2022 Subaru Forester Wilderness

Already popular with the outdoorsy crowd, the Subaru Forester’s new Wilderness variant will likely win over still more fans. Based on the familiar compact Forester crossover, the Wilderness variant adds hardware upgrades that make it more capable when driving conditions turn dicey on and off the pavement. The changes include a beefed-up suspension that bumps ground clearance to a respectable 9-plus inches and tires with a more aggressive tread to help navigate rough trails. Other notable features include a front skid plate, extensive protective body cladding, a fullsize spare tire, and a front-view camera. The Forester offers good value based on its abundant room for passengers, its good visibility, plus standard features like its improved EyeSight suite of driver-assistance features, all-wheel drive, LED headlights, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone integration, and automatic climate control. That said, its 2.5-liter 4-cylinder Boxer engine (182 hp) and CVT transmission are loud and feel underpowered in everyday driving. The steering and overall handling lack sharpness, with excessive body roll in turns, and the infotainment system could use updating.