The redesigned 2026 Subaru Forester Wilderness clambered up a rutted rocky trail in the peaks surrounding Mt. Adams, the second-highest peak after Mt. Rainier in Washington’s volcanic Cascade Range. It articulated and compressed, redirected torque to the wheel with the most grip, and did the things expected of this even more off-road-capable version of the new Forester SUV. Then we drove it one more tick up to a bald top ravaged by wind, where bullet casings and shotgun shells outnumbered the rocks.
“You should have seen it this weekend,” our guide said, his British accent tinged with wry wit. “It was a celebration of America.”
Gunfire filled the range. Giant side-by-sides festooned with political flags rippled through the valley. Pickup trucks doubled as base camps. Shredded beer cans and spent casings were all that remained. Somehow, the second iteration of the Forester Wilderness felt right at home.
The Wilderness trim line tells a story. The sub-brand was launched with the 2021 Outback and followed by the 2022 Forester, and has since expanded to the Crosstrek. It was and continues to be a response to other automakers trying to out-Subaru Subaru with their own off-road adjacent trim lines. Rock Creek. Timberline. Woodland. XRT. X-Pro. TrailSport. Jeep may have started it with the Trailhawk, but you get the vibe. Most, if not all of them, sport plenty of black plastic cladding and possibly some all-terrain tires. Does the Wilderness mean, then, that Subaru is trying to out-Subaru itself?
The biggest difference with Subaru’s off-road line compared to rivals are actual mechanical changes. For the 2026 Forester Wilderness, the already significant ground clearance rises from 8.7 to 9.3 inches. Revised bumpers improve approach, departure, and breakover angles. It adopts drivetrain enhancements such as a shorter final drive ratio for more torque and a larger rear differential for better traction; it adds skid plates, has more cladding protection, rolls on 17-inch black wheels with all-terrain tires, and it has two hooks front and rear; it has a full-size spare, increased towing capacity to 3,500 pounds, and raised roof rails with an 800-pound static capacity (176-pound dynamic). These are significant updates that make the Forester even more capable off-road. So, yes, the Wilderness out-Subarus Subaru, along with its compact crossover rivals.
That appears to matter to Subaru intenders. Wilderness trims have a 15-20% take rate across the model line, according to Subaru, and continue to grow. Those buyers skew younger and more adventuresome in the theoretical world of surveys. They’re living the Subaru brand image.
The 2026 Subaru Forester adopted this approach from the outset. Unlike the last iteration, the 2025 Forester was redesigned with a Wilderness model in mind. It builds off all the improvements to the sixth-generation, including a revised 180-hp, 2.5-liter flat-four engine with more readily available torque, an all-wheel drive system with a quicker differential lock, sharper dual-pinion power steering, a stiffer chassis, and more sound deadening. The most notable change was the overdue but welcome introduction of the 2025 Subaru Forester Hybrid.
The updates benefit the Wilderness, out of town and into the high country. Even on 17-inch wheels with wider 235-mm all-terrain tires (from 225 mm), the sound deadening isolated the cabin from outside noise. The 2.5-liter flat-four makes 180 hp and 178 lb-ft of torque (down from 182 hp and 176 lb-ft in the 2024 Forester), but peak torque comes on quicker at 3,700 instead of 4,400 rpm. There’s more power for passing moves, and though it’s never quick, it gets the job done. The Forester Wilderness and its continuously variable automatic transmission come with paddle shifters that mimic an 8-speed automatic so you can dial up more torque in anticipation of a move. The Forester Hybrid is smoother and punchier, and my preferred powertrain.
Most notably, the Forester Wilderness comes standard with Subaru’s new 12.3-inch digital instrument cluster. It’s a welcome leap for Subaru, with video game-like graphics, three display settings, and a dynamic vehicle info function. It makes the 11.6-inch touchscreen feel antiquated. Native navigation comes with Apple Maps, which is fine, but the camera projections are limited to the top half of the vertical orientation. Click the X-Mode button to activate two different snow/mud modes that provide more torque at low speeds, and a front camera projection comes on, which is great for the trails. Multiple angles and parking guidelines when in reverse would help when towing up to 3,500 pounds (thanks in part to a new transmission cooler), but it would be better if it took up the full real estate of the screen. That tow capacity is the highest ever on a Forester, Subaru notes. The old Wilderness was rated at 3,000 pounds, and non-Wilderness models are rated at 1,500 pounds.
Another notable interior change to all 2026 Foresters is a redesigned center console with a slimmer gear shifter placed closer to the driver. The result? What all Americans want: bigger cupholders. The wireless smartphone charger standard on the Wilderness is also easier to access. As in Foresters of yore, the outward vision from the tall and broad greenhouse is outstanding, allowing one to soak up the Columbia River Gorge or rush-hour traffic.
Off the highway and onto the curving roads leading up to the mountains, the Forester Wilderness can’t escape its taller ride height. It wobbles like a Weeble, but it’s not meant for canyon carving. It’s intended for—and succeeds at—canyon climbing.
At a significant pitch, the Forester Wilderness scrambled over some loose rock, then momentarily got lodged between them. Steady on the throttle and with one front wheel barely touching the ground, the torque shifted to the rear wheels, and it rocked forward and out in a second. Other soft-roaders would’ve been grounded. It traversed the deep rutted grooves carved out by earth-spitting side-by-sides, splashed deep puddles in stride, and at the onset of the ascent, it scraped past bush and bramble, with the nearly foot-high rocker cladding protecting the tester’s Autumn Green Metallic coat.
The Wilderness slots under the top Limited and Touring trims of the 2026 Forester, costing $39,835 with destination. That’s $3,400 more than the Forester Hybrid, which I would prefer since I don’t venture out to Firing Range Peak on a regular basis. But with the Wilderness, I’d be more inclined to, and that’s pretty much the point.
Subaru provided The Drive with travel, accommodations, and access to the vehicle for the purpose of writing this review.
The Forester Wilderness encourages you to get lost.
Car Buying Service
By James Gilboy
By Caleb Jacobs
