Stock 1990s Subaru car embarrasses off-roaders and leaves drivers with their jaws on the floor with how it handles 190ft Test Hill

If you want to tackle the notoriously difficult Test Hill in Michigan, you can get a tough off-roader, or a stock Subaru.

We’re saying this because a video of a stock Subaru Forester went viral after people realized this small, unassuming wagon did it with no problem at all.

That’s impressive, especially when you remember specialized vehicles sometimes struggle with this.

Then again, there’s a reason why that’s the case.

This is why they call it Test Hill

Located near Silver Lake, about 230 miles from Detroit in Michigan, Test Hill owes its name to its famously difficult climb.

The main ‘feature’ of the location is a very steep hill that most vehicles can’t handle.

You’re looking at up to 45 degrees of pure sand, and the loose terrain makes the whole thing a lot more complicated.

Most people were surprised as they were watching this stock Subaru climb the hill without batting a eyelid.

But, for a combination of reasons, this shouldn’t surprise us.

The reason why this stock Subaru ‘conquered’ Test Hill

Test Hill regularly swallows serious off-roaders, lifted trucks as well as custom-built trucks, but it all makes more sense when you look at the physics of sand driving.

Big, heavy off-roaders have a lot of raw power and torque, but that power can actually be counterproductive.

If a driver hits the gas too hard in a heavy vehicle, the massive tires will instantly dig through the loose top layer of sand, burying the vehicle down to its axles.

The Subaru Forester brings two secret weapons to the dunes: weight distribution and a symmetrical all-wheel-drive system.

Because it is lightweight, it sits on top of the sand rather than sinking into it.

Also, when it begins the ascent, the car’s drivetrain continuously shifts power to the wheels with the most traction without spinning them into oblivion.

It proves that finesse generally beat brute force on the dunes.