The Best Subaru Models For Off-Roading

Subaru is well known for its adventurous vehicles. All-wheel drive has been standard on most of its models for decades now and many Subaru models are available with all the equipment you need to go scooting up a fire road at your nearest OHV area. More than just dirt-road capable though, several Subarus take off-roading seriously. 

I've spent over 15 years testing and reviewing cars and in that time I've taken several run-of-the-mill bone-stock Subarus, with no modifications, up and down difficult mountain trails, through mud and water, and deep into the wilderness. I've always been impressed by my experiences in Subaru SUVs when taking them off road, and aside from a few operator errors, they've held up to any abuse I've thrown at them. It's unlikely that you're going to do much Rubicon-rock-crawling (which I've also done) in a stock Subie, but that's not the goal of most of my off-roading anyway.

To start, we should throw out the road-going models — we liked the Impreza in our review, and the BRZ's new performance trim sounds impressive, but they're clearly meant for on-road adventures. Same goes for the WRX these days. Instead, we're looking at the all-wheel drive SUVs designed with trail-traversing in mind. Lots of ground clearance, impressive off-road software and hardware, and a fondness for the outdoors are all prerequisites to gain a spot here. Several Subaru models fit this description, so let's take a closer look at what each provides, and see how they stack up.

Powered exclusively by electricity, the Solterra is Subaru's first and only EV. It shares a platform with Toyota's bZ4X EV but Subaru has done what it can to make the Solterra as rugged an SUV as possible. The car has a pretty modest range, topping out at 228 miles on a single charge, but that hasn't stopped Subaru from giving it standard all-wheel drive and 8.3 inches of ground clearance for respectable off-road capability. That's slightly less ground clearance than other Subaru SUVs, but still enough to avoid getting caught up on most small rocks.

The Solterra comes standard with dual-function X-mode as well (the upgraded version of X-mode on other Subaru models), but that's about it when it comes to off-roading equipment. No all-terrain tires, no available increase in ride height, and no Wilderness trim. While Subaru presents the Solterra as an adventurous SUV, it wouldn't be our first choice for off-roading. Still, it should be plenty capable of getting you through some rough terrain or through inclement weather.

The Ascent is Subaru's largest SUV, but it still has plenty of off-road capability. With three rows of seating, the Ascent can seat as many as eight passengers, giving it more family-hauling capability than any other Subaru — a big benefit if all the kids want to come along on an off-road adventure or if you just like to carry a lot of gear. 

Like the other Subaru SUVs on this list, it comes standard with all-wheel drive and X-mode. Top trim levels come with dual-function X-Mode which has unique traction settings for snow/dirt and deep snow/mud. The Ascent is also available with a 360-degree camera which can be particularly useful in tight spots on- or off-road.

No available packages upgrade the Ascent's off-road equipment, and all trim levels come standard with basic all-season tires, so the Ascent isn't as capable as some other Subarus. However, this SUV can still hold its own when the pavement ends. And if you want to add a bit of your own off-road capability to a standard Ascent, all-terrain tires just might be the icing on the cake.

Redesigned for 2025, the newest Subaru Forester offers a lot of off-road capability in a fully modern package. It has a new exterior design, lots of upgraded features over the previous generation, and a big 11.6-inch center touchscreen that is easy to use. And as you'd probably expect by now, it comes standard with 8.7 inches of ground clearance, all-wheel drive, X-mode, and hill-descent control. Upper trims get the upgraded version of X-mode, of course.

The Forester is slightly shorter than the Outback from nose to tail, measuring 183.3 inches from nose to tail. The Outback measures 191.1 inches. But on the inside, the Forester offers nearly the same amount of cargo space — 74.4 cubic feet of space with the rear seats folded. Unfortunately, the Forester is only available with the 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine, which only makes 180 hp, so it's a bit less exciting to drive. 

In general, the Outback is a bit more luxurious than the Forester, especially on upper trims, and that's reflected in their prices. The Forester ranges from $31,090 (including destination) on base trims, all the way up to $41,390 on top trim levels, while the Outback is between $30,290 and $44,190. Priorities like price and size will come into play if you're choosing between the Outback and the Forester, but they're both worth a closer look.

Over six generations of Outback have made this one of Subaru's most iconic and long-standing vehicles. Out on heavy duty trails the Outback feels secure and confident, never missing a step in my experience. It's spacious and comfortable on the inside with plenty of room for gear — and I definitely overpack. With the rear seats folded the Outback offers 75 cubic feet of cargo space — on par with many of the midsize SUVs it's up against in its class. Lower trim levels come with a 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine that produces 182 hp while the optional turbocharged 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine really livens things up with 260 hp and 277 lb-ft of torque. That's the engine I recommend whether you're going off road or sticking to pavement.

As we go through the off-road capable SUVs that Subaru produces, you'll likely notice some recurring numbers and features: 8.7 inches of ground clearance, standard all-wheel drive, standard X-mode, and standard hill descent control. Those are essentially the bare minimum specs and equipment Subaru puts on its off-road friendly SUVs. And just like the Crosstrek, the 2024 Subaru Outback has all of those features. An upgraded version of X-mode is available on upper trim levels, as are some helpful features like a forward facing camera, and a water-repellant seat upholstery. Like the Crosstrek, the Outback is also available in an upgraded Wilderness trim level that we'll go over at the end of this list.

In our review of the Subaru Crosstrek, we liked its affordability, and in my personal experience it's surprisingly good off-road, too. It's light enough to bounce around on uneven trails and its price means beginners can have a go at off-roading. It's also Subaru's smallest SUV which makes it ideal for squeezing between trees on narrow trails without adding too many scratches to the paint. The Crosstrek offers 8.7 inches of ground clearance which is more than enough to keep you from scraping on small rocks. All trim levels have all-wheel drive (Subaru calls it Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive) along with X-mode, Subaru's traction-management system that controls wheel spin and torque distribution in slippery slow-speed scenarios. The Crosstrek is also one of Subaru's SUVs that's available in an even-more-capable Wilderness trim level, which we'll touch on a little bit later.

More than just being relatively diminutive and capable on the trails, the Crosstrek is relatively efficient too. The base Crosstrek is powered by a 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that produces 152 hp and 145 lb-ft of torque, while upper trim levels get a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine that puts out 182 hp and 178 lb-ft of torque. With those numbers, it isn't very fast, but the EPA rates it as high as 29 mpg combined — a respectable number for a small SUV (or a lifted hatchback depending on your perspective) that comes standard with all-wheel drive.

Several of Subaru's SUVs have been upgraded in recent years to give them more capability and extra appeal with the off-roading crowd. These models, the Wilderness trim levels, add increased ride height, additional software functions, and upgraded gearing to be at their best when the pavement ends. The Subaru Forester, Outback, and Crosstrek are all available with Wilderness trim levels, all of which up the ante to at least 9 inches of ground clearance and instead of all-season tires, they go with knobby all-terrains. The all-terrain tires will reduce fuel economy, but they increase traction in off-road scenarios so for some, it's worth the trade off. 

The Wilderness trim levels also come with upgrades like flat-black decals on the hoods to reduce glare, upgraded water-resistant upholstery, and upgraded roof rails that can carry additional cargo. That's particularly beneficial if your off-roading adventures include camping with your roof-top tent or loading up big items like kayaks or mountain bikes.

This list was designed with off-road prowess in mind. For starters, I laid out the Subaru vehicles that are currently available, come equipped with all-wheel drive, and have reasonable ground clearance. Then, they had to come with some sort of software that managed traction while off road — all of them use some version of Subaru's X-mode. Once that was established, their ranking order was organized based on the available off-road equipment on each model, their static measurements, and behind-the-wheel experience from myself and the SlashGear staff. 

For those of you asking where the WRX is or why it was left off this list, the WRX is mostly a street-oriented vehicle these days. Its low front and rear bumpers are likely to get caught up on obstacles off road. Sure, epic WRX rally cars are scattered throughout Subaru's history, but today's model would require some customization to make it a rally-ready sedan.