The 2026 Subaru Outback Wilderness is positioned as the toughest version of Subaru's Outback, now bigger and more adventure-ready than ever.

Wild(erness) style

Compared to the less-lifestyle-looking models, it has a higher clearance of 9.5 inches, adaptive shock absorbers, all terrain 17-inch Bridgestone Dueller tires on matte black wheels, underbody protection panels, heavy duty roof rails, and most obviously, a much tougher mug with a integrated bush bar and chunky fender arches - all left unpainted so you're less afraid of actually using them.

It's not just an appearance package like so many soft-roaders, it's really made for messy business. "Anodized Copper" accents (...they're gold, or yellow, or acid green, or bronze - not copper) on the toughened bits round out the look and give this Magnetite Grey tester a little more visual pop. It's a sharp departure from previous Wildness models, even going as far as to remove the traditional Pleiades badge from the nose, replacing it with truck-like S U B A R U lettering.

I like the toughened look, others around the office thought it was... perhaps too tough for it's own good. The more conventionally handsome Outback trim levels will serve them well.

Glamping cabin

Inside, the "copper" colouring carries over in the form of contrasting stitching and trim on the steering wheel and shifter. It also extends onto the powered seats, upholstered in a water-resistant leatherette for easy clean-up after whatever mess you've gotten yourself into, dressed up with geometric patterned inserts and Wilderness logos embossed into the headrests.

The new Outback has a bigger 12.1-inch centre screen and more tech than ever before, but it's still a pragmatically designed space and interface that's not too slick for it's own good. The interface is simple and easy to use, with a crisp display and huge, hard-to-miss buttons, and it's backed up by mitten-friendly buttons and knobs for essential functions and climate controls, with a traditional, chunky shifter acting as the icing on the utilitarian cake.

It has every modernity you could want, but packaged in a way that won't alienate anyone, or interfere with your adventures - everything is thoughtfully designed to facilitate your lifestyle, not distract from it.

To that end, it has lots of storage, and tons of space in both the rear seats (I, at 6'3", can sit behind myself comfortably) and cargo area (980 L with the seats up, 2,280 L with the seats down - both huge), with lots of head/mountain bike room courtesy of the Outback's new, taller silhouette. There's plenty of charging ports, a wireless charging pad, a heated steering wheel, and every seat is heated, too.

It's a practical space that's easy to use and live with, and neatly performs the balancing act of feeling both nice on first impression, and tough in the long haul. With so much space, a 3,500 lb towing capacity, a 900 pound payload, standard roof racks, and weather-ready surfaces, it's the ultimate camping companion.

under the hood

Motivation to haul all this mass around comes from a 2.4-litre turbocharged boxer four-cylinder, largely unchanged from the already-proven mill in the outgoing Outback. It's mated to Subaru's signature continuously variable automatic transmission, which takes some lessons from the remarkably responsive Subaru WRX and feels far, far better than just about every other CVT on the market - especially with this engine's 260 hp and 277 lb-ft of low end torque eliminating the need for noisy motorboat behaviour.

Driving impressions

It's surprisingly sprightly, with lots of effortless power for accelerating, merging, passing - it feels noticeably more punchy than bigger-engined Nissan Pathfinder I drove recently. In a similar vein, while there's getting around how big and tall it is, the stiffer adaptive suspension that underpins this Wilderness enables fairly responsive handling with good body control - it doesn't feel at all thrown off by its added height or heft.

That same adaptive suspension can chill right out, enabling a very comfortable ride, with the tall-sidewall'd all-terrain tires giving extra cushion for absorbing bumps in the road or heaves on the way to the trailhead. It's quiet, well-insulated, well-mannered, confidence inspiring, on-road or off. This Wilderness' X-Mode helps facilitate off-road fun, with different modes to suit deep mud/snow or loose sand/slush, and hill-descent control for when things get gnarly. It makes everything easy and effortless.

Money and wrap it up

With a starting MSRP price of $49,195, the 2026 Subaru Outback Wilderness is a competitive option for adventurous sorts that are looking for something with commendable off-road capabilities and a unique style.

While the Wilderness may be a touch too adventurous in its style for some, the overall package retains the charm that people associate the Subaru brand with. The 2026 Subaru Outback Wilderness is competitively priced, and offers more of everything: power, cargo space, comfort, payload, towing capacity, and overall ease of use than just about everything else at its price point.