We entered the 2026 Alcan 5000 Rally — the longest rally in North America — in a 2026 Subaru Forester Wilderness. My wife and co-driver, Mercedes, and I spent over 9,000 miles in this vehicle, and here’s what I liked and didn’t like on this immense Arctic trip.
Subaru’s Wilderness trims give you more ground clearance, increased towing capacity, different exterior additions, and better off-road capability. The brand has offered Wilderness versions of the Crosstrek and Outback for a while, but the Forester Wilderness is new for the 2026 model year. Subaru claims the Forester Wilderness comes ready for adventure, but I wanted to put that to the test, so I put over 9,000 miles on one, including the Alcan 5000 Rally.
This would be my fifth time running the rally, and in previous years I’ve done it in a Honda Passport Trailsport and an INEOS Grenadier, but I started with Subaru, and it’s good to be back in one for the 2026 Alcan 5000 Rally.
In short: The 2026 Subaru Forester Wilderness is a comfy, competent companion that may lack in the power and torque department, but makes up for it with grip and confidence-inspiring handling when the weather gets bad. 9,000 miles in one car over a couple of weeks is a lot, but I’d do it again in a heartbeat.
Subaru of America provided my wife and co-driver Mercedes and me with a 2026 Forester Wilderness to compete in the rally, which we then customized with California-based Rally Innovations, with much of the work being done by students from Placentia, California’s ZenSpeed car club at Valencia High School.
This Forester Wilderness took us from Kirkland, WA, to Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada, to the Arctic Ocean in Tuktoyaktuk, Northwest Territories, and finally to the finish in Fairbanks, AK, after about 5,000 miles and 11 days. Historically, we’ve shipped our rally vehicle back to the lower 48, but this year we explored southern Alaska a bit more, then drove back to Portland, OR, from Valdez, AK.
2026 Subaru Forester Wilderness Review
Over our multi-week long-distance journey, we racked up over 9,000 miles, thousands of which were dirt and gravel. This gave us plenty of time to evaluate the vehicle and see what we liked and what we didn’t.
Our Forester Wilderness was mostly stock, but we did add some mods like Baja Designs aftermarket lights, Primitive Racing skid plates, a roof rack system co-designed by Leitner Designs and Rally Innovations, a 1-3/8” lift on King Springs, and Black Rhino Voll wheels and all-terrain tires. While these mods helped on our trip, they didn’t drastically change the Forester’s nature, so they don’t affect my evaluation of the vehicle itself.
2026 Subaru Forester: 5 Things I liked
Easy and Comfortable to Drive
Whether on or off the pavement, the Forester Wilderness was easy and comfortable to drive. The steering was light, the brakes felt strong, the CVT transmission was predictable, and the suspension soaked up bumps big and small. It also had an airy interior, an upright, comfortable seating position, and excellent visibility, all of which were great on such a long drive. However, I wish it had a heated steering wheel option to go with the heated seats.
Excellent All-Wheel Drive System
Subaru is known for its “Symmetrical all-wheel drive” systems, and that includes the one in our test vehicle. Our trip included thousands of off-pavement miles, far more than most owners ever drive. This included 1,000+ miles on Canada’s infamous Dempster Highway. Potholes, washouts, and mud make the Dempster a challenge, especially in the rain. The Forester Wilderness felt competent and composed. We drove hundreds of additional off-pavement miles through rock, water, and dirt, and the car’s AWD never faltered. We used the X-MODE driving modes multiple times with excellent performance.
A Willing Chassis
This SUV’s fully independent suspension made it feel nimble and corner well for a taller vehicle. While it’s not as sporty as the Crosstrek Wilderness, the Forester Wilderness’ chassis felt more agile than many competitors in the segment. Quick, light steering allowed the car to dart around potholes and glide over frost heaves. On pavement, these qualities were even more pronounced, making for an overall pleasant experience.
A Capable Cargo Carrier
This five-passenger SUV had an ample cargo area behind the second row. We carried a small portable fridge, power station, tools, and food there. Tie-down points kept gear secure even over rough terrain. The rear seating area housed our backpacks, camera gear, five gallons of water, and travel snacks. USB ports are plentiful throughout the interior, along with two 12V outlets and even a cupholder big enough for a Nalgene bottle. The roof rack allowed us to carry a Leitner Designs cargo box, MAXTRAX MKII traction boards, and five gallons of extra gas.
Abundant Aftermarket Support
While this is a new-for-2026 trim level, there’s already aftermarket support for the non-Wilderness version of the SUV. Our Forester Wilderness had King Springs from Primitive Racing for a 1-3/8” lift along with Primitive’s full skid plate set (front, mid, and rear differential). We ran Rally Innovations’ front light bar mount and no fewer than 11 Baja Designs lights; when it gets dark in Alaska, it gets really dark. We used a Rally Innovations/Leitner Designs roof rack and an AEM air intake, too. If you’re looking to modify your AWD adventure rig, a 2026 Forester Wilderness is a great choice.
2026 Subaru Forester: 5 Things I Didn’t Like
Glitchy Infotainment
The most frustrating part of this car was its infotainment system. It lagged, froze often, and required regular restarts. Nearly all the car’s options and most functions lie within the infotainment’s 11.6” screen, including HVAC controls, the sound system, X-MODE, and much more. So, when it glitched out, it was annoying. Simply put, this car’s infotainment needs an update.
Overactive Lane Centering
When using cruise control, you can press the Lane Centering button, and it tries to keep the vehicle centered in the lane using Subaru’s EyeSight cameras. But in many curves, it felt overpowering, fighting me as I turned the wheel, pulling me closer to either side of the lane than I wanted. Plus, it often got confused in curves or when turn lanes were present. Lane Centering can be good on long, straight sections, but I often disabled it.
More Power, Please
The 2026 Forester Wilderness is powered by a naturally aspirated 2.5-liter boxer four-cylinder that makes just 180 horsepower and 178 lb-ft of torque, which was merely adequate. For 2027, Subaru is offering the Forester Wilderness Hybrid, which makes 194 horsepower and 199 lb-ft of torque, offering more grunt and a nice bump in fuel economy.
Subaru offers its more gutsy 2.4-liter turbocharged engine in the Outback Wilderness (260 horsepower/277 lb-ft of torque) and the WRX (271 horsepower/258 lb-ft of torque), and it’d be a welcome addition to the Forester. However, I don’t expect to see a turbo Forester anytime soon.
No 110V Outlet
Many new SUVs offer a 110V plug so you can use standard corded household items, like a small fridge or a Starlink. However, the Forester Wilderness does not offer this. We brought our EcoFlow Delta 3 Plus power station and plugged our small 17-liter fridge and Starlink Mini into it, then charged the EcoFlow using a 12V plug.
(Subaru used to offer this as an accessory, but it doesn’t appear to be compatible with the 2026 Forester.)
The “Full Size Spare” Isn’t The Same Size As the Other Four Tires
Subaru says the Forester Wilderness includes a full-size spare, and it does … sort of. The SUV comes from the factory with 235/60R17 tires. However, the spare tire is a narrower 225/60R17. Why? A 235 is too wide to fit in the spare tire well. Knowing we might need to run a spare for thousands of miles, we opted to run 225/65R17 Falken Wildpeak A/T Trail all-terrain tires instead of the factory 235s. (We mounted ours on Black Rhino Voll wheels). And yes, the 225/65R17 fit in the spare tire well as it’s about 4% narrower. This size worked great—and we didn’t have a single flat. I’m not sure why Subaru doesn’t use this size in the first place.
2026 Forester Wilderness Long Distance Review Conclusions
Comfortable, practical, and easy to drive, the 2026 Forester Wilderness was a great choice for our epic journey, especially with our handful of aftermarket additions. Even stock, it would’ve been a great choice for this long-distance trek. Our test SUV was exceptionally capable and durable, and we weren’t easy on it. (Where we went, there was no “being easy on it.”) But the Forester Wilderness took everything we threw at it, and it never complained. Yes, there are things I’d like to see changed, but even in its stock form, it’s a Subaru ready for adventure, even if you’re planning to drive to the Arctic Ocean.
