Where is All the Forester Wilderness Content?
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 6 ก.พ. 2025
- Ever noticed there aren't many videos about the Subaru Forester Wilderness Edition on TH-cam? Well, I've got one now! Check out my new ride and hear all about what I'm planning to do with it. We're talking off-road adventures, camping trips, and more! So, come along for the ride and let's explore the great outdoors together with my Forester Wilderness!
#foresterwilderness #overlanding #adventure
Yes! Thank you! I asked this very question. Two weeks ago I narrowed down my purchase decision to the Forester Wilderness or the Outback Wilderness. I went with the forester wilderness due to the seat height, the low windows, cheaper, and I figured the non turbo engine would mean the forester may last longer. Although technically smaller, the forester felt right for my growing family. Very soon after my purchase I was second guessing my decision “the Outback had the better screen”, “Everyone online seems to only have outbacks”, “is there something wrong with forester wildernesses that no one seems to be interested in them?”. I was finding it near impossible to find pictures, videos, etc. for inspiration and to see if I’d like certain racks, or tires, and so on, on foresters for reference before making a costly mistake. The forester forums are nice, but nothing beats constant visual references like TH-cam or instagram. Thanks for this channel, I look forward to more forester wilderness videos. We need more forester wilderness owners to come out and make content. Although I don’t plan on doing heavy off roading/overlanding (at least any time soon) perhaps I’ll start something as well just for others in my situation.
I was in the same boat. I liked the look of the Outback Wilderness more at the time but this was the only Wilderness available near me in Geyser Blue, and I had experience with my brother’s Forester Sport, so it felt like a no brainer. For the first 6-7 months I felt like I should have bought an OBW instead, until I saw the content on TH-cam. It looked like a barren wasteland for the FW, with only a little video here and there, but even then they weren’t long videos either.
I certainly hope you stick around, there will be more to come for sure!
Having been on plenty of trail runs with a ton of Subaru's, there are definitely less Forester Widernesses around! Looking forward to seeing you videos!
Now in my 60's I just bought my first ever Subaru. A 2024 autumn green Forester Wilderness. I've been a VW guy going all the way back to my high days in the 70's when a new beetle was $2,195.00 Keep the wilderness videos coming.
I just bought a 24 White Forester Wilderness 2 weeks ago based on all of the reviews I watched on TH-cam. The Forester Wilderness is everything I want in a primary vehicle. Only ridden her on the pavement so far, but have no doubt she will do great in the snow and the trails. I plan to keep this car until it dies, which I am hoping is at least 300k miles. Fallken Trailpeak AT4 tires, Method 502 Wheels, Slimline Roof Rack, and Curt Tow Hitch (For my Kuat Bike Rack) will all be arriving next week. I think the Forester is one ugly vehicle, but I just love the way she drives. As a trail, snow, and fun vehicle, we all know the Forester Wilderness is awesome, but she is really under appreciated as a Daily Driver! As a daily driver, she beats just about everything else out there!
It's ugly but it's not. Some angles look really good. Only two cars that I've owned make me take glances when I can and my SW is definitely one of them
Awesome music and photography.
Picking up a 24' FW in Autumn Green today. All of the turbo hype is ridiculous. Turbos aren't needed to offroad. Plus, non-turbo engines have less issues. Can't wait to see more vids. Keep'em coming!
I find the 2.4T is not needed either, but it's a solid motor. For something as big as the OBW, it's certainly necessary.
PLEASE!!!! I NEED MORE FORESTER WILDERNESS BUILDS AND CONTENT!
Damn that's some hardcore offroading i couldnt do any of that in front wheel drive 2014 LX Honda Crv lol *sarcasm*.
The Outback is a station wagon. Forester looks to me like a crossover.
Great video! I don't think of the Forester Wilderness as a "mom" car at all. I actually really like the styling and almost bought one ... until I decided on an Outback Wilderness! :) I'm not trolling at all. I ended up deciding I wanted that 2.4 turbo. If they offered that turbo in the Forester I would buy that thing hands-down. Anyway, thanks for sharing! Hope to see more.
I definitely want to see the older SG vs the newer Wilderness.
Yes!
Excellent content! Love that part where you get a wheel in the air!!
Just bought a 2024 White Forester Wilderness a week ago and literally ran into the same thing when researching mods to do. Really looking forward to your fozzy content! 😄 Maybe I'll get really inspired and start uploading videos to YT again. I've about 800 subscribers on a channel that I just posted drone videos on currently.
I just got a 24 Forester Wilderness, in Black. Looks aggressive! Thanks for the video bruv
I've just got word my 24 black wilderness is ready for pick up at the dealership, so in 3 days I will be driving my own :)
Just over 2 months in with my FW. Not a day goes by where I am smiling because of it
Still got my 2004 forester. I don’t do too much rough roads. But I do love it for camping. Just started sleeping in it too! More room in the back for that.
That's a good year!
I have owned a 07’ and a 11’ Forester before getting my 22’ Forester Wilderness. The wilderness is the my favorite yet. Pull my mud boat with no issues and use it for hunting/camping etc.
My brother bought a Forester Wilderness last Summer. I actually drove it back the hour and half to his home after the dealership. I was so impressed how it handled I almost went back and got one myself. Then I got shot down by the wife. My youngest brother bought a used outback premium last month. I’m really feeling the Subaru FOMO. 😅
i recently just brought my 2nd subaru, i got a 2020 forester premium nothing fancy like a wilderness but i love it
i love the forester wilderness
I love my Forester Sport. I’d get the Forester Wilderness as my next car, only because I’m not crazy about the station wagon look of the Outback.
Me too!
Its funny i always thought the outback was a moms car not the forester.Thanks for the channel!
MOM WAKE UP one of my favorite channels just posted
Nice video, might have missed it but what engine/tyres are on the orange Crosstrek ? I'm on my 4th Subaru (2022 Outback) and really love it, and like all the cladding, as it gives far more confidence off-road, plus much easier to keep clean.
I believe it’s a 2.0 Manual
When buying out 24 crosstrek wilderness not ONE Forester Wilderness on the lot, Would have been nice to look at them too I don't particularly like the outback its way to long
I got a Forester W because I don't love turbos and I do love having a J at the start of my VIN.
Why don't you like the j at the beginning, don't you know what that means?
I think the Outback and the Crosstrek are just more popular. The new 2025 Forester looks amazing, and may change this
I'm here for the comparison with the older model when you get the chance.
When the old one finally gets through its issues it will be one of the first videos I make. I want to make sure I find a good test spot too.
Dude, love this. I have 24 FW and want to start making videos too!
Go for it!
Thanks for the video! I was thinking to start doing some recordings of my offroading and stuff in my Forester Wilderness just to put content out there as I also think that Forester Wilderness content is very sparse, but as I'm not doing TH-cam and we all know that it's kind of time consuming, I couldn't get to that... But this video gave me another inspiration to add up to the content. Maybe one day.
Thank you !!
Love the music. Where did you get it from. Track name? Nice color I have the Outback in the same
Just went back to Subaru (this is my 3rd), after a brief dalliance with a Mercedes (I needed the comfort of tye seats for 6+ hour drives). Got a Forrest Green FW about a month ago and am absolutely in love with the vehicle. I live out in the boonies of NE PA, so snow and poor road conditions were my primary criteria for a vehicle. I also play in a band, so having the cargo space of the Forester is a huge plus. For my needs, i honestly dont need the HP (the Benz had plenty).
While a turbo would be nice, I think the FW does function fine without it. The MPGs I get right now are pretty nice too.
So close to that 1K!! 🎉🎉
I know!!
I purchased a 2024 Forester Touring last December 2023. I maybe would have chosen a Wilderness trim level had a "Heated Steering Wheel " been a option. But unfortunately there's no option for that with the Wilderness Trim. Furthermore the dealer didn't have that model on hand to test drive.
There is a heated steering wheel option according to the Straight Pipes video on the Forester Wilderness
I have a 2023 Forester Wilderness ( in geyser blue, of course), and it is a fabulous car. I doubt I'll test my Forester to its limits.
You don’t always need to! Sometimes it’s good enough to just get out there!
I know what you're saying about content of Forester versus Outback. I have a Ford Bronco Sport. Lots of off-road content about the big Bronco; the Bronco Sport - not so much. Thanks for the video.
It's not a wilderness edition but I have a good video on my channel of a Forester doing the Sani Pass in South Africa about 6 weeks ago. A friend of mine owns one and we took it up Africa's 8th wonder of the world, The Sani Pass, what a drive and it performed amazingly!!! 1500 meters, 4500 feet up a dirt pass with all switchbacks.
Fun trail. Nice video. 😊
Thanks! 👍
I leased a 2023 regular Crosstrek manual transmission last year, everything I could want, only looked at Crosstrek and Outback., didn’t even notice the forester on the lot. However a neighbour just got a 2025 forester and it looks awesome, so does the older wilderness. And it occurs to me, it’s cheaper than the Outback, and almost the size truck space, for me next lease it is a serious contender if I need a bigger car…
i love forester, we Aussies still waiting for wilderness versions of all and it has been delayed over 2yrs LOL
Oh no! I hope you guys get them soon!
very nice
What kind of rain/wind deflectors are those? I’d like to get some for my Forester Wilderness.
They are the standard ones from Subaru. Should be available on their website.
What cross bars are those and how many inches? I have a Forester Wilderness as well and I need an idea how long those cross bars are. Thank you.
They are the Yakima Timberline roof system with the 50" Jetstream roof bars in black.
How does the newer one handle the normal bumps of the road compared to 2005? Not big rocks but regular divots, does it ride smoother? I have a 2006 OB, been eyeballing a 2024 FW pretty hard because it still has some regular knobs, instead of the full screen like the OBW has.
I'd say they are about the same, but I haven't really paid attention to it.
even though i own an outback the forester wilderness seems like a better deal if i were to get another subaru tbh. The 2.5 is fine and you get both better mpg and reliability all while having the same capability if not more than the obw due to the approach and departure angles and shorter wheelbase. Even though the outback wilderness is touted as the best one the forester still seems to be better in some situations even being 10k less
I think it’s due to the shorter wheelbase on the forester makes the clearancing of obstacles better.
Would love to see your thoughts on a built old Forester compared to a new FW.
I just consolidated my Wrangler and FWD Golf Wagen down to one vehicle - but it was a tough decision. Initially leaned toward the Forester but rented both for a few days on Turo to feel them out on and off road. I really preferred the Forester's overall visibility, seating position, and generally lighter feeling, especially off road - reminds me a lot of the old Tercel 4WD and Civic Wagovan AWD tall wagons from the 80s. But the OB's power is impressive, and the highway manners are nicer. (Both did phenomenally in snow, of course). Since both returned the same gas mileage and it would also be a daily, I surprised myself and pulled the trigger on the OB. Have had a few Imprezas/Foresters/Crosstreks, so finally having something on the Legacy platform is interesting, too. Very curious what the '25 FW will bring, though... a turbo Forester Wilderness would be very compelling.
That's certainly a common thing I have heard from other OBW owners. I almost test drove an OBW when I went to test drive my FW, but having the experience of driving my brother's 19 Forester Sport, and my years of experience with my 05, I was more than satisfied with the FW.
I would have to disagree with you on the aftermarket for the FW. While, yes, the content online for the car is lacking, you can find aftermarket parts all day for the FW from companies like LP Adventure, Rallitek, Ironman 4x4, etc. Where it's lacking though is more on the performance side, because the OW is boosted and has extra goodies to make good power. So its more a question do you want a good off roader? Or do you want an off roader thats also fast?
All the companies you listed also have parts for the OBW and CTW as well, but there are other manufacturers who have made off-road parts for those models but not the FW. CA Tuned Off-road is a good example, they made a good selection of parts for the OBW, but not the FW. Grimmspeed has several parts for the OBW and CTW, but only a few for the FW. I’m not saying there aren’t any parts for the FW, there just aren’t as many compared to the others.
Hey! what trails are you hitting? I am just south in MA with my forester wilderness! I am looking for places to explore!
Hey! That area was in Thompson CT. Looking to hopefully go more north as the weather warms up!
@@TheCreateOutdoors Nice! I will need to try to find the trail! I got my wilderness right at the dealership next door in Webster.
Do your mudflaps have the "orange" lettering? They look like they match the gold pretty well.
So I think the color was the yellow ones, and they really don't match the anodized gold in real life. I just did a good job blending them on camera haha.
@@TheCreateOutdoors Gotcha. I may go with the blue. Keep up the content. Great cars.
Hi Do you need some great lighting for your car to help you better driving, off-road. We're the pro auto lighting company for nearly 20 year and we're looking forward to sponsor some lights with your rig:)!
Hey there! I would definitely be willing to work with your company! It would probably be best to reach out to me via email. You can find it in my channel description!
@@TheCreateOutdoors Sure Will do! We just not saw the contact methods when we left the comment. But not we see it. Sending you more details now. Looking forward to sponsor your build!
I want a Forester wilderness, just can't afford one...have too many bills to be able to afford the $600+ a month payment. The Forester would be a great size vehicle for me since I don't have any passengers to haul around, and I enjoy going up in the hills to go camping...I take my 2WD pickup up there now, so a Subaru would do just fine.
Was confronted with the Outback vs Forester dilemma and when I test drove the Turbo, it was pretty much over.
They really need to bring the XT back for the Forester.
I think the XT just wasn’t selling as many models as it used to, so Subaru dropped it. There aren’t as many Forester owners like us anymore like there used to be.
Talk to me when they make a Forester XT again with a turbo.
I think this Wilderness could have benefitted well from the 2.4T in the OBW, but this is what we are stuck with for now. I do miss the XT though.
Tell subaru to have an option for the turbo engine then we'll talk. I borrowed my friends forester wilderness last year to camp in colorado. And that thing cant overtake at that altitude. Dont even try to merge if theres a car 1/4 mile away. Maybe if its unloaded it can. But with tent and fully loaded. No way jose.
if you haven't already seen them, Driving Sports TV has done a lot of content with the FW (albeit they've done a lot on the OBW as well)
They have! There has been a lot of review content out there but not as much adventure content from us average folk
What killed the Forester Wilderness for me was the lack of turbo! Have had two Foresters, capable things that did things in the outdoors like no bodies business. No rock crawling but handled everything and that is even before Subaru made the Wilderness line. The Outback Wilderness is so comfy, and man the thing has some speed 5.8 seconds to 60! Not the awful grandpa speed of the Forester Wilderness. I also like the cargo area in the Outback Wilderness much better, you can now put a sleeping bag and snooze inside no problem Forester was a little cramped and the cargo is more vertical.
Once you own a Turbo Subaru there simply is no going back. Having all the capability of a Subaru with speed on roads is a very nice touch that the Forester sadly just doesn't have. Subaru crippled not just the Forester like this but just imagine a Crosstrack withe that turbo...but noooo Subaru will not do that...Jeezzzz! WHY THE HELL NOT????
Let us not forget the towing capacity 3500 pounds a lot more useful.
THE ONLY, ONLY, AND ONLY Problem i have with the Forester wilderness is ? ITS not turbo, like WTF why if not i'll have on RIGHT now. Subaru bsing crosstek and forester should come with the 2.4
I’d put my Subaru Wilderness up against my Toyota 4-runner TRD with 3” lift, any day.
why can't subaru just put the outback tubrocharged engine in the Forester? I would buy it in a heartbeat if they did that!
That would be so awesome. It would be a huge improvement for sure.
I said this to the dealership that I bought my outback wilderness from. I know it’s coming and it’s going to be a big seller.
I was bitten by a 2021 Forester. Had the parasitic battery drain, when I returned the car I literally had no faith it would turn over in the morning. To me the Forester is a money pit, and Subaru as a brand unreliable, and unwilling to fix show stopping electrical issues. I personally would be scared of taking that thing anywhere away from an autoparts store so I could replace the battery when I turned it off.
Subarus many times are a 50/50 ordeal. You either get one that will last you forever or you get a lemon, like what you had to experience. I'm sorry you had to go through all that, I have always had good luck with my Foresters.
@@TheCreateOutdoorsThe way I heard it was from someone saying every time a Subaru comes off the line the technicians flip a coin to see if it will run forever, or be a money pit.
Never once heard it called a "MOM" car. thats the most ridiculous thing ive ever heard. Dad car.. yes.
I have had a couple of friends call it that haha. I'll take dad car though.
Seriously dude where the f*** is all the wilderness madness??? If I had a channel I would be posting all the time.
THERES NO TURBO ANYMORE!
I can do what was shown in this video in a Camry.
That's one of the things I came here to say.
True, hardly a thorough test, but I think it would only take a bit more incline/mud to make a 2WD Camry start having trouble. Also, I reckon the ground clearance in the Subarus give you much more confidence in this terrain. There are other demos, say by Driving Sports TV, Sarah n' Tuned and CarExpert (esp 12 medium SUV's compared) which really test the Forester (+/-Wilderness) to its limits, and "Wow" the Forester Wilderness can really excel in very tough muddy, deep snow and steep hill inclines. A regular Camry couldn't take on the conditions in those tests.
Well, if your hope is to promote the Forester, I would recommend making a video with more substance. There wasn't much information here. The most information provided was vague; one would expect the Forester to be heavier than a Crosstrek and have less power than an Outback. But what exactly does that mean? Well, the Forester is 3,620 lbs, while the Crosstrek is 3,370 lbs and the Outback is 3,920 lbs. The Outback has a 2.4l turbo which delivers 260hp and can tow 3,500 lbs, while the Forester has a 2.5l with no turbo, offering only 182hp and 3,000 lbs towing capacity.
The Forester does win on some things. One is subjective, and that is the stance and interior space. More head room in the Forester, though the leg room in the rear suffers.
The main superior feature is approach and departure angles. Now, if you care about getting everything you can offroad from subies, this is important. However, the ground clearance is slightly better on the Outback (9.5) compared to the Forester (9.2), but this can always be improved with a lift.
But overall, the OBW just offers more in more areas.
I also recommend showing something that looks a little more challenging for the vehicle than driving through a puddle, or down a flat gravel road that a Honda Civic could handle easily. These vehicle can do more than that, and if you're promoting it, it would improve the appeal I think.
This wasn't an informational video, there are plenty of those on TH-cam. Admittedly yes, I should have put the power to weight ratios on screen, but there are plenty of review videos out there, I really don't need to do make one myself since it isn't my specialty. This was an introduction to my Forester Wilderness and talking about why there doesn't seem to be much content on it, not on the car itself specifically.
This is New England in March. Many trails are still closed up north at this time and you won't be seeing much technical stuff in this area. I'm not looking to go with an off-roading route with this car anyway, I plan to overland with it instead. This spot was open, and I thought it would be better to film out in nature than in my driveway. I also doubt a Honda Civic would make it the entire route that I went. My mistake for not showing more of the bigger rocks we had to climb over.
@@TheCreateOutdoors Fair enough. I think you're right that people will be looking for videos on the Forester Wilderness, which is why I think having the numbers and some technical information would be beneficial and attractive to those FW folks out there. The fewer videos you have to compete with, the more people will be valuing the information and representation compared to the OBW reviewers.
@@cloudoftime I can agree with that, although due to my perspective audience throwing all the numbers out there, it can get confusing, unless you have more car knowledge like you and I.
@@TheCreateOutdoors I hear you. Well, I wish you the best of luck. That's just more opportunity for other videos anyway if you want to get into that stuff. I really like the Forester Wilderness (I have an OBW myself), I just wish the FW came with a turbo option. I'm sure the FW community will appreciate your efforts.
@@cloudoftime thanks dude! And who knows, maybe I’ll get out west some day and hit some of those crazier trails in the Rockies
Until Subaru gets rid of that weak ass CVT the car is just a stickered up phony pavement princess 😂