The 2026 Subaru Outback Wilderness is the latest iteration of the brand's long-running mid-size SUV, and it's clear that Subaru has been working overtime to tame the wilderness within its rugged exterior. Coupling a warm and fuzzy disposition with the dedicated assurance of weather-neutralizing all-wheel drive, the Outback is focused on smiles rather than thrills. However, the new Wilderness trim is a different story altogether. Cosmetically, the Wilderness adds signature copper accents, a more emboldened grille, and more rugged cladding, giving it a decidedly more aggressive look. Inside, the redesign brings slightly more headroom and two additional cubic feet of cargo room behind the rear seats, for a total of 35 cubes. The Wilderness also employs the Outback's new available 12.1-inch horizontal infotainment screen, which replaces the former vertical display. The powertrain remains the same, with the Wilderness packing the same 260-hp turbocharged 2.4-liter flat-four as the Limited XT and ...
The 2026 Subaru Outback Wilderness is the latest iteration of the brand’s long-running mid-size SUV, and it’s clear that Subaru has been working overtime to tame the wilderness within its rugged exterior. Coupling a warm and fuzzy disposition with the dedicated assurance of weather-neutralizing all-wheel drive, the Outback is focused on smiles rather than thrills. However, the new Wilderness trim is a different story altogether.
Cosmetically, the Wilderness adds signature copper accents, a more emboldened grille, and more rugged cladding, giving it a decidedly more aggressive look. Inside, the redesign brings slightly more headroom and two additional cubic feet of cargo room behind the rear seats, for a total of 35 cubes. The Wilderness also employs the Outback’s new available 12.1-inch horizontal infotainment screen, which replaces the former vertical display.
The powertrain remains the same, with the Wilderness packing the same 260-hp turbocharged 2.4-liter flat-four as the Limited XT and Touring XT trims. The standard continuously variable automatic transmission gets a bespoke tune with a shorter final-drive ratio than in non-Wilderness models, presumably more in tune with the vehicle’s off-road-oriented mission.
One of the standout features of the Wilderness is its adaptive suspension. A version of the system in use in the current WRX, it allows for firmer or softer damper tuning, as the situation dictates, based on numerous sensor inputs. This means fewer harsh impacts over speed bumps in town and softer landings during off-road shenanigans.
The final link in the chain is the standard 17-inch Bridgestone Dueler all-terrain tires, sized 225/65R-17. The last Outback Wilderness we drove wore Yokohama Geolandar A/T G015 tires, which looked to have a slightly more aggressive tread pattern. Subaru claims that the revised drive modes allow the less aggressive Bridgestones to get the job done just as adeptly off-road while being a tad quieter on pavement.
After 60 miles of highway driving interspersed with some tight, twisty, smoothly paved two-lanes, we found the on-road ride to be calmer than the prior version. The steering, something the old Outback had a nebulous relationship with, is also improved. The same vibes continued as we shifted to the gravel pathway leading us to the 19,000-plus-acre Cooley Ranch, where the Wilderness performed as billed, with copious amounts of mud created by the previous week’s near-record rainfall.
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