1. Lift kit (2" is the sweet spot)

The Wilderness sits about 0.8" higher than a Limited from the factory (9.5" vs. 8.7"), but because it also has larger tires, it looks significantly taller.

Many owners instead install:

• 1.5" LP Aventure lift
• 2" Ironman 4x4 ATS suspension lift
• 2" Readylift spacer kit
• ADF (Anderson Design & Fabrication) lift kit

A 2" suspension lift with slightly larger tires actually gives the Limited a more aggressive stance than a stock Wilderness.

2. Wheels and tires

This makes almost as much difference as the lift.

Typical setup:

• 17" wheels
• Black wheels
• 235/65R17 all-terrain tires

Popular tires:

• Falken Wildpeak A/T Trail
• Yokohama Geolandar A/T
• Toyo Open Country A/T III

3. Black cladding

The Wilderness has much chunkier plastic around:

• wheel arches
• rocker panels
• front bumper
• rear bumper

Some people source OEM Wilderness parts from salvage yards, while others use aftermarket pieces.

4. Front bumper

The Wilderness bumper has:

• more exposed black plastic
• integrated hex fog light bezels
• skid plate appearance

This is probably the hardest and most expensive cosmetic conversion.

5. Roof rack

A platform rack instantly changes the look.

Common choices include:

• Prinsu
• Front Runner
• Yakima LockNLoad
• Rhino Rack Pioneer

6. Bronze accents

Many owners copy the Wilderness look with:

• bronze wheels
• bronze Subaru badges
• bronze recovery points
• Wilderness decals

References