The Forester’s Toughest Trim Gets More Expensive
The Subaru Forester Wilderness is the toughest Forester you can buy, designed for buyers who want an all-weather, almost-all-road family SUV. It features chunkier cladding, all-terrain tires, and revised suspension tuning that allows it to go further off pavement than the standard Forester.
But entering the 2026 model year, the Wilderness is becoming more expensive. Subaru kept pricing flat for most Forester trims, but the Wilderness jumps by $2,100.
The increase is expected, though, as the incoming model transitions from its old fifth-generation platform to the new sixth-generation design that debuted in 2025. The result is that the biggest Wilderness model no longer shares parts with the outgoing Forester, but that added cohesion comes at a higher cost.
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Price Hike vs. Dealer Discounts
For 2026, the Forester Wilderness now starts at $38,385 before destination charges. The rest of the lineup still ranges from $29,995 for the Base trim to $41,595 for the Touring, hiding the jump in pricing. The Forester Wilderness is clearly a specialized offering, but buyers might think twice when they see the discounts on inventory units.
A look at inventory on Cars.com reveals that 2025 models are still widely available and are being discounted. The lowest advertised Wilderness currently lists for $32,757, with many dealers offering discounts of between $2,000 and $4,000 off the MSRP. That means shoppers can find a brand-new 2025 Wilderness for significantly less than the 2026 model, even before factoring in the latest price increase. For value-focused buyers, the outgoing version remains an appealing alternative.
James Riswick
What’s New for 2026 and Which to Buy
The updated Wilderness does bring some functional gains. Ground clearance is up to 9.3 inches, the CVT features a shorter final drive, and Subaru has added a dual-mode X-Mode system for Snow/Dirt and Deep Snow/Mud conditions. Off-road angles improve to 23.5° approach, 25.5° departure, and 21° breakover, while towing capacity climbs to 3,500 lbs – the highest ever for a Forester. Styling tweaks include thicker cladding, matte black alloys, and copper accents. An optional $2,200 package adds a 12.3-inch digital cluster, Harman Kardon audio, navigation, and a power tailgate.
Those upgrades make the Wilderness a more capable and modernized package, but the 2025 model still delivers rugged looks and respectable trail chops for less money. Buyers deciding between the two will need to weigh the improved off-road ability and features of the 2026 model against the meaningful discounts available on the remaining 2025 inventory.
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