2026 Subaru Outback Wilderness Review | Almost The Perfect SUV For Me. Almost.

Most automotive reviewers test the Outback Wilderness in a parking lot and call it a day. We took ours to an off-grid redwood forest property — actual unpaved roads, actual potholes, actual construction lumber hauled inside — and what we found is that Subaru's most expensive two-row wagon makes a genuinely strong case for being the best all-around adventure vehicle under $55,000. Starting at $46,045 for the Wilderness trim and climbing to ~$51,000 with the Nappa leather and moonroof package, the 2026 model delivers 260 horsepower and 277 lb-ft from a 2.4L turbo boxer, 9.5 inches of ground clearance, adaptive dampers that earn the only A+ ride quality grade we've given in this segment, all-terrain tires on 17-inch wheels, and a wagon format that gives you more interior length than virtually any comparably-priced SUV — while still fitting in most parking garages. In this full review we cover the refreshed exterior with wilderness-specific gold accents and scratch-hiding textured matte plastics, the 2.4L turbo case for choosing Wilderness over other Outback trims (and why it's slightly slower than the previous gen), the cargo area with its clever hammock-style cover and the no-full-size-spare trade-off, front seat adjustability including the driver-only extending thigh cushion, Subaru's latest and best infotainment software with two-screen CarPlay and physical climate controls, instrumented 0-60 (5.95 seconds) and 119-foot braking, handling (B — the all-terrain tires cost you horizontal grip), ride quality (A+), 64.1 dB cabin noise, 24.6 mpg real-world efficiency, the AWD system architecture and its honest limits versus a Grand Cherokee or Wrangler, and a complete pricing and practicality comparison against the Honda Passport, Jeep Grand Cherokee, and Toyota RAV4 — plus a frank final answer on whether the host would spend his own money on one. Here's why we don't talk about reliability much:    • The Problem With "Reliability" Scores Is G...   And resale value? Same thing:    • Resale Value: Myth vs Reality | Why It Mat...   Join this channel to get access to perks!    / @aautobuyersguide   Support on Patreon: patreon.com/autobuyersguide Buy Merch! http://aoamerch.com The Pod:    / autobuyersguidepodcast   EV Buyers Guide:    / evbuyersguide   The Mountain Garden:    / themountaingarden   Follow us on Facebook: http://fb.me/theautobuyersguide/ 0:00 Intro: Off-Grid Tested — The Right Vehicle for This Host's Backyard? 1:18 Exterior: Bold New Look, Gold Accents & Wilderness Rails 3:30 2.4L Turbo — The Big Reason to Choose Wilderness Over Other Outbacks 4:27 Interior: Seats, Extending Thigh Cushion & What Wilderness Can't Get 6:06 Cargo Area, Hammock Cover & the No-Full-Size-Spare Problem 7:54 Infotainment, Physical Controls & Two-Screen CarPlay 12:03 Driving: 0-60 in 5.95 Seconds, Braking & the Wagon Feel 14:02 Handling (B), Ride Quality (A+) & AWD Architecture Explained 18:41 Cabin Noise, Fuel Economy & Honest Off-Road Limits 24:22 Pricing, Passport vs Grand Cherokee vs RAV4 & Final Verdict #SubaruOutback #OutbackWilderness #SubaruWilderness #2026OutbackWilderness #OutbackvsPassport #OutbackvsGrandCherokee #SubaruAdventure #OffRoadWagon #AdventureSUV #AllTerrainSUV #SUVReview #CarReview #AutoBuyersGuide