Road Test: 2022 Subaru Outback Wilderness
Rugged But Civil
Subaru says the 2022 Outback Wilderness is the “Most capable Outback in history.” This five-seat station wagon/SUV slots in the upper end of Subaru SUV line-up, which is, smallest-to-largest: Crosstrek, Forester, Solterra, Outback and Ascent. But the Wilderness isn’t just an appearance package. Far from it. Upgrades from the Outback Base, Premium and Limited models touch the engine, transmission, suspension, towing capacity, ground clearance, tires and even the seat coverings.
Propulsion
2022 Outback Wilderness has a turbocharged 2.4-liter 4-cylinder boxer engine putting out 260 horsepower and 277 pound-feet of torque. The EPA has rated fuel economy at 22 mpg city/26 highway/24 combined.
The Lineartronic continuously variable transmission (CVT) has driver-selectable drive modes, and paddle shifters that allow it to manually go through the eight simulated gears. Ratios are lower for the Outback Wilderness. The Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive system includes the driver-selectable dual-function advanced X-Mode, which optimizes the engine performance and CVT gear ratio based on off-road driving needs. More on X-Mode below.
Driving Experience: On Road
The Subaru Outback Wilderness is a tall station wagon or small SUV that was remarkably comfortable for highway cruising, but with no compromises for off-road functionality. The Outback Wilderness is pleasantly smooth and easy to drive on the open highway, with acceptable wind and road noise. The suspension and Yokohama Geolander all-terrain 225/65 tires, mounted on 17-inch aluminum alloy wheels, were well-matched as there is always a fear all-terrain tires would make for a loud or rough ride, but the opposite was the case. The taller sidewalls allowed for additional cushioning by soaking-up road imperfections, making for a pleasing ride.
When encountering tighter twisties, the active torque vectoring, vehicle dynamics and traction control helped put needed power to the correct wheel at the correct time. On the fastest corners body roll was barely noticeable so there were no issues feeling planted, and the 3,929-pound Outback Wilderness never felt heavy or unbalanced. The speed-sensitive electric power steering was too light at low speeds, but tightened up as speeds increased. When at the dealership make sure to check-out the tight turning radius.
The Outback Wilderness had auto hold, but this desired feature was buried three pages deep in the center screen, so activating it was inconvenient and slow. A simple toggle or button on the center console would be a big improvement.
The stop/start was the roughest we have experienced in a long time, with the engine restarting with a bump at the least and a jolt at the worse. Subaru should drive some of its competitors’ cars and then reprogram the system.
Driving Experience: Off-Road
Clean Fleet Report was only able to take the Outback Wilderness on some less-than-challenging off-roading, which was a shame. For a comparison, we did have the opportunity to drive the 2022 Subaru Forester Wilderness (smaller and lighter than the Outback Wilderness) through the Oregon mountains on some loose rocks and gravel, washboard roads and even deep ruts. When selecting the X-Mode setting, we had confidence on any surface we encountered, using the drive settings of Snow/Dirt and Deep Snow/Mud. The added reassurance of engaging hill descent control made dropping down a steep hill a breeze.
If you live in an area where snow covers your roads, or you are the more adventuresome type that treks into the real outback, the Outback Wilderness will handle most of your rough road driving needs. To assist in the off-pavement driving, the Outback Wilderness comes with a roll-angle indicator that shows the vehicle’s pitch, and a 180-degree front view monitor that gives a wide view of the road surface, rocks and other obstacles.
The Outback Wilderness has a 3,500-pound tow rating that comes with a transmission cooler and trailer stability assist. As a true off-road vehicle, the Outback Wilderness comes with a full-size spare tire.
Driving Experience: Exterior
With 9.5 inches of ground clearance, an approach angle of 20.0 degrees, a departure angle of 23.6 degrees and a ramp breaker angle of 21.2 inches, the Outback Wilderness looks off-road capable just standing still. Subaru is serious about keeping the paint free from scratches with the over-wheel brush guard body cladding, also found along the lower body. Underside protection is provided by an engine skid plate, and the rugged grille and front and rear bumpers mean business for going off-road.
The LED head, daytime running and fog lights, anodized copper accents, an anti-glare matte-black hood insert, black window trim, beefy roof rails, heated and power outside mirrors, lack of chrome and the bespoke badges set the style for the Outback Wilderness.
The roof rails have been moved outward to accommodate a three-person roof-mounted tent that can hold up to 700 pounds when parked, 220 pounds when in motion. Whether camping, kayaking, skiing, SUP or just backroad adventuring, the Outback Wilderness is designed to get you there. A keen eye will spot Outback Wilderness Easter Eggs.
Driving Experience: Interior
Thin A-pillars and tall windows provide excellent forward and side visibility. However, when positioned just right, the seat back, headrest and B-pillar created a large visual barrier on the right side. Good thing the Outback Wilderness comes with a choice of front, side and rear camera angles.
The fully optioned Outback Wilderness has an exclusive interior design featuring StarTex trimmed upholstery, which repels water. Along with the rubber rear cargo mat, cleaning up after a dirty outing to the mountains or the beach will be easy.
The interior design isn’t the most modern, but details such as aluminum alloy pedal covers, gunmetal metallic finish and anodized copper interior accents, copper stitching on dash, door panel armrests, console and simulated leather shift lever boot give it a good look. The Outback Wilderness embossed logo on the all-weather floor mats is a nice touch.
The power adjustable and heated front seats (with the Subaru Wilderness logo embossed in the headrests) get a thumbs-up for providing welcome support for long road trips or when going off-road. The rear seating area is comfortable for two adults–three in a pinch–and can easily accommodate child safety seats. The power moonroof was a welcome option as was that removable rubber mat in the rear cargo area. We suspect many owners will drop the 60/40 second row heated rear seats to increase the cargo space so storing all their gear will be possible for two adventurers.
Entertainment and Safety
The 11.6-inch color touch screen was home to the 6-speaker audio system that houses the StarLink in-vehicle technology with voice-activated Tom Tom navigation and multimedia systems of SiriusXM/AM/FM HD radio/CD, with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. USB ports and 12V outlets front and rear complete the connectivity options. Many of the functions on the Outback Wilderness are only accessed through the touchscreen, which can be slow at times. On the next redesign, adding buttons, switches and knobs will reward the Subaru faithful customer for their loyalty.
The 2022 Subaru Outback Wilderness comes with front, seat-mounted and full side airbags, along with curtain airbags with a rollover sensor, and a driver-side knee airbag. The EyeSight Driver Assist system are part of the advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) that includes advanced adaptive cruise control with lane centering, automatic pre-collision braking and throttle management, lane departure prevention, reverse automatic braking, blind spot detection and rear cross traffic alert.
Additional safety and convenience features include automatic climate control, front and rear vision camera, push button start/stop, power windows, remote keyless entry, leather-wrapped steering wheel with audio and Bluetooth control switches, a tire pressure monitoring system and 4-wheel disc anti-lock brakes.
Pricing and Warranties
The 2022 Outback Wilderness has a base price of $38,120, including the $1,125 destination and delivery charge.
All 2022 Outbacks come with these warranties.
- Basic – Three years/36,000 miles
- Powertrain – Five years/60,000 miles
- Rust Perforation – Five years/Unlimited Miles
- Roadside Assistance – Three years/36,000 miles
Observations: 2022 Subaru Outback Wilderness
The Wilderness package is now available on the Outback and Forester, giving adventurers two different sizes of off-road capability. Its unique look gives a sense of confidence, whether it’s on- or off-road driving.
Single or a married couple, it doesn’t matter, maybe even with small kids, the Outback Wilderness will take you where you want to go when leaving the comfort of paved roads. Subaru has a long history of rallying, so they know how to make rugged vehicles.
Most dealers will not allow your test drive to include off-roading, but unless you are planning on doing serious rock crawling, you shouldn’t be disappointed with the 2022 Subaru Outback Wilderness.
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Story by John Faulkner. Photos by John Faulkner and Subaru.
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Disclosure:
Clean Fleet Report is loaned free test vehicles from automakers to evaluate, typically for a week at a time. Our road tests are based on this one-week drive of a new vehicle. Because of this we don’t address issues such as long-term reliability or total cost of ownership. In addition, we are often invited to manufacturer events highlighting new vehicles or technology. As part of these events we may be offered free transportation, lodging or meals. We do our best to present our unvarnished evaluations of vehicles and news irrespective of these inducements.
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