I love Andre and Nathan banter

@ragweedmakesmesneeze

3 жыл бұрын

Agree, these two should be the only ones doing this particular feature. Real conversation, real points to consider on both sides. Looking forward to when TFL can get the Wilderness on the trails.

Subaru is listening. Good job Subaru - please give TFL one to test, I trust these guys.

@5serieslover

3 жыл бұрын

Why does Subaru not like TFL?

@MichaelJanzen

3 жыл бұрын

@@5serieslover Years back they took one off-road and a little damage occurred. Then Subaru came in the night and took their cars back - if I remember the story right. Ever since then TFL has been 'off' the media list for cars. I think its time for Subaru to bring them back into the circle - IMHO.

@chrisnelson8450

3 жыл бұрын

Why trust them? They've been crapping on Subaru forever. Hell I watch the video of them rock climbing in the Subaru and as a Subaru starts to climb the rock they stop and then talk about how it had problems climbing rock. Give me a break.

@Honestandtruth

3 жыл бұрын

They don't know how to take care anything except Running their mouths....

@NoChannelChannel

3 жыл бұрын

Subaru is for lesbians only,

Everything is great except the CVT, sums up the whole video

@alphaares6027

3 жыл бұрын

Yeah that stupid cvt-_-

@OGcottoncandyrandy

3 жыл бұрын

Needed more torque converter

@Hallowsaw

3 жыл бұрын

Their cvt is not even that bad. Lets think about it, the subaru wouldnt have the mechanical awd and the 2.4L if it didnt have the CVT. With cafe standards thats really the only option they had to get their efficiency high enough to get this wilderness package

@Redhawk24

3 жыл бұрын

Genuine question. What’s wrong with CVT? There’s advantages I believe that are overlooked no?

@samwestenskow

3 жыл бұрын

@@Redhawk24 Don't get me wrong, CVTs are great, just not the best for an off-road vehicle.

I just bought the Outback Wilderness. It’s a car Subaru fans wanted. They’re already taking them off-road, lifting, installing beefy tires, etc. The car handles amazing, looks great, turns heads, and is insanely capable for going off the beaten path while keeping the wagon intact. I have no doubt the Wilderness editions will have solid resale value like every other Subaru special edition vehicle. Very very pleased.

Over a quarter million miles on our 2012 Outback, no oil consumption, no head gaskets, in it's lifetime it's only needed basic maintenance, a sunroof (under warranty, motor quit, no leaks) and a power window switch, which I was able to do myself last year. We love that car so much, we just bought a 2021 Outback and now we have two! Just our little anecdote about reliability, but we have been made into Subaru faithful owners.

@alehax27

3 жыл бұрын

manual? if not, have you periodically replaced the transmission fluid?

@hardroosterlabs3814

3 жыл бұрын

@@alehax27 It's a CVT and the transmission fluid isn't even serviceable, it's a completely sealed unit, there's not even a way to check the fluid levels. And we've had no issues with the CVT, other than it's smooth and gets up great fuel economy for such a large car.

@mathewscott9453

3 жыл бұрын

Which engine did you get? The 2,4 or 2.5

@subielife4life

3 жыл бұрын

@@hardroosterlabs3814 actually the transmission is serviceable, yes its a sealed unit but still a serviceable one....dont hurt to have the cvt fluid drained and filled with new cvt fluid.....

From what I understand they beefed up the cvt in the wilderness package, and also Subaru hasn’t had that many issues with the cvt in their cars compared to like Nissan.

@AngelofNever

3 жыл бұрын

My 2014 Forester CVT blew up at 112K miles and cost me $4.5K to replace with a salvage yard CVT. A new one would have been $8.5K. We'll see how long Andre's lasts but at this point I'm pretty anti CVT.

@Databyter

3 жыл бұрын

@@AngelofNever I can feel your pain, but it might be time to take another look. CVT's have evolved quite a bit since 2014, and Subaru particularly has developed toughter ones that can handle higher torque for the WRX and the Ascent, and learned a lot in the process. My understanding is that the CVT that will be used in the Wilderness edition IS the newer toughter evolution that is used in the ascent. Tougher and ready for more torque. Also geared lower, along with the differentials. Of course you can always go with a standard or standard automatic, but you won't get near the mileage or efficiency of the new CVT's. A lot of it is learning how to drive them. The paddles are there for a reason, just like 1 and 2 are on a regular automatic. If people would learn when to use them, they could save their transmissions a lot of unecessary strain. Databyter

@IronGuardLegionnaire

3 жыл бұрын

@@AngelofNever 112k may not seem like alot to you. But most people dont keep their cars for that long. buying it used is a different story

@snackyxchan

2 жыл бұрын

@@AngelofNever even Subaru of America doesnt recommend CVT service under normal conditions they do recommend CVT fluid replacement under severe conditions, no fluid is lifetime, you should have replace CVT fluid regardless and especially if the vehicle is older, fluid degrades overtime regardless of mileage

I feel them taking away the speed limiter of xmode is going to help a lot. Having used my crosstrek for offroading and overlanding I've never had an issue with the cvt. So hopefully this will be what us subie enthusiasts hope it is

Totally agree on the CVT. Momentum doesn't help when you're on a long mountain grade and the thing overheats.

@johndoutty9317

3 жыл бұрын

Is there a manual version. I would not buy a CVT .

@efimlos

3 жыл бұрын

people install transmission cooling systems, it is a relatively simple conversion, but it should come right from a plan

@andys31337

3 жыл бұрын

all they need is to add one low range gear

@chir0pter

3 жыл бұрын

it's not just that, the cvt will cut power due to traction conditions

@teabag3854

3 жыл бұрын

Or....you can destroy a manual or automatic Bec ya pushed to hard

Bought a 2016 Outback Limited because of you guys! We were not going on trails, just driving in the mountains. Bought a 2019 Crosstrek for the Wife- she LOVES it! We finally moved to the Rockies 3 years ago (Storm Mountain) and needed something "cheap" that can deliver pizzas, get good mileage, and haul 1500 lbs of water up a 15% grade of mud, ice, and or slush year round. A Very tall order, but XMode Works Awesome on both vehicles! I go down to Loveland and drive pizzas for hours. Overall I get 24.5mpg in the little 2.5 with Geolandar M/T tires, and it has No serious issues! I've hauled up 20 sheets of drywall, trailers full of firewood, etc. I've hauled up tow behind Chipper rentals to clear our land, etc. 1/3 of my neighbors have Outbacks, others drive Big Trucks and Jeeps. I can't afford to drive a Big truck or spend time fixing a Jeep, so this is the Best Option for an All Around Reliable Mountain Vehicle- even with a CVT! I call mine The Old Goat- it's not fast, but it gets me to the TOP every night, no matter what the conditions! 145,000+ miles and I've only had to replace a wheel hub. It eats 1 qt of oil every 5,000 miles, like every other New Subaru- that's the price of better gas mileage. I drive with a quart in my back seat. Love the updates, can't wait to see you test the Wilderness Package! ;)

I look forward to you testing the car but keep in mind that it’s not an off-road trail monster. It’s designed for snow, slush mud and dirt/gravel access roads. I live in Alaska and most of the roads here are dirt and heavily rutted. We have a new Wilderness on rder replacing our 2007 Outback which has been problem free with the exception of head gasket replacements. It’s not a truck nor is it a Jeep but it is the most capable, comfortable and efficient vehicle for snowy, icy pavement and rutted muddy dirt roads, which are of course covered in snow 6 months out of the year.

What I want is an Ascent Wilderness with turbocharged flat 6, lifted to 10” ground clearance, with a lot of the same improvements this thing has, maybe a bit beefier build overall and larger tires.

I have an Ascent and have used it in the mud and on the sand in X mode and the CVT is really good. You put your foot in it and the CVT will let you maintain a slow pace at a higher engine speed regardless of obstacles.

@RKmndo

3 жыл бұрын

Can you pick up the pace by turning off TCS while the X-mode is on?

I got to see this Wilderness edition back in 2019 as part of a focus group of Subaru owners. They probably already had these changes in mind, but we brought up issues about the tires, approach/departure angles, lift...I'd like to think they really listened. Curious to see this thing tested out in the wild.

Might I suggest a third camera to shoot a view of Andre and Nathan....the whole studio....it really would make these segments more visually appealing

@questioner1596

3 жыл бұрын

Aren't they in two different rooms pretending it's the same place?

Finally! Been forever, if ever, since we got Nathan's take on Subaru.

Good to see Nathan back!

I have a 2021 Subaru Forester Sport with a two inch lift and Toyo Wilderness Tires and a little armor, I have had no issues here in Michigan running it in the dunes and hitting the deep snow and mud that I often find wile I'm on Ski Patrol. Great vehicle. Use the paddle shifters.

@offroad5798

3 жыл бұрын

When do you use the paddle shifters?

@danek893

3 жыл бұрын

Paddle shifters!!!? You go nowhere except making your engine screaming, just CVT illusion.

Thanks for doing this! I’m pretty excited-I can’t wait to see the forester for some OEM cross parts I can use!

I remember that episode were yall got that CVT outback stuck. I'll stick with my wore out 4L60e before I get an "off-road" car with a CVT.

Looking at one of these for my wife, for use in snow mixed with some camping/dirt road type of terrain. We will see once we can get a test drive in!

Wish they could have a proper automatic transmission in their cars. And the choice of a powerful engine.

@karlo9535

3 жыл бұрын

Subaru: "Nah, we don't do that here."

@AWDfreak

3 жыл бұрын

Subaru could still retain high fuel efficiency while simultaneously improving thr off-road capability with a modern multi-speed conventional torque-converter automatic that actually has a half-decent crawl ratio for mild to moderate off-roading. For example, Jeep and Honda already run the ZF 9HP, which is more than capable of achieving great fuel efficiency while still posessing a not-so-bad 20-21:1 crawl ratio for having no low-range. The problem is, Subaru already dumped lots of development costs into their Lineartronic CVT, so they will sadly stubbornly stick with it as much as they can.

@subazealand9158

3 жыл бұрын

@@AWDfreak that's not the only reasons, but also the layout of symmetrical AWD, you need a transmission that it fits there and will work with the AWD.

@japerezo75

3 жыл бұрын

Subaru should offer this model with a manual transmission and a low range transfer case. Take my money...

@AWDfreak

3 жыл бұрын

@@japerezo75 Agreed, a dual-range manual transmission with a rear locker, front LSD, and stronger-lockup viscous coupler for the center differential.

I run some aggressive ATs on a stock 2005 Outback no lift, ground clearance is only 9.1”, it’s done really well for me in though conditions, in mud, etc, no traction control or power cut or Xmode. I almost bought less aggressive ATs similar to the geolandar’s. I’m glad I ended up with the more aggressive tyres, the difference is incredible,

Having owned an Outback i think the CVT needs to stay. It's smooth and if actually driven correctly it can easily go off road. And the latest X mode on this new one allows wheel spin so i can comfortably say this new one will perform of road well. Issues will still be approach and departure angles.

theres also someting about a gearbox higher-torque output' tweak (isnt there)?

I've been waiting for your review. I hope Subaru gets one to you real soon.

@efimlos

3 жыл бұрын

They wouldn't provide it to them

Nice video! That’s precisely the question I want to get answered :) I don’t want to do extreme rock climbing, but more off-road capabilities are greatly appreciated in Costa Rica. With this adjusted CVT I think the proof is in the pudding. Look forward to the test drive vid

Former JK owner and current Subaru owner, I’m one of the ones who has modded his Outback, first Nathan is absolutely right even just adding good all terrains completely changed its off-road performance, add the lift and other goodies I’ve plowed through 2 feet of snow on logging trails up here in western WA without any issues and without touching x mode. Are you going to hit the rubicon in this? Of course not but for trail driving, overlanding/greenlaning, this is going to be more than enough.

I've gotten exceptionally long tread-life out of the Geolandar ATs on my Taco

I wished they had it on the Forester a year ago. I'm happy with my e-boxer with brown leather. My wife didn't like the Sport trim. Hopefully some parts will be awailable. I'm considering few aftermarket upgrades, especially if I continue taking it to the forest for hunting.

Would love to see these 'Wilderness' updates on the Forester!! Im sad to see that ALL the Subaru promo shots are on dirt/gravel roads. A basic factory Impreza/Civic/Forte could handle those same exact "off road" obstacles. Lol.

Great video guys. I tend to possibly lean towards agreeing with Andre a little more on this one though. I love Subarus (for what they are) and I mostly love my 2013 Crosstrek (with about 110k miles), but I'm definitely having CVT issues and it really sucks and scares me a bit. My dashboard has been lit up like a christmas tree for the past few months and living 4 hours from a Subauru dealer doesn't help. Not many mechanics out there want to or are qualified to work on CVTs, and the ones who can and do are not cheap. I've never technically gotten stuck or had any off road problems with my Crosstrek, and I love the comfort, mpg, etc, but this cvt stuff getting worse is really putting me off to wanting to own another one.

I'll have to finish watching this later. What I hope will help is if I understand correctly it has the Ascent CVT instead of the regular outback CVT. Now I have to go to work.

@davidmromero9739

3 жыл бұрын

TR690 are installed in the Ascent as well as the auto WRX, and the Outback XT, those units are better than the TR580 which the NA 4 cylinders are equipped with

This one also has new generation 2 functions x-mode system which works pretty well and i heard in some review that apparently the control unit and electronics on 4x4 system are adjusted to more off-road use. so it's not only skid plates, better angels and lift.

I have a 2014 Subaru Forester and had my motor replaced under warranty at 140,00km due to excessive oil consumption. Very common with those years of the 2.5l boxer.

Just bought a 2021 Crosstrek Sport so far so good. Lots of tech, the lane keep assist took a little getting use to.

@jeremyv11000

3 жыл бұрын

Cool thing I noticed on the new subarus if your at a light and the car in front moves and your not paying attention it’s beeps at you. Was surprised

@alphaares6027

3 жыл бұрын

@@jeremyv11000 fr? Thats some nice tech

@Hallowsaw

3 жыл бұрын

I find the lane keep and adaptive cruise annoying in my outback. Sometimes it will beep in a corner when im in the lane and the adaptive cruise uses too much brake instead of coasting

@alehax27

3 жыл бұрын

the brake assist can be annoying. sometimes it does it unnecessarily early

cant wait to them to come out with a crosstrek and forester wilderness edition

WAIT. THE WINDOW SWITCHES ?????? How did you fix it cause my 2015 is messed up

Subaru should consider bringing back the BRAT pickup or even the Forester with low range. Both would be well suited a “Wilderness” trim.

@Chasing-the-outdoors

3 жыл бұрын

I’d get a forester with a non cvt and low range!

@jedironin380

3 жыл бұрын

They might be able to give the Forester design better approach and departure angles, vs. the Outback, too. They need it if they're going to get more serious about off-roading.

@mattb1611

3 жыл бұрын

Now is the time to bring the baja back. Would compete with Ford Maverick and Hyundai Santa Cruz

@efimlos

3 жыл бұрын

@@Chasing-the-outdoors yeah, but I don't want a manual shifter either. I don't think they would get rid of CVT in the nearest future

@RKmndo

3 жыл бұрын

I'd prefer a Baja Turbo Wilderness, with armor, locking center diff, 4-5 seats, and at least 3500lb towing capacity. The Baja's bed and roofrack were enough for everything I might want to haul without a trailer (dirtbikes and small quantities of pipe/lumber/4x8sheets). Maybe they could base it on the Ascent, but then it wouldn't likely get the MPG of the Outback or Forester. The newer Honda Ridgeline can tow 5000lb and get over 30MPG though, so I feel like the 1st-gen Baja was just a little ahead of its time. Forced induction, like Subaru often uses, retains power better at high altitude too.

There was a recall on the oil consumption for some of the engines. We had Subaru replace the engine (bottom) under the recall. Ask them about this , if your motor falls within this recall. They will do an oil consumption test to verify.

@suspicionofdeceit

3 жыл бұрын

What year?

@LuisCerezo

3 жыл бұрын

@@suspicionofdeceit I've tried to post a link, but it disappears. There's a few posts out there. It's the 2010-2014 2.5 NA.

You guys need to test the H6 with the High torque CVT, so far i have never experienced any power cutting issues.

I'm so glad the Diesel Outback with a manual transmission was available in the UK. Mine is now approaching end of warranty so I am considering a modest lift and more aggressive tyres. I don't need the extreme off road vehicle but I do take mine along the odd track to get to places. The manual transmission is sooooo much better than the CVT I owned before it, I took that back to the dealer after 3 months as I couldn't live with it a second longer.

Andre my 2016 OB premium 2.5L with 115k miles barely comes off full dispstick mark between 8-9k miles oil changes. My '13 same car gulped oil like a wolverine. Only issue I've had is replacing 1 rear wheel bearing. Once in a while the key won't turn off without cycling transmission lever.

Just got back from the Kentucky Backwoods Byway with my Lifted Subaru outback. But Mines older with the 4EAT automatic. I love that Subaru made this trim level. I think my old Outback would out wheel it, but I think it should be able to handle medium light, to harder easy trails with little issues.

I'm on my second Subaru with a CVT. I find the CVT fine for a daily driver, but I am not sure about dependable off-road worthiness. Have to wait and see.

Why are the crosstrek rated so low on their mpg? I have a 2019 that gets 35-36 everyday driving and a little above 40 hwy without the cruise control on.

@eganfo

3 жыл бұрын

The positive attribute of a CVT. Nice gas mileage.

@RKmndo

3 жыл бұрын

I know. I've gotten over 46MPG on my commute with my 2016 CVT Crosstrek. It's only rated for about 33MPG hwy.

I was glad when I was able to get Falken Wildpeak AT tires for my 2016 Crosstrek in the stock tire size. I understand I have Toyota to thank because the wanted some off road type tires for the Rav 4 TRD. Regardless, I was glad I could upgrade my tires to more off road type tread and maintain the stock size.

What did they do for the CVT that has zero power to the wheels under load off road?

With regards to the oil consumption, I had the same problem with my 14 Outback, I discovered that if you use Idemetsu oil, and my oil consumption mostly went away.

Your both right! I would buy a wilderness edition. I would miss the swing bar roof rack though.

@michelt4390

3 жыл бұрын

The roof rack looks the same as the 2020, which has the swing out cross bars

That oil consumption on your Subaru isn't normal. I have a 2021 Onyx XT. I have 13k miles on it now. I drive 400 miles a week to work. I have NEVER had to add any oil at all. I have had three or four oil changes now and the oil levels are always normal.

@eskieman3948

3 жыл бұрын

Correct, but apparently he doesn't have the intelligence or motivation (or honesty) to deal with the problem properly.

I ordered a Black Wilderness and cannot wait for it to arrive!💪🏼😎

I have a 2022 Wilderness Andre, not the same CVT in the regular Outback. The Wilderness has a high torque CVT to work better in off road situations. I've had mine off road several times and never had an issue with over heating.

I actually really like the look of this. I hope you guys get one to test!

This old Iowan is admiring Nathan’s University of Okoboji cap!

@danielmaybee68

3 жыл бұрын

My grandparents had a lake house there...I spent at least two weeks there every summer in the 90s...I wonder if Arnold's Park still exists?

@lucasmolle9451

3 жыл бұрын

@@danielmaybee68 it does. The legend is still the 13th oldest wooden coaster is usa

@taylorsteen7434

3 жыл бұрын

I am a born and raised iowan as well

Take all the fancy stuff out to lighten the weight a bit, and offer it with a 6MT plus a decent crawler gear. Also D4S please

@michelt4390

3 жыл бұрын

A manual transmission, along with a transfer case like the old GL... and I'd be all over it

Andre do you have the cvt fluid changed in your outback?

Is there a fuse or chip dedicated to traction control that could be pulled or disabled? I had Subarus in the late 80s and early 90s. I believe it was mechanical diffs, all wheel drive. They were very good in deep snow and on ice.

I’ll keep my 2006 Forester that I have lifted 2” and added King springs, Sparco wheels with general grabber at2 tires and primitive racing skid plates front to back. My 2018 forester is the black edition and kept stock.

If you guys get one, get a regular (turbo) outback to compare the X-mode systems! That would be cool to watch.

I got into an argument with people on the reveal post of it about how the CVT is not the transmission for actual off-roading, and a lot of "Subaru lovers" won't allow themselves to see the faults of it. I love Subaru, I've had 6 of them, but I'm not wearing a blindfold and I will make mention of things that they do poorly.

I’ve owned a couple vehicles with a CVT. An Outback was one of those. I wouldn’t buy this vehicle for off-roading purposes with that transmission. I know manuals don’t sell well, but it would have been a good option to include for the real enthusiasts that would actually use it for more serious trails. The outback is a great platform for overlanding, hard to beat the gas mileage and range. I just hate CVT’s with a passion.

@hernluis1

3 жыл бұрын

We had the last year with a 6 speed manual transmission, 2014 model. Trust me that manual was a POS and that's an understatement. The gearing was just completely off. First gear was actually like second gear. Reverse was like second gear. The difference between 5th and 6th was 200 rpm. This thing sucked going up ANY incline at slow speed, it would stall out. You had to increase rpm but then you'd plow through slow speed obstacles. It was worthless offroad unless it was a flat fire road, then it would rip. Trust me, nobody is missing thats transmission, "real enthusiast" or not.

@ericgallagan946

3 жыл бұрын

@@hernluis1 sure, but they could make a better manual transmission... regardless, you can make a manual hold more power/be more durable. You won’t see many videos on here called “I broke my manual transmission” but if you look up “I broke my CVT” I’m sure there are several. Plus... I still hate them. 😆

@johndoutty9317

3 жыл бұрын

Can't understand why there isn't a manual.

@dwscott77

3 жыл бұрын

@@johndoutty9317 I understand that a manual wouldn’t integrate with all of the driver safety tech, I.e auto collision detection, etc

Put factory size Falken Wildpeak AT Trails on my 2020 Subaru Ascent and that has been all I need for PNW winters and trail off-roading. I don’t have the big lift to do more serious off-roading but that’s not what my Subaru is made for. It is made to drive better on the road than any off road vehicle, while carrying a full family in comfort and still being good enough off road for 95% of the off-roading I need. I feel like with the current big-nosed and long Subarus this is the sweet spot they do better than anyone and you hit diminishing returns real quick trying to make them into Jeeps.

I still think Subaru is not targeting heavy off-roading like Jeep Wranglers, Land Rover, and 4Runners are out for. This is about an evolution of their Onyx/Outdoor model. It's a super camper that can double as your daily driver and overall family hauler. Those other vehicles mentioned have serious compromises with fuel economy and/or ride comfort. Not to mention supermarket parking lot maneuverability. Subaru owners want an all around Swiss army knife where as those vehicles are geared towards the specific task of conquering any trail.

@Andersfavoriter

Жыл бұрын

I fully agree and the fact that the wilderness often is some motorway miles away. Comfort and security is required.

I don’t think they’ll mess with the x mode configurations with what they have now. The one thing might help a lot is if that engine is mated to the high torque CVT as in the STi versions. Or have electronics lockers and call it a day.

If you notice in the video they were doing the thing that Nathan was talking about. They were taking everything with a little bit of speed and it was going everywhere they wanted it to go.

There was mention of improved suspension as well, curious if it soaks up the rough roads better.

I really hope you guys get your hand on this. Whether from subaru or another person

@ryzenforce

3 жыл бұрын

I hope as they will make false statement on Subaru's CVT being bad and what not.

We have a 2013 subaru outback 3.6R and we have similar issues as Andre and his wife have, our car eats quiet a bit of oil and the dealer gives us the same response. While I'd like to say that that's the only big issue; one of the most expensive issues is the alignment, its so easy to through off we've spent thousands of dollars on tires because one wheel is wearing unevenly. We've even done an alignment with every tire rotation and every time one of the tires is off. We live in Montana in the city so the roads arent really that bad, in comparison to other states we have really good roads. The car isn't all bad though, it hasn't had any mechanical problems and it drives awesome in snow and ice (given the right tires).

Living in CO I work on a lot of subarus, yes oil consumption is an issue, especially as the engine ages and the piston rings wear. This can be fatal if not monitored so I make sure to really drive that home with people. Replaced a few CVTs for the early models, haven’t seen a lot newer yet, not sure if that’s because of the age and mileage or if it’s because they improved somewhat. A few random electrical issues here and there. I wouldn’t buy this for the off-roading I do, but maybe some people think it will get them a little bit further up the trailhead and they might be right. May be a decent soft roader, probably better than the RAV4 off-road package.

I will say I'm super impressed with the AWD of Subarus, I own a WRX and an Impreza neither have ever been stopped by any depth of Canadian snowfall. My only complaint lies with the WRX actually. The paint seems super thin and chips really easily it seems like, it has some rev hang which is annoying, all in all still a great car that's super fun to drive though. The Imprezzas' paint is holding up a lot better. I'd be interested to see paint thickness tests on all vehicles tested going forward to see whether a manufacturer is skimping. The gauges are kinda pricey for normal folks but I think the tool would be worthwhile for you guys and the resulting information super valuable for us.

The main problem with the CVT that most people refuse to acknowledge is its overall poor crawl ratio combined with a relatively anemic engine. A regular 2.5 Outback is over 3600 lbs and once you load up you're probably pushing 4500 lbs. 175 hp engine (2015 spec) that doesn't give much in the way of low end torque, and something like 3.90 final drives with a lowest ratio of something like 3.60:1 with that CVT and there's your "CVT power cut". Then factor in transmission cooling that isn't up to the task of offroading and an economy minded torque converter. The extra power with big jump in gearing is gonna help out a lot I think. Not only are the final drives swapped to 4.44's, but the CVT is capable of a lower ratio itself.

@matthewjohnson1211

3 жыл бұрын

Finally someone that ACTUALLY know what their talking about!

Can they just get rid of CVT?

@louisbabycos106

3 жыл бұрын

Full time AWD with slush box equals bad fuel mileage. With CVT you are getting just about equal to a stick shift driven by an expert who loves fuel economy.

Hey TFL, Just wondering if and when you might be able to test the Subaru Outback Wilderness offroad, up that same obstacle that the other outback struggled on. Seems like that might be a cool test to do for your channel :)

I just spoke to the salesman of my local subaru dealership and he is putting one on hold for me and my wife.... Hopefully we can check it out sometime this week...

Impreza hatch owner with a lift, agressive rubber, off road forged wheels, skid plate coming, etc. I love seeing Subaru making efforts to make these vehicles more Offroad capable. I do have mixed feelings about the cvt. Long term when it's retired from a daily I have some stupid plans to make it a long travel overlander with a motor swap (I know, why? To which I offer you, why not?)

CVT in the XT with dual X-mode is a big improvement over my old 2015 Outback CVT. This with a different drive ratio should be even better.

It needs skids, rocker armor, and bumpers that won't get destroyed. A manually-locking center diff would be good. The aftermarket already provides locking diffs for Subarus. My little 2016 CVT Crosstrek has been an incredible commuter so far, IMO. I can average over 45MPG on my commute with it, and it's only EPA-rated for about 33MPG hwy.

This is a unique take on a unique car. The outback is its own thing, tall wagon. Now even taller. I'd like low range (But they revised gearing to help the CVT), skid plates (aftermarket available) and locking rear diff, but this will go almost anywhere most people would care to. This, the Bronco Sport Badlands and Cherokee Trail Hawk are the only three in this segment. All solid picks. All of these car based cross overs cut power and have heating issues when pushed. I think the Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk has the least issues overheating because of low range and locking rear diff. I'm personally willing to live with the compromises and go the route of full BOF Bronco but those are pricey with higher fuel costs.

My Ascent Turbo has plenty of power ! CVT is good no issues. There are certain batches of Ascent’s that had bad CVT . A lot has to do with ECU programming. This Outback will be a great and best Subaru has thus far. All our Ascents were test cars, for their #1 sales car. Peacefrom510 .

You oil filter of your 2013 outback is in backwards, same thing happened to me, that was the fix

Can they not use the manual thats available in the crosstrek?

Also CVT drain fill service is basically just a dealer thing, due to the constant faulty parts issues subaru has had over the last 10yrs. Colorado might have far better dealers than CA, Oregon, Washington or maybe not? My Subaru cvt met severe duty use and every 60,000 I had my local dealer do a drain/fill. Yes the fluid was dark and yes it was noticeably smoother after. The first drain fill my local dealer family owned did it for $185 and when asked about front diff and rear they offered $90 each. Which was only very slightly more per diff than my local leo shop. The next 60,000 drain/fill the family dealer had been sold a 2 million dollar temple to Subaru goddess was built. I was told no they don’t do cvt drain fill, hmm ok, I asked about the front diff and after being put on hold was quoted $700! This former local family dealer was bought by a out of state auto group. I called around 7 Subaru shops 4 are store fronts for the same Auto group. Only one dealer said they can service drain fill my cvt $600. All of them quoted me over $400 for the front diff!! This service issue became my number 1 top reason our SUV replacement ie Ascent was quickly dropped off my list. Keep in mind all three of my prior Subarus I had my local guy do timing belts, plugs etc. I do my own brakes after having a few rip off experiences. Zero problems in 18 yrs since doing my own brakes. Ok back to Subaru. We have a very tight local three town FB parents private group. I posted a warning about our local Subaru dealer and their service department. 6 older folks replied right away saying they had taken their new cars talking less than 25,000 miles in for a “service” and by the time they left had paid between $1700-$3500 in who knows what in repair bills😬. Last I heard they had a lawyer and were in process of taking legal action against the dealer. But here is the issue in our region in CA if you call every Subaru dealer and ask for a quote for a basic diff / drain fill service not a single dealer will quote you a legitimate service fee! Not a single one!!! I inherited a Mercedes it only goes to my local guy who does complex Euro cars $185 hr he shows you the book time on the service and thats what you pay. He did all three of my prior Subaru timing belt jobs. My local Mercedes dealer quoted me $120 for a diff drain fill. Not a single of 7 Subaru dealers was less than $430!!!! I sent Subaru a letter telling them I can no longer own their cars nor recommend their brand in our region due to the horribly run dealers. I told them when Mercedes dealers can service their cars for far less than Subaru dealers thats a huge problem for the brand... The Ascent purchase was canned, I now have a Ford Expedition and all our ford dealers are locally family owned and would never dream of telling a customer its $700 to drain/fill a differential lol. They’d likely get punched in the face.

This is the Subaru I've been waiting to see. If you're going to run a comparison I'd love to see it compared to a Jeep Cherokee both on road and offroad.

@azmiraclegirl441

3 жыл бұрын

I think this competes more with the Renegade/Compass Trailhawk as the Cherokee has a real low-range and a locking diff in the back

Just traded in our 12 year old outback for an onyx xt outback and couldn’t be happier. We only use it in snow and dirt trails so perfect for us

Are you sure that momentum was stopped not because of the CVT, but because of the traction control? I had that problem before and I had to turn on X-mode and traction mode off in order to not get stuck in deep snow. This Outback Wilderness has the deep snow mode that shouldn't have that issue.

@RKmndo

3 жыл бұрын

I would guess that you're correct. Transmissions don't typically cut power to the wheels. TCSs DO.

Andre I have the same car. Mine just started eating oil at 65k. Has your outback always burned oil or did it start at a certain mileage? Thanks

@Wrang15

3 жыл бұрын

My Gf has a 2014 2.5 with 156k it takes maybe 1/2 quart between oil changes every 7k. I hate that car it has now power and feels like fork lift drive line. But it goes in the Snow we get in PA.

The Subaru is definitely not supposed to be burning oil. Ours is the same way Andre described it. Always have to keep a quart in the trunk for whenever we need it. It’s about once a month for us but if we’re on a road trip it can burn that much in a few hundred miles. We have a 13 legacy with same 2.5l engine as Andre was talking about and found out there is a lawsuit against Subaru because of the oil burning. We took it to the dealer and asked them about the problem and they wouldn’t do anything about it, but as soon as we mentioned “lawsuit,” they immediately sprung into action lol. It was like you had to mention the magic word and then they would do something about it, but that ain’t the end. They had to drain the oil and refill it then told us to bring it back again after a certain amount of miles and if it had burned enough oil then they’d basically do a total engine rebuild, but if not then we were SOL. We took it back to them, they said it didn’t burn enough oil, and so they wouldn’t do anything for us. End of story. All the research we did online concerning the lawsuit never mentioned anything about having to do an oil burn test, and the way the dealer tip toed around the whole thing all seemed pretty fishy. We most likely will never buy a Subaru again because of it.

I would love to head to head this with my Baja.

Toss on a 6-speed manual transmission, locking diffs, and the 3.6L 6 cylinder engine from the previous gen and it'd be golden. One can dream...

BTW, Subaru outback's standard axle ratio is 4.11:1. Not 3.96:1. But the Wilderness axle ratio of 4.41:1 should give it a real punch on the low end. Plus the forced turbo induction should keep the 260 HP engine going at higher thin air altitudes too with no diminishing of power.

There is a reason CVTs do not tow heavy trailers. With a CVT the high load at low ratios cauxes the bands to run at large diameter CVT position. This is the position with the most risk. Slow, high torque terrain is similar load as towing a trailer.

I'm glad you mentioned the oil consumption issue on the 2.5. That's Subaru's excuse, "it's nornal"... I had my short block changed in my Forester and it still burned a quart, even at 5k miles. It will only get progressively worse! I'm glad I got rid of it, good riddence!

@aussie2uGA

3 жыл бұрын

One quart of consumption for every 5k is nothing. Many European engines consume a quart far quicker than this and it indeed is considered normal engine design.

@somethingelse9535

3 жыл бұрын

@@aussie2uGA Just read a quart for 1500 miles is acceptable by most manufacturers. This guy waits 5000 miles to eat a quart? Its a keeper!

@RadDadisRad

3 жыл бұрын

It’s an inherent issue with all boxer motors.

@somethingelse9535

3 жыл бұрын

@@RadDadisRad Inherent with all internal combustion engines you mean.

@fritty9927

3 жыл бұрын

It’s all good. You just always have a little fresh oil in the engine!

Are turbos the right choice for off-roading vehicles? I thought superchargers provided power at lower RPMs better than turbos

@ericgallagan946

3 жыл бұрын

Kinda sorta. These turbos are probably small, so there is probably zero turbo lag, which means you wouldn’t notice a lack of torque. Turbos being more efficient and Subarus long history of using them makes sense in this application. If you look around a lot of countries outside of the US use turbos in off-road builds more frequently.

@jimmy-buffett

3 жыл бұрын

I have a similar concern with the smaller turbocharged engines in the Bronco and possibly coming in the new Land Cruiser (from the Lexus LS powertrain). How do they handle heat at slow speeds? Will they handle the water possibly getting to the turbo at water crossings?

The Outback has similar off-road abilities to the Ridgeline. They both have very competent AWD systems for light off-road use, but both need more ground clearance and locking center & rear differentials for better traction.

Currently have a 3.6 auto. It’s the second best engine/transmission combo I’ve had in a Subaru. The best was a 2.5 XT 5sp. So much fun. Subaru, bring back the fun, screw the fuel economy.

Fingers crossed for the Crosstrek wilderness with the manuel

@matthewjohnson1211

3 жыл бұрын

Oh yes -that would be awesome! (Except we know it will only be cvt, x-mode, eye sight, etc)

@buzzpedrotti5401

3 жыл бұрын

I know an owner who got a ne w engine & trans from Subaru.

@Hallowsaw

3 жыл бұрын

@@matthewjohnson1211 there will be a wilderness crosstrek, they sell way too many crosstreks not to have one

@matthewjohnson1211

3 жыл бұрын

@@Hallowsaw It sure sounds like they’ll have one -but I was just commenting that I highly doubt it be available with a M.T. How good it sells remains to seen...depends on how much it costs and wether Subaru would actually put turbo charged in it (like the wilderness outback).

@isreal194

3 жыл бұрын

manual transmission don't work with eyesight or xmode unfortunately. if they make it, it'll be a cvt.

Don't know about the Subaru CVT, but our Ford Freestyle CVT has over 168k on it and has been perfect for that all wheel drive.

Love these guys! Thanks for sharing

I’ve read that the CVT that went with the 6 cyl last gen outback were a lot less reliable than the ones they put with the 4 cyl models. Essentially Subaru put engineering time into their 4 cyl cvt, but their 6 cyl cvt was essentially just dropped in from Nissan. I’d be worried about the turbo even more with that cvt.

Lost me at cvt. Didn’t even want to stick around for the rest of the video.