Onyx XT or Wilderness for 2025?

My 2016 3.6R Outback was totaled, and I’m looking at new options. I live in MN and do a lot of ice fishing, sometimes driving on thick ice. I like the idea of the extra lift for getting through unplowed roads, but the Onyx XT’s better fuel economy is also appealing. Looking for advice from others to help me decide.

EDIT: Thanks for all the replies and suggestions! I’m still waiting for my insurance check to come through for the downpayment, but I’ve decided to go with the Wilderness as my next car.

If you’re mostly driving on paved roads, go for the Onyx XT. If you spend a lot of time off-road, fishing, hunting, or camping, the Wilderness would be better.

Edit: The car that fits your needs is the right choice. Otherwise, we’d all just get cargo vans if we needed space for that small 5% of the time we move big stuff.

@Thanos
I have the Onyx. I live close to places where I can camp and do other outdoor activities. I also tow a teardrop trailer. More clearance would have been nice, but if I wanted that, I should have gone for a truck. I’ve been really happy with the Onyx for all my outdoor trips.

If you’re mostly in the city, the Onyx would be the better choice. If you want something more rugged, the Wilderness is great. It even has a heated steering wheel now, and the waterproof seats are a nice touch.

@Benaiah
My 2024 Onyx XT also has waterproof seats and a heated steering wheel.

Zia said:
@Benaiah
My 2024 Onyx XT also has waterproof seats and a heated steering wheel.

The Wilderness didn’t have the heated steering wheel in 2022, but it does now.

For me, driving around town and on the highway with some gravel or old paved roads, the Onyx XT was good enough. After switching from a Toyota AWD to the Subaru AWD, I already feel more secure with the drive.

For your needs, I think you’ll enjoy the Wilderness. It has better off-road performance, even though it might have a little less fuel efficiency. The added lift and lower gearing would give you more peace of mind with the light off-roading you plan to do.

We bought the 2024 Onyx XT earlier this year. We didn’t need the extra height, the bigger roof rails, or the more aggressive tires. Plus, we didn’t want the extra road noise or worse fuel economy. We just didn’t like the rugged styling.

The Wilderness is a great option if you really need more off-road capability, but around here in Wisconsin, most Wilderness vehicles just sit at pumpkin patches or corn mazes. It’s a bit much for that, in my opinion.

@Amir
I went with the Onyx for the same reasons.

Wilderness, no doubt about it.

Wilderness all the way.

I prefer the Onyx XT, but it depends on how you plan to use it! I’ll never camp on the roof, so the standard roof rails were more useful than the reinforced roof of the Wilderness. I do like the interior trim of the Wilderness, but the outside badge isn’t my thing. Maybe I would’ve liked it more in my 20s, but now I prefer a cleaner look.

I have no proof, but I like that the Wilderness has the extra transmission cooler. Hoping this helps with CVT durability.

The fuel economy difference between the Onyx XT and Wilderness is small. If you’ll use the extra capability, go for the Wilderness. I used to trade cars every two years, but now I’m heading into my fourth year with my Wilderness. That’s saying something! Plus, the Wilderness comes with snow-rated tires, which I don’t think the Onyx XT has.

The Onyx XT already has 8 inches of ground clearance. Do you really need more? If so, then the Wilderness is the way to go. Otherwise, the Onyx XT with wider tires will handle almost the same terrain. But the Wilderness has a slightly different gear ratio that’s better for rough roads.

@Fox
Doesn’t the Wilderness have 9.5 inches of clearance? That’s higher than most Crosstrek, Forester, Outback models.

Arthur said:
@Fox
Doesn’t the Wilderness have 9.5 inches of clearance? That’s higher than most Crosstrek, Forester, Outback models.

Yes, I think the Wilderness has 9.5 inches. But that extra height can increase drag and lower fuel economy, especially on normal roads.

@Fox
And the Wilderness’ lower gear ratio makes the fuel economy even worse at slower speeds.

@Fox
Do all models have 225-width tires?

I went with the Onyx XT and just got a separate set of wheels and snow tires.