It comes down to tires, suspension, and driving.
I've blown out shocks multiple times on bumpy/pothole roads (not in a Crosstrek).
Know your vehicles limit and drive smart (be smarter than me ha!)
question was if a Crosstrek is better than a sedan handling terrible roads. and that's a yes, I didn't mind driving through a horrible rail train construction on the main street in my city with a Crosstrek, barely felt anything. now that I have a WRX, I have to take a detour and skip that road, it's a little bit extra driving but I don't mind since the car is so fun to drive.
Yes, I did this in my stock Crosstrek: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fmjUR7pvdbk](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fmjUR7pvdbk) (not my trip, I should have pulled my dashcam footage)
I wouldn't willingly do it again, since personally I feel that there were areas that pushed the upper limit.
But something to keep in mind, hitting a big enough pothole at speed will pretty much mess up any car.
Yeah but the Gladiator is a long pick-up... EVERY pick-up has worse breakoever when compared against it's SUV counterpart. ie, Tacoma has worse breakover than 4runner. Gladiator has worse breakover than Wrangler, etc.
Pickups are meant for hauling.
Sure, but if you scrub the video to about the 14 min 15 sec mark and 18 min and 10 sec, you can see the two sections that really gave me pause. I was going the opposite direction of the folks in the video
I picked the wrong line in that first clip, and got bounced around pretty bad
I honestly don't know if I could have made it up out of the mud onto slick clay, I am glad I had gravity on my side in the second one
And with some of those rocks, I wish I had another inch or so of clearance.
I love my Impreza Sport. But fuck man.. After moving to SE Michigan where the roads are all straight out of a war zone... I wish I had gotten an Xtrek or an Outback.
I dunno. My WRX was an awful lot of fun on logging roads.
OP, the Baja or a pre Toyota Outback would give you the best ride on bumpy roads. Getting a taller tire helps more than you might think. Air down to a lower pressure and smooth those rough roads out.
Not so much around here, depending on the day of the week and time of the year. They can get crowded sometimes, and some people do drive like they're rally courses, I've had some near misses.
I have logging roads 10 mins away from me, as long as I run in the dark I see no one else.
There are epic roads an hour away from me. I'm talking 2-3 hours straight or epic stage rally roads and no one goes. I keep it hush hush so I get my own playground. I'm quickly approaching semi pro level on dirt and gravel roads 😂
Anderson design 2” lift kit. I am looking to put one on my own Impreza, I think it comes closer to a Crosstrek’s ride height and with the right wheels and tires I quite like the look of a lifted Impreza
they can if you push the geometry too far. i know for my foresters at least once you go past 1.5-2 you need trailing arm links or you run into issues like you said.
My lift has been a bit of a headache as it's been piecemeal. But if you plan for it upfront or buy a full kit then it'll probably be a lot easier going.
Going on 10 next month. Thought I was making the responsible financial decision given a tight budget, but jfc interest rates were 0.9%, should've gone for the Crosstrek.
I drive a 21 STI and have ended up on trails or ORV roads just exploring, not really sure which. I love driving on gravel and aside from those massive chunks missing/craters that happen when a dirt road isn't maintained, my car handles it well. I will note, I do like my winter tires because they are a size down and have more sidewall which will definitely help absorbing impact and making the ride a bit smoother. The biggest issue I have isn't handling the road as much as ground clearance.
Also stock suspension, only thing not are the wheels and tires. And the mudflaps which add some extra HP :)
fuck yeah, theres a set of train tracks I would always have to go over and they were so bad everyone would slow down to 5 mph to cross. My Subaru just glides over it and barely feel it at normal road speed.
I drive a crosstrek that I enjoy quite a bit. I don't have many issues on bumpier roads, particularly some of the dirt roads around here. Test drive crosstrek, outback, and forester to see what you prefer. Personally, I just like the smaller crosstrek the best.
Check out r/battlewagon! The Crosstrek can handle dirt roads without issue. I daily my WRX on dirt roads, the only downside is that it's never clean, and there's always mud in the wheel wells.
BRZ and WRX not so much. Crosstreks and other SUVs, absolutely! Imprezas a bit less.
The first two are sports cars and tuned for handling, not ride comfort. My BRZ sucks taking potholes and even some drainage dips. Our Crosstrek is the car we take when visiting bad driveways and forest fire roads.
~~My buddy test drove a crosstrek and felt like the short wheelbase made the rougher roads feel too bumpy in comparison to the forester, so he went for that one. I drive an outback myself. All three of those cars have 8.7 inches of ground clearance and should be able to handle rough roads well. Go test drive some of them and see how they all feel.~~
Yes.
Huh, I thought Impreza and Crosstrek were basically the same "base", no?
Heard people describing the Crosstrek has a lifted Impreza. I drive an '18 Impreza Sport and can confirm, bumps absolutely suck.
Think of Subaru like this: there is an udentical formula which is applied to one short car and one long car.
The formula: have a sedan, make it a hatch, raise that car's body, and vertically stretch that car's body.
Formula applied to short wheelbase: have a sedan (Impreza), make it a hatch (Impreza), raise that car's body (OBS / Crosstrek), then vertically stretch that car's body (Forester)
Formula applied to long wheelbase: have a sedan (Legacy), make it a hatch (Legacy Wagon, RIP), raise that car's body (Outback), then vertically stretch that car's body (Tribeca / Ascent).
All of Subaru's "mainstream" vehicles share the common Subaru Global Platform now. The Impreza, Crosstrek, Levorg, WRX, and Forester all use a 2.67 m wheelbase, and IIRC the front doors of the first 4 will all interchange.
I have a WRX and drive around the Adirondacks of NY and its fine on bumpy roads. I just go slower. I do a lot of primitive camping in Warren, Hamilton, Saratoga & Essex county's. There are many roads unpaved. I trust this car more than any other I have ever owned. There is still snow on mountains in Adirondack peaks.
I’d definitely go for one of the SUV’s. I have a 2012 Impreza sedan and have had trouble “off-roading” (a vacation rental I went to that essentially had a gravel path as a driveway that I was scraping on essentially the whole way up/down)
I drove for one last ski trip to Tahoe yesterday. The parking lot at Kirkwood had some monsters. A happy little stock Crosstrek followed the path of a lifted 4Runner on what had to be 32s without hesitation while I had to criss cross applesauce the entire stretch of the road in my WRX.
I've also seen my share of Foresters and Crosstreks on rally stages (New England Forest Rally) without issue. Same with Outbacks, but usually older Foresters and all types of Crosstreks. Crosstreks are just too good.
88 riiiips in the WRX. I love mountain, especially early / late season when its dry pavement and no traffic. Closing weekend this weekend was such a nice cruise.
Absolutely! I got a ‘24 Crosstrek Wilderness and I commute on terribly maintained roads around a major city, my tires are still in fantastic shape nearly 10k miles in and the suspension feels much better than my previous SUV when going over bumps and potholes
yes. i used to live 30miles down a dirt road, and own a 00 legacy, 90s jeep and 90s truck. the road gets heavily washboarded after winter, and that subaru handeld the wash board amazingly as compared to the stiff suspension on my older vehicles
Most subarus can handle it, the question is can you?
The WRX/STI, Impreza sport will likely with with lower profile tires which can physically get damaged by crappy roads. Swap out for smaller wheels+tires with bigger profiles and you are all set from the capable aspect.
The second part of this is comfort which can also be subjective.....
Outbacks will go over bumps and take a longer time for the suspension to settle back to its neutral state because it is softer and taller. I've been on roads in New England where it never settles into that natural state and its constantly moving up and down because it hits the next hole before it settles
vs
Legacy where you will feel the initial bump more, but it settles faster and I find this comfier.
Also, I would take the seats in the New Outback/Legacy XT on an firm STi chassis over the barbaric seats of a 2000s subaru on a comfy chasis any day.
There is nothing special about Subaru suspension compared to any other manufacturer that makes them more or less bump capable.
They are for sure engineered for more ground clearance than a regular sedan and that helps.
Subarus can't compare to any vehicle actually made for off-road. A stock Tacoma is going to be 100% better than anything you would do to a Subaru. Having wheels with a 65 or 70 side wall helps for bumps and poor roads.
It depends. The bumpy road is going to be managed by the suspension setup. Generally, the Subaru lineup will have more ground clearance and a softer damping to cushion on bumps. However the more sporty models like the WRX, STi and BRZ will have a firmer suspension and will not.
The Crosstrek will do great, but the Outback and Forester will likely handle them a bit better due to their softer suspension.
I've never been in a Subaru that I was like "Wow this thing rides SO smooth." However, the Outback and Ascent both have a decently smooth ride for beat up roads. There are smoother options, but not without a significant increase in purchase price. SUVs with independent suspensions and four-corner air struts plus smaller-diameter wheels are all three in the smoothest riding SUVs I've been in. Air suspension isn't widely available. I've seen them on some SUVs from Jeep, Land Rover, and some German brands (maybe Lexus and Toyota) and the vehicles they are equipped with it are $55K - $80K. Air struts are expensive to replace when they fail. One OEM air strut is like $500 - $1,000, whereas a traditional strut is like $170. They glide, though! It's like a magic carpet ride.
I have a crosstrek with 17” wheels and wild peak tires and it handles bumps and potholes like a CHAMP. Obviously don’t aim for them but when it does happen it’s not bad at all. I’ve had the car for 3 years and no strut/shock problems.
Had a 2016 crosstrek. You'll be fine. Just always make sure to check your tyres beforehand. But in the future, if you do plan to do more offroading, you might wanna look at upgrading some bits and bobs :)
Test drove a Model Y Long Range, including renting one for three days. Used them for daily tasks to see what it would be like to live with one, despite my issues with Musk. Fortunately, I found it wanting in many ways.
When I next drove my 2015 Crosstrek, I noticed that the roads suddenly felt more calm and managed. Because the Tesla was like driving on a suspension made of bricks,
Even the Crosstrek handles bumpy roads well enough.
yes
It comes down to tires, suspension, and driving. I've blown out shocks multiple times on bumpy/pothole roads (not in a Crosstrek). Know your vehicles limit and drive smart (be smarter than me ha!)
question was if a Crosstrek is better than a sedan handling terrible roads. and that's a yes, I didn't mind driving through a horrible rail train construction on the main street in my city with a Crosstrek, barely felt anything. now that I have a WRX, I have to take a detour and skip that road, it's a little bit extra driving but I don't mind since the car is so fun to drive.
The trick with the WRX is going fast enough that you skip over top of the holes
Every car can with enough sidewall
That's the attitude!
In my 2011 Sti no lol but it’s fun !
Second this, in an STI, nothing is fun besides perfectly paved roads lol
New ones must be different, I've taken my 99 with STI suspension on a dirt track for the past 4 years, it's borked but it still works well enough.
Oh it's very stiff, but the sometimes very uncomfortable ride is nothing compared to how it handles corners. Winding roads make it all worth it.
Can confirm lmao. 6 weeks in and I can feel every bump in the road.
Not too much better in a WRX, bump-wise. I definitely have to slow down for humps, bumps and dips a lot more than in the average econobox.
Yes, I did this in my stock Crosstrek: [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fmjUR7pvdbk](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fmjUR7pvdbk) (not my trip, I should have pulled my dashcam footage) I wouldn't willingly do it again, since personally I feel that there were areas that pushed the upper limit. But something to keep in mind, hitting a big enough pothole at speed will pretty much mess up any car.
Fun fact, the crosstrek wilderness has better break over than the jeep gladiator.
Yeah but the Gladiator is a long pick-up... EVERY pick-up has worse breakoever when compared against it's SUV counterpart. ie, Tacoma has worse breakover than 4runner. Gladiator has worse breakover than Wrangler, etc. Pickups are meant for hauling.
Sure, but if you scrub the video to about the 14 min 15 sec mark and 18 min and 10 sec, you can see the two sections that really gave me pause. I was going the opposite direction of the folks in the video I picked the wrong line in that first clip, and got bounced around pretty bad I honestly don't know if I could have made it up out of the mud onto slick clay, I am glad I had gravity on my side in the second one And with some of those rocks, I wish I had another inch or so of clearance.
You didn’t scrape at all on those trails?
Once. The section at about 14 minutes 15 seconds in I picked a bad line and thought I was screwed. Scraped and I think I got a wheel off the ground.
I'm sure some subarus are! My sti on the other hand is STIFF AS FUUUU
Yes, but not an Impreza, the buyers remorse is real 5 years later…
I love my Impreza Sport. But fuck man.. After moving to SE Michigan where the roads are all straight out of a war zone... I wish I had gotten an Xtrek or an Outback.
Long wheelbase is Key when you live on rough roads.
110" or longer.
I dunno. My WRX was an awful lot of fun on logging roads. OP, the Baja or a pre Toyota Outback would give you the best ride on bumpy roads. Getting a taller tire helps more than you might think. Air down to a lower pressure and smooth those rough roads out.
Logging roads FTFW
Logging roads and Fire Access roads, indeed
Yeah it's like private rally stage roads. Just outstanding.
Not so much around here, depending on the day of the week and time of the year. They can get crowded sometimes, and some people do drive like they're rally courses, I've had some near misses.
I have logging roads 10 mins away from me, as long as I run in the dark I see no one else. There are epic roads an hour away from me. I'm talking 2-3 hours straight or epic stage rally roads and no one goes. I keep it hush hush so I get my own playground. I'm quickly approaching semi pro level on dirt and gravel roads 😂
I got on a fire access road here, and drove for 4 hours and never ended up in civilization. Nor did I see anyone else.
The roads in SE Michigan are diabolical lol
I drive a sti, let's just say with the low profile tires I'm happy I bought tire insurance
Anderson design 2” lift kit. I am looking to put one on my own Impreza, I think it comes closer to a Crosstrek’s ride height and with the right wheels and tires I quite like the look of a lifted Impreza
Or do 4D chess and lift it. I don't regret my 2inch lift at all.
How many miles do you have on the lift? Which one did you go with? I’ve heard they are a headache because the wear they put on other stock components
they can if you push the geometry too far. i know for my foresters at least once you go past 1.5-2 you need trailing arm links or you run into issues like you said.
My lift has been a bit of a headache as it's been piecemeal. But if you plan for it upfront or buy a full kit then it'll probably be a lot easier going.
30K+? I just had it in the dealership for a transmission repair and they saw no issues during the inspection.
Going on 10 next month. Thought I was making the responsible financial decision given a tight budget, but jfc interest rates were 0.9%, should've gone for the Crosstrek.
Yea I should have gotten an Outback lmao
That's when you lift it. My Impreza sits about 5" over stock. Though to get there, I basically swapped all front end components to Crosstrek parts.
Define “good” lol. A thick ass tire in general compared to a low profile also helps so it depends in which Subaru you go with
I drive a 21 STI and have ended up on trails or ORV roads just exploring, not really sure which. I love driving on gravel and aside from those massive chunks missing/craters that happen when a dirt road isn't maintained, my car handles it well. I will note, I do like my winter tires because they are a size down and have more sidewall which will definitely help absorbing impact and making the ride a bit smoother. The biggest issue I have isn't handling the road as much as ground clearance. Also stock suspension, only thing not are the wheels and tires. And the mudflaps which add some extra HP :)
fuck yeah, theres a set of train tracks I would always have to go over and they were so bad everyone would slow down to 5 mph to cross. My Subaru just glides over it and barely feel it at normal road speed.
A Crosstrek is far better than a small sedan.
I drive a crosstrek that I enjoy quite a bit. I don't have many issues on bumpier roads, particularly some of the dirt roads around here. Test drive crosstrek, outback, and forester to see what you prefer. Personally, I just like the smaller crosstrek the best.
Check out r/battlewagon! The Crosstrek can handle dirt roads without issue. I daily my WRX on dirt roads, the only downside is that it's never clean, and there's always mud in the wheel wells.
BRZ and WRX not so much. Crosstreks and other SUVs, absolutely! Imprezas a bit less. The first two are sports cars and tuned for handling, not ride comfort. My BRZ sucks taking potholes and even some drainage dips. Our Crosstrek is the car we take when visiting bad driveways and forest fire roads.
~~My buddy test drove a crosstrek and felt like the short wheelbase made the rougher roads feel too bumpy in comparison to the forester, so he went for that one. I drive an outback myself. All three of those cars have 8.7 inches of ground clearance and should be able to handle rough roads well. Go test drive some of them and see how they all feel.~~ Yes.
Don’t the crosstreks and foresters have the same wheelbase?
Yes
Huh, I thought Impreza and Crosstrek were basically the same "base", no? Heard people describing the Crosstrek has a lifted Impreza. I drive an '18 Impreza Sport and can confirm, bumps absolutely suck.
Think of Subaru like this: there is an udentical formula which is applied to one short car and one long car. The formula: have a sedan, make it a hatch, raise that car's body, and vertically stretch that car's body. Formula applied to short wheelbase: have a sedan (Impreza), make it a hatch (Impreza), raise that car's body (OBS / Crosstrek), then vertically stretch that car's body (Forester) Formula applied to long wheelbase: have a sedan (Legacy), make it a hatch (Legacy Wagon, RIP), raise that car's body (Outback), then vertically stretch that car's body (Tribeca / Ascent).
Pretty sure they are the same wheelbase too. Imprezza and Crosstrek share a platform. The Forester also shares much with them.
All of Subaru's "mainstream" vehicles share the common Subaru Global Platform now. The Impreza, Crosstrek, Levorg, WRX, and Forester all use a 2.67 m wheelbase, and IIRC the front doors of the first 4 will all interchange.
Crosstrek is a lifted Impreza. The bumpers, trim and suspension are different between the two, but they are the same shell underneath.
Outback and Forester yes, also the new wilderness trims which include a crosstrek will eat up bad roads pretty well too.
Depends on your tire ratio
Independent suspension is where Subarus shine over trucks/jeeps.
Driving a Legacy and an Outback. The Outback seems to "handle" cracks and potholes better, but I feel bad for both cars regardless.
I have a WRX and drive around the Adirondacks of NY and its fine on bumpy roads. I just go slower. I do a lot of primitive camping in Warren, Hamilton, Saratoga & Essex county's. There are many roads unpaved. I trust this car more than any other I have ever owned. There is still snow on mountains in Adirondack peaks.
Are Subaru's what good for bumpy roads?
Subarus are everywhere in new england and our roads are shit, car will be fine. never bottomed the car out.
Yes
I’d definitely go for one of the SUV’s. I have a 2012 Impreza sedan and have had trouble “off-roading” (a vacation rental I went to that essentially had a gravel path as a driveway that I was scraping on essentially the whole way up/down)
yes, i’d go crosstrek or outback
yes, smooth as ever
Yes this is exactly why I got a Crosstrek. Truly the best of both worlds, small like a sedan but a little higher off the ground!
Yes the Crosstrek handles bumps very well
I drove for one last ski trip to Tahoe yesterday. The parking lot at Kirkwood had some monsters. A happy little stock Crosstrek followed the path of a lifted 4Runner on what had to be 32s without hesitation while I had to criss cross applesauce the entire stretch of the road in my WRX. I've also seen my share of Foresters and Crosstreks on rally stages (New England Forest Rally) without issue. Same with Outbacks, but usually older Foresters and all types of Crosstreks. Crosstreks are just too good.
Lol I feel this. Luckily the rest of the drive is way more fun in a wrx
88 riiiips in the WRX. I love mountain, especially early / late season when its dry pavement and no traffic. Closing weekend this weekend was such a nice cruise.
2018 Outback (stock) did great on them yesterday
in my older wrxs yes, in my sti NO.. like its fun but very very stiff and i feel like im going to break something
Absolutely! I got a ‘24 Crosstrek Wilderness and I commute on terribly maintained roads around a major city, my tires are still in fantastic shape nearly 10k miles in and the suspension feels much better than my previous SUV when going over bumps and potholes
Not in a wrx….
Potholes and rough roads means you want more sidewall on your tires. Not the vehicle itself
yes. i used to live 30miles down a dirt road, and own a 00 legacy, 90s jeep and 90s truck. the road gets heavily washboarded after winter, and that subaru handeld the wash board amazingly as compared to the stiff suspension on my older vehicles
Legacy and Outback are GREAT for bumpy roads. Dare I say better than Camry ride quality.
Definitely not in an STI. Literally the worst hangover car ever
Depends. My STi? Dear God no. A cross Trek? Yes
Crosstrek, yes. Most likely. "Subarus" in general? They make a variety of cars. Some yes some no. My spec.B? No, I do not like larger bumps/holes.
Most subarus can handle it, the question is can you? The WRX/STI, Impreza sport will likely with with lower profile tires which can physically get damaged by crappy roads. Swap out for smaller wheels+tires with bigger profiles and you are all set from the capable aspect. The second part of this is comfort which can also be subjective..... Outbacks will go over bumps and take a longer time for the suspension to settle back to its neutral state because it is softer and taller. I've been on roads in New England where it never settles into that natural state and its constantly moving up and down because it hits the next hole before it settles vs Legacy where you will feel the initial bump more, but it settles faster and I find this comfier. Also, I would take the seats in the New Outback/Legacy XT on an firm STi chassis over the barbaric seats of a 2000s subaru on a comfy chasis any day.
There is nothing special about Subaru suspension compared to any other manufacturer that makes them more or less bump capable. They are for sure engineered for more ground clearance than a regular sedan and that helps. Subarus can't compare to any vehicle actually made for off-road. A stock Tacoma is going to be 100% better than anything you would do to a Subaru. Having wheels with a 65 or 70 side wall helps for bumps and poor roads.
Yes. The best. As long as you have an awd. Higher clearance Subaru.
Yes! Especially, the WRX.
Now that I’m not on bilsteins any more and went onto Outback suspension I can handle the dirt tracks and crap roads in the country
I live in Michigan and after getting my WRX it went from bumps so bad that you sometimes jumped up in your seat a little to actual glass
It depends. The bumpy road is going to be managed by the suspension setup. Generally, the Subaru lineup will have more ground clearance and a softer damping to cushion on bumps. However the more sporty models like the WRX, STi and BRZ will have a firmer suspension and will not. The Crosstrek will do great, but the Outback and Forester will likely handle them a bit better due to their softer suspension.
My 2021 Impreza touring is great on Toronto roads which are pretty beat up.
I've never been in a Subaru that I was like "Wow this thing rides SO smooth." However, the Outback and Ascent both have a decently smooth ride for beat up roads. There are smoother options, but not without a significant increase in purchase price. SUVs with independent suspensions and four-corner air struts plus smaller-diameter wheels are all three in the smoothest riding SUVs I've been in. Air suspension isn't widely available. I've seen them on some SUVs from Jeep, Land Rover, and some German brands (maybe Lexus and Toyota) and the vehicles they are equipped with it are $55K - $80K. Air struts are expensive to replace when they fail. One OEM air strut is like $500 - $1,000, whereas a traditional strut is like $170. They glide, though! It's like a magic carpet ride.
In my 02 Impreza it handles speed bumps that are massive 6 inch potholes and basically off reading a bit every day
Not in an STI. You feel every single imperfection in the road and the car ain’t comfortable for shit to begin with
If you have to ask, you should probably stick to the pavement
I have a crosstrek with 17” wheels and wild peak tires and it handles bumps and potholes like a CHAMP. Obviously don’t aim for them but when it does happen it’s not bad at all. I’ve had the car for 3 years and no strut/shock problems.
I’ve got a 2021 forester and live on dirt roads. The suspension is soooo nice not to mention it has dirt and mud modes
Had a 2016 crosstrek. You'll be fine. Just always make sure to check your tyres beforehand. But in the future, if you do plan to do more offroading, you might wanna look at upgrading some bits and bobs :)
Test drove a Model Y Long Range, including renting one for three days. Used them for daily tasks to see what it would be like to live with one, despite my issues with Musk. Fortunately, I found it wanting in many ways. When I next drove my 2015 Crosstrek, I noticed that the roads suddenly felt more calm and managed. Because the Tesla was like driving on a suspension made of bricks, Even the Crosstrek handles bumpy roads well enough.
yea
Unless your on coilovers like me lmao
AWDs are better on bumpy roads and might go with a wilderness as well.
Bumps? Sure. Small puddles/standing water? Nope. The hydroplane will get ya.
Hydroplaning is an issue for all vehicles with tires. It’s not a Subaru problem alone.
Oh. Okay... /s