The 2025 Subaru Crosstrek Wilderness is an all-wheel-drive compact crossover that has been upgraded and enhanced to be the most rugged and off-road capable Crosstrek in the lineup—that’s impressive, as even the base Crosstrek can get most people to their campsite without unnecessary drama.
Subaru, a brand aligned with those who enjoy the outdoors, adventures, and pets, first introduced the “Wilderness” trim on its Outback and Forester in 2022. In 2024, the Crosstrek joined the Wilderness family, with the new configuration taking top position over the Base, Premium, Sport, and Limited trims.
The Crosstrek Wilderness is visually differentiated by its exclusive bumpers, body cladding, copper accents on the front and rear bumpers and roof rails, and special badging. (The roof rails are stronger than the other Crosstrek models, boasting a 165 lb. dynamic load capacity and a 700-lb. static load limit—for rooftop tents.) Unique 17-inch alloy wheels, in matte-black finish, are wrapped in Yokohama GEOLANDAR all-terrain tires with embossed raised white letters—smaller wheels offer additional sidewall height, which is sturdier off-road. A more discerning stare reveals unique hex-design LED fog lights and an anti-glare matte-black hood decal. More subtle, but equally important, is the slightly taller ride height—bumped from 8.7 inches in the standard models, to 9.3 inches on the Wilderness (that extra half-an-inch feels like ten feet when traversing trails).
The Wildness interior ditches the leather from the Limited model and replaces it with water-resistant Subaru StarTex, a synthetic yet very durable material. Copper accents are throughout, contrasted with Gunmetal Grey trim on the dash, doors, and shifter. Rubber all-weather floor mats are standard, and the cargo area features an easy-to-clean rubber cargo tray and an LED light—mud, snow, gravel, and pet hair aren’t an issue.
Subaru fits the Wilderness with unique suspension components (thus explaining the half-inch increase in ground clearance) that include longer coil springs and special shock absorbers with longer travel strokes. Everything is tuned to increase absorption of the larger bumps found off-road. The vehicle is also fitted with a lower front valance skid plate, for mechanical protection. The improvements made a difference off the pavement—the approach angle is increased from 18.0 degrees to 20.0 degrees on the Wilderness, while the departure angle rises from 30.1 to 33.0 degrees (ramp breakover angle moves up from 19.7 to 21.1 degrees).
Under the hood, Subaru carries up the 2.5-liter “boxer” flat-4 engine from the other premium models (the Base is fitted with a 2.0-liter variant). The naturally aspirated gasoline-fed powerplant develops 182 hp and 178 lb-ft of torque, sent through the company’s Lineartronic CVT. As with nearly all Subaru models (the exception is the BRZ sports coupe), all-wheel drive is standard. To enhance the Wilderness, the engineers installed a revised differential gear ratio and retuned the CVT to give it a bit more low-end grunt and optimize traction at low speeds and on slick surfaces. Thanks to the gearbox tuning and the addition of a transmission cooler on only this trim, the towing rating goes up to 3,500 lbs.
As with other Crosstrek models, the Wilderness features Subaru’s driver-selectable dual-function X-MODE with driver-selectable Snow/Dirt and Deep Snow/Mud modes—each optimizes the engine, CVT, all-wheel drive, and Vehicle Dynamics Control with Traction Control System to maximize traction for the varying conditions. While the Wilderness is not engineered for black diamond rock crawling on the Rubicon trail, X-MODE includes Low Speed/Low Ratio Gradient Control that automatically senses steep inclines and shifts the CVT into its lowest ratio (4.066:1) for crawling—almost mimicking a low-range transfer case. (The X-MODE display also features a clever Roll-Angle Indicator to help the driver judge potentially hazardous situations—I’m betting self-preservation convinces the driver to back off before the gauge does). Hill Descent Control and Active Torque Vectoring are also standard.
As the range-topping variant, the Wilderness Crosstrek generally mirrors the upscale appointments on the Limited trim. Equipment includes a standard Subaru STARLINK 11.6-inch Multimedia Plus infotainment system with a high-res touchscreen. It features wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto (a wireless phone charger in the center console, thus eliminating the need for wires), Bluetooth, AM/FM audio, SiriusXM, HD Radio, and more. The infotainment screen is fully integrated into the vehicle, allowing audio, climate, and many vehicle functions to be performed with physical buttons, or the digital interface—that’s handy.
Subaru has also established a reputation for active and passive safety. The Wilderness, like all Crosstrek models, features the company’s camera-based EyeSight Driver Assist Technology, which includes Advanced Adaptive Cruise Control, Pre-Collision Braking, Pre-Collision Throttle Management, Lane Departure and Sway Warning, Blind-Spot Detection with Lane Change Assist, Rear Cross-Traffic Alert, Reverse Automatic Braking, and Lead Vehicle Start Alert. The Wilderness also comes standard with Automatic Emergency Steering, which helps avoid collisions at urban speeds.
The vehicle I tested was a 2025 Subaru Crosstrek Wilderness (base price $32,610) equipped with just about every option—it was loaded. The options included a power moonroof, 10-way power driver seat, Harman Kardon 10-speaker audio, auto-dimming mirrors, an interior LED upgrade, and accented interior liners. The total MSRP (including $1,420 destination) was $37,258.
It’s hard to fault the Crosstrek Wilderness regarding packaging and exterior styling. It’s a smart-looking compact crossover even in base trim, and the Wilderness wheels, ride height, cladding, and copper accents do a nice job elevating its appearance—it looks rugged and off-road capable even while standing still. With its water-resistant upholstery and rubber floor mats, the interior drives the “let’s go on an adventure” theme home.
My six-foot two-inch frame fits well in the driver’s seat—kudos to Subaru for offering the upgraded driver’s seat with lumbar support, as it feels supportive and comfortable. It’s too bad that the front passenger seat isn’t the same (it’s a shame that most Japanese and Korean automakers don’t mirror the driver and front passenger seat). I can fit in the second row, theoretically behind myself, but my knees are pressing into the seatback—it’s not uncomfortable. Three adults in the second row would be tight. The cargo area is big enough to hold a half-dozen overhead-sized suitcases, and the split-fold (40:60) help with versatility.
On the road, the Crosstrek Wilderness drives very well. One would expect that all-terrain tires and a raised ride height would compromise driving dynamics—introducing road noise and making handling sloppy—but the Yokohama rubber is surprisingly quiet (and the increased sidewall height helps absorb/insulate from impacts). Handling isn’t as sharp as it is with the non-Wilderness models, as the most off-road capable Crosstrek responds slow and methodically to steering inputs. It’s safe and stable, yet not sporty by anyone’s definition.
On that note, nobody should expect a vehicle fitted with a naturally-aspirated four-cylinder and a CVT to be fast—the 0 to 60 mph sprint takes about 8.6 seconds, according to those who test acceleration. While leisurely, and about a half-second slower than the Limited trim, it’s on-par for the segment. That said, acceleration off the line is just fine as the Wilderness pulls off the line and into traffic without drama. There wasn’t anything subpar about the driving dynamics. The expansive exterior mirrors and steering-responsive LED headlights are excellent.
The Crosstrek Wilderness delivers on everything it promises, plus more. The compact crossover is comfortable, impressively capable, mechanically rugged, and the interior is configured to handle passengers with wet coats and muddy boots—that’s nice. Crosstrek owners have also noted strong reliability (the lack of a turbocharger helps) and excellent resale value down the road.
If you seek a reliable trail-capable compact crossover with concise packaging, abundant creature comforts, a comprehensive suite of safety systems, and impressive resale value—and sporty driving dynamics are low on your list—you can’t go wrong with the 2025 Subaru Crosstrek Wilderness. It’s high on my recommended list.