CANEY CREEK WILDERNESS, Ark. -- Deep rocky ruts and fords through swiftly flowing streams might challenge most small SUVs, but for the 2022 Subaru Forester Wilderness, it was just another day at the office.
Truth be told, it was Forester's exceptional off-road prowess that motivated me to head into the Ouachita National Forest and guide the Forester along a winding route along, up, and through the Saline River. Where the mountainous road crests, about a mile from Bard Springs, is the trailhead of the Tall Peak Fire Tower.
From there, a 2.3-mile hike that increases in elevation by 1,400 feet leads to a stone tower built some 90 years ago by the Civilian Conservation Corps. At 3,200 feet above sea level, it is the highest point between eastern Arkansas and centrSubaru U.S. Media Centeral Mexico. Spectacular views of the gateway to the Great Plains await the few willing to make the trek.
As I approached the first river ford, the road was slick and rocky. I reached down and put the X-MODE into sand and mud. Then I relaxed and enjoyed the scenery and solitude. With standard symmetrical all-wheel drive, 9.2 inches in ground clearance – similar to a Toyota Tacoma's – and all-terrain Yokohama Geolandar® tires, the Outback Wilderness is equipped for far more capability than I needed that day.
While I played one of my favorite playlists through an exceptional Harmon-Kardon® sound system, the X-MODE was doing a lot of work:
• Engine Throttle: The throttle doesn't open too quickly. If the driver presses the accelerator further, the engine then delivers torque faster. X-Mode employs special settings that deliver torque gradually at first but then make it come on stronger.
• Transmission: X-Mode keeps the transmission in a lower gear so that engine power can be delivered stronger. This shifting pattern, while X-Mode is on, lets the driver make the most of the available power.
• All Wheel Drive: AWD control is improved by raising the front/rear coupling force when X-Mode is on, which delivers power more evenly between the four wheels. This maximizes tire traction.
• Vehicle Dynamics Control System: The VDC system, when X-Mode is on, includes a specially-tuned "Enhanced LSD Control." For example, if the left and right wheels are behaving differently, the system applies brakes to wheels that are slipping. Compared to ordinary operation, the brakes are applied a lot earlier when X-Mode is on, resulting in LSD control activating much faster.
• Hill Descent Control: Under 12 mph, Hill Descent Control maintains vehicle speed. The car manages the throttle and braking, allowing the driver to concentrate on steering.
Starting at $33,945, the Wilderness sits 1.4 inches higher, has an upgraded drivetrain, beefier suspension, stronger roof rack, and more towing capacity than a base Forester, which starts at $26,320, delivery included.
Our tester came with just about every goody in the Outback parts bin. Based on the Premium ($29,320), the Wilderness has heated front seats, heated exterior mirrors, and a windshield wiper deicer. It also has a 10-way power driver's seat with power lumbar support, 17-inch aluminum-alloy wheels, roof rails, dark tint privacy glass, and a panoramic power moonroof.
Add skid plates, LED fog lamps, an anti-glare hood, a forward-looking camera for those blind hill crests, and a ladder-type roof rack that is ready for a roof tent, and the Wilderness is a perfect companion for outdoor adventures.
Indeed, I was a bit sad to park her and begin the hike, but I soon understood that I had the trail to myself.
Quiet in its majesty, the rock-strewn mountain, stripped barren in another century, is blanketed by hardwoods; a result, no doubt, of rapacious loggers who carelessly left behind a few poplars, oak, elm, dogwood.
In midwinter the hardwoods are barren. I halted my steps and calm my breathing. In the quiet, I heard so much: birds, ground creatures, crisp breezes that sweep up the valley with only a sporadic evergreen to give voice to their urgency.
Red-tailed hawks glided silently on the thermals as the wind reaches gentle crescendos that softly crashed like distant waterfalls. I calmed my mind and heard exponentially more. At this very moment, my soul sang, was this day's daily bread.
The climb up served as a gentle reminder that I needed to increase the pace and resistance in my workouts. I kept trudging up hills up to curves in the road that led to more hills. The summit, however, was more rewarding than the effort it took to reach it.
The observation tower is open to all. As I surveyed the vast distance before me, I made a vow to return with a backpack, hammock tent, and a good camera to capture what must be stunning sunsets. The low-angle rays from behind at sunrise might yield crisp shots of the wilderness.
A constant brisk wind whipping up from the plains suggested that a warm July eve might be best.
The walk back down the mountain was, obviously, much easier and quicker. Still, the hike had consumed the better part of the afternoon. I decided to head back via an old state highway that wound through the foothills with many a sharp curve and narrow bridge.
Traffic was nonexistent so I picked up my pace. This led to another felicitous discovery. Longer coil springs and shock absorbers not only provide added road clearance but are also nicely tuned to give the Forester exceptional handling. For an SUV, it has great stick in tight turns.
The CVT is designed to give the feel of eight gears, which are available via paddle shifters, making it easy to find optimal engine speed and torque during spirited driving. The 2.5-L Boxster engine might seem underpowered at 182 hp and 176 lb.-ft. of torque, but though the Wilderness may not be fast, it is quick in the right ways.
As I headed into the sunset, the thought occurred that this was, indeed, a perfect day.
Test Drive is an auto-review column by Bill Owney.
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