2024 Subaru Crosstrek Wilderness 0-60 Time: Glacial Acceleration

By: Max F. Arellano / February 20, 2024

0-60 time analysis

Glacial is the only word that can be used to describe the 2024 Subaru Crosstrek Wilderness' 0-60 time.

Averaged across reports from both Car and Driver and Motor Trend, it gets to 60 in 8.5 seconds, with a quarter mile of 16.5 seconds. This makes it half a second slower than the 2024 Limited trim, and 1.5 seconds slower than the 2021 Limited Trim.

The only trim in the Crosstrek's lineup that it outperforms is the base model with its smaller 2.0-liter engine coughing up a 9-second 0-60 time.

Worth the inferior performance?

Should you give up half a second of acceleration for the Wilderness trim; what exactly does it get you over other Crossteks?

• Increased Ground Clearance: The Wilderness trim often has increased ground clearance compared to the Limited trim, providing better capability over rough terrain and obstacles.
• Enhanced Roof Rails: More robust roof rails on the Wilderness trim are designed to support a greater load, making it easier to carry additional gear for outdoor adventures.
• Water-Resistant Upholstery: The interior features water-resistant upholstery, better suited for wet or muddy gear, enhancing the vehicle's utility for outdoor activities.
• Unique Exterior Styling: The Wilderness trim includes unique styling cues, such as specific badges, body cladding, and a grille design that distinguishes it from the Limited trim, emphasizing its rugged character.
• Front Skid Plate: A standard or available front skid plate on the Wilderness trim provides extra protection for the undercarriage when navigating over rough terrain.

If you are into off-roading, it would seem to be the better option, since it's not like the improved speed of the Limited trim is significant enough to make a noticeable difference. However, the Wilderness is $1000 more expensive, so if you don't care for these extra features, I'd go with the Limited.

How does it compare to its competitors?

If its any consolation, its not much different from most of its competition. The non-hybrid CR-V and the Toyota Rav4 both have similar 0-60 times; acceleration seems to take the back seat for this niche of vehicle, which has been described as a 'lifestyle' car, suited to work in any situation.

Personally, I think merging onto highways is an important, everyday lifestyle situation that necessitates decent acceleration, so a 0-60 time this slow would be a non-starter.

If you're in the market for a generic-looking AWD SUV specifically, the 2024 Hyundai Kona N Line is the superior option; its turbocharged engine will get you to 60 in a tolerable 7.5 seconds. It also has the same ~32,000 MSRP as the Crosstrek Wilderness, so you don't even have to pay for that extra performance.

Now I will grant that the Crosstrek Wilderness is better for its offroad capabilities, with its 9+ inch ground clearance and its engine's X-MODE feature, which is optimized to handle difficult road conditions.

If offroad capability is your main concern, there are still more performant options available. For example, the 2021 Ford Bronco Sport Badlands gets to 60 in an impressive 5.7 seconds. The 2024 version is identical from a performance standpoint, so you can expect similar times.

It is more expensive than the Crosstrek though, at ~$39,000, and significantly bigger, being categorized as a mid-sized SUV.

Conclusion

The Crosstek Wilderness is a slow car, make no mistake about it. Acceleration might not be in its list of main selling points, but if you're using this car every day, I'd argue that an 8.5 second 0-60 time is bad enough to be a detractor.