When comparing pricing we must consider the cost of A/4WD which is standard on all Subaru. Which non hybrid 3 row SUV has better gas mileage than the Ascent?
I bought a new 2019 ascent Limited, which had the upgraded tech package and other features. The bench seat lays flat. At that time I saved $7000 over comparable vehicles in a similar class and features and felt the Subaru had more soft touch materials. Many great vehicles in this class to choose from.
We had a Forester. Absolutely loved it! We actually ran out of room. 3 nieces, 2 grandchildren and a beagle. Ages range from 1 year to 13 years. 😮 But the part that really wore me out is the modern child car seat. Yesterday we pulled the trigger on a 2024 ascent.
The one thing that CarGurus, and nearly every other "product offer" auto reviews online, can never really talk about or rate with any kind of relevance is reliability and cost to own... and by that measure Subaru has them nearly all beat, according to KBB long-term review and word-of-mouth. Those other competitors for me are largerly dismissed because they have costly, patchy or unknown long-term reliability histories when it comes to these issues, especially the Korean mfg.
I have been doing so much research on all vehicles I’ve been considering. Subaru is the most consistently loved. Not 1 complaint other than little things like the lane assist beep. That doesn’t bug me. This review is so irritating as a non Subaru owner.
I watch your reviews because you are one of the best, not because I like the car. Used to be a Subaru owner. After 4 Outbacks I've moved over to Wranglers and have no plans to go back.
Yes it does only need 87 Octane but averaging about 16 mpg around town, this is the only Negative on our '23 Subie Ascent. Toyota Fan yet Highlanders were way overpriced and ride was too firm for us, I'm kinda old so... Value Reviews like this for different POV's but does not factor in the Subaru Dealership, which has been the best ever. Like I've said I'm old and have Purchased & Leased many new vehicles and Subaru Dealership Experience is truly like no other! Another huge factor (in my opinion of course!) is Subaru AWD System, cannot be beat! Yes not a Jeep nor can tackle steep rocky inclines but cannot beat the security you get driving in dirt, snow, mud or rain!
@@VinceOda Another oldie I see. I too, am old, and have been purchasing Subaru Vehicles since the late 80s. And since we're on the topic of age, It just seems weird to me that a turbocharged Subaru can only take 87 octane lol. Since for the longest, (and still to this day, as we still own a 2020 STI) every forced induced Subaru we've owned needed the higher octane. So yes, I wholeheartedly agree with you on the Subaru product, and their AWD system being one of the best. The other manufacturer we've also owned since the early 90s is Audi and their awesome Quattro (I still own an Audi, that being a B9 S4). Therefore having an AWD vehicles has been a wonderful and safe choice for us.
It's a solid SUV. Only thing is the Ascent was plagued with transmission and reliability issues when it came out so hopefully those have been addressed. Other than that, solid, functional, point A to point B hauler.
Been driving my Ascent since January 2019. A couple of recalls were issued but the only issue I ever ran into was the head unit randomly going mute. A couple of updates fixed that. So, 5 five years and 40,000 miles later all I did was get rid of those OEM Falken tires and regular maintenance. Best car I ever bought. Will trade in for a Wilderness Hybrid…..ya listening Subie? Wilderness Hybrid. Let’s do it. (And the 3rd row needs like 3 more inches of legroom).
As usual, Cliff-- you're letting your own annoying subjective preferences ruin the review. The "sloppy" on-center feel is a GOOD thing. And it's intentional. It allows you to have lighter steering at higher speeds without it being jumpy/overly sensitive. I LOVE the steering on these Ascents. Better than any other modern car for its price. The steering feeling a decade behind is a GOOD THING. Steering was better back then.
Cannot agree with you more. We own an outback and an ascent and noise wise. They are very similar him saying the outback is much louder. Is total BS. Definitely not a great reviewer in my opinion.
I was thinking this the whole time. I don’t have a Subaru. In fact, I usually think they’re kind of lame but the Ascent caught my eye and on top of the safety ratings, I’m strongly considering it for my next car. He just seems like he hates Subarus lol. Everyone I talk to for first hand experience loves their Subaru and will never go with another brand. I’ll take the top safety pick with the “dated” interface over the other more modern interfaces.
hopefully soon, a more powerful boxer engine to match its more stunning allure and more aggressive look, even as a Hybrid, a 3.0 Boxer-6 Hybrid with total output........309 HP @ 414 Nm,
What can you say about Subaru except it's severely dated. We have the Crosstrek now. It is not exciting to drive. But it gets us from A to B. That's it.
Agreed. Ascent is meant to be an all-terrain point A to B family hauler, and that's it You could argue that some cars, like Subaru, being extremely dated is part of their charm and why people love them and more you change them, more their base might not like it. Classic example is Toyota trucks. Ever since the Tacoma and Tundra got redesigned and modernized, I've seen nothing but complaints regarding the new tech and engines. Subaru just doesn't want to go that crazy yet.
No it's not. Not dated. Would be better if it actually were dated, since it wouldn't have that awful touchscreen. And there's no comparison between the Crosstrek and Ascent. Tested all Subaru's models and the Ascent truly does ride and drive better than any of the others. By a mile. I'm picky and I'd never even consider a Crosstrek. I'd absolutely consider an Ascent.
@@cw4623 It is dated. It's probably the only vehicle in its segment that doesn't have a digital gauge cluster or head up display on any trim. The front end also hasn't gone with the new trend of thin headlights like most of its competitors are doing. Overall, the Ascent looks like it came out in the mid or late 2010s. I mean, it's not a bad thing. Some folks like their cars simple, durable, and getting the job done. The Ascent also rides well and offers 2nd row bench seats on all trims which I like. Subaru is the only company outside Toyota that can create new cars that look and feel old and sell them extremely well.
Would never trust the Kia going long-term everything I hear 100,000 or under and the engines blow up. If keeping long-term, I would definitely take a Subaru or a Honda. Kia and Hyundai are lease vehicles in my opinion three years and that’s it.
Love the infotainment center. We don’t need modern graphics.
When comparing pricing we must consider the cost of A/4WD which is standard on all Subaru. Which non hybrid 3 row SUV has better gas mileage than the Ascent?
"How can you tell it's a Touring trim?" he says. The $50K plus price tag. Better valued and reasonably equipped Ascents at lower trims.
I bought a new 2019 ascent Limited, which had the upgraded tech package and other features. The bench seat lays flat. At that time I saved $7000 over comparable vehicles in a similar class and features and felt the Subaru had more soft touch materials. Many great vehicles in this class to choose from.
BODY CLADDING simply just makes perfect sense ~ if you know, you know! I still prefer the FORESTER, it's the BEST of any Subura models!
We had a Forester. Absolutely loved it! We actually ran out of room. 3 nieces, 2 grandchildren and a beagle. Ages range from 1 year to 13 years. 😮
But the part that really wore me out is the modern child car seat. Yesterday we pulled the trigger on a 2024 ascent.
The one thing that CarGurus, and nearly every other "product offer" auto reviews online, can never really talk about or rate with any kind of relevance is reliability and cost to own... and by that measure Subaru has them nearly all beat, according to KBB long-term review and word-of-mouth. Those other competitors for me are largerly dismissed because they have costly, patchy or unknown long-term reliability histories when it comes to these issues, especially the Korean mfg.
I have been doing so much research on all vehicles I’ve been considering. Subaru is the most consistently loved. Not 1 complaint other than little things like the lane assist beep. That doesn’t bug me. This review is so irritating as a non Subaru owner.
I watch your reviews because you are one of the best, not because I like the car. Used to be a Subaru owner. After 4 Outbacks I've moved over to Wranglers and have no plans to go back.
Remember less electric power things in the car...less drama after warranty is over
Even with the 20" wheels, and lower MPGs, does it still only take 87oct/regular gas?
Yes it does only need 87 Octane but averaging about 16 mpg around town, this is the only Negative on our '23 Subie Ascent. Toyota Fan yet Highlanders were way overpriced and ride was too firm for us, I'm kinda old so... Value Reviews like this for different POV's but does not factor in the Subaru Dealership, which has been the best ever. Like I've said I'm old and have Purchased & Leased many new vehicles and Subaru Dealership Experience is truly like no other! Another huge factor (in my opinion of course!) is Subaru AWD System, cannot be beat! Yes not a Jeep nor can tackle steep rocky inclines but cannot beat the security you get driving in dirt, snow, mud or rain!
@@VinceOda Another oldie I see. I too, am old, and have been purchasing Subaru Vehicles since the late 80s. And since we're on the topic of age, It just seems weird to me that a turbocharged Subaru can only take 87 octane lol. Since for the longest, (and still to this day, as we still own a 2020 STI) every forced induced Subaru we've owned needed the higher octane. So yes, I wholeheartedly agree with you on the Subaru product, and their AWD system being one of the best. The other manufacturer we've also owned since the early 90s is Audi and their awesome Quattro (I still own an Audi, that being a B9 S4). Therefore having an AWD vehicles has been a wonderful and safe choice for us.
It's a solid SUV. Only thing is the Ascent was plagued with transmission and reliability issues when it came out so hopefully those have been addressed. Other than that, solid, functional, point A to point B hauler.
Been driving my Ascent since January 2019. A couple of recalls were issued but the only issue I ever ran into was the head unit randomly going mute. A couple of updates fixed that. So, 5 five years and 40,000 miles later all I did was get rid of those OEM Falken tires and regular maintenance. Best car I ever bought. Will trade in for a Wilderness Hybrid…..ya listening Subie? Wilderness Hybrid. Let’s do it. (And the 3rd row needs like 3 more inches of legroom).
Old school design
As usual, Cliff-- you're letting your own annoying subjective preferences ruin the review.
The "sloppy" on-center feel is a GOOD thing. And it's intentional. It allows you to have lighter steering at higher speeds without it being jumpy/overly sensitive. I LOVE the steering on these Ascents. Better than any other modern car for its price. The steering feeling a decade behind is a GOOD THING. Steering was better back then.
Cannot agree with you more. We own an outback and an ascent and noise wise. They are very similar him saying the outback is much louder. Is total BS. Definitely not a great reviewer in my opinion.
A Subaru fanboy got their feelings hurt when someone simply stated facts 😂🤣😂🤣
@@1lionmurrill😂
This
I was thinking this the whole time. I don’t have a Subaru. In fact, I usually think they’re kind of lame but the Ascent caught my eye and on top of the safety ratings, I’m strongly considering it for my next car. He just seems like he hates Subarus lol. Everyone I talk to for first hand experience loves their Subaru and will never go with another brand. I’ll take the top safety pick with the “dated” interface over the other more modern interfaces.
Excellent review. Thanks for posting
hopefully soon, a more powerful boxer engine to match its more stunning allure and more aggressive look,
even as a Hybrid,
a 3.0 Boxer-6 Hybrid with total output........309 HP @ 414 Nm,
enjoy nice car🎉🎉🎉
I thought about this for about a second and went Pathfinder Platinum…😂
Pathfinder has an AWFUL ride. Crashes over everything. And Pathfinder has worse steering. Too heavy (though not as bad as Hondas).
@@cw4623 it’s GREAT.
They make such ugly cars, not including the WRX and the other sports car.
Fake wood has to go, the same goes with the fake presenter!
What can you say about Subaru except it's severely dated. We have the Crosstrek now. It is not exciting to drive. But it gets us from A to B. That's it.
Agreed. Ascent is meant to be an all-terrain point A to B family hauler, and that's it You could argue that some cars, like Subaru, being extremely dated is part of their charm and why people love them and more you change them, more their base might not like it. Classic example is Toyota trucks. Ever since the Tacoma and Tundra got redesigned and modernized, I've seen nothing but complaints regarding the new tech and engines. Subaru just doesn't want to go that crazy yet.
No it's not. Not dated. Would be better if it actually were dated, since it wouldn't have that awful touchscreen.
And there's no comparison between the Crosstrek and Ascent. Tested all Subaru's models and the Ascent truly does ride and drive better than any of the others. By a mile. I'm picky and I'd never even consider a Crosstrek. I'd absolutely consider an Ascent.
@@cw4623 It is dated. It's probably the only vehicle in its segment that doesn't have a digital gauge cluster or head up display on any trim. The front end also hasn't gone with the new trend of thin headlights like most of its competitors are doing. Overall, the Ascent looks like it came out in the mid or late 2010s. I mean, it's not a bad thing. Some folks like their cars simple, durable, and getting the job done. The Ascent also rides well and offers 2nd row bench seats on all trims which I like. Subaru is the only company outside Toyota that can create new cars that look and feel old and sell them extremely well.
The front reminds me of a cockroach, and that's not a good thing.
I thought it looked like a bull
Getting wife a three row SUV. This Subaru is not even a consideration. She looked at Telluride and Pilot. We are going Pilot route.
Honda has amazing build quality. But the ride and driving comfort is ABYSMAL on the Pilot and Ridgeline.
Would never trust the Kia going long-term everything I hear 100,000 or under and the engines blow up. If keeping long-term, I would definitely take a Subaru or a Honda. Kia and Hyundai are lease vehicles in my opinion three years and that’s it.
I tried sybaru ascent , honda pilot and kia and mazada but subaru ascent was so comfortable