constant beeping however I took the car to the dealership and they updated the system with a new software and it seems to be working better so you can try that to see. As far as the windshield I’ve had mine for 3 years and never had a scratch or anything so I’m not sure what happened to your outback. I gave my outback nine out of ten because it is more than capable and the turbo engine is a plus. X mode have gotten me out of many sticky situations as well. Thanks for sharing.

The outback is going to take you to 85% of where you wanna go. I’ve got a 3.6r and I’ve pushed it hard. The outback is a soft roader. Great mpg, easy to park, it just works. In the middle of nowhere, it just works. Also for all the auto tailgate people, the hatch open draws battery. If you leave it open for long it’ll kill it. I stick a carabiner to trick it.

My 2 biggest draw backs for this car are the lane assist and heat/air. The lane centering with cruise control is terrifying which is actually good if you are trying to stay awake. It almost killed me twice!!! I never use it anymore at all. Also, I live in a hot southern climate and I have to keep the air on even if I don't need it because otherwise it will blow HOT air on me even when I have the air off. I like the car, but I wish these things were fixed.

You have to burn premium fuel and maybe gets 22 mpg , what’s your average mileage with different tires?

Coming from an overpriced Honda Fit tin can with huge problems since I bought it (LONG STORY) the Wilderness has been amazing. What I didn't know was that I was paying an extra 10,000 for the engine. I should have done more research, but we came in looking for a CrossTrek and realized it wasn't for us and fell in love with the Outback. They only had the Wilderness and the Touring with the same engine for another couple of thousand dollars. They gave us an amazing trade in for the Fit and we went home with it. Hubby drives 120 miles a day so this is NOT the car if you need gas mileage. They improved the touch screen, but there should be more knobs instead of going through menus. I agree, this thing has a mind of its own with safety. It will think something is in the way and move you over when nothing is there. The lane centering feature (not the lane departure) makes you feel like a cop is going to stop you for driving drunk. I'm just glad you can pick and choose your safety features in some cases. My only regret is not realizing I was paying so much for an engine that I will never need with just city/rural driving.

I’m so glad that you talked about bottoming out over speed bumps yes they do and I even mentioned it to the manufacture I Cant belive it bottoms out on a speedbump oh my gosh you validated me ! Thanks

Thanks for the info, I’ve been drooling over the wilderness, test drove it a few days ago and just …yeah.. I have had jeeps and full-size 2500 diesel 4x4 for ever same truck since 04 now it’s time for something that drives easier. Your real world reviews help a lot, have you an problems with water leaking from the doors or elsewhere? I’ve read up that it’s a problem

I'm buy one this year wouldn't go over broad of changing too much. The first thing I do would spacers for the shocks then lockers.

I'm at 30,000km…it's a one and done car for me. I like it, but not enough to hold it. Gas milage is great?? Hmmm, maybe compared to a jeep lol. I think many of these points are skewed from your Jeep experiences. Bang on with infotainment system, and sensors.

Thanks for your videos about the Wilderness. They are very helpful. Question for you: If the suspension, tires and differential are an issue, and you would want to replace them, knowing what you know now, would you still have purchased the Wilderness over the Onyx XT? The Onyx XT comes standard with the power sunroof and built in navigation but not Wilderness. I guess you still would have the beefed up roof rack and the badging (and more rugged aesthetics). Although I don't anticipate making changes from stock, I am trying to decide between the two of them. I am thinking my off road needs (which are probably much less than yours) probably will be satisfied with the Onyx and I can enjoy the included sunroof and the better mileage. Hard decision though. Initially I was really thinking of getting a Wrangler Unlimited like you guys sold in favor of the Wilderness, but I could not wrap my head around the cost and the thought that I would be sacrificing on road manners and better gas mileage for off road capabilities that I might use one day a month. I thought the Wilderness was the solution, and I love how it looks and performs, but now I am wondering if the Onyx XT might be a better choice for us. It still has 8.7 inches of ground clearance, the same x-mode functionality, same interior (just with different accent stitching), the same full-size spare, but I would also get the sunroof I planned to add to the Wilderness as standard.

also, you guys seem to do heavy off roading, with big rocky roads, subaru's are known for snow, mud and gravel not boulders. If you have a off road 4x4 use it for the rocky roads, and for snow and ice and mud, use the subi. Simple answer

Deep snow and deep mud x mode does not turn off. Regular x mode turns off over 25mph. Try it on your next trip 🤙🏼 I always use deep snow and deep mud x mode because of that reason.

I canceled my order. Still unsure with info screen glitches, windshield, and mpg issues

Great video! I"ve been considering an Outback Wilderness, and the information has been helpful. Not sure if you follow Driving Sports TV, but he has a video he made will a guy from Co who had installed a locker on his Wilderness. It was quite impressive how well the car did on a fairly technical trail. Sarah N Tune has a couple of videos as well testing the Outback and Forrester Wilderness models and the Forrester actually did better on the hill climb she uses for her tests.

I bought one because it wins on paper against every compact SUV, and is much more affordable than it's only real competition in the wagon market, the Audi Allroad. But I'm only on my 2nd tank of gas and I already hate the thing. I've never said that about a vehicle before. I could go on, but the one thing that ruins this car is the transmission. It's utterly diabolical and cripples what would otherwise be a good engine.

HI- I like the look of the Subaru, But having all the basic functions going through the info screen is such a bad idea. its distracting and the cost of replacing it when it fails, and it will , will be a ton of cash.

I was going to mention adding the rear locker. Then you brought it up. That will help immensely.

Really wanting to put a lift and skid plates on my 2019 3.6R OB. Can't wait to do some overlanding with it and getting out into the wilderness.

Love this! I own a 2020 subaru outback with 245 toyo & 2inch LP lift. I am curious to see how your torque locker turns out! I am thinking about getting one done as well.

She's gorgeous

thanks for the honesty. I really want to try this car and it could be a car i enjoy. It sounds like your family is much more extreme that I am at this point in my life. I owned Jeeps and i can never have a Jeep again. Comfort was never good in a Jeep. They look awesome but not my thing any more.

Glad you decided to keep it and do the upgrades instead. I'm curious to see how the locking diff will help you out. I'll be getting a wilderness at the end of April. It'll be my 5th Outback (96, 99, 05 XT, 20 XT Onyx). I'm not where NEAR as advanced as you so it'll be fine from the factory from me probably. Glad I found you I'm really curious to see what other content you have. Thanks, algorithm! (I agree with your wife about the spacers though heh)

I just got rid of my forester wilderness for many of the cons you listed. I really wanted to like that vehicle but it wasn’t cutting it while towing a dry 2400lb A frame pop up. 2 kids and 2 dogs made it extremely tight. I’m in a 18 Silverado. Looking at the 23 ascent. Just wish they did a wilderness edition, I’d be sold.

I'm waiting for my new Outback Wilderness due to arrive any day now, and your experience with the touch screen controls is a bit disconcerting! How did you manage to reset the display, or was that possible without going to the dealer? Otherwise, it sounds like you're generally satisfied with the car with some mods. Thanks for the great review(s)!

Just sold my Honda Accord for a outback wilderness. So far it has been the best vehicle I have ever owned. Absolutely love all the features it has to offer, and I love it can go off roading.

I just crossed 12,000 miles on mine. I don't do any kind of extreme off-roading, but I do drive down dirt/mud roads and through some situations where I think the car performs well. Overall, the main problem with the car is honestly the stupid infotainment screen. Just like you said, sometimes it doesn't work right, long delays between button presses and things happening, sometimes the whole thing actually resets itself (as in literally shutting off and rebooting) WHILE I'm driving down the road, and finally the lack of physical buttons straight up sucks in cold weather. I always have to take my gloves off or fiddle with it way too much just to get the HVAC set right and I just don't like it. Car is great otherwise though.

Great video.... Did you ever consider a rooftop tent instead of the trailer? You have to remember that you have the best of both worlds with your OBW and the Gladiator. Both have there place....

That's why I like my 99 Lexus LX470 and 2015 Tundra SR5 - basic / all manual controls / no beeping or nuclear meltdown warnings HAHA - However, it does not mean Toyotas don't have their nuances too. I respect the Subaru community and there are more and more aftermarket products being made for them. Ironman finally has a full suspension lift kit (the real deal, not spacers). These indeed are exciting times.

Nice video with great info. I am getting my Wilderness in the next couple of weeks (hopefully) and start my off-roading (light) after that. Is the wheel and tire size of your car, different from OEM?

I keep my OUTBACK WILDERNESS cuz it was great for traveling and perfect go thru the storms and I love OUTBACK WILDERNESS more fun and comfortable and exciting drive and Turbocharged is more fun.

Good, honest review, albeit you jumped around a bit with the pros and cons - but that is what owning a car that is used for different things creates. I appreciate the honest thought process and the work-in progress approach. I hope you can make it work!

"Why would you sell it?" 🦗🦗🦗 Now I'm glad I am obsessed with buying one now.

Check for an update on the infotainment. They’ve pushed out a couple recently. Unfortunately you can’t do the updates over the air. Need to download to a usb. I’ve done all the updates and while it’s better I’m still having issues, mostly when apple CarPlay is connected. System’s been out for over two years and they still can’t get it sorted. I agree with you it’s more form over function with this system.

I’ve got a 2015 outback and the main reason I won’t let my step daughter have it as her daily driver because the safety shite is way way too intrusive and distracting for a new, young driver.

The computer limiting the power to the wheels when it gets difficult is the most annoying thing and can get you in big trouble - does not help build confidence in the vehicle. In deep snow, even though you can disable traction control it still applies brakes and limits progression and burn out brakes - not good. Cracked the windshield too, car is not stiff enough. Infotainment sucks, super slow.

Thanks for the video very informative I am thinking of getting the outback wilderness also the 2024 model, my question is I have seen a few videos with people talking about the limitations of the off roading and the problems with the cvt, and like the others you never mention using the manual mode just curious why not use it or have you tried it since this video came out.

Nice! I’m glad you’re keeping it.

I had a 2020 outback onyx and my windshield broke 4 times, I bought the wilderness last yr and like you said within a yr I had a cracked windshield out of nowhere. I ended up trading my outback for a rav4 hybrid.

Hey guys - curious whether you kept the Outback? - here in Australia I’ve owned nine Subarus but stopped after the intro of the CVT in 2013 - I’m now selling my 4WD due to high fuel and running costs - all my Subarus could go where my 4WD could go except for rock crawling/deep river crossings which I don’t do anyway - I leave that for the ‘extreme sports dude’ Americanised Aussie folk - so I will soon own my tenth Subaru which will be a pre-CVT pre-2008 Subaru Forester with conventional automatic transmission - it’s all about compromise - by the way Australian car user reviews rate Jeep at the bottom after Mercedes for worst reliability and refinement this included our GM/Ford Australian built that were awful hence the demise of the Australian car industry last decade.

But, when you bought it, you said you were using the Jeep for rock crawling, and the Subaru for around town and overlanding. Then you went rock crawling with it!

The windshield fluid alert happens with my 2015 Forester. Annoying as hell.

Thank you for all this info :)

17:00 Spends 100x more time ignoring the warning rather than just addressing the issue... lmao!

I love this review so much! Thank you! I want the Outback Wilderness. To me, practicality and a huge upgrade from a Corolla. LOL I think it'll be a great everyday driver and maybe that once or twice a year camping trip. I do hope Subaru will fix the annoying alert system you two get and the infotainment. I'm waiting to see if there will be a 2023.

I just wish they'd sell a base model without the patronizing "eye sight" tech that helps you drive your car, and the start stop BS. Yes you can turn it off, but why should you have to pay for something you don't want to use. All this tech that is expensive to fix starts to fail about the time your warranty runs out.

Thanks for the video. I just bought one. Every review seems to complain about the CVT. I'm not as hardcore as you two though :)

Another great video, hope this info helps you out... First a question, did you try using X-Mode Deep Snow & Mud at all? Particularly when the transmission appeared to be cutting all power. Officially X-Mode does nothing to increase torque, but I have speculated due to personal experience with the vehicle that Deep Snow & Mud does help with torque. I have also speculated that a lot of what appears to be the transmission cutting power is really the traction control system bugging out which X-Mode Deep Snow & Mud in theory should help resolve. Overall standard X-Mode functions pretty much like X-Mode on all of the Subaru vehicles and the main concept here is to simply limit wheel spin and simulate the effects of a locker. Standard X-Mode will automatically turn off at speeds above 25 MPH. Deep Snow & Mud mode functions differently on the Outback Wilderness compared to other Subaru vehicles with this functionality. Deep Snow & Mud has two modes of operation a low speed mode that operates at and below 25 MPH and a high speed mode that operates at speeds above 25 MPH. This means that X-Mode Deep Snow & Mud will NOT turn off at speeds over 25 MPH once its turned on it will stay on regardless of vehicle speed. Note, this only applies to the Deep Snow & Mud mode on the Outback Wilderness. The primary function of X-Mode Deep Snow & Mud is to allow wheel spin while still attempting to maintain forward movement. It is interesting to see what you guys have done with the Outback Wilderness... I really feel that as it pertains to X-Mode and the CVT you guys have really put the car in a worse case scenario with the trails that you have been driving on. Any terrain that requires low speed high torque driving really just seems to bog the Outback Wilderness down, specifically the CVT. Whereas mud and snow for example the Outback Wilderness often times excels... and in some cases does better than 'off road' vehicles that don't have lockers. Personally I would not drive an Outback Wilderness on the trails that you guys were on, lol... mad props to you and it was fun seeing it do it. I live in the South East and given the trails that we have access to here I find that the Outback Wilderness really excels. Its bread & butter really seems to be aggressive forest service roads, mud, and snow however I could see where driving on the trails that you were on would be problematic. I would suggest giving X-Mode another try and really playing around with the different modes in different situations. While it may appear that it was of no help and most likely it was not on those trails I think that you will find that depending on the trail and situation that it can be very helpful. You mentioned getting the Torq Locker, as far as I know they have not yet released a Torq Locker for the Outback Wilderness. Also if what you were experiencing was in fact the CVT cutting power the Torq Locker is not really going to help with that... All the Torq Locker is going to help with is locking the rear axle and increasing overall traction, but wheel spin at least in the videos posted on your channel really did not seem to be a factor for you. If wheel spin was a factor before you purchased a Torq Locker I would suggest giving X-Mode another try as this is the primary function of the system, limiting wheel spin. Again though wheel spin really did not seem to be an issue for you which is also why I suspect that you did not find X-Mode to be helpful because all it does is limit wheel spin. I am interested in seeing what you are able to do suspension wise. Articulation and wheel travel is an issue in my opinion. However the current suspension kits that are on the market only increase the ride height and don't really do anything to increase downward wheel travel. It would be nice to find a kit that not only increases ride height, but increase overall suspension travel. Please keep us posted on that. In regards to the infotainment system (aka the screen) issues that you were having Subaru has released a few updates for the screen. I would suggest taking it to the dealer when you can so that they can apply those firmware updates it should help with overall stability. One thing to keep in mind is that turning the car off does not actually 'reboot' or 'shutdown' the infotainment system like it does a computer. In order to actually reboot the infotainment system you need to hold down the volume and tune buttons until the unit reboots. If done correctly the infotainment system should fully reboot and you will see some warning lights on the dash regarding eyesight, these will go away once the unit has booted back up. This should provide an immediate quick fix to any issues that you are having with it.

The various beeping can be turned off in the car settings