2024 Subaru Outback Wilderness is built for the Pacific Northwest

When I was living in Southern Oregon many years ago, one my earliest vehicles was a used Subaru GL 4WD Wagon, the first mass produced economy vehicle available with four-wheel-drive. It was small, crude, and barely able reach freeway speeds because its 67-horsepower engine was mated to a four-speed manual transmission with low gearing to take maximum advantage of the limited power. But it could climb dirt trails on the surrounding hills like a mountain goat and handle the occasional snow like a much larger and more expensive Jeep.

I sold the Subaru to a friend when I thought I needed a larger 4WD vehicle. But I soon realized the DL could do just about everything that my much more used International Scout did — and was a lot more economical. In fact, the GL wagon, first introduced in the early 1970s, paved the way for the early wave of small but practical cars with available 4WD that included the AMC Eagle (based on the AMC Concord), the Toyota Tercel 4WD Wagon, and the Honda Civic Wagon with RealTime 4WD.

Fast forward 47 years and Subaru is still making an off-road capable wagon, although it is now called an SUV. The 2024 Outback is a midsize two-row SUV that comes standard with the company’s Symmetrical all-wheel-drive system that is more than sufficient for dirt trails to remote cabins and moderate snow. But the available Wilderness package makes the Outback the perfect vehicle for weekend warrior families — comfortable enough for daily driving but tough enough for serious outdoor recreation.

Of course, after nearly five decades, everything else has changed about the Subaru wagon, too. My 2024 tester felt at least four times larger than the DL, and over 100 years more sophisticated. While the quality Subaru’s vehicles lagged behind those of its Japanese competitors for many years, improvements have been continuous, and the newer vehicles are now on par with those produced by Honda, Nissan, and Toyota.

Naturally, the drivetrain in all versions of the Outback is much improved, too. Although almost all Subaru vehicles have always come standard with horizontally opposed Boxer engines, the base 2.5-liter four cylinder now produces 175 horsepower and the turbocharged 2.4-liter in the Wilderness pumps that up to 260 ponies. The manual transmission was replaced long ago with one of the best Continuously Variable Transmissions on the market. And the part-time 4WD system — which couldn’t be driven over 50 miles per hour when engaged for fear of damaging it — has been replaced with a more practical full-time AWD system with X-mode to assist with downhill descents.

In addition to being much more spacious, the Outback’s interior is now available with a range of high-quality interiors, including durable and easy to clean StarTex upholstery that can be mistaken for leather on the wide and comfortable front bucket seats in the 2024 Outback Wilderness. The infotainment screen in the center of the dash is large and easy to use. And while the safety system in the DL consisted of seat belts — period — every new Subaru vehicle come with the company’s state-of-the-art EyeSight safety system.

The Wilderness package includes many upgrades that make the Outback even more off-road capable. It starts with a one-inch lift that gives the vehicle a full 9.5 inches of ground clearance. Also included are Yokohama Geolandar all-terrain tires, underbody skid plates, and an enhanced version of X-Mode with selectable drive modes for snow/dirt and deep snow/mud.

There are also uprated roof rails that will support up to 700 pounds when parked, meaning the Wilderness version can support a roof-mounted tent camping system. In addition, a forward-facing 180-degree camera helps drivers find their way around obstacles without getting out, and a full-size spare tire. There’s also a larger black grill, extra black body cladding for paint protection, and additional special trim.

As a result, the 2024 Outback Wilderness looks larger and more serious than other versions. The original Outback was an upper trim level of the upscale Subaru Legacy wagon. The current version is its own model, although sharing much of the current Legacy sedan from the second row of seats forward. But, with the lift and beefier tires, the Wilderness edition looks more like an SUV than even a large wagon.

All that for around $43,000, which is very reasonable these days.

In a week of test driving, the 2024 Subaru Outback Wilderness was always a pleasure to drive. The additional power provided by the turbo 2.4 was immediately apparent. The suspension handled even the poorly maintained streets in my neighborhood with ease, and made quick work of my improvised off-road course of deeply rutted dirt roads on steep hills in my neighborhood.

I first tested a 2022 Subaru Outback Wilderness at Mudfest — the annual comparison of outdoor activity vehicles organized by the Northwest Automotive Press Association — and it excelled on the test off-road course.

The first Subaru wagon with part-time 4WD was a revelation. Until then, all SUVs were truck-based, body-on-frame vehicles that drove like, well, trucks and got lousy mileage. Subaru proved a car-based SUV could be off-road capable and economical, laying the groundwork for all of today’s crossovers. Now Subaru is one of the first companies offering more off-road capable versions of their crossovers, and the results are impressive. The 2024 Outback Wilderness is built for the Pacific Northwest.

2024 Subaru Outback Wilderness

Base price: $39,960

Price as tested: $43,100

Type: Midsize crossover SUV

Engine: 2.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder (260 hp, 277 lbs-ft)

Transmission: Continuously Variable Transmission

Drive modes: Normal, Snow/Dirt, Deep Snow/Mud

EPA estimated mileage: 21/26

Overall length: 192 inches

Curb weight: 3,922 pounds

Final assembly: Lafayette, Indiana