2024 Subaru Crosstreks Compared: Sport vs Wilderness

for the first time ever CarGurus is comparing  the exact same model 2024 Subaru cross Trex   one's the sport the other is the Wilderness  now this is brand new for 2024 in the third   generation everyone loves this car particularly in  New England and the Pacific Northwest but what you   want to know is for a few grand more how much  more capable is the Wilderness than that sport   let's find out the cross Trek is in its third  generation and these are brand new for 2024 it's   also the first time that the Wilderness trim goes  on the smallest Subaru you've seen it before on   the Forester and the Outback and now it's on the  cross Trek the sport is the spiffiest way you can   spec your Subaru cross Trek and it comes with all  these mustard yellow gold accents whatever color   you want to call it I like how they look against  the plastic body cladding against the dark gray   18-in wheels and on this car sapphire blue paint  it's a pretty fetching example of what you can   make in a subcompact SUV SL wagon nice looking  car there hasn't been many many changes in this   third generation versus all the other cross checks  that have been on the road for the last decade   plus but you can tell the headlights are a little  squintier the wheel design slightly different it's   the same clearance and all the capability and the  same dimensions that you would expect so even in   this generation from one car to the next trim to  trim you know what you're getting the cross Trek   Wilderness comes with a Scout badge of honor  on both of these doors and that tells people   that you've really upgraded there's actual real  off-road upgrades here the tires Yokohama Jeep   Gander all terrains on smaller 17-in Wheels  they're satin gray just like the decal on the   hood and on the mirror caps those are supposed to  reduce sun glare now around the car you get these   nice bronze accents but not all of them are just  for decoration they're covering tow hooks front   and rear and check out the Subaru spelled in all  caps on that rear bumper it is very aggressive   especially when you're riding this car down the  highway you can really tell that this thing is   lifted but it doesn't appear too hulking there's  also a real metal skid plate in the front an extra   body cladding that goes into the body panels even  more so than the sport it's just a more aggressive   look but overall it doesn't feel like it's some  hulking big truck like every Subaru Wilderness   trim that cross Trek Wilderness has more ground  clearance 9.3 in versus the standard 8.7 in on   this Sport and every other cross Trek that's  major enough to change the approach breakover   and departure angles by significant amounts 20°  in the front although that sounds impressive   it's still connect not match what a lot of SUVs  and trucks can do it's a really small number but   for this car pretty good now despite that extra  clearance it's not that much taller only 6/10 of   an inch higher from the top to the bottom of the  roof rails and the narrower track front and rear   also is a little surprising but also the wheels  and tires are smaller the Wilderness has the more   aggressive front end a slightly different texture  here and it's also wrapped into that body cladding   seems to suck into that red paint where on  the sport it's very much distinguished and   separated from the the rest of the car and when  you look down further you're noticing these tow   hooks those are actual covers that you can rip  them off and actually tow this car out so they   are not for decoration and those LED fog lamps a  slightly different design they had to have that   Gatling gun military helicopter look versus the  normal LEDs on this side stepping up to the Cross   Trek sport gives you the upgraded 2 and 1/2 L  engine versus the base 2 L flat forward which   has significantly less power and that engine is  also shared on the Wilderness decent power for   cars of this size of course there's standard  all-wheel drive and a continuously variable   transmission although on the Wilderness trim  there's a shorter final drive ratio for extra   torque and because of that plus a transmission  oil cooler this one could tow 3500 lb and only   1,500 lb for the sport and despite that extra  Towing the Wilderness doesn't get as good fuel   economy check out these numbers the sport cracks  30 mpg on the highway and the Wilderness does not   again it's due to that higher ground clearance  and the shorter Drive ratio cargo space it's   on the small side as you'd expect 20 cubic feet  behind the seats and 55 wind folded now the sport   has this optional removable mat right here it's  waterproof you can take it out clean it really   easily and so does the cross Trek Wilderness which  comes standard it's a little more aggressive and   it's got that nice badge so let everybody know  that this is the Wilderness and not swiped   from another trim and there's also a light up  here LEDs where you can't get it on the sport   the best thing about any Subaru is how easy it  is to see outside thin pillars Low Shoulder line   a great driving position super simple for a brand  new car the cross Trek feels retro there's analog   gauges this steering wheel that hasn't changed in  ages and the rest of the materials and the trims   and the buttons well it's the same as you'd find  in any Subaru over the last couple decades that's   okay because there's not a lot to relearn it's  simple in here and it's easy to use and on the   sport there's extra yellow trim including these  nice star patterns on the inserts of these seats   even though Subaru has removed some physical  buttons and put them into the touchcreen which   means there's some blank plates like here and over  here there's still a lot of intuitive controls   like the shifter pr&d and heated seat controls  toggle switches right here standard on the sport   the Wilderness is exactly the same except for  the upholstery it's called stex it's a synthetic   leather which means it's water resistant stain  resistant very easy to clean and honestly feels   a little bit better than the cloth in the sport  the Wilderness adds all those bronze accents from   the exterior on the steering wheel the stitching  on the shifter on the seats the doors and this   carbon fiber like material which actually looks  pretty good for being imitation the rest of the   car is also basically the same except the floor  mats which are deeper and include special tire   marks and the Wilderness badge even though the  Wilderness is the top trim you still don't get   power seats that is an option and over here it's  always manual but there's actually a a cushion   airbag here which on most small cars you will not  find there's ample space in the back of the Cross   Trek and even though there's no rear air vents  there's two USB ports and I do wish there was a   panoramic moon roof cuz it does feel a little dark  in here I was just here and there's nothing more   to add about the Wilderness than I can say about  the sport and I'll say it again I do wish there   was an option for a panoramic moon [Music] roof  on Road the Wilderness acts just like the sport   with just some milder increases in wind noise  that front bumper is redesigned and it is higher   off the ground so those are never good things  for aerodynamics and it does feel just mildly   noisier inside here including when big trucks  pass you all that considered there's still a lot   of insulation in the glass so unlike past cross  Treck models this Wilderness is actually quieter   I would like some more on Center feel cuz I still  have to correct even on a back road even though   I'm pointing straight I'm having to do this kind  of left right left right small little Corrections   like that add up over time it adds up to fatigue  and a sense of really disconnection from the road   but I've driven so many Subarus that I almost  expect that response as soon as I get into it   so I have to kind of dull my senses a little  bit but in the car truly there's not that much roll and the panel shifters work really well on  this CBT Subaru has programmed eight different   ratios and for the 2 and 1/2 L engine some of  those ratios are actually a little shorter than   what you'll find in the 2 L cross Trek and that  really does help with all the extra pulling power   and truly like the amount of engine braking is  excellent so if you're going down a lot of Hills   you barely even have to touch the brake pedal so  while you'll notice that the Wilderness returns   worse fuel economy especially on the highway  versus the sport I don't really notice the engine   racing even though this is a shorter final drive  ratio that does mean that the revs will be higher   at the same speed than that sport I will say  though that these longer travel shocks and springs   make the ride even better I to say like I don't  really care what rough surface is [Music] ahead   what does it matter the car soaks up absolutely  everything and there's not excessive body roll or   lean so the onroad control here is just excellent  I I really can't say enough good things about it brakes whe pretty strong and pedal feel above   average you don't really have to worry  as much on a rded trail to lower your speed cuz in the wilderness there's just so  much wheel articulation that you wouldn't find   in most subcompact SUVs not at all if you're  used to Subaru well it's not news to you but   for anybody else it's a major difference for  the X mode system there's a snow in dirt and   there's also a deep snow and mud that just  changes the characteristics of the torque   split changes the stability control the traction  control the shift points the engine throttle all   of that truly you can really set it and forget  it with these Subarus there's a hydraulic Center   clutch that's varing the torque split  at all times so unlike a lot of little   SUVs that are out there this one's  always running an all-wheel drive   it's not a front-wheel drive system that  then sends stuff to the back it is there constantly it's just a brilliant little car  it really is you're not going to Ford big   Rivers you're not going to do any major Trail  hopping and really any major stuff like that   but as long as you keep your expectations  within reason you're going to do a lot with   this [Music] car this is the right size engine  for the cross Trek this 2 and 1/2 L the 2 L   let's just say it's slower than most 30-year-old  cars as a brand new car I don't think that level   of acceleration is acceptable and you don't  suffer a whole ton of gas mileage really don't   so get yourself the sport or the limited or that  Wilderness to get the 2 and 1/2 L engine it makes   just that much more of a difference now this  same engine in a larger Outback is bad because   the Outback is hundreds of pounds heavier but  in this size vehicle it's right sized now even   though every cross Trek is pretty much raised  it's got a big raised roof not a very aerodynam   carart this one's pretty decently quiet this  one is notably quieter than the Wilderness   it's riding on allseason tires instead of those  all terrains so when you're going around turns   or just driving straight on the highway there's  a lot less hum and I don't hear the air really   building up at the front of this car and  along the side mirrors like I did in the   wilderness so you are going to sacrifice really  a louder ride if you're choosing the wilderness   if nothing at all choose this sport just for the  more plusher comfortable ride especially on long drives for a car that costs around 30 grand  with all these features I'm actually more   impressed with this engine than I have been  in other Subaru models it really is good not   great but it's perfect for this car it  really is and just like the wilderness   the paddle shifters respond really well just the  fact that I can engine Brak look at [Music] that   this is probably the best CVT that's out there and  most cvts really do a bad job of imitating gear   ratios they're always pegging the revs super high  you never truly get a feeling of momentum change   but here the way Subaru's done this in both  these cars whether it's sport or Wilderness   I truly like shifting with it because it puts me  more into control it does especially when going   downhill your brakes will last a lot longer if  you're downshifting you're not going to ruin   the engine nothing's going to happen to it it's  very robust flat 4 super been making this for   eons so if you're going to save something save  save your brakes be in more control and really   very few cars act like this you usually have to  get a car with a much bigger engine for better   engine braking and certainly don't get a CVT with  this level of response I love it so there's a   sport mode on both these cars it's just called  s it's on the steering wheel really doesn't do   anything but make the engine just work harder  in a noisier way not in an actual powerful way   and that's okay that's okay cuz there's a very  very limited Power Band on these cars that's   fine compared to the Past cross Trek there's a  lot less roll that's immediately apparent even   just going at low speeed Corners it's a lot  better feels like there's more grip it's just Tighter and in this sport it's very slight but  slightly more Turnin accuracy right off center   the front wheels I can feel those responding  a hair quicker than in the wilderness and part   of that just might be the actual tire tread  itself but I do like the onroad handling of   the sport better than the Wilderness but both  of them truly are several notches better than   the previous generation and they should be  because the previous generation and the one   before that were quite a bit slopp poy on  road to the point where it just I didn't   think it was really as acceptable for a  small car to feel that way but now Subaru   has got the ground clearance all the off-road  credentials all the capability and it feels   Tighter and more controlled and the sport just  a little bit more so than that Wilderness all   right so how much worse is the cross Trek Sport  off-road in the cross Trek wilderness [Music] oh in terms of suppleness and control there's  not much difference really the same great things   that make the Wilderness so good are already in  the sport because it's taking an already lifted   car and just raising it further but the sport is  plenty capable so the way I'm driving on Trails   where there's not a whole lot of challenge cuz  you're not going to put these cars through crazy   articulation like you would a bigger truck or SUV  but having the clearance and just the capability   of the suspension and the narrowness to maneuver  around anything including making a three-point turn I will say that if you do drive a little  quicker like I was before the ride is slightly   harsher than the Wilderness but so what  you can slow down a little bit and the only   person you'll really annoy is your passenger  you'll be having a lot of fun in the cross trk yeah there's really I can't tell the difference  between these two cars truly but I can tell the   difference between this in a big heavy duty  pickup truck and any number of SUVs that I've   taken on the same road cuz this Subaru  is going to get you into places that all   those other vehicles can just not the super  technical parts of a trail but at that point   if you're a Subaru owner what are you doing  you're getting out and you're hiking [Music]   yeah these cars are brilliant they are like it  does everything off-road that you could expect   it to then you get back on the road and it's  like nothing changed both cross trcks come   with this 11.6 in portrait touchscreen I do  think it looks kind of cheesy like from the   Nintendo Wii area but the information is here I  do think the climate controls could be a little   easier to decipher especially down here but  again this is where cars are going it's it's   modern I guess you can say that but I just  don't like the graphics and the response   time could be a lot better but apple carplay  is standard it's wireless so is Android auto   you've also got extra information like on the  Wilderness I can see the angles I'm at and how   the all-wheel drive system is working kind of  cool there as a result though they've also put   more information in the touchcreen like these X  modes and a few other settings it's nice that you   can see it up here but they've also reduced those  switches so there's a whole bunch of blank plates   around this car when I think they really should  have been out of the touchcreen but really it's   just just basic it works the cross Trek has  an old style tachometer and speedometer and   this very very old Central display which  is cramped it's easier to use than before   cuz all the settings that used to be here for  eyesight are now in the main touchcreen but   seriously this really looks like I'm going  back 20 years in the past and not in a good way the 2024 Subaru cross trck  has five trims it starts at 25195   the sport is the third of five and it's 29195 to  start mine is $3,681 with rubber floor mats and   the destination fee the Wilderness is the most  expensive but not that much more so 32195 to   start mine with zero options and destination  33x 40 while the sport drives better on the   road the Wilderness is pretty compelling in  all respects for a minor difference in price   the Wilderness brings a whole lot more attitude  to this little Subaru I like the exterior looks   like the interior all the fittings and it really  does bring a little extra capability to an already   very capable car really any of the Cross checks  are a great choice cuz they're pretty efficient   they run forever basically and you know what  they're going to do they're just economical   they hold their resale value like nothing  else this side of a Porsche and really what   else are you expecting they're easy to use the  technology isn't all that great but everything   else pretty much is is it checks all the boxes  and for me I just want the cooler looking one   but what do you think cross Trek sport cross Trek  Wilderness or any other of the trims tell us and   if you want more comparison videos we've got  them so subscribe and we'll see you next time

Channel: CarGurus

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Keywords: CarGurus, Car Gurus, Car, Gurus, Guru, CarGuru, Review, CarGurus Reviews, Test Drive, Test, Drive, Test Drive Review, 2023, 2024, 2024 subaru crosstrek, subaru crosstrek, 2024 crosstrek, 2024 subaru crosstrek review, 2024 subaru crosstrek sport, subaru crosstrek review, 2024 subaru crosstrek wilderness, subaru crosstrek 2024, crosstrek wilderness, 2024 subaru crosstrek limited, crosstrek sport, boxer engine, 2024 subaru crosstrek base, 2024 subaru crosstrek wilderness review

Id: Jn-yPm_mmDw

Length: 19min 48sec (1188 seconds)

Published: Mon Jun 10 2024