2024 Subaru Crosstrek Wilderness: 5 good and bad things

Subaru seems to be giving the Wilderness treatment to all its SUVs. With the redesign for the 2024 model year, the Crosstrek is the latest Wilderness model. We had the chance to push it through its paces – both on and off road – during a recent trek to Utah, and this little SUV is both capable and comfortable.

For the $32k price point and the compact size, the 2024 Subaru Crosstrek Wilderness might just be my favorite of the highly cladded off-road-focused models. But as with every vehicle, there are both good and bad things. So, let’s dig into my five favorite things – and five things that could use some attention.

5 good things

First up, I really like the 2.5-liter Boxer engine. I know a lot of people are pining for the turbo, but this direct-injection 4-cylinder model does quite well for itself – especially with such a small package. It delivers 182 horsepower and 178 pound-feet of torque, which is plenty.

Also on the good side is going to be the fact the off-road capability doesn’t come at the expense of on-road handling. The Yokohama Geolander all-terrain tires are certainly grippy in dirt and mud, but they still have nice road manners, and you don’t hear a lot of crazy tire noise leaking into the cabin on the highway.

Rounding out the top five, I loved the excellent seat comfort – even after 6 hours sitting in them,  the interior materials are easy-to-clean, and the gold/bronze accents on the Wilderness model add a nice pop of color.

5 bad things

In terms of the bad things, I’d say there are four minor things and then one biggie that has the potential to be a dealbreaker for those who are truly taking the Crosstrek Wilderness off road.

So, let’s start with the first three that are small but annoying things: there is no heated steering wheel option, the graphics on the infotainment system are super outdated, and the cup holders kind of suck.

The fourth thing, no navigation option, is mostly mitigated through the use of maps in Apple CarPlay or Android Auto. But here’s the problem: If you’re going off road, you’ll probably lose cell service, and Apple or Google maps won’t do diddly in those circumstances.

Finally, the potential dealbreaker: The Crosstrek Wilderness doesn’t have a front camera. There isn’t even the option of one. I found several times during our off-road excursion that it would have been helpful to have that camera to know where to place my wheels when coming down off of an ascent or articulation. But I didn’t die, and I didn’t hurt the Crosstrek, so maybe it’s not as big of deal as I think it is. (Is it?)

The bottom line

No vehicle is absolutely perfect. So, you have to look at the whole picture and decide what could be a potential dealbreaker and what you can live with. If you go off road a lot, the lack of a front camera and navigation could be a problem. Then again, what other vehicles at this price point them?

Overall, the 2024 Subaru Crosstrek Wilderness is a nice and affordable package with just the right amount of features.