Off-Road Tested: Kia Telluride X-Pro vs. Subaru Forester Wilderness | Just an Appearance Package?

We know, we know: The Kia Telluride and Subaru Forester are different classes of SUV and not directly comparable. But that’s not the point of this comparison test! In this video, we put these two family SUVs’ off-road trims - the Telluride X-Pro and the Forester Wilderness - to the test to see if they really do bring added capability or if they’re just gussied-up appearance packages.
Kia Telluride pricing & review: edmu.in/3Qx1VKo
Subaru Forester pricing & review: edmu.in/3DPqTjL
00:00 Intro
01:56 Sand Wash
04:38 Ziggurat of Integrity
06:23 Whoops
08:23 Up-Hill Traction
10:28 Hill Climb
12:32 Pricing
13:19 Edmunds' Take
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[@edmundscars]

Did the off-road trimmed family vehicles surprise you with their performance? And what other “off-roadish” trims would you like to see us try? Let us know in the comments!

[@tastytreats6195]

Would love to see a "trail" variant of any of these SUVs vs the regular trim of the same vehicle to see how each compare off road.

[@trxmigz450]

No mention of having open differentials and the absence of traction control to send power to the wheel with traction by braking the spinning wheel. Usually Edmund’s reviews are more thorough than this one was.

[@Holtenstein]

Bought the Subaru wilderness. I’ve taken it off road at least four times still have less than 6000 miles on it with aftermarket skid plates.

[@roberterickson6331]

The outback wilderness it would have done better I believe

[@Holtenstein]

@@roberterickson6331 Actually the Forester climbs better. Different transmission. Check out Sarah N Tuned's Reviews. The foresters climbs where the outback couldn't. However, the engine is better in the Outback but the Forester, WRX, and Crosstrek are built in Japan.

[@mov744]

I don't understand how the Telluride fails two tests and struggles through the other tests yet you praise it to be on par with the Forester Wilderness in terms of off-roading abilities even though the Forester passed all the tests and had the superior approach angle. The Telluride X-Pro is almost nearly appearance package only asides from the A/T tires and I doubt most of the X-Pros sold will ever be pushed like it was in this video.

[@stevenkim9637]

Perhaps because telluride is a much bigger vehicle? There’s no doubt wilderness anything is going to be better in off road condition, but the the bronco or wrangler is going to be better than wilderness in those situations. Overall packaging, telluride is closer to ascent than a forester so it’s not an Apple to Apple comparison. In real world I’m sure telluride has more comfortable ride, roomy and more power for highway cruising and more practicality. But then forester would be a lot more affordable with better gas mileage.

[@tg0003bpa]

Cause sponsers

[@genesishep]

​@@stevenkim9637An Ascent Wilderness....Hmmm 🤔 I bet it would also do better than the KIA. KIA owner BTW. To be for KIA hasn't put real effort into building a truly capable utility vehicle so its to be expected. At some point they will put some effort into it.

[@Zanderthelab]

The X-pro was barely even used lmao

[@OneOfEightBillion]

Exactly what I was thinking, it was pretty much no contest and the long wheel base thing, really? There's a reason why short wheelbase vehicles like Jeeps are capable off-road and why limos aren't 🤣

[@joshuatwhaley]

Funny story, a few months ago we took my 23 Outback Wilderness on an old forest road up here in the PNW, and when we made it to about the final four miles of the trail the conditions deteriorated from a 2 to around a level 4... maybe 4.5. basically because of the snow melt, the trail became deep mud and ruts that had us three-wheeling most of the way down a 15% or so decline. A cocky Bronco driver coming up the other direction, told us that we won't make it the rest of the way to the end in my Subaru. Well, we did! I was completely impressed with the OBW. Is it not a Jeep or a Bronco... not by any stretch. But it did the trail, and it did it with flying colors. Now, to end the story, on our way back up we came across the same Bronco driver who was in the process of winching himself out of a rut. Yup!!!! The Subaru did a trail that got a Bronco stuck. Moral of the story... don't be a cocky jerk on the trail because it will come back to bite you in certain areas of your posterior.

[@4x4adventure_pl]

The Subaru Forester's performance in this video is a tribute to Subaru's commitment to excellence.

[@lordraiden5398]

The Forester also has crazy good aftermarket support. Wanna lift it higher you can or can go the opposite direction and give it race car handling.

[@YouTubeCensorsAndSuppresses]

Subarus will almost always get you there, maybe not as fast but still mission accomplished.

[@jameso6404]

I’m a former Jeep and 4Runner guy. Currently own an Outback wilderness and have put it to the test. Is it rock crawling? Nope. Is it handling the other 90% of trails, snows and beach? Absolutely! Overall best vehicle I have owned. Practical and capable.

[@roger3786]

... I'm 70 , have owned many 4x4s & awd and very impressed with where my stock '23 FW takes me ... the CVT does a better job than I thought it would ... nice review of both vehicles ... safe travels ...

[@MDZac2024]

Just picked up a Geyser Blue Forester Wilderness and it’s a blast. For the money, not much compares from a tech, safety, AWD, capability perspective. I think it’s a nod to the Subaru to compare a $55K (without the insane Kia dealer markup for the Telluride) SUV to a $35K SUV, and the Subaru was more capable all things considered.

[@adamblakeley5865]

Technically incorrect. AWD vehicles do not have “transfer cases.” Most if not all AWD vehicles have multi-plate clutches to shift power. Or some derivative there of. Also Kia’s “center lock” is not a lock. It’s just a suggestion to the computer modules to keep power both front and back instead of a majority to the front. However if it feels too stressed and begins to overheat it will always disengage the “lock” to avoid damage. The bronco on the other hand, has a transfer case. Which is a mechanical hard lock and will stay locked until you blow it up. It’s good to be accurate.

[@samuelisch2196]

Those multi plate clutches are literally "transferring" the power. Its just a different style but still a transfer case.

[@adamblakeley5865]

@@samuelisch2196 lots of things can “literally transfer power” does that make all of those things a transfer case?

[@TheAmigami]

The tests in this review were great, however I don’t understand how you can say that the telluride’s off road performance is similar to the Subarus. The Subaru blew it out of the water. I definitely sense some bias in this review.

[@ken8212]

Absolutely

[@martinr8278]

Agreed. Unfortunately it makes him and this test look over biased. Might not help him with his other videos. Keep it objective not subjective

[@Holtenstein]

I’ve been quite happy with my Forester wilderness. And it’s been off-roading multiple times

[@AP-cc1uw]

The Outback would have been a better comparison to the Telluride in terms of pricing and features.

[@JeffSpehar-ov1cn]

Yep. 260 hp and 9.5 in ground clearance.

[@AP-cc1uw]

@@JeffSpehar-ov1cn I have one and I think its also more solidly built, more sound insulation as well.

[@lilpeppa117G]

actually the ascent

[@AP-cc1uw]

@@lilpeppa117G either or. The Outback sort of sits alone in its own category.

[@SubieandFriends]

⁠​⁠​⁠​⁠@@lilpeppa117Gthe ascent would definitely be more of match to that telluride, unfortunately they don’t make a wilderness version of the ascent yet but it shouldn’t matter because even in regular form it offers more ground clearance then the telluride at 8.7 vs 8.4 for the telluride, as matter of fact even a base model Outback, forester, ascent and even the Crosstrek come with 8.7 inches of ground clearance in addition to having Subarus legendary and very capable symmetrical awd and xmode that will outperform the telluride in any off-road situation!!!!

[@smellybearc7411]

You know the subbie performed much better

[@genesishep]

I'm confused, was this an offroad ability test or a comfort test? This feels like a paid KIA advertisement more than a true offroading test. This is coming from a happy KIA owner but sorry the Telluride is an obvious grocery getter/people hauler. The Subie is much more at home in that environment, so much so that it might actually be even more fun with an additional lift and larger tires. Of course the tires would change how it rides on the road unless you can somehow stick with slightly larger stock brand / model sons even then. I'm sure there will be some Subaru nut out there who will do it eventually is they haven't already.

[@Dylanwade_]

this was a ton of fun to watch. I ordered a Wilderness, it will be here the 19th. I am not a huge off-road person, but i do like to adventure a bit here and there. Seems like this will be the perfect fit. Great info!

[@kjamesjr]

Just purchased mine. I get it in 5 days. How do you like the wilderness?

[@Dylanwade_]

It’s been a blast so far. The size is so perfect for me. And I’ve been getting compliments everywhere I go. I just did a 10 hour drive in it and was never uncomfortable.

[@kjamesjr]

@@Dylanwade_ Just picked it up today. It’s super nice. 10/10 would buy again.

[@tinker1148]

Wheelbase and articulation had nothing to do with the Kia not making it up that hill. It was all due to its lack of ability to transfer power from one wheel to the other.

[@ashtonb.677]

It's because he kept traction control disabled. The traction control system is what does the individual wheel braking to send power to the non-spinning wheels.

[@HyperVanilo]

Obviously Subaru can handle this challenge

[@2nd-place]

I have the Telluride X-Pro and the Outback Wilderness. You pretty much nailed it in this review. The Telluride is so much nicer and more comfortable than my Subaru. But the Outback has a better AWD system overall. I take the Outback Wilderness on fun drives to hiking spots on moderate trails, and I take the Telluride, which has more storage space, camping on light trails. They work great for those purposes. In town, the Telluride is great for hauling people, while the Outback is great for running errands with better MPG and is good for going out into a snowstorm to pick up something. The Telluride looks better and has more quirks and features and can tow A LOT more weight with a faster, more powerful engine. If I had to choose just one for my family, though, it would be the Telluride. It's just so much nicer inside. The gauge cluster is amazing with the panoramic display with the CarPlay screen on the right. Sure, it's a little less capable off road and costs more, but for 95% of what we need it for it excels. I've seen 1-2" lift spacers for the Telluride. I'm curious what that would do, along with beefier off-road tires. For the size of the tires on the Telluride, they could use a more aggressive tread. They are fairly mild for off-road. Maybe someday I put bigger tires on it. In the meantime I hope Kia continues to improve this trim. I would love to see a hybrid version someday with a real off-road package. All of these companies need to work on these "off-road" style packages. They just don't take them far enough. On the Telluride it's mainly an appearance package, although I do like that it adds a rear outlet and a transmission cooler. It's honestly not a bad deal for $1000 more over the X-Line. But the biggest thing is it doesn't have a dirt off-road mode. I think that would help here.

[@simd510]

In what way is it more comfortable than the outback?

[@TheKtay106]

@@simd510 In every way. Space, tech, seat comfort, suspension, cruising, towing, etc.

[@thearthisyours]

​@@simd510 you need to try in person. It is different class. You can see Subaru was dancing up and down, while Telluride barely shaken. It was so comfortable even on the offroad.

[@ThePhotographyHobbyist]

11:30 I'm impressed the Forester could make it up that VERY steep hill with all the loose dirt/sand and not even going very fast. I was thinking the CVT or engine would fail in this case, but again...impressed. I'm in the market for the more powerful Outback Wilderness (2.4L turbo) in a few years. Anyway, nice job, Subaru.

[@serenityinsilence]

The forester wilderness is actually better off road than the outback wilderness. The outback can’t go up as steep of obstacles because they used a different cvt transmission to handle the extra power from the turbocharged engine. The cvt for the 2.4 turbo cuts power at a lower rpm than the cvt with the 2.5 naturally aspirated engine. If you do 99.5% city/highway driving then it’s a non issue. If you plan on driving up steep obstacles or through heavy snow, the forester hands down is a better option.

[@ThePhotographyHobbyist]

Subaru claims on their website the Outback Wilderness is rated to handle 40% grades (which is about a 22% angle). I'm not sure what the grade is on the climbs in this video. Possibly steeper in some places. @@serenityinsilence

[@TheKubyk]

@@serenityinsilence But 2.4 turbo (it is twinscroll turbo, what is important) has much more power and torque in that lower RPM.

[@cramias1]

I appreciate this video for actually airing down the tires for offroad tests, I've watching a ton of these in the process of deciding to buy a subaru wilderness, and there's a weird insistence among youtube reviewers to use OEM tire pressures

[@cptpainkiller13]

89999

[@ferretsmiles]

A lot of the time they say they "forgot" the air compressor or that they dont have time.

[@cobyjones9519]

A lot of times when they are reviewing the vehicles they are not allowed to air down because the manufacturer tells them not to.

[@RazgrizF14D]

Just a note, in the first test you did and turned on the X-Mode of the Forester, once you got above 25mph, X-Mode no longer does anything for you. It is only good for speeds below 18mph. between 18 and 25 it goes into a kind of standby mode. and above 25mph, it turns off.

[@luckycricket5600]

Yeahhhh my crosstrek does this too, x-mode just reminds me i can't be too throttle happy... Honestly i just leave it off, the subie will still perform lol

[@127Foxtrot]

And aren't the Wilderness editions special in that X-mode will re-engage when you drop below 25mph ? (unlike the regular non-Wilderness Subarus where you need to switch X-mode back on manually)

[@RazgrizF14D]

@@127Foxtrot Yes, you are right.

[@MLHunt]

Tl;dr: Forester easily handles light off-roading. Buy this trim of the Telluride for its appearance if you like it and/or if you have a cabin reachable by a fairly tame forestry road.

[@disneyfreak65]

every time i watch a video like this i get more and more pleased with my decision to buy my forester wilderness. We've taken it so many places in the last year and it has been 100% drama free. even with it full of gear and a dog. its not a rock crawler, but it goes 99% of everywhere else, even surprising my jeep owning husband with its capability.

[@rubicon4wheeler]

It's nice to see the Subaru AWD system effectively apportioning torque to the tires that have traction to maintain forward momentum. It seems like that was the Kia's shortcoming, a less effective AWD system. But of course, nothing is as effective as the proper differential locks in the Bronco.

[@chrisb9478]

I have seen people drive Subarus to some crazy places. Best off road type Cuv’s for sure.

[@Enonymouse_]

The forester and crosstrek, the factory CVT is not durable enough for 'real' off roading or hard charging through lots of deep snow. The dealer did tell me that Subaru is beefing up the cooling on the wilderness so I guess that is something. Subi's drive really well under most normal circumstances, they have good aftermarket support and really nice suspension component options in the aftermarket area as well. Kia has a serious issue last I heard with their engines, and wasn't honoring warranty claims. I would say, stay far far away from that company. Bronco has/had some major teething problems upon its debut but seems like if they can iron that out, it would be a great off-road capable vehicle. My parents had this when I was a kid and adored them, for them it was a go anywhere kind of vehicle. Where Kia and Bronco can't compete in particular with Subaru, is fuel economy! The 2.5L boxer when driven as a commuter in highway conditions gets 30-37 mpg even when using more off-road friendly tread patterns.

[@sparkywatts3072]

My 2002 Forester with regular automatic transmission will out climb my 2017 with CVT.

[@kjamesjr]

Can confirm, Kia/Hyundai engines have big problems ask me how I know. Just bought a forester. It’s CVT it plenty enough for trails with its beefed up cooling system.

[@brendanhancock9826]

This is so frustrating because that forester would have ripped that sandy section. You were in the wrong mode. You don’t need xmode there. Traction off in sport mode with paddles would have been better. Xmode was cutting your throttle

[@ZeGermanHam]

X-Mode automatically deactivates at 25mph, so there's a very high chance that it wasn't actually engaged when he was filming that section anyway.

[@martinr8278]

Absolutely agree! Subarus are far more capable….problem is most reviews and test drivers don’t know how to drive one lol. Look at TFL, they’re clueless

[@elsutil1983]

Honda Pilot Trails port should be next for this test

[@jacobbuckle7227]

why did you not do Ascent Vs telluride ? both 7 pass, both offer a offroad variant, would have been closer in weight aswell

[@ALMX5DP]

I don’t believe there is a Wilderness version, but like he said at the beginning it wasn’t a comparison test.

[@RYTF5]

What is the off-road Ascent called? They don't do a wilderness ascent.

[@Ed3540]

The outback wilderness would have been closer to the kia

[@Traumatree]

@@ALMX5DP You just need to put a set of Geolander on the Ascent and you almost have an soft offroad version.

[@ALMX5DP]

@@Traumatree maybe so, but I don’t believe that is what the OP was referring to.

[@stubaru4896]

Honda pilot/passport trailsport would be a better offroad experience than the telluride

[@douglasvieira1990dv]

I think putting the traction control in snow mode then shutting off the traction control doesn’t make sense if you ask me.

[@2005OEFArmy]

What I don't get is why they disable traction control for all of these tests on the Kia. The whole purpose of the traction control system on these types of vehicles is to break the spinning wheels. The "center" lock doesn't mean you have to disable traction control to use it.

[@scott8919]

Edmunds doesn't mention the "Lock" in the Telluride shuts off at 25 MPH.

[@HelenFire420]

And that it’s also not a real lock.

[@thedkracing]

Also they turned the traction off on the telluride and let it on in the subie

[@rallysauruswrex]

@@thedkracing subaru was off as well

[@Kodazot]

​@@rallysauruswrex x mode yes but dual x mode not stop 25 mph

[@runstan06]

Would have loved to see how the Honda Pilot Trailsport would have compared. From all I've seen it would crush the Telluride.

[@matus201]

When you turn off traction control, you don't have any wheel breaking that is stopping spinning wheels.

[@fernandoacosta5265]

While each vehicle may have strong and weak points, there are three that I'd point out in a Forester 1) great visibility from the interior, 2) extra comfortable suspension as it's a car thought for light offroad as well, and 3) the awd system (available from the base trim as well). These three features make the Forester different.

[@AB-jk7tw]

If only the Forester had a more powerful engine, it might have given the Bronco a real challenge.

[@BigJim5754]

Was very surprised at how comfy and safe my moms 19 Forester sport was when she bought it (I'm 6'4" 300lbs). SO much so I looked into and bought a 22 Outback Onyx XT (Turbo) as it has everything the FOrester does and better ride quality, POWER, bigger comfier seats etc. It almost doesn't have its own class but the Outback would be a great (better) comparison to the Tell. Good vid thanx

[@davidanderson8469]

My wife and I are pretty big people but didn't like the seats at all. Too narrow and too short in the thigh support. Conversely though the Ascent seats are superb but then we're back to mediocre mpg's again. We do have a 2005 Honda Pilot though and a bigger seat fits in there I guess. I'll still hold out for the 2024 Forester though.

[@BigJim5754]

@@davidanderson8469 I found the forester better then expected but yes the side by side felt narrow. The Outback feels similiar to the accent seat wise, very comfy. Same turbo motor, agree on the mediocre mpg. Stay at home dad so 90% neighborhood/city driving, barely crack 17mpg avg. On long freeway road trips she gets up to 25mpg w cruise set at 80.

[@taylorcleblanc]

The Kia @55k is ludicrous. Adding electronics and only doing it because the potential consumer will never need it but place a higher perceived value on it is also crazy. The new Toyota Land Cruiser costs the same as the Kia and would be a better choice than anything that says Kia on it.

[@derekisthematrix]

I laughed out loud when he mentioned the price!

[@myauctionaddictionestatesa7451]

You pay 55k for a street car over a Bronco, you need your head examined.

[@symmetry08]

True, drving CVT Subaru thru rough road is fine, until hit steep obstacles where you hit the spinning wheel to ground. That is when damage occures to CVT cones. I had many scratches on my CVT cones obviously and it makes this little noises as chain roll through them. I travelled many miles or kilometers on dirt road, without going crazy with testing it through rock-climbing attemp, although I had to in few occasions to get to the destinations, that, that's where scratches accumilated on CVT cone drum !

[@denniscordova8454]

I think people forget how much weight is a factor, the kia telluride weights almost 1000 pounds more than the forester.

[@roberterickson6331]

I wish you did this test with the outback wilderness it has more ground clearance than the forester more horse power and a wider wheel base. I have the Terribly underpowered 2016 Subaru cross track I take her off road all the time. Im looking at the outback wilderness as my next subaru

[@bakhtiyarpakhirdinov2461]

Telluride is an excellent family hauler for long distances, very good at takeovers, smooth and roomy. As an appropriate hooded minivan should be 😁👍🏽

[@KevinSmith-wr1sy]

Great test. Go Subie!

[@Arcvde]

I’ve taken my Kia Telluride off road and through a few creek crossings. Mostly it’s a pavement queen but I’ll admit It’s one of my favorite vehicles I’ve ever owned. But if I was off roading I definitely wouldn’t be buying a Kia 😂

[@michealoertel3011]

I love how they're taking 2 family haulers with off road themes against a full on off roader and think its a fair comparison

[@williamperry4798]

It would be nice if the Forester had the Outback horsepower or more

[@williamsoni]

which Bronco model is it??

[@sillynaz3280]

Was this guy born under a rock. Subaru Foresters been performing well a long time.

[@ransomcash4986]

Where was this filmed? Looks alot like the south Okanagan valley in BC

[@Doncan0823]

Outback Wilderness would have been a more appropriate vehicle to compare. Also should have left the traction control on, on both vehicles for better results.

[@Holtenstein]

Great engine, worse approach angles though

[@HelenFire420]

The Forester is gearing away from being a true off roader, while the Kia has some design changes. No wonder the Forester smoked the Kia in some of these challenges.

[@Enonymouse_]

the wilderness has a different suspension component line-up than the non-wilderness does but i'd still pimp it out with speciality suspension components from a company in oregon that specializes in upgrades for it. It should have 10-12" of ground clearance, not the stated 8.9", for proper performance in challenging snow conditions.

[@Beagle21]

Great video guys. You show your expertise by always taking into consideration the price point of vehicles you are testing. My SFW reminds me of a WW2 army jeep. It is sure footed, nimble, and durable, but definitely not luxurious. FYI TO EVERYONE: Anytime you buy an AWD car/suv get a full size spare (if not included) and ALWAYS include it in the tire rotation.

[@cisky1972]

@Jason Lewis: Yes! This was a comparison test. X-PRO vs WILDERNESS Your take seems to diminish the Wilderness superiority over the X-PRO. There was a clear winner based on your wonderful test. You enjoyed the comfort of the X-PRO but couldn't complete all the off road tasks. My take?..Telluride for the comfort.😅....Bronco for off roading

[@wbwayne8887]

They certainly don't want to upset Kia now, do they? 😂

[@cisky1972]

@wbwayne8887 IKR!🤣 It was an off road test. Not a comfort test. I'd rather get to my destination in pain than be stuck in comfort.

[@wbwayne8887]

@@cisky1972 Exactly. 😂

[@FFVIIMASTER22]

Surprisingly a lot of SUVs now do a great job off road. Mind you they will not do any hard obsacles but if you are into off roading you have probably seen a Civic or a similar vehicle where they do not belong. I much rather have one of these with me than that kind of car. The Subaru will make a believer out of you. The Kia are well made in the interior however the Kia was a bad experience for me after 140K miles the motor started burning oil and a bad cylinder caused us to ditch it. I had nothing but good experiences with Subaru. Now I am trying a Chevy truck wish me luck

[@captainmikehagen459]

Mate, a 4Runner, jeep, fj cruiser are all SUVs. The vehicles in this vid are CUVs (crossover utility vehicles

[@azores15]

Phooey. Back in high school, I did plenty of dust/dirt/gravel/mud riding in a sedan. You work with what you have, right?

[@anthonydotb]

I wanted to add, if this is the type of the driving you'll be doing a lot of, then neither of these two cars are the ones you should be looking at. Get a 4runner, Jeep Wrangler, Lexus GX, Chevy zr2, Tacoma, etc. Don't get something with a CVT for offroading, and don't buy an AWD when you really need a good old fashioned 4x4. Just because your Subaru can drive on the dirt, doesn't mean the car is going to be happy about it in the long run. Save the thousands you're going to spend in mods and buy the right car the first time. You're going to go off-road, get hooked, want a rooftop tent, and buy all the things. Your crossover wasn't built with all of that in mind, it was built for fuel efficiency and hauling toilet paper back from Costco. A Subaru is what you want to drive to the trailhead, a real 4x4 is what you actually want to take on the trail. My 4Runner lives in the city during the week, and plays in the forests on the weekends.

[@Brotherhood676]

Tires make the difference but they're testing from the factory. Because a lot of people aren't going to throw the tires away on a new vehicle. They want to see out of the box from dealer to the trail how it does.

[@brandoncordero5309]

I wish you didn’t have traction control off. Especially with modern tech. They say let the system figure it out. I bet if it was on it would have passed if not done better. Great video anyhow

[@matthewjohnson1211]

Subaru…please put my wife’s 2023 BRZ’S 230hp motor in the forester! It’s almost 2024 -get the H.P. Over 200…

[@BlackBruceLeeTheGreatDekuTree]

they will get the power up but rumor says it’s going to be from a hybrid system… The new ceo is all about going green..

[@chezbut]

Don’t turn off the traction control on the telluride; it can’t shift power without it

[@alx3868]

I thought no one has noticed that. The Traction Control definetly helped the Forester to climb... Would've similar on the Telluride if they've keep it!

[@grampabadger]

Now find a trail with some rocks and creek crossings and do the tests again. We don't all have smooth, dry desert to play in.

[@linhunnicutt6556]

I would love to see what the Outback Wilderness with its turbo engine would have done.

[@Traumatree]

It would have moped the floor with the Kia. It is THE Wilderness car to get from Subaru. The other two are too much under powered.

[@linhunnicutt6556]

@@Traumatree that's exactly what I was thinking.

[@domenik8339]

You'd likely never or almost never use the turbo offroad though.

[@GmGrayfox]

@@domenik8339the OBW still has more torque and hp than the FW.

[@anthonydotb]

My lowered Prius could make it up those obstacles. LOL, JK. Hungry Valley OHV is a lot of fun. Those hill climbs and ruts are no joke. It's funny how the difficulty of objects never really translates through the camera. We went offroading there a while back and one of the guys with a Hyndai Palisade was able to keep up with us. Mind you, he didn't climb play in that obstacle hill, but he was able to follow us through the trails. Fun times.

[@saintsubie6661]

The Wilderness Forester is absolutely more capable than most Jeeps. I disagree with you.

[@thisguy2659]

More capable Offroad? In what ways? I’m not saying the Subaru isn’t capable, but I’ve taken my jeep in 2wd to areas where Subaru guys struggle with. I must say I do get jealous sometimes because they are having lots of fun, and those trails are a lot more plentiful then the hard trails.

[@thisguy2659]

I just reread your comments…I wouldn’t say most Jeeps, but yes anything less than the Cherokee.

[@michaelduncan4781]

Put the Outback Wilderness against that Telluride for a comparison.

[@Traumatree]

You should have taken the Outback Wilderness instead of the Forester. All you said about confidence, confort, etc in the Kia, you would have it in the Outback. plus being more capable at all the soft offroading tests + more room to bring you gears and back from the camp. Also, on the climbs, you only used the normal Xmode, while Xmode 2 would have been better in the sandy slopes.

[@semosigtau1]

please do this with the pathfinder rock creek

[@nicoli8437]

Forester Wilderness strikes a good balance between on-road and off-road capability for everyday use and camping adventures

[@514aam]

I feel like the outback would have been a fair comprisson because of the turbo engine

[@martinr8278]

Not a bronco or Kia fan to be honest but people drive them for their own reasons. Subaru has gotten better each model and continue to impress not only with safety and reliability in city driving but very capable off road and will get you where you want to go, in comfort. You obviously haven’t watched where Subaru drivers are taking these amazing SUVs and what they are putting them through! These are amazingly capable. Makes your test look like a trip to Olive Garden seemed quite subjective to Kia

[@Hammbone2519]

I don’t understand why they turned the traction control off in the Telly… on an AWD vehicle without lockers traction control is absolutely critical. X-mode on the subie does its thing but turning off TC in the Kia kills its offroad ability. That said the subie is definitely the more capable vehicle. Gearing, traction management, and geometry are superior. It’s almost a proper off-roader and would handle 99.9% of what regular drivers are gonna throw at it. The telluride will probably handle 95% and clearly is more than capable of the normal dirt road driving to trailheads and whatnot. The overall conclusions I agree with. Telly is a nicer vehicle for sure but the X-Pro doesn’t really add anything substantial. I’d take a regular trim with an aftermarket spacer lift and wheel-tire package. The wilderness on the other hand is a proper off-road trim that adds capability you simply won’t get without spending big money on customization of a lower trim forester.

[@sarrum7696]

Question - In the first section, the sand trap. It seems like at that speed no vehicle would get stuck. It's just going to plow through.

[@CGunRanch]

Yeah, I agree with you. My mom’s minivan could have done that. Especially since she drives it like a Formula One car.

[@carsbykev7037]

I'm pretty sure you aren't supposed to turn the traction control off on an AWD system that uses it to transfer power. That was why the Telluride couldn't make it up that hill and struggled up the other. The Telluride's system actually is less likely to cut off the power.

[@wanglee21]

Why didn't you make the comparison more even with the Outback Wilderness? The Outback is way more comfortable than the Forester and about a 100 HP more and a better X-mode dynamic

[@MDZac2024]

The Outback Wilderness has worse final drive ratio, a less capable CVT, worse departure and approach angles. It may be more comfortable and is certainly much more powerful, but otherwise is actually less capable off road.

[@stephenzerfas5307]

Bronco Sport Badlands would be great in this mix. Better HP than the Subaru, better AWD system from vs. challenges. Cheaper than the Kia. Really impressed with the Bronco Sport’s capabilities.

[@Bonezz024]

I’m not sure why you would do snow and dirt mode on the Forrester, and not snow mode on the Telluride. Isn’t it the same concept? The Telluride literally gives you an indication of how much power is going to each individual wheel when you’re in snow mode, which would obviously keep wheels from spinning when they shouldn’t be.

[@RT-tn4ry]

Forester is a family daily driver. Period. Going skiing and to the store , and it's priced right. No one in their right mind is gonna blast down woops in this thing !

[@Silverback_GMT410]

Gorman baby! That’s dope! My 2WD Suburban did not make it up that Wall. I want to try my Maverick Tremor now more than before.

[@alexandrscherbina3041]

You can check Subaru Forester with manual. It's until 2018. I think it will be better from 2023. But Manual. On manual - 50×50, automatic - 60×40.

[@michaellilly9342]

The guy made a grocery shopper sound awesome. So no clear winner, Edmunds always been bias. Probably why they didn't let the Subaru enter there off road event last year

[@dha588]

Bet the Subaru would last 20 years older than the Telluride

[@tylergarcia3697]

I'm curious to see how the pilot trailsport does compared to another "offroader"

[@JoonyKim-ik7mo]

I want to see that too

[@Go_Spleef_Yourself]

I love my forester XT, and it makes me sad they dont offer a modern turbod forester anymore. I just cant do the new ones cuz they feel so meh engine wise and I really prefer that muscle when on asphalt or on dirt

[@bethonos]

Same story here! XT is an absolute blast!

[@genesishep]

You can always go for the Wilderness Outback which has a 260 HP Turbo I believe.

[@Go_Spleef_Yourself]

@@genesishep Unfortunately it's not the same, the CVTs behave differently ,and I enjoy the look of the forester more than the outback.

[@chuckwalla2967]

How would a non-Wilderness Forester have fared?

[@emuns98]

Very similarly, it’s the same drivetrain entirely at its core. The wilderness gets a higher final drive gear ratio as well as a .4” suspension lift. Fundamentally they’re the same though, with those two options being the largest differences

[@RoelLopez92]

For kia’s and Hyundai’s you need to turn off traction control and put it in sport mode. Gf has a Santa Cruz and that thing rocks offroad just as good as my Subaru

[@alx3868]

But didn't the Traction Control helped the Subaru climb at the first uphill test? So, what if he would've keep the Traction Control on, on the Telluride? It would've help!!

[@vypir313]

You could have done all those challenges just as easily with every subaru forester, crosstrek, and outback model, the wilderness package didn't even enter into the equation with these tests.

[@AP-zw6ql]

"We've got it in X-mode" Proceeds to fly down the road, forgetting X-mode switches off above 20 mph

[@martinr8278]

25 actually

[@driftology]

why did he turn off traction control on the low traction hill climb?

[@hoganlegdrop2409]

Why the hell would you turn off the traction control? You should 1st try it with it on and then switch it off to see if it helps or hurts. This completely ruined the video for me.

[@Traumatree]

He doesn't even need to do it on the Subaru has the Xmode settings is for that exactly, and Xmode 2 should have been used in the hill climbs.

[@Likiudie]

I think traction control should be turned on on the first hill climb with the telluride. You need traction control to have brake vectoring on the awd system when the wheels lift off the ground. The second hill climb traction control off should be correct to maintain momentum on the sand.

[@MrRaitzi]

Yes. All off only works better maybe if all cars have mechanical locking differentials. If not, they use brakes to simulate.

[@snowdays1116]

Interested in VW Atlas vs Subaru Ascent ... any chance of that happening?

[@goukizx2]

Paddle shifters on a cvt 😂. Like a screen door on a submarine.

[@HelenFire420]

They can actually be pretty useful to engine break in the snow.

[@EUC-lid]

@@HelenFire420 'brake'. CVT Subarus break with mileage regardless of weather.

[@davidanderson8469]

A friend's auto died at 110K on his 2017 Outback. Good maintainence and no towing. Nobody fixes them here so he settled for a low mileage used trans. Our Honda Pilot's going on 257K and shifts like day one.

[@danielfair4675]

​@davidanderson8469 he never had the CVT fluid changed though.

[@Drew_Summerfield]

This video would have been more interesting if these vehicles were compared to their own non off-road counterparts, I know that if I buy a Bronco I get a very capable off road vehicle, but what I don't know is if the "off road package" gives either of the other vehicles any more capability than their non off road trim levels.

[@Mikezagato15]

Awesome & knowledgeable presenter 🎉 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👍🏼

[@off-roadingexplained8417]

It's all about the angles.... And nobody ever beats Jeep on the angles...

[@cloudoftime]

What "jostles" in the cabin of the roo?

[@thanossstewart3800]

You should have used the Chase vechile over the Bronco or to compare to these two but being an FJ owner no comparision ...... LOL

[@change778]

The real question is can the other 2 be as reliable as a subaru?

[@martinr8278]

There you go! I’d place my hard earned dollars on Subaru for that not these two others or a Honda pilot

[@rinbine2713]

He don't know about traction control system. Why he turn off track control system?