Skip to main content

Is Subaru The New Extreme AWD Off-Road Brand?

Do Subaru owners really use their SUVs for extreme off-roading?

When you think of going off-road with a vehicle everyone thinks of Jeep. But what about Subaru? While most buyers don’t take their SUV off-roading, the Subaru brand attracts a different breed who do take their SUVs off-pavement. Todd Hill, Subaru’s Car Line Planning Manager, says, 33 percent of Subaru Crosstrek owners will use it for off-pavement recreation. Crosstrek isn’t your typical small SUV as it comes with 8.7-inches of ground clearance which no Compact SUV competitor exceeds. It’s the same with the newly-redesigned Subaru Forster and all-new 2020 Outback. They are family vehicles owners use for extreme recreation on the weekends.

Straight from the factory, the newly-redesigned 2019 Forester and new 2020 Outback are even more off-road capable with Dual-Function X-MODE on certain models that give the all-wheel-drive vehicles even more “go-anywhere” attitude and extreme off-road ability. The Subaru SUVs are also popular with families because of its all-weather capabilities and its utility.

They tackle the terrain

The 8.7 inches of ground clearance gives the three SUVs the ability to go over rough terrain without scraping the bottom. The boxer engine sits low in the chassis and gives them a lower center of gravity giving the SUVs the ability to handle the steep 1:3 ratio “axle twisting” gully without tipping over. Subaru’s vehicles cock their wheels, transfers power to the opposite wheel and tackle the terrain.

Many fans mod their Subarus and there are off-road clubs around the country for adventure enthusiasts. In Colorado where this journalist lives, on weekends, you’ll see a long line of modified Foresters with raised suspensions and large off-road tires heading to the high-country for weekend excursions.

awdOffroading Subarus of Colorado

The Forester, Outback and Crosstrek all come standard with the brand’s highly-capable Symmetrical AWD that will take you just about anywhere. But to get completely away from civilization, a lift kit and skid plates will give extra protection underneath so you can get through scrub brush, a river or a rocky trail without damaging your suspension. Subaru dealers are even getting into the modification business offering customers off-road accessories and lift kits for more extreme adventures.

Lifting your new 2019 Subaru Crosstrek, Forester, or Outback increases its ride height beyond the standard 8.7-inches, increases overall clearance, and will give it much more off-road capability. A two-inch lift kit may not seem like a lot, but combined with larger wheels and tires, it can mean all the difference on getting caught up on a rock or gliding over it. Owners have been taking their Subaru vehicles off-road for decades, but the brand is becoming known with a new generation of customers as the off-road brand for extreme adventures.

You May Also Like: Best Adventure Accessories For Your Subaru Forester, Outback, Crosstrek

Leave your comments below, share the article with friends and tweet it out to your followers!

Follow all Subaru news on FacebookTwitter and Instagram

Photo credit: Instagram crosstrekcrew, Lunasue_thesubaru, Nate Wellner-Offroading Subarus of Colorado

Comments

Cory Towler (not verified)    April 27, 2019 - 4:53PM

Hey man I love that you featured my car in the article. But it’s courtesy to at least give credit to the owner in the very least. If you readers are interested in following my build check out MY Instagram @lunasue_thesubaru

Nate Wellner (not verified)    April 27, 2019 - 9:37PM

Who can I talk to about a complaint about photo credit?

The 2nd picture is taken by me (and I can prove it!), and you did not get it off of either of the credited Instagram accounts, but possibly Facebook.

I am looking forward to speaking with someone about the use of my picture, while posted publicly on Facebook, I did not approve the use for this article.

Thank you very much,
Nate Wellner

Shane Walker (not verified)    April 28, 2019 - 5:14AM

What a joke!
When I think about going off road I don’t think about any of the stupid soft roaders such as the Subaru. Nor do I think about a Jeep, which fir the most part are also pretty useless 4WD vehicles. When going off road the only vehicles that enter my mind are a Toyota Landcruiser, or Nissan Patrol or a Landrover.

David (not verified)    May 12, 2019 - 9:34PM

In reply to by Shane Walker (not verified)

Having owned a Jeep Wrangler, 4Runner TRD off road pro, Land Rover, Range Rover and my wife currently owns an outback... I must say, "thinking" of off-roading and "off-roading" are two different things. Jeeps are highly capable, as are the outbacks. These outbacks are amazing! Great gas mileage and can literally take my family, my whitewater kayaks, and a ton of gear, anywhere I need to go.
After owning a the land rover and Range Rover... I can say, they definitely aren't as capable off road as either the jeep or outback... I damn sure wouldn't spend 60k on an overpriced vehicle like that, would rather get an outback and a jeep. Now- the defender... Maybe.

David (not verified)    May 12, 2019 - 10:35PM

In reply to by Shane Walker (not verified)

Having owned a Jeep Wrangler, 4Runner TRD off road pro, Land Rover, Range Rover and my wife currently owns an outback... I must say, "thinking" of off-roading and "off-roading" are two different things. Jeeps are highly capable, as are the outbacks. These outbacks are amazing! Great gas mileage and can literally take my family, my whitewater kayaks, and a ton of gear, anywhere I need to go.
After owning a the land rover and Range Rover... I can say, they definitely aren't as capable off road as either the jeep or outback... I damn sure wouldn't spend 60k on an overpriced vehicle like that, would rather get an outback and a jeep. Now- the defender... Maybe.

BRS (not verified)    May 13, 2019 - 3:16AM

I sold Nissan Patrol GQ to buy a Kona AWD. Yes the big 4wds are great but when petrol is a $1.70 a litre and these things burn 30 litres to 100km, it's time for them to go. My kona has twice the power to weight ratio and twice the torque to weight ratio than the patrol. It climbs steep hills easier apart from the DCT it would be unstoppable and will be when I lift it. With trails becoming smoother and places becoming more accessible. Massive 4wds (Land cruisers, Patrols) will be a thing of the past.

John Hunter (not verified)    October 3, 2019 - 7:53PM

I love my truck. But being able to go moderately offroad and get 22 to 28 mpg. What's not to like?

Eddie Murphy (not verified)    December 30, 2019 - 8:22AM

Throw in a deep rut, off camber track and the subarus non-articulative suspension will force a tire high in the air. The car looses all momentum and now you’re spinning a tire on the smallest obstacle. It’s quite embarrassing.
Encounter a rock garden and feel the car’s underbelly slam on small basketball sized rocks. Sit there and recharge yourself from those soul crushing hits, and watch a standard suv with some AT tire cruise on by effortlessly.
Subaru’s have a limit. These are points not mentioned or realized until you hit them yourself.

Kris Bunch (not verified)    November 10, 2020 - 11:22AM

In reply to by Eddie Murphy (not verified)

You are correct, a stock Subaru would do that. The article specifically highlighted 2 inch lifts, AT tires, and skid plates....
Subarus will never compete against Jeeps for rock crawling... but that is a useless hobby anyway. Plenty of Subi owners out there who love the AWD and utility of their vehicle on and off the road.

As for going up on 3 wheels and spinning. Subaru AWD handles that with ease.

Philip (not verified)    May 21, 2021 - 1:37AM

In reply to by Kris Bunch (not verified)

You don't have to put others down to compensate for the inadequacies of subarus. Rock crawling isn't a useless hobby and is necessary for most trails in areas like the south west. I've seen subarus on the trails to campgrounds but I've never seen one on any challenging trails. Subarus can not rock crawl, especially not the new CVT models.

marcus (not verified)    January 26, 2020 - 4:41PM

Gain up to 3-10 full inches in length Grow Bigger in days Penis Enlargement Cream & Pills contact DR SANTY JATTO via email dr.santyjatto @ gmail.com whatsapp +2348145243120 penis enlargement is specially designed to increase penis size, stop early ejaculation and improve weak erection. It is a powerful blend of high quality handpicked herbal ingredients from Brazil and Cameroon Forests that are efficient in increasing lovemaking performance in men. It is the SFI 3in 1 product of choice for men who want to restore vigor and achieve bigger and rock-hard erection. super Penis cream or pills works on all types of erectile dysfunctions and other related male problems. Main uses of SFI Penis cream 1. Increase libido and stamina 2.Bigger, fuller and firmer erections 3.Gain up to 3-9 full inches in length 4.Enhance lovemaking pleasure and enjoyment 5.More forceful orgasms and improve erectile quality 6.Cure weak erection and delay foreplay by retaining orgasm 7.Accelerate frequency of 8.Nourish and stimulate the male glands 9.Promote growth of nerve tissue 10.Increase blood flow to the erectile tissue 11.Increase the intensity of orgasm 12. Stops early ejaculation and make more rounds  

Danhbg (not verified)    March 9, 2023 - 7:02PM

The regional men can not provide sufficient attention and also treatment. They will provide even more than one hundred percent to ensure that every demand of the husband as well as youngsters is satisfied. Nevertheless, this choice may be taxing as well as also pricey because you need to place a significant amount of sources right into transforming this idea right into reality. Nevertheless, right here are a couple of things you need to be alerted about. Vacationers that come below for Carnival obtain the wrong opinion that all neighborhood charms are slim. Thanks to the broad array of beaches, you'll never get tired remaining in this area packed with different tourist attractions. Remaining eye-catching is rather crucial in a culture that judges people by exactly how they look. Consequently, Brazilian new brides often look more youthful than they in fact are. Latin new brides love to chat with a male that is active as well as confident. Let's see the finest online dating website for Latin dating.

These will play best of 3 matches (video games), with an area command for each and also the sudden death, if necessary, in the health club of the team with the very best technical index of the qualifying stage. The next problem of NP Uploaded will soon be in your inbox. With 2.5 million fans on Instagram and also her own television program, Leticia Bufoni is just one of skate boarding's best-known faces and bodies, having featured in the 2015 version of ESPN Magazine's Body Issue. We experienced a problem finalizing you up. This Brazilian women dating site uses a large range of communicational tools. Even the motions of Brazilian women for marital relationship are characterized by fluidity as well as grace. "We share everything, also the land we work with. All women that you will certainly find share an intention to meet a man that is ready to marry them. There are various strategies to this concern, yet we will stress the most prominent ones. There are numerous websites that will help you find lovely Brazilians from around the nation. Today we are going to go over why we think that Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (bjj) is the finest fighting style for females to find out just how to protect themselves.

There are other fighting styles that might be extra technical and better for people who are various, and their minds work a specific way. Skateboarding's addition as an Olympic sport may yet change that. BJJ training can be utilized for sporting activity hurting, along with in self-defense circumstances. While the innovative search enables you to browse with all brazilian basic filters in addition to marriage standing, profession, animals, eye color, best, and ambition. Search criteria so in love is the brand-new dating: someone simply wants joy, promotes racial equality not disgust. When evaluating the website as well as its prospects, our group takes into consideration the complying with criteria. Selecting the very best Brazilian mail order bride-to-be website calls for detailed research and also analysis. Open up the website and also see several accounts of Brazilians, checked out the endorsements. There's additionally an area where you can swipe right/left via accounts, as well as "such as" anybody you see there too. "The commission gets in touch with the Brazilian State to carry out extensive approaches to stop these acts, accomplish its obligation to investigate, prosecute as well as penalize those accountable, in addition to to provide security and thorough adjustment to all victims," the Washington-based IACHR stated in a statement.

"The compensation notes with issue that most of the times, the killed ladies had previously denounced their aggressors, encountered serious acts of residential physical violence or endured previous assaults or tried homicides," the IACHR claimed. The Inter-American Compensation on Human Being Rights (IACHR), the human legal rights arm of the 35-member Organization of American States, explained the fatalities as "startling" and stressed that even more requirements to be done to battle physical violence against females at its roots. IACHR added that most of the fatal sufferers of gender violence in Brazil, disproportionately Black, Native and also queer females, are often fired dead in their very own residences by former or present intimate companions that have a background of misuse. But, virtually 5 years later on, IACHR is calling for the Brazilian federal government to do even more, particularly in strengthening avoidance as well as security measures. In 2015, Brazil, joining nations across Latin America, took its very first major action to address the expanding murder of women, passing a regulation that provided a legal meaning to the criminal offense - femicide - and also setting up jail sentences for convicted offenders up to thirty years. The choice prompted more financial investment as well as rate of interest in South America, with the Brazilian Skate Confederation in 2015 developing a circuit of occasions as well as a nationwide team