2022 Subaru Forester Wilderness Review: First Drive

Over its last few new model cycles, Subaru hasn’t exactly been extravagant with its styling changes.

With that in mind, it’s not a surprise the 2022 update to the Forester, a refresh instead of an all-new generation, has styling changes you’ll be hard-pressed to notice unless you’re a Subaru superfan or have the two parked side-by-side. Under the skin, though, are some important changes, along with Subaru adding its off-road Wilderness trim to the lineup.

For the 2022 Forester, Subaru is launching the latest version of its EyeSight active safety system. New cameras offer a front-end view nearly twice as wide as before, making it better able to detect pedestrians and cyclists as well as anything else on the road. Adaptive cruise, standard across the line, has what the automaker describes as “more natural control” that did feel smoother on the road. It’s also better able to recognize and respond to vehicles cutting you off, and while they all continue to beep at you incessantly, Subaru’s other assists like lane centering and lane departure warnings all feel much more natural.

Also new is Emergency Automatic Steering, which Subaru said can steer the Forester around an obstacle, like a stopped vehicle half in your lane, in situations where braking isn’t enough. Unlike Ford’s recent emergency steering assist, Subaru said this one can turn the vehicle without driver input, though it won’t fight your efforts.

DriverFocus, Subaru’s camera system that watches you to make sure you’re watching the road, is still only offered on Limited and Premier – Premier is called Touring in the U.S. the name used on a lower trim in Canada – but it gets a new fun feature. Hold your hand out, palm open, and it will raise the climate control temperature. Hold out a fist and it will make it cooler.

Aside from the cosmetic changes, which are extensive even if they aren’t prominent, all Foresters have new suspension tuning for an improved ride, and we’ll circle back to that. Handy when off the beaten path, Subaru’s dual-function X-Mode (on Sport and higher) now has a standby mode that re-engages the system if you exceed its 35 km/h (21 mph) max speed and then slow back down. Look up in the hatch and Subaru has added a pair of light-duty hooks to the ceiling meant to hold jackets, wetsuits, and other items you might want to air out.

Wilderness is the real news, adding to Forester’s off-road chops the same way that the label did for Outback. A 15 mm suspension lift gives more travel and works with a new front bumper to add ground clearance and boost the approach and departure angles. Underneath, Canadian-market vehicles get large aluminum skid plates to cover the engine and rear differential. U.S. Fozzies have only one smaller plate to protect the front edge of the engine.

Width is up thanks to the broader fender flares and the 17-inch wheels wearing Yokohama Geolandar all-terrain rubber (with full-size spare) have beefy 60-series sidewalls for off-road comfort and protection. Those tires are also mountain snowflake rated, making the Forester Wilderness one of the very few vehicles to come with winter rubber as standard. Subaru said they don’t perform as well as a more focused winter tire, but they seemed to grip the snow and ice just fine when compared to the Bridgestone Blizzak-shod Premier-trim testers.

Mechanical changes include a taller final-drive for better low-speed trail performance and a CVT fluid cooler for 1,364 kg (3,000) lbs tow capacity. The tent-ready roof racks can support 100 kg dynamic or 363 kg (220 lbs and 800 lbs) when parked, up 20 (44 lbs) and 45 kilos (100 lbs) respectively.

Inside, Wilderness has water-resistant soft-touch seats with a geometric texture that does a good job of holding you in place off-road. Badges and copper-colour trim make sure you know you’re in the special one, while all-season mats keep mud, tree debris, and sand off of the carpet as you do your outdoorsy things. The changes do cut into fuel economy, adding 1.1 L/100 km to the highway rating (now 8.3, 28 mpg), but it should still be well ahead of off-road intenders like the Bronco Sport (8.9, 26 mpg for four-cylinder) and Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk (9.7, 24 mpg).

We’ve already covered that Subaru’s safety suite is improved on the road, but what about the new ride? The 2021 Forester was an oddball in the Subaru lineup when it came to ride and handling. Rather than Subaru’s signature cushy ride and loads of initial body roll (before settling and hanging on tenaciously in corners), the Forester felt like every other crossover its size, offering a stiffly sprung and underdamped ride.

The 2022 model isn’t as soft as a Crosstrek or Outback, but it is much more like its siblings than before. More suspension compliance and a more comfortable ride, even on the farm tracks, washboard dirt roads, and winter-ravaged pavement of our test loop in Quebec’s Papineau region.

If you’re looking for the sports car version of a crossover, look elsewhere. If you want to ride in comfort and your commute looks like a rally stage, your chariot awaits. We have to assume that there is a direct link between the deterioration of our roadways and the growth in the popularity of Subaru’s vehicles, as this will quickly and quietly dispatch potholes the size of a Dachshund.

In the Wilderness, the ride is even softer. Extra suspension travel and taller sidewalls along with lighter wheels let the Forester power down ice-coated and rocky woods tracks with levels of comfort approaching a 1970s Cadillac on fresh pavement. While off-road-ready pickups and SUVs often go full stiff with their trail packages, this method makes the ride to the cottage or campsite much nicer while being impressively capable. It’s also still comfortable on the way to the trail.

Just one engine is offered in Forester, a 2.5L boxer-four making 182 hp and 176 lb-ft of torque. It’s a smooth-running engine that moves the Forester well, though we’d still love to see the extra oomph of Subaru’s 2.4L turbo offered here to up the fun quotient. A CVT is the only transmission but while that can often be a deal-breaker, Subaru has done an excellent job of making it invisible. No droning and no elastic-band starts here.

Subaru hasn’t changed the infotainment system with the refresh, so it still offers a 6.5-inch screen on lower-spec models and an 8.0-inch version on high trims. Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are standard, but no wireless versions or wireless charging. These aren’t the larger screens offered in Outback and Legacy, but, frankly, I prefer this system and its more pleasing graphics. EyeSight basics include pre-collision braking and throttle management, adaptive cruise, lane centering, and lane departure warnings, but some popular features are broken out of the main suite. That leaves emergency auto steering, blind spot detection, and rear cross traffic alert scattered around higher trim levels. Heated seats are standard across the board and a heated wheel warm enough I thought I might burn my palms is offered on Touring and higher.

SUBARU STARLINK Connected Service, Subaru’s connected vehicle system (on Convenience and up), offers stolen vehicle recovery and immobilization as well as concierge services and speed and curfew alerts. Remote climate control is also now part of the remote vehicle access features list that includes engine start/stop and door unlocking.

It’s a cliche, but Subaru has taken the if it’s not broken, don’t fix it approach to the 2022 Forester refresh. The model has tweaked some tech features to make them more useful, made the ride a bit more comfortable, and added a model that jumps on the quickly growing segment of people looking to get away from the suburbs and into the (and we’re sorry for this) wilderness. It’s a very appealing package that manages to stand out in a highly competitive segment, even if the bodywork isn’t doing the talking.

FAQs

Are the 2022 Subaru Forester out yet?

Yes, they are on sale now. 

What are the differences between the 2021 and 2022 Subaru Forester?

The Forester received a mid-cycle refresh this year and with minor interior and exterior updates. The biggest news is the addition of the Wilderness trim level. 

Does 2022 Subaru Forester have a CD player?

Yes, it comes standard with the entry-level 6.5-inch infotainment system.