Overlanding Our Subaru WRX: Results and Regrets of 100 Miles Off-Road

Video subaru wrx sti off road

The moment we saw Subaru’s 2022 redesign of the WRX and its controversial plastic fender cladding, we knew we only wanted one thing: a WRX Wilderness.

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Subaru’s AWD sport compact has had rally roots from the start—let’s not forget the moniker means World Rally eXperimental. What better time than now to create a lifted, nubby-tired, off-road version of the WRX to enable bombing around forest roads without fear of damage and to serve as a performance halo car for the Wilderness subbrand?

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Three years into the WRX lifecycle, Subaru has announced no plans to ruggedize its rally-inspired sedan, and when we mentioned the idea to a brand rep over lunch, we might as well have been laughed out of the restaurant.

So while we all wait for Subaru to make the objectively correct decision and build a WRX Wilderness, we decided to conduct a little experiment. Can you take the WRX overlanding in its current state? We drove over 100 miles of unpaved forest service roads outside Flagstaff, Arizona, with the WRX serving as our camping rig and monsoon hideout. Here’s what we learned.

Pro: Fuel Economy

Any citybound adventurer knows all good trips start with escaping your slice of urban mundanity. Most of us aren’t fortunate enough to have miles of isolated fire roads outside our front door, which usually means at least a few hours of driving before your tires get to leave pavement.

Our first destination, Mogollon Rim Road, spans the Apache-Sitgreaves and Coconino National Forests east of Phoenix—a healthy 600-ish miles from MotorTrend HQ in El Segundo, California. Including a hop and skip down to Tucson and at least five hours of forest road driving, our total trip odometer clocked over 1,700 miles.

No one thinks of the WRX as a fuel sipper, but we were impressed with its efficiency over the trip, especially compared to a more traditional overland rig. We averaged 28.0 mpg, a significant jump over its 22 mpg combined EPA rating. For reference, a Ford F-150 Raptor (of which we saw many on the trail) is rated at 16 mpg combined. Over that kind of distance and based on the national average price of premium fuel, even if the WRX was returning its EPA numbers, the Subaru driver would save more than $130.

Pro: Stand Out

During our hours away from pavement, we got a great indication of the kind of vehicle most folks take on journeys like ours. The Jeep Wrangler was likely the most common, but we also saw plenty of Toyota FJ Cruisers, countless Tacomas and 4Runners, loads of full-size pickups, non-WRX Subarus abound, and a ton of side-by-sides.

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We were pleasantly surprised to find one other Subaru driver probing the limits of the WRX on the easier trail, but the weekend featured few vehicles that couldn’t at least be described as a crossover.

What we did see were plenty of thumbs pointed skyward and encouraging smiles from fellow drivers; only a handful of folks laughed at us as the inexperienced, sure-to-get-stuck city folk who took their low-slung, summer-tired sedan on the dirt and gravel. We loved proving them wrong.

Con: Trail Selection

One of the beauties of driving an ultra-capable off-roader like our long-term F-150 Raptor is the breadth of trails you can tackle. Locking differentials, great approach and departure angles, underbody protection, near-infinite ground clearance, and big all-terrain tires meant there was little chance of damaging the vehicle or getting ourselves stuck on all but the hardest of trails.

The WRX has no such luxuries. Although it benefits from four driven wheels, our Subaru only has 5.4 inches of clearance, minimal wheel articulation, sport-oriented street tires, and low bumpers and side skirts waiting to be cracked and torn up by obstacles a Jeep wouldn’t notice.

Not only did this complicate choosing a trail, for which we joined a local 4×4 Facebook group and begged for help, it can turn a relatively flat fire road treacherous. Our average speed was maybe half that of the rigs around us as we carefully picked our lines to avoid potholes, sharp rocks, and even large roots that could impede our forward momentum. Constantly swerving around obstacles is antithetical to the relaxed trail trundling we’ve enjoyed on past excursions. Plus, we couldn’t engage in many wannabe rally driver antics because there were too many potholes threatening to ruin our good time. Porsche 911 Dakar or Lamborghini Huracán Sterrato, this was not.

Con: Space

Tragically, Subaru no longer builds a WRX hatchback or wagon. The brand’s PR folks claim the sedan sold a lot better. Regardless, we know it can’t match the cargo carrying capacity of the hatchback or the outstanding Levorg WRX wagon, let alone that of a large pickup or even a Jeep.

We were pleased to find that even as a sedan the WRX has plenty of room in the trunk and rear seat for two peoples’ worth of camping gear, food, and water for a long weekend. That said, we suspect the Levorg could have accommodated more passengers, firewood for each surprisingly cold night, or even a grill to elevate our dinners from backpacking stoves and instant noodles.

The relative lack of space also came up when we encountered unexpected weather. Arizona is a notoriously dry state, but it also subjects its inhabitants to a summer monsoon season. Our aging tent had let in tons of water on one side after a few hours of heavy rain. Had we arrived in a more traditional overlanding rig like a capped pickup or a full-size SUV, we would have been able to sleep in the car no problem. Instead, one of us slept in a damp tent while the other reclined one of the WRX’s Recaros.

Con: Weather Preparedness

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Like the lack of worry when choosing a trail, drivers with more capable rigs can sleep at camp confident they’ll be able to make it home. We weren’t so sure.

The aforementioned rainstorm arrived around 7:00 p.m., while we were still about 30 miles from pavement, down a more challenging road than that we had driven the day prior. Panic set in.

Do we leave now, knowing the roads will only get worse throughout the night? Do we risk driving through the storm in the pitch black to avoid being trapped by fallen trees and impassable mud?

We stayed through the night with the mindset that at least if we got stuck in the morning, maybe a fellow camper would be able to help. The drive back to asphalt was slower than the journey into the forest, navigating around murky puddles and exercising the WRX’s AWD system on a couple slick inclines, but the Subaru made it.

Subaru WRX Off-Roading: Maybe Don’t?

After thoroughly dirtying a senior staffer’s long-termer and potentially covering more miles on dirt than any other 2022 WRX, we’ve had some time to reflect. If you define overlanding as taking a grand adventure with hours away from pavement and camping out of your vehicle, then yes, you can take a WRX overlanding.

Should you? Eh.

Our experience had less DIY-rally stage energy and more breath holding and butt puckering than we’d hoped. The WRX’s street tires meant we were constantly worried about a flat, minimal clearance forced us to travel slow and pick our lines on roads a Crosstrek Wilderness would barely notice, and the lack of space compared to more common vehicle choices limited our cargo and meant sleeping in the car was a lot less comfortable.

We enjoyed the novelty of taking our WRX to at least a couple situations in which it clearly did not belong, and if this is your only car, you shouldn’t let our qualms keep you from venturing off to the trail less traveled. Maybe just get yourself some better tires.