This is a good, informative thread that is worth resurrecting though I will only do so by way of some general ramblings to start off the new year rather than the tight, bullet-point posts above.
One thing this thread reveals is the mess that Subaru AWD models have been over the past 20 years. Unfortunately, all that experimentation has resulted in the current standardization around Active AWD with VDC. Albeit a capable system, much better than earlier versions, it is not the best that Subaru has had. But it is plenty good enough in bad weather on pavement, which is what Subarus are really made for.
Watching BlueFox's well-known San Juan mnts videos, I have long noted the completely different way in which an open differentials, no-DR, no VDC MT Foz is driven vs. my AT VDC/VTD machine. Where he has to bump the car continuously into rocks and over ruts, I can just power over them at minimum speed, as diagonal spin is a momentary event for me (for the first 1-2 sec before VDC stops the offending wheels). While no substitute for true lockers, wheel-braking ABS has been plenty good enough for the kind of ruts and rocks my clearances allow me to handle. Lifting a rear wheel on a serious climb would likely be a bad scenario that has not yet materialized. The fairly stable R:F split provided by the VTD has been handy, making for smooth climbs of long mountain passes and hills with an overall gradient of 20-30 over anywhere between 0.5 and 2 miles and with spots of 50 to 60 % per HillFinder.com (and per my bottom; the engine did momentarily lose voice on two of those, but speeds were low range style).
I have done my toughest climbs at 28-30 psi though the last time around I drove at 24 psi. I have not done sand of more than a few inches deep but I have done well in that kind of sand at street pressures (34-36). The B9 using the same AWD system saw a lot of miles in anywhere between 2 and 8 inches of mud on street tires and pressures though the first time I took it out of the desert it did get stuck like a brick in 3 inches of snow (with the traction control on, LOL). I am not sure about the above comments regarding sidewalls. Really low pressures make them extremely vulnerable to cuts, even by sticks. Using the sidewalls for traction off large boulders is hardly a Subaru game. Hence, I do not see the reason to air down under low 20s except for deep sand, mud or snow.
Generally, my 5 EAT VTD/VDC car takes good care of the traction side of the equation leaving the clearance side to worry about. The awful approach angle is almost impossible to remedy without major mods and diagonal crossing/climbing only goes that far making the moving of stones around necessary even in fairly ridiculous situations. No wonder that all the "damage" sustained after a great year out there has been on the underside of the front bumper cover (not counting minor brush marks on pax side). The skid plates also show some traces of use after going over the crest of a steep hill too fast and, separately, falling into a rut at the very last 20 yards of the more difficult first 50 miles of a 100 mile unpaved road: LOL, what a classic (I had stopped to take a pic of the steeper, upper portion of the switchback and totally missed to take a good look at the easy, lower portion, which had eroded since summer).
Here in the US a Wrangler Rubicon, the best off-roader in the US at present, can be purchased for the same money as my OB (2dr, a bit more if 4dr). But I do not want to put up with semi-military hardware on daily basis. Thus my only real complaint is the lack of optional adjustable suspension and a bit more aggressive front end to start with (Foz style, plus a temporary 2.5 in lift would be all I personally need). That, plus factory option AT tires, full size spare, proper car battery and recovery points would have made my OB into a moderate off-roader superior to much costlier machines both on and off-road. With the Toyota retreat from the segment, the Nissan existence at the lowest level only, and the ridiculousness of Rover prices and reliability, Subaru could easily get a lot more of the moderate 4wd crowd. Alas, the only enthusiasts for which Subaru cares are the WRX crowd...
In the absence of adjustable suspension, bridging devices would be great. So far, I have used rocks and carried firewood bundles (it is a foolproof solution: carrying them means no need to use them, not carrying them means building rocks, etc). I cannot imagine anyway that I can find room to carry any bridging devices given how packed the car is on the way from home to base-camp. Firewood bundles are cheap and can be purchased everywhere.
So that is that as far as my Subaru is concerned: great comfort to and from trail, great traction, great power even w/o dual range, almost livable lowest and rocker panel clearances after mild mods, but a really bad approach angle necessitating creative driving, wheel-lifting, and rock-building where a 2wd truck can just power through. Got to admire the low center of gravity and not excessive wheelbase and footprint on narrow shelf roads with steep drop offs, though. I know people do it all the time but I have never had a truck and I cannot imagine driving some of what I have done in one (I have seen rocks colored by the paint of trucks whose drivers must have chosen damaged pride over risking a fall of hundreds of feet).
