Talking Cars 528: Driving the Subaru Crosstrek Wilderness

Main theme: Consumer Reports is getting busy with soft roaders. You know what they are: a Honda CR-V, Toyota RAV4, or, in this case, a Subaru Crosstrek with all-terrain tires, a slightly raised ride height, and some extra body cladding to make it more off-road-ready. These SUVs aren’t taking on the same challenging terrain as a Jeep Wrangler or Ford Bronco, but they’re better equipped for fire roads and rougher stuff than their milder, grocery-getting siblings.

But for all the off-road benefits, what are the trade-offs? And does the Crosstrek—already the “off-roady” version of an Impreza wagon—really need a Wilderness trim? Our panel talks the pros and cons, from price to handling, in this wide-ranging episode.

Plus, we answer a question about whether a listener is “stupid to buy” a year-old Volvo EX90 that’s selling at half its original MSRP with the remainder of the factory warranty. You’ll definitely want to hear this.

Read our Volvo EX90 EV SUV review.