The 2023 Subaru Forester Wilderness is a beefier, more off-road-worthy version of their competitive crossover.
The 2023 Subaru Forester Wilderness builds on the already solid reputation the Forster cultivated for over two decades. Even in its earliest form, back in 1998, the Subaru Forster offered a combination of utilitarian packaging, all-wheel drive (AWD) capability and just a hint of fun. I should know, my fiancé and I bought one in 1999 as a 2000 model. It lasted through the early days of marriage, and children – in Colorado. It’s still one of my top-ten favorites out of a multitude of vehicles I’ve owned.
Subaru sold over 100,000 Foresters in North America, back in 2022. That’s about 1/3 of the top seller’s (Toyota RAV4) number, but respectable nonetheless. It is also rated as one of the safest vehicles in its class, with top numbers from the NHTSA and IIHS. In addition, the Forester is well regarded for its economy and reliability.
I sound like a fanboy, don’t I? Well, check it out for yourself on the all-knowing internet, and you’ll see why it’s so popular. Still, there were a lot of things Subaru needed to do to make the Forester a more compelling package.
The only engine available is a 182 horsepower boxer four-cylinder that makes 176 lb-ft of torque. It gets an impressive (for a non-hybrid) 26 mpg city and 33 mpg highway. All of this is paired up to a beefed-up continuously variable transmission (CVT) that comes from the larger Subaru Ascent. This combined with the new X-Mode, meatier tires and a higher stance help it in the rough.
We rarely have opportunities to drive Subarus, especially off-road. We’re lucky enough to have fans that own these cars, and one reached out to us. In this video, Tommy takes it on the rollers, and our onX off-road course!
