You'll be fine. I've got the 2010 Patriot with CVT and while I don't push it to extremes...it handles the average goat trail brilliantly. This is from a former Forester owner. Can't compare it with current Foresters...but the Patriot handles miles better in the bush than my old one and the Patriot suspension is excellent/outstanding. I'll give the Forester better lugging up steep hills...and coming down them too. Don't forget you can slip the Patriot into a semi-manual transmission mode and in the lowest 'gear' it does ok downhill - if not all that competently - you'll be feathering the brakes. A little practice with it and you'll get the technique down well enough. Wrangler or Cherokee it isn't, but it costs a lot less, has heaps of room, will do reasonable trailing, and looks great. Not to mention a really good drive in town too.
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