The Subaru Wilderness brand is like Jeep’s “Rubicon” or “Trailhawk” brand in that it’s meant to represent the most off-road capable version of a Subaru. “A Subaru that can take you farther, loaded with rugged features so you can take on your wildest adventures,” Subaru says about Wilderness. The brand’s latest offering is the 2024 Subaru Crosstrek Wilderness, an off-road-ified version of the smallest, most efficient tall-wagon in Subaru’s lineup, and while the vehicle offers some meaningful upgrades over the standard Crosstrek, one “upgrade” is currently boggling my mind, and I need to show you all. I am talking about the front skid plate.
Here’s a video of it so you can see for yourself:
A skid plate’s job is to protect underbody components from damage that might occur when driving over obstacles like rocks and tree trunks. Its primary functions are to 1. prevent obstacles from gouging/scratching underbody components 2. Help a vehicle slide over obstacles 3. Take much of the load from an obstacle (i.e. the weight of the vehicle) so that load isn’t borne by the underbody component; this prevents the underbody component from crushing/cracking. Typical underbody components that are often shielded by skidplates are: transfer cases, transmissions, engines, differentials, and steering components.
When I evaluate any off-road vehicle, I always lay down in the dirt and snap photos of the underbody protection. Here’s the front skid plate on a Ford Maverick Tremor (which, admittedly, has its own underbody protection issues), for example:
That skid plate is mounted to the front subframe, and protects the engine and transmission from the elements. When I reviewed the Ineos Grenadier, I snapped these shots of its underbody skidplates, which are bolted to the frame, the frame crossmembers, and to the body:
All of these skid plates prevent components from being either gouged or crushed, as the skid plates are rigidly mounted to the vehicle’s structure. If someone were to drive these vehicles over a rock that was a bit too large, at least some of the weight of the vehicle could be taken by the skid plates without requiring whatever component is underneath to bear that load. This brings me to the Subaru Crosstrek Wilderness
Go to the Crosstrek Wilderness’s consumer site, and you’ll see in big bold letters “9.3 Inches of Ground Clearance with Front Skid Plate, Improved Angles, and Dual-Function X-MODE.” A video clip of a Crosstrek Wilderness driving over rocks in what looks like Moab, Utah is off to the side. When a journalist at the Subaru Crosstrek media drive asked how thick the vehicle’s skid plate is, Subaru’s representative said “Thick enough.” Between the literature and this reply, I figured the Subaru Crosstrek has a real-deal skid plate — one similar to the Maverick Tremor’s.
So I decided to take a peek at the underbody protection of a regular Crosstrek and of a Crosstrek Wilderness — just to compare. The regular Crosstrek doesn’t appear to have much underneath to protect the engine or drivetrain:
The Crosstrek Wilderness, I found, also doesn’t have a whole lot of underbody protection:
But what about that front skidplate? Well, check it out:
I know what you’re thinking: “Surely, Subaru didn’t just rivet this thin piece of sheetmetal to the plastic underbody shield, right?”
Wrong. That’s exactly what they did. Look at this thing:
Watch the video towards the top of this article, and you’ll see that as I push the plastic underbody shield with my hand, the “skid plate” moves with it!
This is, without question, the saddest, most pathetic skid plate I’ve ever seen. Will it help keep that plastic shield from gouging like the front bumper appears to be doing (see photos above) due to the vehicle’s rather low approach angle? Sure. Is it probably a bit stiffer than that plastic shield it’s fastened to, meaning it will do a better job disbursing a load should the Crosstrek Wilderness drive over a too-tall rock? Maybe.
But this is without question the most useless skid plate I’ve ever seen. The vehicle’s approach angle is so low that I imagine few instances where this skidplate would see heavy use, since that front bumper will likely hit the obstacle first. Plus, if that thin skidplate did hit something hard, it’s just going to push the plastic underbody shield up!
I’m not saying this vehicle needs a legit skid plate given its audience, but this is seriously bizarre. A skid-plate that isn’t rigidly mounted to a structural component, but rather to a floppy plastic shield that’s attached to the rest of the car via plastic clips? I don’t get it!
Interestingly, on Subaru’s media site, the company seems to imply that this skid plate is more of a styling element:
To visually communicate the more capable off-road performance, the Crosstrek Wilderness adds exclusive styling with all-new front and rear bumpers, bold hexagonal front grille, larger wheel arch cladding, metal front skid plate, unique hex-design LED fog lights and an anti-glare hood decal in matte-black finish.
But you can barely even see the skid plate unless you’re under the car, so I don’t quite understand this, either. I’m just confused.
Shoutout to the one Subaru Canada guy that got the Canadian-market Wilderness orange fog lights. https://i.gaw.to/content/photos/58/84/588493-le-subaru-crosstrek-2024-est-la-nouvelle-volkswagen-golf-pour-le-quebec.jpg
You missed the point, this IS an upgrade to a METAL plate instead of a plastic splash/aero shield as found on the lesser models.
If I’m reading the article correctly, the actual point is that it’s not an upgrade.
But it is an upgrade since it has metal bits instead of being all plastic. I didn’t say it was particularly effective.
but…as demonstrated in the article, it’s really not an upgrade, though…? You did read it, yeah?
Yeah I read it, did you? Subaru knows their customer base and that the image of being more rugged than the standard version is all that matters to 99% + of the customers who purchase them new.
From the article “When a journalist at the Subaru Crosstrek media drive asked how thick the vehicle’s skid plate is, Subaru’s representative said “Thick enough.” Between the literature and this reply, I figured the Subaru Crosstrek has a real-deal skid plate — one similar to the Maverick Tremor’s.”
It was DT that made that huge leap that this was a “real deal skid plate” and not marketing fodder, which should have been apparent from the “Thick enough” comment.
You’re actually telling me you read the entire article like a big boy, when DT has this sentence towards the end:
“This is, without question, the saddest, most pathetic skid plate I’ve ever seen.”
And then, in the very next paragraph:
“But this is without question the most useless skid plate I’ve ever seen.”
So, now that we’ve established you didn’t read the article…please try again. There’s even pictures for you!
The first time you go off roading in this, the CVT will overheat, ending your day.
If you decide to off road frequently, the CVT will fail.
At this point, Subaru will void your warranty due to misuse.
I think that pretty much explains the thinking that behind this skid plate.
Yeeeeeeesh. A skidpate is not a fashion item! That’s as stupid as adding a tow hook to a plastic bumper cover to look “sPoRtY.”
Note to self: maybe don’t land on this Subaru’s oil pan, either.
Sounds like a branding move. Visible in Instagram low-angle pics from the front, for the few people who will take them lightly offroading. But not really useful to anyone. The entire “wilderness” brand seems to really just be a “sport” trim, in the same way that people buying a Civic Sport are not really sporting in it.
As a former Crosstrek owner, we are all aware the car is just a heavier, lifted Impreza hatch with plastic body cladding and very minor off-road upgrades. It looks cool and it has enough chops for someone like me who will do very light trail work and gravel stuff, but I was fully aware it wasn’t a real off-roader. It’s your classic modern era “I’m adventurous” “SUV” that really just sacrifices the traits that make the Impreza a good car, aka the ones 99% of people will actually notice in actual use.
> Sounds like a branding move
So you’re saying it’s more like a skidmark.
What exactly is sacrificed? An imperceptible amount of handling? Honestly, the Crosstrek gains way more daily usability than it loses. It rides smoother on our crumbling infrastructure, it’s easier to get in and out of because it’s a couple inches higher, it’s easier to see around in traffic because you’re not so low, you don’t scuff up that front bumper when pulling into Starbucks, etc; all while not being ridiculously high, unwieldy, or inefficient. It get’s so close to the same performance in almost every metric that no real world person would really even notice. Fuel economy, 0-60, braking, road holding, ect are all so dang close to to each other they are practically the same. Honestly, what is really better about an Impreza besides the <10% price savings? They are both affordable, slow, nonsporty cars.
I found the ride firmer than the Impreza actually. The lift is nice for loading, but also makes it less fuel efficient. But the plastic trim, I agree, is nice for daily wear and tear. I’m mostly shitting on it being branded a “poser adventure car” because people want the appearance of being sporty or adventurous these days even when the car will never see more dirt than the grass parking at a kid’s soccer practice. Like I said, I owned one, and I liked it, but I bought it knowing its capabilities.
This would have been useful to me exactly once. I had a chunk of tire or something bounce up and catch the equivalent of the panel the sheet metal is stuck to, tearing it. I think the sheet metal would have been enough for that.
Not what it’s advertised for, and an edge case. It’s definitely still bullshit.
I would argue its the perfect amount of skid plate for a Forester.
My parents had a Argentinian made Peugeot 306 sedan, a 95 XR spec, it came, as many cars do here down south, with a substantial steel plate that was like half a centimeter thick, quite substantial. To see this thing being marketed as off-road with that punny “skid-plate” is kinda funny to me
“…I don’t quite understand this, either. I’m just confused.”
Don’t be. It’s nothing more than that. It has a “skid plate”, so they can say it has a skid plate. What percentage of owners do you really think are going to crawl under there and examine the quality of their skid plate?
Someone that gets it.
B.S. is the right call on this. As useful as a stick-on hood scoop. Not to be mean, but I gotta mention I’ve seen many YJs up on a lift, and what at first glance, appears to be a substantial transfer case skid plate bolted to the frame, is actually the only support for the transfer case,and a crucial frame cross member and is inclined to collect debris, and moisture that rust out the mounting bolts if you catch it in time, and can ruin the frame if not caught in time.
Every time I read some marketing-speak my blood pressure slightly rises. It’s the most disingenuous thing for me, faker-than-fake. You got any tips on that, since I’m sure reading this tripe is part and parcel with your job?
What? You don’t think visually communicating the off-road performance is genuine? /s
I just try to appreciate the absurdity of it all. Several people were paid generous salaries to come up with this shit (and legal was paid an ever better salary to approve it). It’s keeping the economy alive!
If your definition of wilderness is your lawn that hasn’t been cut in a month, then that’s a skid plate.
I dunno… it’s better than the plain plastic that Ford and Chevy have touted for years on their ‘offroad’ packages. I owned an FX4 Super Duty. I crawled under to look at the advertised skid plates, and found only flimsy plastic.
It’s the same deal on the Transit Trail. Nice knobby tires, tough looking rock slider-like steps… and a plastic skid plate.
I remember audibly gasping at that underbody look at the 911 Dakar: https://www.theautopian.com/we-took-a-close-look-at-the-new-porsche-911-dakar-and-weve-got-some-questions-about-off-road-capability-and-aerodynamics/
PARSH, Y’ALL KNOW BETTER. >:(
Dunno. The front skid plate on my ’22 Colorado was made of metal and I had to bolt it back on the frame after removing a substantial portion of the front fascia (disappointed that the front bumper was shiny plastic as part of the fascia) when I put on the Warn internal bumper and winch. The ’22 Colorado is a 4×4 work truck with the skid plate option (without skid plate for the plastic gas tank, as on my ’96 Sierra).
Not all FX4s came with metal skid plates, but they were offered as an optional add-on (and not much if memory serves). I think they’re included in the package nowadays, though. Some plastic can be very tough, though.
There’s also some skid plates in the industry that have plastic surrounds and metal inserts but they still bolt to the frame and do the job, but are all one big complex part for ease of manufacture and assembly.
That said, aftermarket skid plates tend to generally superior to what the factory offers, though admittedly there’s no guarantee they did the factory R&D for air flow and cooling and such for certain components.
I think even the Maverick FX4 has metal plates. And, yeah, offering a FWD-based unibody truck with off-road capability is a stretch on the FX4 name and its relatively short legacy, but I’ll give credit where it’s due for how well it actually performs.
I’ll admit that I think the Wilderness trims look pretty cool. I’ll also admit that with a CVT still saddling these turds, they’ll only ever be able to accomplish mildly more gravely surfaces than a standard Subaru. #marketing
The entire car is a joke. It looks like a caricature of a car. Did Subaru poach their lead designer from the local state fair? Beyond journalists, what purpose does this skidplate really serve? Most image projecting Subaru owners won’t take their Subaru or man bun more offroad than a dirt gravel parking lot for hiking trail. This renders the skidplate an image decoration, to answer your question.
I love this article and I love David Tracy
so, when you drag your Subie’s diff over some rocks (or, pick your underbody component) will you still be covered under warranty? I.E. the way this is being advertised….
I love you too.
The worst part is people actually use Subaru’s for Subaru stuff. This skid plate is 87.4% more likely to see action vs a Jeep.
I question the specificity of your math but cannot challenge the overall assertion
You don’t count driving around town with rubber duckies on your dash as “seeing action?”
Bring on the aftermarket…assuming there’s anybody who will use this rig for serious offroad work.
Now, there is actually a robust and growing aftermarket out there, so I wouldn’t be surprised to see something robust in under 12 months max
Must. Not. Smile. This offroad work (which is definitely not a recreational hobby) is so super serious.
Cheapness-it’s what makes a Subaru, a Subaru
That’s the truth. My body and paint guys detest them for how cheap, thin, and flimsy their bodies are.
Yeah don’t get me wrong I have liked a lot of subarus, but they clearly cheap out on their finishes as a way to get costs in line vs competitors who offer less standard equipment.
It’s pretty obvious there was an internal battle (minor battle) between having something to print in the marketing material and engineering constraints (budget, approach, aero, etc) and the compromise was massive. Thankfully, anyone actually using this to go off-road is going to get a primitive plate like everyone else does anyway. Manufactures need to provide REAL protection or leave it completely alone.
The thing that blows my mind is the the Forester Wilderness had a beefy plate up front and additional optional skid plates for other parts of the underbody, so Subaru at least knows how to do the real deal.
I say “had” because the Forester Wilderness I tested in 2021 had those plates. Now, when you configure a 2024, there’s a different, smaller front plate and no option to add more. Weird.
Does Subaru have in car telemetry tracking where drivers go?
If so, this is probably the result of that data. Some suit looked at all the costs of the heavy skid plates, then at the data showing where people actually drove and figured that they could make more money with the new ‘skid plate’ design while avoiding customer complaints.
Rav-4ification will continue until all ‘off-road’ suv’s are Rav-4
That would be interesting to know if manufacturers track that (likely), but since trails may lack 4G service it would be funny if there is a selection bias in their data.
Automotive decontenting is real.
IMHO, Subaru is obviously gambling that most of it’s owners idea of off road adventuring is driving up a well graded dirt road in a State or National park.
I like how most of the bumper cover fasteners have been popped out already. Fail!
They should’ve riveted those.
But now you’ll get that reassuring metal scratching sound when you ‘park by feel’ at Starbucks and run the car into the curb stop. Who am I kidding, everyone uses the drive-thru…
Maybe it is designed for the parking block!
This was my first thought – it’s a skidplate so that you know when you’ve hit the kerb/curb.
Somebody at Subaru is going to have skid marks after the boss sees this review.
So a load on the “skid plate” is gonna crack the plastic? Almost better to just take it off?
Maybe it will cause the plastic panel’s fasteners to pop out, so you can back up, put it back on and sheepishly return to pavement with only your pride permanently damaged?
but I wonder if you take it off, it will just collect goo and whatnot. Or, where I live, extra access for fracking brine they use on the road to get in there and dance
They tried to convince ODOT to use fracking brine as a deicing treatment for streets. Cities then sued ODOT because they are basically dumping polluted water all over the place and using state funds to pay the fracking company for it. They found lead, arsenic, some measurable radioactive stuff in it. Don’t worry, it’s harmless.
The drilling industry has some of the most deplorable businesses in our lifetime. Anything for a buck.
Unfortunately, a fracking well was going to be dumped in my back yard. Fortunately, the city banned it within the city limits…so they spent all that money for nothing. Womp womp.
They were going to use the muni water treatment plant to treat fracking water, but wouldn’t ya know it…you can’t simply filter out radioactive stuff in a muni plant! They didn’t get the chance to start that, either…but the fact we came close is terrifying. And I don’t even live downstream from where the discharge would be.
Soulless ghouls.