- Subaru has revealed that the 2025 Forester Wilderness starts at $34,995, an increase of $75 from last year.
- The Wilderness is the only Forester model not to upgrade to the new squarer body style introduced for 2025.
- Power comes from a naturally-aspirated 2.5-liter boxer four that sends 182 hp to all four wheels via a CVT.
Sales of the previous-generation 2024 Subaru Forester exploded earlier this year as buyers rushed to grab one of the remaining cars before it was replaced by a totally new 2025 model that has proved far less successful. And now the automaker has given the new SUV a big headache by keeping the old model alive for another year.
Although Subaru’s US retail website lists only the boxy, new-shape Foresters for 2025, the company’s marketing team has confirmed that the outdoorsy Wilderness model steams into this model year unchanged from 2024. So anyone still not convinced by the new Forester’s boxier, Ford Explorer-like styling can still get into an old-style Forester as long as they’re prepared to look like they’re permanently about to set off on a camping weekend.
Related: New Subaru Forester Sales Keep Falling But BRZ Gets A Much Needed Boost
The 2025 Wilderness costs $34,995, which is a mere $75 more than last year’s SUV cost, and places it midway between the base version of the new Forester ($29,695) and the high-spec Touring ($39,995) trim. The sole option is a $2,000 package that adds Subaru’s Starlink 8.0-inch multimedia navigation system, a nine-speaker Harmon Kardon Hi-Fi and power-operated rear hatch.
Carried over from last year are the tough-looking black bumpers, wheelarches and sill trims, longer coil springs and shocks providing 9.2 inches (234 mm) of ground clearance, and 17-inch matte-black alloys wearing all-terrain Yokohama Geolander rubber. Continuing the go-anywhere theme inside are water-resistant StarTex seat surfaces and a standard cargo tray to keep muddy gear and boots away from the trunk carpet.
Also unchanged is the naturally-aspirated 2.5-liter, four-cylinder boxer engine and its 182 hp (185 PS) and 176 lb-ft (239 Nm) of torque. That energy is sent to all four wheels via a mandatory CVT. The new-shape Forester uses the same powertrain, but it’s rated at 180 hp (183 PS) and the new model’s 1,500-lbs (680 kg) tow rating is half what the Wilderness can manage.
Subaru has promised to introduce a hybrid option to America for the 2026 model year and we expect the Wilderness to shuffle over to the newer body at the same time. What would get your $35k – a new-style Forester Sport or this older-look Wilderness?
