2025 Subaru Crosstrek Wilderness vs. Forester Wilderness | Side by Side Comparison Review

[@jadewulf3625]

Love my CTW. Adequate cargo space for my needs, fits in garage perfectly, can reach the roof easily to tie down kayaks. Personally like the look better and love the 11.3” touch screen over the FW split screens.

[@Jay-bw3fl]

Drove both and 100% preferred the forester for the head room, seating position and it doesn’t have as much road noise but I ended up leaving in an Outback premium lol the value was just a lot better for me on the Outback premium than the wilderness CT Aand Forester and it’s the best riding and quietest of all 3. Super happy with it. Love Subaru can’t go wrong with either!

[@jeremythebeer8609]

Great video. We've loved our 2014 CrossTrek as it has been a great car for Ontario, Canada. Love the look of the new Wilderness packages. We are now leaning towards the Forester just for the squared-off rear-end. The Outback is a bit too much. I wished Subaru kept the manual transmissions.

[@CoachSeanP]

Thanks for these awesome videos. We recently bought the 2025 Outback Wilderness and have really enjoyed it so far. I’d love to hear your comparison and opinion on the 2025 Forester vs Honda CRV if you ever have time. Keep this great content coming! Thanks for sharing your passion with us.

[@AutomotiveAnonymous208]

I really appreciate you deciding to watch my videos! And congrats on the 2025 OBW, I’m sure you’re going to enjoy it! I definitely miss the one I use to own. That’s a great comparison idea, If the opportunity arises I’d love to make that video. It’s been over a year since I’ve driven the new generation CR-V. I rarely find those at any of my connections. 🤪

[@amagtibay1]

Full spare tire on the Forester Wilderness. That's a mike drop...

[@ronkemperful]

Does one want an SUV or a car-like posture and access might be a determining factor. A passenger car wagon that is jacked up off the ground with a slightly reclined and relaxed seating position, or a vehicle with a more natural (for me) seating position. That is why I would have trouble in my old age with back trouble in considering a traditional car seating position.

[@wildbill23c]

Seating position is the least of the problems, having to crawl in and fall out of a damn car is ridiculous, they sit way too low and you have terrible visibility because of how high most other types of vehicles sit anymore you can't see anything sitting down in a car.

[@dennisjanwolterding384]

I have the 2023 Subaru Forester Wilderness. It is fantastic. The Crosstrek is too small for me.

[@KD-lb9bg]

I’ve been waiting on this one ☝️ since you mentioned it a couple of days ago, thanks. Now, let’s go. Excellent video which solidifies the choice for me. I’ll definitely take the Forester between these two.

[@AutomotiveAnonymous208]

Haha yeah, I figured since I mentioned this one I would post it today and I’ll wait a few more days to release the Crosstrek Wilderness vs. Outback Wilderness video I also filmed to have one more modern and final comparison.

[@KD-lb9bg]

@ That will be great because I’m also entertaining the possibility of snagging a 2025 Outback Wilderness before the generational change for the 2026 model year. I’m not too fond of the images I’ve seen of the upcoming 2026 Outbacks.

[@danielroberto9183-w8j]

Thank you AA for the info on the extra features on the Crosstrek Wilderness pver the Limted. It hardly justifies getting a Wilderness over a Limtied unless you do some offroading. As for the Forester Wilderness, almost 40,000 for a good suv, slightly taller than the regular Forester, in its last year prior to the redesign, with a lazy infotaintment system seems not a good deal. This isn't a Wrangler and it can do only light offroading, Let's not fall into SOA image projection tactics of venturing into the wild and love slogan.. The Sport Forester will do very nicely and is considerably less expensive than the Wilderness, and even the Touring. What one gives up is rather not worth paying thowsands more either for the W. or the T. Just my opinion. I notice that Subaru is getting very pricey. In 2026 the Outback W will come in three trims and will for for $39000, $41,000 $45,000. Prices are inching up indeed.

[@wildbill23c]

Every vehicle out there has gotten pricy....the cost of everything has gone way up, which includes all the parts and pieces to build vehicles, so the cost of the car is certainly going to go up. The problem is many of our paychecks haven't gone up nearly enough to even break even in this mess....let alone even considering buying a new vehicle, can't even afford used ones at this point as they're priced sky high too and most of them you run across have several expensive problems making the vehicle not worth buying in the first place, let alone the price. Your right its not a Wrangler, and glad its not, the Wrangler is the most over-hyped vehicle on the road, and isn't very good at a lot of things, its only good at one thing, and that's trail use, on-road they suck, and on-road is where most people spend the majority of their driving time, making the wrangler the very bottom of the list for vehicles I'd ever care to own.

[@ConfirmedPatriot]

Are they still building the Forester Wilderness this year ? or are they just gonna stop production and start producing the '26 Forester Wilderness later this yearish.

[@Jay-bw3fl]

They’re still pumping them out but they’re 2024s

[@AutomotiveAnonymous208]

I know the hybrid Foresters should be coming out in 3 months from now, but I have no clue on the Wilderness trim level.

[@danz0007]

Price on both is ridiculous , why did you not add in the Outback wilderness for comparison?

[@AutomotiveAnonymous208]

I have an old video showing all 3 Wilderness trim levels side by side. And then one more Wilderness comparison Crosstrek vs. Outback. Thanks for watching!

[@wildbill23c]

Well the plan to purchase the Outback Wilderness quickly ended this afternoon, by the time the dealer got done adding all their nonsense stuff the price way way too high for my budget, and with the dismal interest rate it pushed the monthly payment way too high, and they don't want to give anything for trade in, and don't care to deal with all the BS from listing a vehicle for sale myself, so I ended up walking away, I will keep what I have that's paid for, and hope the ridiculous vehicle prices come back down to earth in the next few years....a monthly car payment is almost the same as a set of tires its ridiculous, and the moment you sign papers your car has depreciated by about half. I was hoping for a new car, but not gonna happen with the way vehicle prices are and the current market interest rates....too bad they don't pay that same interest rate on my savings account.

[@AutomotiveAnonymous208]

Dang, I’m sorry to hear that. Do you think you’d consider a used one? Mine at 3 years and 44k miles sold for 15k less than new at 26k. I’m sure you could find a clean 2 year old example for 30k. And most Wilderness owners seem to baby their ride and not abuse them from what I see. Best of luck!

[@wildbill23c]

@@AutomotiveAnonymous208 I inquired about a certified pre-owned model....they have an Outback for $35k, and a Forester for $34k....way out of my monthly payment budget and not willing to buy anything that doesn't have a warranty. For their used car prices and no warranty its ridiculous....I'll just drive what I already own until they die, then buy an E-bike.

[@gibblespascack1418]

Can you get it without the large clunky plastic cladding?

[@AutomotiveAnonymous208]

Nope. I haven’t heard of anyone taking it off from the factory, I’d maybe talk to the dealer about that as a constituent on purchasing one. I’m not sure if the cladding is glued or pinned or held on another way and if there’s paint underneath. 😬

[@mateobeans3787]

I’m going over this decision now………😂

[@AutomotiveAnonymous208]

Good luck in whatever you decide!!

[@jonsilver5833]

Forester wins I’ll take rear vents over 500 pounds extra towing on a car that you would never tow with

[@keithbrown9512]

I tow with my 24 FW all the time. I agree with you though for if you do tow one won't need anymore than 3,000 lb towing capacity.

[@briandavis8139]

Absolutely love our 24 FW. I pushed 13 inches of snow with it getting out of our driveway and out our road never spun a wheel! The extra room in the forester was the difference for us

[@AutomotiveAnonymous208]

That’s awesome! 😎