tfl needs to have their own show on discovery velocity

I have a 2022 Subaru Outback wilderness here in Alaska. My purpose for it is dealing with snow and ice on dirt roads. Equipped with Hakkapallita 10 (studded) it’s completely unstoppable. 18% grade with glare ice after a melt and re-freeze is a comfortable stressless climb. My F250 with studded snows struggles up the same incline. The Subie powers through a foot of fresh snow on the way to the ski trial with no hesitation.

I traded my 4 Runner TRD Pro for the Wilderness. I was offered $4K more than I paid for the 4R 20 months ago. I lowered my overall debt by a lot along with my payment. I live in Dallas and have very few places to go to off road. So I only do it when I travel to CO, Utah, AZ. I know its nothing like my 4R off road, but my 4R was nothing like the Wilderness on a daily basis.Dirt roads in the Wilderness are way better as well at higher speeds. It just soaks up the washboards. I loved my 4R, but it was worth more to me as a trade in than driving it daily. I will get to test the Wilderness soon, but as a daily vehicle this Wilderness checks more boxes than the 4R. Its way more fun and comfortable to drive with obviously way better mpg. I still miss the 4R, but at this moment in my life the Wilderness is the better vehicle.

In my opinion the new Subaru Outback Wilderness is a well rounded vehicle overall, not aHardcore off roader like a Jeep Or 4runner, but a great value for city and light off road.

Specs for "your top ranked" vehicles you mentioned in the video. 1. Jeep Trailhawk - Tow Rating 2000 lbs. Payload 1000 lbs. Curb weight 4200 lbs. Hwy Range 379 2. Bronco Sport - Tow Rating 2200 lbs. Payload 1000 lbs. Curb weight 3707 Hwy Range 415 3. Outback Wilderness - Tows 3500 lbs. Payload 1130 lbs. Curb Weight 3896. Hwy Range 480 Outback looks like a great choice when just comparing the facts.

I always use the manual mode / paddle shifters when off road because of the unpredictability / lack of control of the CVT. Makes a huge difference.

That's more ground clearance than the new Bronco without the Sasquatch package!!!

I love my Subaru Forester but Subarus are not serious off-road vehicles. Snow, dirt, a rock, always. But not the big stuff.

I’ve just had a rented Forester for a three weeks road trip in Iceland and despite I had my concerns after having watched some KZfaq off road reviews, I just have to say that it is a great car for that purpose. It is incredibly comfortable on track and very smooth an precise on road. Last year I had a similar road trip in Patagonia (Argentina and Chile) with a Chevrolet Silverado and, OMG, what a uncomfortable and noisy machine it was! Compared to the Subaru it was hell!

Tommy, you should compare your CVT crosstrek with a MANUAL crosstrek (now that they still exist). Would be cool to see if there is a difference

I think Subaru does a great job of making a vehicle that is good on and off road. Where most vehicles are good at one or the other. Good gas mileage and comfort. CVTs are just not the best for off-roading.. but it looks like this wilderness maximizes the ability of the CVT. I like it!

Great review Tommy. Thank you !!

I got the outback wilderness because I work and live in some rural backroad areas of Oklahoma, and it works really well for what I need.

I have a lifted JL Wrangler for anything off-road, and just convinced my fiancée to buy a 2021 Outback Limited XT for bad weather and anything we don’t want to do in the Wrangler. Best two car setup in my opinion 🤘 We’re also in CO

If Tommy is the future of TFL then I look forward to watch these videos for years to come

If power to the wheels is an issue, try the deep snow/mud setting. It allows more slippage and therefore more power to the ground!

Remember only about 2% of people who purchase these do anything close to off road …. They buy them for the secure feeling in snow and bad weather. This is Subaru’s target market …not the lifted big tire segment ….I’ve put over two hundred thousand miles in a Forester in all kinds of weather and it never let me down. I’m now in a 2021 Crosstrek Outdoor.. great vehicle

At least a mechanical first gear for launch would be a nice add.. offroad crawl would be much improved!

Tommy, just wanted to say how far you’ve come with your auto journalism. The words and technical aspects/ terms just flow off your lips, giving us viewers great info In a concise and useful format. It makes great use of your viewers time ! Keep up the great work! 👍

Good review! I think you are really coming into your own as a testing and reviewing pro. You really give straightforward real world advice that consumers can use. I'm sure your Dad is really proud of you and how you are growing in becoming an expert auto reviewer and consumer advocate. Be well!👍👍

On my outback with x-mode if I plant the foot it cuts power aggressively where if you try to modulate the throttle without smashing it to the floor it allows for more power to slip through cause it isn’t so scared of spinning wheels. 50-75% of throttle is all you need to use.

One of the most fun vehicles I've ever owned was an '03 Outback sport (basically the old Impreza wagon with bigger wheels and slightly beefed up suspension). With a manual that car was a friggin' blast to drive. I regret trading it in; it was terrific on fire roads in the Pacific NW.

Tommy talking about safety of recovery points is kind of ironic coming from a team that used a ball on a tow hitch to recover one of their vehicles. Subaru management is probably hiring a hitman to take care of TFL right about now.

This is all great, but I'm kinda curious how the Outback Wilderness compares with a regular Outback rather than a Crosstrek.

I put those Yokohama Geolandar G015 A/T tires on my pickup. They did pretty well for me off road, despite their fairly mild appearance.

I wish we could see the CVT temperature

The aftermarket offers a two-inch lift kit for the Subaru. The Wilderness comes with a 2.4 turbo 4cyl with a claimed on-road performance of 0 to 60 in about 6 seconds. But seriously, if you're an avid off-road junkie, get a Jeep or Toyota. I think the Subaru is the safest and best all-around, all-wheel-drive, family compact SUV sold in America.

I'm 58 years old and live in rural Michigan. We have what is called lake effect snow. I've had 4x4's my whole driving life. Trucks, jeeps, and my Subaru crosstrek is the best vehicle I've ever driven in the winter hands down. I have a Outback wilderness coming in a few weeks. The comfort and safety ratings are great, not to mention the room. And towing capacity is better than a standard Outback. I'm not looking for a rock climber.

Glad your doing these videos to help others that want to go overlanding see that a standard Crosstrek doesn't cut it, you need more. Well done.

Tommy is a man of few things, mainly Cranberries and Torque Converters

I can really appreciate what Subaru is doing here obviously it's not a true off roader. But for most people this makes sense

Had my new Wilderness 3 weeks now ( had to buy it while still on the truck as none were on the lot ) and i'm completely happy with it. Still attempting to figure out the control panel but hey it's coming along. Looking forward to taking it off road this fall.

Tommy Tommy Tommy So I’m a car fanatic I’m 68 years old and have had over 91 new cars I have to tell you I watch all of the auto reviewer‘s and I believe honestly that you how far surpassed them all I like the way you present your reviews and you’re a better version of your dad keep it up good luck to you you’re fantastic

I had to use the screw-in eyelet to pull my wife's crosstrek out of a snowy ditch. I was concerned about the strength, but even after 10 or so hard yanks it didn't have any issues. I even had to pull at a slight angle. Still a little bit scary but probably not an issue unless someone gets crazy.

To me the appeal of the Wilderness over a regular Outback is that the Wilderness is less likely to be damaged on more difficult terrain. The tires it comes with are less like to be punctured on the rocks, and the skid plates, the ground clearance, and the approach and departure angles are going to protect the frame and body of the car better. I like that it comes with a spare that is a regular tire, tires puncturing has been the biggest problem I have had with my Forester when going off road. I should have invested in good off road tires for my Forester a long time ago.

Great review, thank you! I couldn't agree with you more about the CVT transmission and the need for a 8AT. Have a '21 OB Onyx XT and that CVT has to go!

Great video again. Really good footage of car in action and narration is articulate (which seems rare on KZfaq). Thanks!

Awesome vid.👌🏽👍🏽, You should try it with the Crosstrek Sport, Ascent and the next Wilderness coming up

I was in Ouray and saw someone drive one of these up Yankee Boy Basin Rd all the way up to the last "4x4, high clearance, short wheel base" sign. I was impressed, but I do think for the money, there are better options if you plan on doing stuff like that.

I just put a minor 1 and 1/2" Hazard Sky lift kit on My 3.2 liter 2015 Trailhawk. It now has 10.2" inches of ground clearance with the stock tire size 245/65/17 I also changed brand and design from the Firestone destination AT to Cooper Discoverer AT *M&S* tires. I guarantee that it would literally crush all of the CUV's mentioned in this video. You guys always said (especially your father) "If this Trailhawk just had a little more ground clearance" and a more aggressive tire) now this vehicle would make your pops smile while he was driving it😁 I've been watching your channel for years now and I love the content. Keep things rolling👍 Pun intended😏

Well done review and comparison. I own an Outback Onyx XT and can say you were pretty spot on. I don't expect it to be a hardcore offroader, but it is a nice comfortable and capable soft roader. I love everything about mine except for that awkward surge in power when you are trying to slowly crawl up something. That has made for some sketchy moments on steeper snow covered dirt roads when trying to keep a slow steady pace (in xmode) and then that unwanted surge of power come out of nowhere sending the back end walking. Not confidence inspiring and pretty scary when your next to a steep drop off. It's weird I don't remember my Forester XTs with CVTs having that issue

Ive spent months pouring over vids and driving and reading about 4runners. I recently added the wilderness to my short list because the gas prices are ridiculous. There isnt a single mid size suv/cuv out there that i like thats fuel efficient. Yes the 4runner is a true offroad vehicle. But in this day and age theres zero reason to have a v6 vehicle that gets worse gas mileage than most v8 trucks. Thats toyota being lazy. On top of that, when you buy a new runner, you are buying a brand new 10yr oldvehicle. The interior is an absolute dinosaur and the lack of head room when you have an equipped moonroof is laughable. I had to pit aside my instant attraction to the idea of a runner and look at the facts and how i will use my vehicle. The runner just doesnt make sense. For me. So in the next couple weeks i will be getting my first ever subaru in the wilderness package. The outback is a soft roader not a rock crawler. Its meant to blast down forest roads and dirt road trails. Not go over technical trails. And i was actually surprised at how fun it was to drive. I really feel that, even though i agree the cvt is a tad wonky, its a much too overly stated complaint

I find my Outback performs better if I use manual mode and set the transmission in "first" gear. This seems to limit the computer from trying to hunt for power.

Tommy, I love your videos! While I may not agree with your assessment of Subarus in general, they are true. I own a '16 Outback limited with the 3.6 and for what I'm using it for now (road trips to the Eastern Sierras in Ca and freeway driving) it does remarkable. Would I take it on trails such as the one in this video, no. I would like to be able to explore most locations but I realize I'm limited but, it's ok. Love my Subaru and the CVT! I'll most likely continue with my '16 OB in search of epic trout in the best location for me, Eastern Sierras. Thanks to TFL for doing these videos. TFL is worthy of Velocity time on TV for sure!!!

I would love to see this vehicle and a heads up against the bronco sport with a good set of tires like Dura tracks

Imagine if Subaru could just get a Plug In Hybrid right and you could have that electric motor torque to offset the CVT issues?

I've beat the hell out of subaru screw in tow eyelets plenty of times. Used mine to pull tons of vehicles out of the snow in my WRX. They're plenty strong.

I think the outback is a great off-roader. I've taken mine off-road and onto very sandy beaches without ever getting into trouble. Something many people fail to talk about is the suspension travel on the outback, which has always been the best in it's class. It's such an underrated spec.

I have forester sport, it came with red trimming and black aluminum rims. Very functional. I lifted to 1.5” with eibach springs. Now my ground clearance is 12”. Off the ground.

This car just walzed up an incredibly steep rutted track perched on top of a mountain, and Tommy's reaction is... "it's not bad but Subaru needs to do better" LOL

I have a 2010 Outback 3.6R with 5 speed auto and LSD rear diff that would eat this hill. It climbs steep hills with wombat holes without any problems

We ordered the autumn green wilderness yesterday. It won't arrive until near the end of December. My husband is super excited about it.

Really love this video! My Subaru wilderness should be here August 17 and this video just made me 10 times more excited!

Would love to try those trails to see how my 2021 Crosstrek Sport would do .. lifted 2" .. Toyo All Terrains .. aluminum skid plate .. I went with a taller profile tire and now have 12" at the pumpkin. I'm heading North to Minnesota at the end of the month and will be coming up thru Colorado .. if you could send me the coordinates I'd give it a try! I went with the Crosstrek Sport as it's 500lbs lighter and 14" shorter then the Outback. That was a consideration of mine. I just came back from Moab and it did well there .. surprised a few Jeeps along the way.

KO2 very heavy tires for cars that have less than 200hp. Stop giving advice to buy those heavy tires, the driving experience could be ruined. Remember what you said weight is the enemy.

Great review and really enjoyed the video. I whole heartedly agree on you CVT v Auto opinion. Would buy any Subaru with a torque converter 8/10 speed transmission.

Subarus are never going to be off road vehicles. Flooring it and the wheels don’t even move? What the hell.

Hey it's a car, really. Goes where no other car cao go, and when back on the road it's a really comfortable road tripper. Love my 2015 outback for rod trips but can still hit dirt roads for miles jus sipping fuel.

In every off road video Tommy has to mention if the vehicle lifts a tire. It's a Subaru Tommy, not a rock crawler.

Really nice, honest review. Thanks!

Fascinating... We had the 2019 3.6R that had tons of power and it we ended up on the wrong trail up on the Grand Mesa in Colorado. Two wheels off the ground, propping up tires with rocks to keeps from dragging, and do that for 2-3 miles straight. We made it and it did great. That was just the stock Outback Premium. But the 3.6R was an amazing engine and personally I would rather have than the new turbo any day. It had crazy amazing power as one Raptor found out one day at a little impromptu drag racing in Show Low, AZ. I really miss that car and if it could be towed 4-down behind a motorhome it would definitely be our car of choice for versatility meets comfort.

I was hoping you would gone have gone up again with the new x-mode e for tougher situations engaged.

The Wilderness is impressive.

Picked ours up yesterday, STOKED to get her on the trails soon here in AZ!

awesome video, love this kind of content

Would’ve been nice if Subaru added a mechanical LSD like the old ones! But jeez. The transmission lag is nuts

I'd like to see this comparison done again with the 2.5L crosstrek that has dual xmode! Probably extremely similar experience to the wilderness I'd think

Great review. I love your work!

I use Geolander AT G015's on my f150 and the lugs are huge.. Every bit as grippy as Ko'2s.. The car tire versions are more road then dirt where as the truck versions are MUCH more luggy.

Glad to see that Subaru is improving their vehicles to perform better off road and there are people that simply won’t drive anything, but a Subaru. Those are the ones that will buy this. A Forester Wilderness should be really cool.

you can get the Crosstrek with a manual transmission. You can't get one with the Outback however.

I had an order for a Wilderness, but I elected to cancel it and use my deposit on an Onyx, 30 MPG on the highway, 0 to 60 in 5.9 seconds, and will get my wife (OBGYN) to the Hospital through any Missouri winter conditions, and extra ground clearance is great for climbing hills and crossing creeks at my family's farm. We kept our WRX, but are liking the Onyx quite a bit.

15’ Crosstrek owner here. All i gotta say. “Manual mode”. I offroad in mine a bit and yes. You want torque the only way to get it. “Manual mode” also im running falken wildpeak a/t’s. No issues.

Love to see a comparison between the Wilderness and the Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk

Great review Tommy. A suggestion: I think it'll be really good for us with normal Outbacks with off-road tires and don't want to spend $40K for a factory jacked-up Outback. Just compare Wilderness with a Standard, non-turbo Outback with off-road tires to see how it goes? Keep up the good work, you guys are great. Cheers!

Best Outback Wilderness review I've ever read or watched. Great job!

Great review. When you did Truth in the wilderness, all I could focus on was the roof box sliding back and forth.

Needs more aggressive tires,would be good for people that live on a gravel road!

If you want to get to the campsites, just use the other entrance that requires no 4wheel drive….

Thanks for testing this - I was wondering how this would do when the going got tougher! Especially since the other one you had seemed to really struggle up gold mine hill (did I get that right?)... One thing though, is this technically a crossover? I guess we could argue yes, or perhaps no. I think Subaru still prefers to call it a wagon (due to seat rake, ceiling height and overall dimensions)... And in that case - is it the best "wagon" you've driven offroad?

I just swapped my 2 Door Wrangler Rubicon JL for a Wilderness this week and broke in the Subie on a 2k mile road trip. I’ve made the same trip in both cars and the Subie was hands down the better grand tourer, so much more comfort on the road and the driving aids are a game changer. I know I’m sacrificing a good bit of off-road capability but for me the trade off is worth it since I frequently make long trips. I do wish the Outback came with an 8 or 9 speed transmission. I’ll give Subaru credit because I really don’t like the feel of CVTs but this transmission was good enough I really don’t notice daily driving. I think a standard auto would really make this battle wagon special. Even better with an STI manual tranny!

I'm pretty sure a older Outback with the E5AT would do that trail a lot better than the Wilderness. You know that would make a good comparison since it's always the older Subarus that are always used for trails or pulling other cars out of the snow...

I just bought one I pick it up today or tomorrow. I am moving down from a Chevy ZR2 Bison. My use is long constant trips up to Maine and its often snow and ice my house in Maine is on a long dirt road. While the ZR2 was great its not a great 3 hour commuter and I never needed the lockers ever. This seemed like a nice commuter that I did not need to worry about weather or dirt roads. Get the car for the need I guess. I hate the CVT also I plan to get the new STI when announced if they put a CVT anywhere near that I will be pissed.

Can someone please tell me what the difference is between a skid plate and a bash plate? As best I can tell it's just a dialectical difference between British and American English but both mean the same thing (Brits say "bash plate", Americans say "skid plate").

I own a 2022 Subaru Wilderness Outback.....I LOVE everything about it!

I kind of view the Crosstrek as a modern day VW Baja Bug. You can add quite a bit of aftermarket parts to them. The CVT is unfortunate in the newer models with the 2.5L. Wish they offered some real auto’s or manual with the bigger engine. I agree with Tommy’s final thoughts 100%. The price on these crossovers is getting out of hand. They are nice, but for not much more money you could own something that is much more capable. Most crossovers follow the “good at several things, master of none” mentality. They are great commuter cars/family vehicles… but the off-road variants aren’t going to even come close to competing with vehicles designed for off-road use such as a Jeep or most 4x4 trucks. Out of all the cars I have driven, Subaru has done the best with the CVT, and it works for most people that use them as commuter cars. It’s really the car / adventure enthusiasts that suffer.

I feel like it’s not really the transmission as much as the computer cutting power while it figures out traction.

If you spent a few minutes before off reading to disconnect the sway bar end links, would this help with articulation enough to be worth it?

Great review. Thank you.

Best Crossovers (without concerning reliability) : Jeep > Ford > Subaru Best Crossovers (with concerning reliability) : Subaru > Jeep > Ford and probably Subaru got the best resell value after 5 years! Lastly, another great review from TFL Offroad!! well done!

Doesn't matter what the factory does with lift kits or any aftermarket upgrades, the CVT is the kryptonite to this vehicle.

My wife has a Cherokee trailhawk...awesome vehicle. I've taken it on jeep trails that I've taken my JL 2 door on and it does it without complaint although it does it differently due to not having solid axles.

Fantastic review most honest and offer alternatives thanks!

Tommy is definitely the best off road driver at TFL. However, have to disagree with him on the tires, I'd say the KO2 is almost a hybrid between a mud tire and an A/T. The Geolander A/T is a good A/T tire for a Subaru because it will still return good fuel mileage on the highway. Now for a 4-runner or something that's more capable off road then I'd definitely go with a different tire.

Subarus are for snow and rain. I think the Outback Wilderness looks cool. I think it would make a great over landing vehicle for light difficult roads. The 4Runner and Cherokee are much better off-road.

Question, did you switch the CVT to manual mode and leave it in 1 (first ratio) ?

I owned a 2003 TLC, took it on stuff you wouldn't believe. Your 7.5 inch number for UJZ100 clearance is if all four tires are flat Tommy.....

Let's all say hello to that Subie PR who angrily woke up this morning to another TFL video about their cars. Good mornin', pal. :)

Really do like the look. Id say if you live in Washington or Oregon as i do its great for the rain and mild snow/ice(if any at all), and some mud but probably nothing too hard off road

@TFLoffroad - now, if they put an Asin 8/10speed in it with the "same" X-trac where 1-2 were lower range, do you think you would be able to recommend it then?