Subarus have long been known for their excellent capability both on the road and off the beaten path. But what if you want to go even farther down that dirt road? Then you might be better off finding a “trail ready” Subaru. Some dealerships across the nation are now selling Subaru Crosstrek, Forester, Outback, and Ascent models that are geared-up to find the roads unknown. And if you’re looking to hit the trails this Summer and keep up with the likes of the bigger SUVs, then it might be a good idea to seek out one of these trail-ready models.

Trail approved

If you’re looking to purchase a Subaru, then chances are that you’re looking for a car that you can use for your daily duties during the week and then use it to hit the trails on the weekends. And while the 8.7 inches of ground clearance, along with the availability of Subaru’s X-Drive on the Forester and Ascent, might be enough for some mild trails, prepping it for more serious off-road fun could be necessary.

Now, you could do it all yourself and piece together a lift kit, new wheels, better tires, as well as all of the other components. But if you can find a Subaru near you that is selling one that’s already fitted with everything, then that might save you a lot of time and even some money. For example, Heuberger Subaru over in Colorado Springs, Colorado is currently offering an Ascent, Forester, and Crosstrek that are outfitted with trail-ready equipment.

What’s included?

The trail-approved vehicles at this specific dealer are outfitted with a READYLIFT lift kit, 17-inch black alloy wheels, fatter and meatier all-terrain TOYO tires, splined lug nuts, Brush Guard LED light kit, a heavy-duty cargo basket, window tint, and a window air deflector kit.

While it can be easy to dismiss these kits are just dealer add-ons that they can then command a premium for, we will add that they are still covered under the manufacturer warranty, which should provide some reassurance if any of that equipment were to end up faulty. Even better, they were installed by Subaru techs that know how to add on parts that don’t affect the safety specifications of the vehicles. So there’s no compromise there.

How much does all this stuff cost?

According to the Heuberger Subaru associate that we spoke to, the added equipment will tack on an extra $6,999 to the bottom line. While that might sound like a lot to some off-road enthusiasts, the beauty of the pricing portion is that you could possibly negotiate the price of the actual car down to eat up some of that cost. Whereas, if you buy the car and then buy everything separately, it could cost a lot more. Especially for labor.

Off-the-shelf

While most hardcore enthusiasts would probably rather outfit their own cars to their own specifications, we think that these off-the-shelf, trail-ready Subarus could be a great option for those just looking for something more capable on the weekends than what the stock specifications provide. So if you’re looking to get off the beaten path, then we suggest finding a retailer that offers a trail-ready Subaru to get you going.