Subaru Crosstrek Wilderness Off-Road Trail Review (feat. Falken AT4Ws)
We equip our long-term 2024 Subaru Crosstrek Wilderness with the brand-new Falken Wildpeak AT4W All-Terrain Tires. Can it conquer the very challenging Trail 55? The test is on!
#subaru #falkentire #offroad
CONTENTS
00:00 - Introduction
00:33 - Details on the Falken Wildpeak AT4W
02:37 - Easy Trails
11:52 - Water Crossing
14:55 - Tahuya Trail 55 (Rated 7/10 by OnX Maps.)
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Shout out to the camera guy just out there getting soaked lol
kudos to Nick for "off-roading' on foot the entire episode!
Pls get nick to wear a Bigfoot costume while he films the next Subaru video!
Our team loves your vids!!! Just one note, from the beachgoers on our team - at @2m25s (00:02:25) you talk about the sidewall lugs... the other reason for them is for when aired down in mucky/yucky or sandy places where your tire will flatten out and have a wider grip/tread surface.
Hey. What tire would you recommend for beach driving for the outback wilderness?
@@user-ik7wd6de4e we use about 15 psi, but some beaches can do with a little lower, or can work with a little higher (eg: maybe 18-20 psi for a rocky beach).
@@user-ik7wd6de4eas wide as will fit with non aggressive tread.
Shout out to the camera guy for the great shots!
Thanks for taking the wilderness where I'd never dare take mine! What an awesome little car. And awesome driving skills too.
Perfect example of what makes a difference for off-roading: Vehicle, Tires, and driver capabilities! Well done
Awesome vid as always. I especially loved Nick's camera work as he ran all around the car, a moving camera is so much better than a tripod!
Since I’m nearing the end of my Wildpeak AT Trails the AT4Ws are on my shortlist, perfect timing for this video!
The AT Trails are specifically designed for CUVs. The AT4Ws might be designed for pickups/SUVs. Do your research.
Yo, check out the Toyo, open country tires.
The moving camera angles outside of the car are more engaging than the stable camera shots that you used to take.
pretty impressive! Thanks for taking the time to swap the tires. For people who buy this and want to go to places like that, it gives a much better "real world" example of what to expect.
Would love to see an Outback Wilderness do this trail!
I would love to see that as well. Though I fear the longer wheelbase would inhibit it from being able to do it.
If I lived in the area I would do it without question. Only thing I see the OBW struggling with is the nose. With a worse approach angle and overall a more elongated nose. I have a boat load of scraps on the black plastic because of it. Wish it was short nosed like the Crosstrek. Of course custom bumper is an option but black plastic is cheaper :-). I've taken my OBW on some very serious trails where full size trucks without lockers simply fail to get grip or just drag to much to move forward. Even made it up a trail a SR5 taco failed at. OnX rating is kind of a joke honestly. One around me rated at a 6 and a bone stock Corolla can get up. The 2 closer to are rated 7 and they are a cake walk for the OBW. I've abused my OBW but she only seems happy in the dirt and not in the city mall crawling. Who needs a jeep.
@@user-mc8le6tx4y Do you have any skid plates or rock sliders installed?
@@jimbrown7261 Only front skid and diff. I have all 3 but where I'm at the OBW overheats in the summer so I have to remove the aftermarket ones during summer and go back to plastic. CVT plate has sat in my garage since it causes the CVT to overheat even in winter. With the aftermarket skids you lose 1/4 an inch to break over angle but I've yet to find that a problem. Guess it's time to make a trip to the PNW and find out :-) it's only a 26 hour drive time...
@@user-mc8le6tx4y I've heard of the overheated problem a time or two before. Kinda sucks but I understand how it can happen.
Nice to see the car out through its paces. Surprised the weak link for these is the breakover and not the approach angle.
I bet Subaru adds a front camera next year on this trim and it'll be because your videos 😊
Not sure why it’s not there. The Forester , Outback and even Legacy Touring has it.
@@atmartens I think it's due to cost and the smaller size, but I don't think anyone would mind having one
Or make it an option at least
@@TheCreateOutdoors Should be standard on the Wilderness. They don’t do a Touring trim which makes sense for this size.
@@TheCreateOutdoors digital cameras are inexpensive these days. They also happen to be tiny. So it doesn't matter that that is not a large car and the monitor screen is already built into the dashboard / entertainment center. There is No excuse for front and rear cameras not being on any SUV or4x4
The sequence at 21:18 really had me puckering... and I'm not even driving it! haha. Nicely done.
Cant express how much I love seeing this little Crosstrek in action, great video as always!!
This was a fun one to watch. Thank you!
Got me a Crosstrek Wilderness thanks to your previous videos (especially the 1200 mile road trip video), and yeah, in alpine green. Might be a while, if ever, before I swap out the tires for something other than the trail tires that come standard, but I really appreciate your channel, cuz I'm loving this car so far.
Man I loooove your videos. They are so entertaining and you do such a beast job
Looks like such a fun off road trail, perfect for the Crosstrek. What a capable little beast, good driving too!
This was awesome to watch. One modification I did to my Outback, a 2017 base model, was remove the sway bar end links on the front & back for better wheel articulations. It definitely helps out in places like this.
“… and I asked!” Love it, Ryan. Always great work with Nick.
Might have to get a set of these for my truck, which funny enough has Geolander GO15s right now. By the way the camera work was great in this episode! Thanks for another great video
Awesome video! Great way to start Wednesday morning
Watching this was an experience on its own! Great vid as always! Also, I’ll consider that tire size for my FW’s new tires as you didn’t experience any noticeable rubbing.
I live about 15 minutes from Tahuya and I love going up there on my 890 Adventure.
exactly the tire I was pricing out for my Crosstrek. Awesome videos
You might want to wait for the review after longer yes. There could be your shoes arising from possible additional weight and rolling resistance. Maybe even aerodynamics,?😅😁
Nice trail and excellent video. Your experience helps a lot here.
Just put a set of AT4W 285s on my 4Runner yesterday. I live in Colorado and cannot wait to hit the trails soon!
Do you have a lift or trimmed fender line?
Ryan, you really need to do a show where you take a low-trim Crosstrek (or Outback or Forester), put on a set of AT trail tires in the stock size (225/60R17 for the Crosstrek and Forester), and compare the performance to the corresponding Wilderness trim. I think you could really show how much of the performance is driven by tires alone. Or at least that is my theory. Anyhow, it would make a great show.
That would be awesome
First thing I did was put 235/60/18XL Yoko Geo AT's and new wheels on my Outback XT, sold the Yoko OEM 225/60/18 tires/wheels. Bigger tires provide 9" clearance, wider contact patch and after market wheels are 7lbs lighter (and stronger) to offset increased tire weight. Get home every time. IMO, also looks much better vs Wilderness muffin top look.
This vehicle never ceases to amaze.
In Australia, my Crosstrek 2.0S has a front camera (full 360). Done a bit of this type of offroading and it's definitely helpful. Always had an Impreza in the US but needed the ground clearance in rural Australia.
Awesome video👍 My Subaru Ascent has the same tires for 2 years already. Drove a lot of off road places, the tires are worn out 2/3 but still good, never got a chance to use my spare tire.
Great review Ryan ! Thanks Last weekend we jumped on the BDR outside of Cashmere (we live in the mountains 5 miles from Cashmere) towards Entiat, but had to turn around as the snow is still over 2’ deep and we didn’t want to chance our 23 TRD Off Road, double cab, 6’ bed. Not even AAA will rescue us up there if we get stuck.
That was fun, thanks!!
Would love to see an underbody review after doing something like this. How much heat shield and sound deadening got damaged? Did bolt heads get ground down? How bad is the scraping?
The only damage was ripping out the peg that was holding in some sound deadening fabric and tearing the sheet.
Throwing that tire in the puddle was gold!! 😂
Awesome video, love how you actually test stuff on real obstacles but also don't go crazy. I also want to add I really wish Subaru would of stuck with using rear LSDs, imagine x mode and a rear limited slip, this cross trek would be unstoppable, within reason.
You have a really awesome and fun job! :)
great video great trail to demo the capibility of the crosstrek wilderness, to improve i installed locker,and disconnect front sway bar end link so the front tire will flex more on the ground. my tires is BF trail terreain this tire has side wall rugged,and i have 10.8 inches lift kit with king springs front camera on my Forester Sport 2021. very important thng is the cooler oil gearbox that the wilderness has, i put on mine too, i think its a must om all Subaru with CVT. The heat exchanger fails to cool the gearbox oil and causes great damage to the CVT gearbox and to all of Subaru's owners pockets.😀
Great video!
Your off road course is great. You can test any vehicle in tough conditions. But if it starts rain this course become hardcore. Subaru still makes good off road capable vehicles. Great episode. Greetings
I’m so excited to get this car
Love your videos! It would be nice to do a long term review for your personal crosstrek. Many people say Subarus are not reliable especially if you take them off road often. Your crosstrek could be the perfect example to show the long term reliability!
I've heard that the reliability was about one specific model (I forget which) - but people mistake that one issue with the entire Subaru brand.
@@8triagrammer Yes, I think the bigger concern people have is with the CVT overheating when off-roading, despite not throwing any error messages they think it still hurts the longevity. But my understanding is that they are built to a higher standard to tolerate a bit more heat, so they are fine in the reasonable long-term use. Maybe Ryan can give us his personal experience?
@@michaelnoah3795 on all models or just the 2024 crosstrek wilderness?
@@8triagrammer The allegations against CVTs are for all Subaru models across the years. From what I've seen they only fail at very heavy and improper usage which would cause regular ATs without low range to fail as well. The 4WD system however I have never seen any fails.
I don't think you can show long-term reliability with only a one-year car loan. I would think that would take at least 10 or 15 years 😁😉
Great vehicle! Nice trails
I felt like I learned a lot watching. Being out to woods occasionally with my Mazda CX-30, I will probably get Wildpeak AT Trail as new tires.
This is really cool. I learned a lot. I would have tried to bull my way through, going to fast and probably hanging up somewhere or something.
Cool vid! Tahuya is such a beautiful place to drive around. Most of it is perfect for the likes of a Crosstrek. Looks like the new tires did pretty well.
Love your channel! I have a 2022 Forester wilderness and was curious how the newer crosstrek performs with this set up as I am thinking of replacing my stock tires with these ones! Since you're situated in the PNW - have you ever considered in doing some trial runs up in BC, Canada - we got some pretty gnarly forest service roads up this way that I've driven on with my FW.
I looked at every minute of it. The perfect SUV adventure. It should almost be your standard SUV test course, though I suspect many lesser SUV's couldn't get through it. I'd love to take my Bronco Sport Badlands on it but it's about 2000 miles to far from me.
Very challenging but you made it!
Hey Ryan, great video as usual. Are the AT4w's much louder on the road. My go15's are nearing the end and im going to need new tires. Loved the GO15'S, 5yrs 50k no complaints.
That's a great car. Love the video footage with the Osmo Pocket 3 too :)
I wish this version was out when we bought our 18. We just put the same tires on the car and they are perfect for the kind of car.
Have been hearing a lot about Subaru (and others ) snooping on your driving and selling info to insurance. Would be great to hear about that (if any) on your long termer! Thank you for your great work!
For what it's worth, I have a 2022 WRX and requested a copy of my Lexis Nexis report (one of the main data aggregators explicitly named in the GM SafeDriver data collection reports). It did not contain any driving data.
Subaru Crosstrek Wilderness!!🙌 So good!!🙌
Love your videos. I look for your new reviews every week. Impressive performance off road for the Crosstrek, especially in the muddy conditions. What they need to improve are a more powerful top level engine and a better entertainment/navigation system. They could look at the Seltos for a great example of a good looking and user friendly nav/entertainment system.
If you're "major"concerns about a car are the entertainment center, 🙄😅 you're probably don't need an SUV slash all-wheel drive, 4-wheel drive... Maybe that entry-level Chevy are Nissan Versa would be perfect for you 🙂
Nice snarky reply. Thanks.
@@edsmith9855 love your priorities and concerns in a suv. 😁
Ryan, what damage did you do to the underside? I could see something hanging down!! Amazing video, what capable little car the tires made a big difference. I heard you can get a locker for these. Underbody armour would be a good option.
I've been doing a fair bit of forest tracks similar to this one and the visibility is the main issue. On-road you don't realise how much car there is in the front ;). On steep approaches you point at the sky and hope for the best. Considering the price and size it's an amazing small adventure vehicle (A standard trim, the Wilderness is not available down our neck of the woods). For proper drives we still keep the Landcuriser Prado at home.
looks like a volvo now. also this guy has the best geek laughs in the biz...
Headliner : Take the Crosstrek where a Ford Raptor can’t go ! lol Love all your videos Ryan but this one taught me a lot about tires. Also wow are you a great driver ! BTW I broke the sound insulation under my Wilderness on rocks as well. It cost me 100 bucks plus to replace a simple panel of thick cardboard stuff. Lol
Love these Wilderness model Subaru videos. Its showing me that a Subaru Wilderness model will do everything I'd need....I want the Subaru Forester Wilderness. With the videos you have done with the Forester Wilderness with stock tires the places you've taken it has had some more challenging terrain than I'll get into and you haven't had any trouble overall in your ventures so a Subaru will work just fine for my occasional back roads adventures and camping excursions. A lot of places I've gone recently I've been able to tackle with my 1987 Ford Ranger 2WD pickup...so I Subaru will do fine LOL.
I have a Forester Wilderness myself and I love the capabilities of it. Ryan was certainly an influence of mine to actually get one.
I used to really dread the snow in Chicago, but since getting the FW, I get all bent out of shape when it DOESN'T snow. I wanna go play!
Awesome! Thanks for testing the CTW for how we really use it!
Going to Trader Joes? Thats how I use my OBW 😅
@@Jaypher Might as well drive a Wrangler... 🤣
@@Blue.Crawler what so it can breakdown in the parking lot? 😭
@@Jaypher haha, they got to be better than a Crosstrek - Everyone keeps telling me to get one when I pass them in the woods. 🤣
@@Jaypher😅
Interested in this, I heard the AT4Ws gained some weight so might affect some performance aspects especially on a lower powered CUV type vehicle.
we just bought a cross trek wilderness for my wife's daily driver. All I can say is wow! our little Subaru can do that. I hope we find a grocery store in the woods :) thanks for the video. we are in Ontario Canada. backroads a plenty .
I'm gonna go right outside and tell my '17 Forester Touring about the video! The Silver Bullet will be so jealous!
I have used these on my 2018 Crosstrek on 16" wheels, and it could not be better. This is the only alteration to the stock setup of my car, and it is worth every penny. I drive on a lot of hard trails like high road here, and these are the tires for that.
How noisy are they on the road? Would they be bad on a long trip?
@@judih.8754 I have used these on long trips, on motorways all around Europe, and they are perfect. I obviously got used to the the sounds inside the cabin, (and on long trips I really abuse the sound system) but a friend tested it and he could not hear any extra. There must be some, but it is way below perception. My other findings: Driving stability: I cannot feel any compromise, but because the datasheet gave lower wet surface stability, I drive a bit more carefully on wet or icy asfalt anyway. (Mud, dirt road obviously no problem) One thing I noticed, on old, bumpy asfalt roads I can feel some faint bouncing, but the awd corrects it. Its probably because these are heavy tires. (Do not take the corner faster than 60mph.) Fresh snow: it is perfect, but feels to slide a bit sideways. Again, no problem for the AWD. Obviously a dedicated snow tire is more stable on speed, but snowy woodlands it just goes like a tank. Lastly, be prepared for some higher fuel consumption: no memory what it was before, but I estimate it some 5-6% more. Did I regret it? No! My next set will be the same. It grinds pebbles, wades through mud and snow. Forget spare wheels - I had no punctures anymore. (Well, don' forget spares. The puncture bit is true. And it looks great too:) ).
@@judih.8754 Under perception level. Music usually suppresses it. :) More findings: Carefully on wet and icy asphalt, the spec gives slightly poorer wet braking specification. No problems so far, but to be on the safe side, keep more distance. Dry braking is perfect. Deep snow drive on woodland tracks is perfect, but on snowy road it has a bit more sideway slide, than dedicated snow tires. VDC handles it. Mud, rocky road, no problem. Where I live, I used to have a lot of punctures on stock tires, not one with these. Fuel consumtion is a bit higher. I estimate it some 5-6% extra. And they look great :D. Would I choose another tire? No.
These videos rock!! Love the instructive element! This is so helpful! I wish Subaru focused on interior and exterior style. They'd be unstoppable
Ryan I'm curious what your opinion on the AT4W is vs the AT Trail. I know you've run both on Crosstrek's before. Looking for something that is going to be great all year round in winter, on trails, and driving around town. Thanks for this awesome vid and showing us what the Crosstrek can do! So much fun to watch! 🙏
I’m looking for the same thing. I just a 21 CROSSTREK base but looking for some better all terrain tires for year round here in steamboat Colorado
I’m wondering about this too
I’ll weigh in. I have a 21 bronco sport badlands (don’t worry I love Subies 😅, and my son has a Forrester) My sport came with pirelli scorpion at (the more roady ones) and they were actually decent on trails but they wore fast-50,000 kms. My next set were wildpeak AT trail which I bought from a friend with around 25k easy kms on them to get by until the next new set. I got 15k on those and they were done, best case scenario at 40k kms. I do a fair bit of atv trails in my area but it is also my day to day car so lots of road. I then bought BFG trail terrains. So far they’re fantastic and I’ll be sticking to them. Incidentally the less aggressive pirellis were better on trail with less slipping I assume because they were so soft So yea that’s my take lol
Give Nick a raise.
Would it be possible to do segment, with a full set of tyre changes while on a trail to actively show the difference tyres make
(08:16) The green color of the vehicle looks particularly good with the brown mud on the tires. Good, rugged contrast. Maybe that was a design consideration.
Battery powered air pump is a must-have, no hassle to store in the car.
Cool! I know those trails. ;) Can you believe that the Dunlop AT20's ran that terrain with out needing 4WD? I was disappointed actually. lol Was looking forward to using my 4WD systems out there. Those roots and stumps are treacherous. And as you noted, a lot of terrain gets narrow for a 4R. So much so, I backed out of some of them trails because I did not want the pin striping. Not ideal when you have no idea if and when someone is going to be coming up behind you. That Crosstrek did ok. I agree you should keep your Raptor out of there. And def. don't take either too Elbe. Someone with a 2 wheeler, quad, SxS and a drone should really go through these areas and slap a video up on it so you know what to expect ahead of time.
Not changing my 21 Crosstrek Outdoor! Thx Subaru.
I just picked up my new Crosstrek Wilderness a couple weeks back and am looking forward to taking on some trails. How do you think the one you have would have done on this trail with the stock tires before you put on the Falkens?
Good video timing because my Forester Wilderness needs replacement tires. I did not hear you give the size of the at4ws (although i believe I saw the size in the video) and you did not discuss road noise. Specifically how much louder are the at4ws, if any, on the highway. You probably gained at least 1/2” more ground clearance with the AT4Ws so that difference alone would have made the trail less enjoyable on the factory tires. (I had a bad off road experience with the OEM tires (sidewalk cut) and I definitely want a tire with a stronger sidewall that resists rocks).
We'll do another video covering road noise once they're broken in. (300 miles or so)
Thanks for a great video! I have to admit I'm about the last person to watch a video about off-roading as a pastime. I am admittedly watching it because I write a lot of advertising copy for dealerships. Subaru is one of the major manufacturers that I write a lot of advertising copy for. I really wanted to see x mode and a Crosstrek in action. I'm assuming that is the Wilderness trim model. Correct? Okay, cladding panels. It is the Wilderness model.
It’s a 2024 crosstrek wilderness. Only modification is aftermarket tires.
Will having a slightly higher sidewall to increase ride height as you mentioned have a negative effect on the axles? Like wearing out axle gears faster?
Under armor protection & a 2” lift is all it needs 👌🏽
Tires alone added a 1+ lift. Lifts can be problematic with CV joints and the safety stuff. I’d avoid them personally.
almost invincible
i traded my 2020 jeep renegade latitude for a 2023 renegade trailhawk.i wanted blindspot monitoring and heated seats and wheel.since 2023 is the last year of import ,prices are down on something i really enjoy.msrp was 36000 i got mine for $29000.in this day and age isnt bad for a car with leather and other goodies.they sell toyotas to but way to pricey for me.wouldnt mind subaru but nearest dealer is 160miles away,im different i guess,i like to have local dealer.thanks for videos.the old man 74 yrs young.
Pity this model isn't released in Australia, love the ruggered design
What a capable li'l sob the CTW is lol! Subaru must translate to "overachiever"! 😉 I love my 22 OBOXT a lot, but am impressed by how far the Crosstreks have come along.
Would have loved for y'all to have taken the honda pilot trailsport out there
Pretty capable suv with good tires
Another tire truck and crossover owners should check out is Maxxis Razor AT-811.
Even the Outback Wilderness would have issues with breakover, maybe the Forester Wilderness would do well too.
On our third Subaru, the last two were Foresters. Don’t see a reason to change!!
How did the added weight feel? I’m thinking about running these on my forester wilderness, these or the maxxis razr for the weight savings!
Didn’t feel any different in terms of weight. (There’s a 6lbs difference). But I’m sure economy will take a small hit.
Great video and testing! Imagine the fun that 'smaller' Subie would be if they had an optional 2.4 Turbo engine available. :)
It'd be too close to a wrx and compete against it. Also, as a ctw owner, honestly, a 2.4t would probably be too crazy. The 2.5's power is perfectly balanced for what it's supposed to be with the 4.11 final drive. It's super fun and engaging just as it is, just don't get in any drag races, take them to the orv park 😁 It really is super small though, my 2018 chevy cruze was longer wheelbase.
@@briAction Nothing wrong w/crazy... so long as it's an option. I'd honestly be in the market for replacing my 2017 Forester XT Touring w/a new Forester Wilderness if they offered the turbo engine. When you drive a turbo then go NA the Subaru's are really lacking any power when needed. But obviously they're still selling so what do I know. :)
@@ericmoss8344 I feel ya. I came from multiple turbo cars before this and the na power band is definitely something I had to get used to. Agreed though, if the forester wilderness was a 2.4t, I would have gone with that over the crosstrek.
@@ericmoss8344totally agree. I’m so confused on why no turbo on the forester wilderness. I’ll keep waiting
First, great video. I know a lot of work goes into them. Second, as much as I love the TFL guys, you’re my best bet for Subaru reviews. Third, as many said and you have, it is wild that it doesn’t have a front camera. Subaru has them on the Outback, Forester and even Legacy Touring. Not sure why they skipped out. Over all, it’s a pretty cool little machine. The only thing I would’ve wished they do is put in their turbo engine. More so in the Forester but heck, even in this trim and model would be helpful.
I think the camera is due to cost and the Crosstrek being smaller, but yeah I think it should have one.
I’d love to see a Mitsubishi Outlander PHEV take on your off-road course
Hilarious, I put these on my 2017 crosstrek like an hour ago, and this gets posted same day.
Question: how badly does the paint get pinstriped as you drive through the foliage? Did the plastic cladding do it's job?
This would benefit from a small lift and results would be impressive
Is AT4W quiet as my Wildpeak A/T Trails? Trails has been excellent for me so far.
I like the looks of these tires. My only concern would be clearance around the tires on our Forester Wilderness. I still won't need new tires for a while but I'll keep my eyes out for these for when the time comes.
If you get tires of the same size I don't think that would be an issue, unless you wanted a larger tire size.
@@TheCreateOutdoors They don't make these (currently) in the stock size, which is why Ryan got these ones. They are slightly larger in terms of diameter. The stock size is 225/60/17 but looks like the closest they sell are the 225/65/17. It's not a huge difference (about 3.3% larger) but I would be concerned about possible contact with the inner fenders (assuming that is the size Ryan went with).
the speed of the wiper blades relative to the rain was stressing me out the entire video. lol
They need to offer this with a 6MT!!!