Looking for improvement and more diversity, Subaru redesigned its small crossover SUV this year and added a more appealing off-road option.
Welcome in the 2024 Subaru Crosstrek Wilderness, a rugged version of the popular Crosstrek that will make off-road excursions more adventurous with its many additions from the standard SUV. If price is an issue, note the base model Crosstrek starts at around $25,200 and the Wilderness is approximately $31,800.
The Wilderness sports a different look with its copper accents on both the interior and exterior. It has standard rubber floor mats that make it easier to clean following a day of off-roading. It also has a roof rack with a 700-pound load capacity. There’s a half inch more ground clearance (9.5 inches), 17-inch black wheels with all-terrain tires, and revised suspension and transmission tuning.
What also differentiates the Wilderness from the regular Crosstrek is its rugged bumpers, thicker body cladding and a front skid plate to protect the engine. And speaking of engines, the Wilderness has upgraded cooling power to keep it from running too hot. One other difference is an increase to 3,500 towing – 2,000 more than a typical Crosstrek.
This year’s Crosstrek was hailed by the company for its full redesign. But what we quickly discovered is the overall changes aren’t that impactful. And the company did nothing to address its most glaring weakness – performance. There’s still no V6 engine available.
The redesign includes an improved chassis, updated interior, minor exterior changes, improved infotainment system and safety technology. We would characterize the list of changes as uninspiring.
However, considering its history, did the Crosstrek need substantial changes? Since being introduced 11 years ago, the SUV has enjoyed excellent sales. Subaru has sold 110,000 or more Crosstreks the past seven years, including an all-time high of 159,193 in 2023.
The Wilderness is equipped with the larger of the two Crosstrek engines, a 2.5-liter, four-cylinder that generates 182 horsepower (30 more hp than standard model) and 178 pound-feet of torque. Yet like virtually all Subaru vehicles, the Wilderness is rather sluggish, going 0-60 mph in 8.2 seconds. Fuel economy is an estimated 26-33 mpg.
AT A GLANCE – 2024 SUBARU CROSSTREK WILDERNESS
- Performance: 2.5-liter, four-cylinder, 182 horsepower
- Mileage estimate: 26-33 mpg
- Price estimate: $31,800
- Warranty: 3 years/36,000 miles; drivetrain: 5 years/60,000 miles; roadside assistance: 3 years/36,000; corrosion: 3 years/60,000
In normal driving situations, all versions of the Crosstrek handle well and navigate efficiently in small spaces like tight parking lots. The steering is communicative and gives the driver a confident feel for the road.
Standard driver safety assistance features include forward collision warning with automatic braking, blind-spot and rear cross-traffic warning, lane departure mitigation, lane centering system, pedestrian and cyclist detection, evasive-steering assist, automatic high-beam headlights, and adaptive cruise control.
We feel the Crosstrek interior is bland and lacks cutting edge technology. Tech has never been Subaru’s strong suit, and the Crosstrek isn’t changing that perception. But the SUV is highly functional due to its clean layout. The Wilderness has a larger 11.6-inch touchscreen that’s intuitive and incorporates easy-to-access buttons.
Up front, the seating is spacious and comfortable, with good head and leg room. The second row is not as comfortable, yet it’s suitable for two adults. The Wilderness cargo area is slightly larger than the standard Crosstrek, measuring 20 cubic feet behind the rear seats and 54.9 cubes with the second row folded down.
If off-roading is a major factor in the decision making and cost is not a significant issue, the choice here would be going with the new rugged 2024 Subaru Crosstrek Wilderness.
Weidel on Wheels is featured regularly on www.tahoeskiworld.com. Auto writer Jeffrey Weidel can be reached at skiweidel@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter at @jeffweidel.
