Although Subaru videos are nice, they are just as misleading as most others. So I do not think any traction controls will make any difference.
Sure, all current Subarus will do fine on a muddy dirt road, but there is no way you take an OB or an XV on a trail and you do not regret, to put it mildly, that 17-18 degree approach angle. What is especially annoying is that there is so much air and worthless plastic up front that could have easily been minimized. Probably form trumped function, which is almost always the case nowadays. Even the current Foz went backwards, which is especially disappointing given that the 2009-13 Foz featured some decent angles.
And then there is the whole CVT off-road question mark. It tends to overheat on long but not terribly steep hills whereas my 5 EAT has no such issues. The cheapest Forester trim does not even have paddle shifters for the CVT causing issues with climbs. And so while I have seen no evidence that x-mode cars can go where I cannot with regular VDC, I have seen evidence of CVT transmission overheating on moderately challenging climbs at good temps.
I guess what I am trying to say is that Subaru had a surprisingly capable product with the first three Forester generations and with some Outback trims, but on the whole they are happy with the snow/dirt road car reputation and have no obvious plans for more.
Subaru's approach makes perfect business sense to me, though. They are right not to care for the 4x4 market because the latter is driven by image more than facts and what this means is that they have no chance to break into it in the US, which is by far Subaru's top market. Just look at the Honda Ridgeline unibody truck. It has some very strong features but since it is a "soft unibody" it cannot sell at all. Meanwhile, antiquated body-on-frame trucks with 6" lifts and mighty mud-terrain tires clog the road to the local mall.
It is, however, fun, to be among the few who do a lot with little rather than among the many who do little with a ton!
Moreover, every time I regret a feature of the OB on trail, I remind myself of its superb dirt performance and very nice road performance.
There really is nothing that does everything in the US Southwest. The 100 series Land Cruiser kinda came close, but the only way to always have the best when off-pavement is to have both a Subaru and a Wrangler and to pick the right one for the right trip.
