The 2026 Subaru Forester Wilderness Edition Compact SUV

What is a Forester? The Forester is a compact SUV built in the Gunna, Japan, assembly plant and sold worldwide by Subaru. The 2026 Wilderness models come in 3 different sizes: the Outback Wilderness is a midsize SUV, while the Forester Wilderness and the Crosstrek Wilderness are compact and crossover SUVs.  All are known for their enhanced off road capability, with increased ground clearance and rugged features.

The key components of the 2026 Subaru Wilderness editions are:

Outback Wilderness: A larger, redesigned midsize SUV, offering more space and ruggedness for serious adventures.

Forester Wilderness: A capable compact SUV, perfect for those wanting a smaller, yet still a tough off road focused vehicle.

Crosstrek Wilderness: A compact crossover that provides excellent value and off road prowess, in a smaller package.

So, depending on which Wilderness model you’re looking at, it falls into either the crossover, compact or midsize SUV class, with the Outback being the largest of the 3.

To showcase this 2026 compact model, this week Subaru sent me a Forester SUV to test drive and review. The base window sticker price for the Wilderness Edition is $38,385. The options on the test SUV are: the pearl paint for $395 and the preferred option package for $2,200. The manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) , including the $1,450 delivery charge is: $42,430.

After adding in the state and local sales tax, plus the DMV and dealer fees, the out the door and in your garage total purchase price came to $47,734. At just 266 bucks under $48 Grand, you get a nicely optioned compact SUV, that gets 24 MPG city, 28 MPG highway, and 26 MPG in combined driving, reflecting its off road focus compared to the other trims. The Forester Wilderness offers slightly better fuel economy than the more powerful Outback Wilderness, with the Outback’s turbo engine impacting its MPG figures even further in this adventurous trim, so go with the Wilderness Forester.

The 2026 Subaru Forester Wilderness Edition SUV is perfect for adventure due to it’s enhanced off road hardware, increased ground clearance, all terrain tires, and upgraded X-MODE for tough terrain. Combined with rugged styling, copper colored accents, matte black trim, durable StarTex interiors, and advanced EyeSight safety tech. All while offering Subaru’s reliable Symmetrical AWD, with a lower center of gravity from the BOXER engine, for balanced capability and everyday comfort, making it a very capable off road explorer and a very practical every day driver.

The base MSRP for the 2026 Subaru Forester is only $29,995, which is the same starting price as last year. This price gets you the entry level trim, with higher trims like Premium, Sport, Limited, Wilderness and Touring costing more. Here’s a quick look at the starting prices for the other trims, excluding the $1,450 destination fee. The Premium Edition is $33,385, the Sport model is $36,105, the Limited is $37,695, the Wilderness is $38,385 and the Touring Edition is $41,595.

Here are 16 key strengths for the Forester Wilderness Edition SUV adventure seekers:

Superior Traction: Revised Symmetrical all wheel drive (AWD) provides legendary grip, with a dual function X-MODE for snow, dirt, deep snow, and mud, which optimizes power and traction, for a quicker center differential lockup and reduced wheel spin.

Increased Ground Clearance: Offers excellent obstacle clearance of 9.5″ for Outback, and 9.3″ for Forester models, surpassing many rivals.

Tougher Suspension: Features a high performance suspension with longer coil springs, and retuned shocks for absorbing impacts and improved stability.

All Terrain Tires: Comes with wider and rugged Yokohama GEOLANDAR 235mm all terrain tires on unique 17″ matte black wheels, for better grip and puncture resistance.

Improved Angles: Enhanced approach 23.5°, break over 21°, and departure 25.5° angles help navigate steep inclines and obstacles with ease.

Heavy Duty Roof Rails: Stronger roof rails with copper accents to support heavier gear.

Underbody Protection: Skid plates shield vital components from rocks and debris.

Towing: With an upgraded transmission cooler it raises the trailer towing capacity to 3,500 lbs., which is a significant limit for hauling all your stuff and pulling a trailer.

Durable Materials: StarTex water repellent seat upholstery with copper stitching and Wilderness logo’s with durable trim, which are all very easy to keep clean and fresh.

User Friendly Tech: Features an 11.6″ touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, with physical knobs and switch controls for all key functions.

Advanced Safety: Upgraded EyeSight Driver Assist Technology includes enhanced sensors, adaptive cruise control and lane centering.

Boxer engine: The flat engine design lowers the center of gravity for better handling, even with the higher ground clearance height.

Transmission: The continuous variable transmission (CVT) has a shorter final drive ratio for better low speed traction and off road control.

Differential: The rear axle assembly has a fluid temperature sensor for added off road and on trail confidence.

Quiet and Smooth Ride: Stiffer body construction and revised geometry reduce noise, vibration and harness, and improve composure, making it good for daily driving too.

Wilderness Exclusive: Comes with a hexagonal front grill, LED fog lamps, and anodized exterior copper accents, making it easy to identify as a Wilderness Edition.

The 2026 Subaru Forester Wilderness Edition competes with other rugged compact SUVs like the Toyota RAV4 Woodland Edition, the Honda CR-V Trailsport, and the Nissan Rogue Rock Creek.  All focus on enhanced off road capability, with all terrain tires and a lifted suspension, directly challenging mainstream rivals in the adventure ready crossover segment. Other rivals include the Ford Bronco Sport Badlands and the Jeep Compass.

So, why buy a 2026 Subaru Forester Wilderness Edition? This model is a serious, factory built, off road capability, compact SUV, with more ground clearance, and tougher factory installed all terrain tires, with enhanced X-MODE drive choices, better approach and departure angles, stronger cooling, and a 3,500lb tow rating. While keeping Subaru’s reliable AWD, great visibility and tech, making it ideal for adventurous drivers who want to tackle off road trails, without having to spend extra cash on aftermarket parts.

Plus it’s all covered under Subaru’s new vehicle factory warranty of 3 years 36,000 miles basic limited bumper-to-bumper warranty, and a 5 year 60,000 mile powertrain warranty, covering major components including the engine, transmission, and the AWD system. You also get 3 years and 36,000 miles of Roadside Assistance, and a longer 5 year unlimited mileage rust perforation warranty, for a better piece of mind, and all for free.

Here are the 5 best reasons to choose the 2026 Subaru Forester Wilderness Edition over what the competition has to offer:

Superior Off Road Tech: Dual function X-MODE of snow, dirt, mud, with a revised CVT with lower gearing for extra torque, a rear diff temp sensor, and improved approach and departure angles for obstacles.

Rugged Hardware: You get 9.3″ of ground clearance, Yokohama Geolandar all terrain tires, a front skid plate and a reinforced roof rack.

Increased Towing Capability: You get 3,500 lbs of towing capacity and better off road performance than standard models.

Wilderness Specific Styling & Interior: Has a matte black hood decal for less glare, water repellent StarTex seats, copper accents and heavy duty floor mats.

Maintains Forester Strengths: Has excellent outward visibility, standard Symmetrical AWD, and a comfortable ride for daily driving, with lots of rear cargo space.

So, call, click or visit your local Subaru dealer for a test drive, and a Bottom Line price review, on the 2026 Forester Wilderness Edition SUV. And remember that the base price for a new Forester starts at only $29,995. Subaru – Love of Adventure, Elevated.

The key to life is to learn something new every day, and by reading my Bottom Line review, I hope you did just that, learned about something new and exciting. So, be smart, stay safe, and just breathe. Remember, You Are What You Drive, and maybe, just for those reasons alone, you should Drive one, Buy one, Today. Drive safely, have a great day, and enjoy the ride, as the future looks nice and bright – Tony the Car Guy.

This Bottom Line new vehicle review is a Nut & Bolt and Dollars & Sense editorial provided by Tony Leopardo. Tony the Car Guy is an automotive writer, editor and publisher in the San Francisco Bay Area. If you have a question, or comment for Tony, send it to tonyleo@pacbell.net and visit AutoWire.Net at www.autowire.net