Can the Hyundai Santa Fe and Subaru Crosstrek Off-Road Like a Bronco? You Might Be Surprised
More and more automakers are offering off-road packages for their mainstream crossovers and SUVs, giving these vehicles a little extra dirt-slinging cred for buyers who enjoy venturing off the beaten path. But how off-road-capable are these vehicles, really? That’s what we aimed to find out with the new Hyundai Santa Fe XRT and Subaru Crosstrek Wilderness.
The Vehicles
The XRT is a midlevel trim in the Santa Fe hierarchy, powered by a 2.5-liter turbocharged inline-four with 277 horsepower. Its all-wheel-drive system is complemented by an all-terrain tire package, as well as 1.5 inches of additional ground clearance, for 8.3 inches total.
The Crosstrek Wilderness builds on Subaru’s trusty tall hatch with 9.3 inches of total ground clearance, as well as all-terrain tires and dedicated off-road drive modes. Power still comes from a 2.5-liter flat-four with 182 hp, and of course, all-wheel drive is standard.
The Tests
We decided to put these two soft-roaders through the sort of tests we’d use for any off-road vehicle, including a ziggurat (or large rock, in this case), hill climb and high-speed trail. Obviously, we are not suggesting that these vehicles could tackle any of the same obstacles as, say, a Ford Bronco, and it’s important to note that, for some obstacles, you don’t necessarily need a hardcore off-roader to get the job done.
Which brings us to … the Bronco
To demonstrate that last point, we actually brought our long-term Ford Bronco out on the trail to prove that, while some tasks certainly require legitimate off-road chops, others, well, don’t. Sure, the Bronco drove up our hill climb test without issue. But so did the Santa Fe. And so did the Crosstrek.
How did the Hyundai and Subaru fare on the whole range of tests? And which one is our favorite? You’ll have to watch the video above to find out.
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