My wife drives a Forester after many years of Honda CR-V’s & loves her Subaru - not a lot of flash, but pure dependable & very comfortable transportation. The Assent isn’t flashy, but offers excellent value which your excellent review highlighted as the slam-dunk. AND, no small feature: plenty of places to stash quite the variety & volume of coupons! 😎
New owner here of a 2021 Ascent Limited. Nothing bothers me about this vehicle. The acceleration is fine and I like fast cars. Extremely quiet cabin on the freeway. Lots of buttons and digital data to look at when driving. The AWD will be phenomenal when winter gets here. The exterior styling is perfect IMHO.
Just took one for a test drive today. Never driven a Subaru before and I was blown away at how big the thing was in person. Lane assist, peppy engine... just wish inventory wasn't so limited due to COVID... I might just have to get one!
My dad just bought one . They are very nice cars . He has the rouring model with all the options . You get a well optioned vehicle foe the price . Thanks guys
Toby well, if you like CD player, you are going to like all subarus, because all Subaru vehicles come with CD players or as dealer install accessory for the new outback and new legacy.
Extremely well done video; thorough. Just bought this model yesterday, love it as a passenger and looking forward to my first time driving it tomorrow. Smooth, quiet comfortable ride home from the dealership was good, makes me wish I had more places to go. Haha. Sending link to this video to my husband to watch.
Ascent is great!!. The ride is smooth, you can take it anywhere, safety all around, reliability, and resale value are great. The Telluride was too stiff, nice but the ride was stiff. The Palisade was great inside, but it just felt like it had no power.
Good detailed review. Your driving impression changed quite a bit between your own review from 2020 model. Is there significant changes between these two year?
Looks way better the either the Honda Pilot or Toyota Highlander inside and out. Love the fact that it has a real shifter and they did not add a stupid leather boot to it.
Such a great video. Thank you for sharing. What "shine" products do the de-tailors use? I want to shine up the inside. Thanks again! Can anyone suggest?
Im from philliphines and ive been a fan of subaru for a long time and subaru announced that the ascent ia coming to our country so my family is planning to buy one
Had had this vehicle for 2 years now. Here is my pro/con list: Pros 1. Good room for 7 passengers with flat floor 2. Good safety and adaptive cruise control 3. Fuel efficient Cons 1. Battery dies too often. If kids leave the interior lights on , it will drain the battery and die. Not sure why it wouldn't be programmed to shut off the lights after certain time. 2. Boring to drive. Got bored of driving this within a few months. So not exciting. 3. Too shaky on the highway. When windy, you can see the hood shake. 4. User interface is very laggy At this time, the best 7 seater is the Hyundai Palisade or Kia Teluride. They we're around when we got the subaru assent so it was good before competition stepped up.
Sales of the Ascent have been disappointing for Subaru. When it was first introduced it was Subaru's hope to make a major splash in the midsize 3 row SUV market category. The only worry was that it would cannibalize sales of Subaru's best selling Outback. In fact that hasn't occurred. Sales of the Ascent have been mediocre and while Outback sales are down substantially in 2020 it still outsells the Ascent two to one. (62,305 vs 31,397 in the US.) There appear to be several reasons. First, of course, is the competition. Sales of the Palisade and Telluride since the start of 2019 have seriously impacted the Ascent (along with other rivals.) In the first half of 2020 the combined sales of the Palisade and the Telluride, essentially the same vehicle, are twice those of the Ascent (36,000 and 25,000 respectively) and each, especially the Telluride, have been limited by production shortages as a result of COVID-19, not by demand. Furthermore, the Ascent along with the Mazda CX-9 are currently the only midsize three row crossovers not to offer a standard or optional V6 engine. It's less an issue of performance, not a high priority among most consumers in this segment, than of long term durability in a vehicle that weighs over two and a half tons. Furthermore, the Ascent offers only a CVT transmission. Again, it's likely to be a deal breaker for only a minority of consumers but Subaru has recalled 77,000 2019 Ascents for a variety of transmission problems. It's one thing to have scattered, unconfirmed reports of reliability issues; it's quite another for an automaker to issue a significant recall based on issues in a major component. Finally, it's noteworthy that Subaru's own Outback XT offers the same turbo4 engine in a vehicle that weighs at least 666 lbs (!) less than the Ascent. What it comes down to is why would a Subaru fan choose an Ascent rather than an Outback XT that has better performance, a less stressed engine, and a price thousands of dollars less unless three row SUV is a very, very high priority. And why would consumers not already committed to owning a Subaru choose an Ascent rather than a competitor.
@@edwardvalivonis23 Only in the Hybrid version of the Highlander where the Ascent doesn't play at all. Personally, I'm not a fan of CVTs but I'm not a fanatic about it and I understand the fuel saving appeal. Comparing a Hybrid Highlander to a gasoline only Ascent is an apples to oranges comparison.
Stephen Hendricks I will tell you why a Subaru Ascent and not the great Subaru Outback. 1. Space. 2. Comfort 3. Visibility I still have a 2012 Outback with 223,000 miles that now drives my daughter. It have a CVT and zero issues. I do admit that the Ascent CVT transmission did give bad issues. They did the recall fix and now it’s driving very reliable plus I received “from Subaru” an extended warranty on the transmission for up to 100,000 miles. So it’s been over two year now and is working perfectly. I do admit that the Kia Telluride is a very good looking car. It is me the one having issues buying a Korean car with little reputation. So whoever buys a Kia, good for him or her. I will always feel safer driving and symmetrical AWD that is basically patterned by Subaru “ specially on winter conditions”, still want to see how the Kia perform on those conditions.
Great review! We own two forester 2020 and 2017 both premium with packages. We love subarus. We test drove 2020 Ascent as we needed a third car. We went with the honda piolet but it sure was close. I always find it intresting to see what car manufactures do in this segment. Thanks guys
Betcha you didn't know this. TURN YOU KEY FOB OFF AT NIGHT. It saves the battery and stop thieves from electronically talking to the fob, starting your Ascent and driving away. Just hold the lock button down WHILE you hit the open button twice. If you look, you'll see a little red light actually flash. Now, when you walk out to your car in the morning it will NOT unlock just because you had the fob in your pocket. You have to hit the unlock button on the key fob and then you are set to go until you turn the key fob off again.
We loved our old Outback and last year traded it on a new Touring Model Accent. We soon became disenchanted and just last week sold it back to our dealer after 9,500 miles. So, what was our beef? First, the paint job I feel was defective from the factory. Despite only using the vehicle on short trips it already had a handful of paint defects and minor scratches. We’re really careful and conscientious drivers and I don’t believe we caused these. Second, for nearly $50K, the cabin was far from quiet. My 2014 truck is far more quiet. Very disappointing, and finally, while the front seats look great I didn’t find them to be comfortable at all. The vehicle just wasn’t right for us.
If you really know about cars you know cvt can be durable, Nissan is what gave CVT a bad name, Subaru has used CVT for years and they do it right, a Subaru will last you 300k with regular maintenance.
@@neomis0119 if u knew about cars ud understand catchment out on almost everything and was discontinued bc they sucked. Saturn almost got it right but then again they shut down
I actually went out and leased a 2021 Outback Limited and a 2021 Forester Limited. LOVE BOTH. NO issues. LOVE the transmission and find it VERY pleasing actually.. But.....we have found that our situation has changed a bit.....and now we need a larger car all of a sudden for long trips.....so I may be trading those 2 in.....for an Ascent. My question is: Will the Ascent....drive as tight and as well as the Outback.....or is it really sloppy in comparison? Also.....does the turbo motor tend to talk to the transmission well......or is there a "lag" upon normal acceleration? Thanks!
Another thorough review! I have a question: I LOVE SUBARUs....but....literally thousands of the first year Ascents were recalled basically for having junk transmissions. Noises, slippage, terrible response. I know that you reviewed one. Have you noticed ANY differences between how the 2021 drives...and how the 2020 drives? Also, why do these problems not plague the Outback or Forester with CVT's? Is it the weight difference? Thanks!
Ray Jensen the problems were only on the 2019 year. I had that terrible problem but, it was not the transmission at all. It was more like a transmission computer problem. My had the recall. They did the reprogramming and it’s been working fine for the last years plus I have an extended warranty on the transmission for up to 100,000 miles. The other cars with the same Subaru Ascent engine started showing on 2020. That’s why you don’t hear any problems with those ones.
They should have kept the 6 cylinder, and added a hybrid option. I have the 2008 transmission replaced at 160K with a used one. Get the Highlander or RX350 for that kind of money.
Aaron Hamlen Dude if you have a car that runs 160,000 miles and you need to replace the transmission that’s not a real bad thing. 🤔🤔numbers. Numbers... 1 transmission replace @5-10K x another 12 years = $833.00 total expensed/ year. If you buy a new car like this one you will end paying more than $50,000 in just five years.
Subaru could and should use the Ascent platform to make a midsize pickup truck, to sort of compete with the Ridgeline specifically, but it would likely do better than the Ridgeline against the Ranger, Colorado/Canyon, Tacoma and Frontier.
And to think it is AWD.. competition has that as an upgrade option for more money. I have a Mercedes GLE350 loaner car.. nice interior, but not spacious, smaller than the Ascent, and no safety features besides adaptive breaking.. It starts at $48K.. and is slow as crap rolling down hill on a cold day. Subaru a way better deal.
I really like the ascent. I have the Subaru Forester touring 2020. If I was going to get the ascent I will wait for the redesign. I don’t know why but it looks outdated. My forester looks more updated.
Girlsloveforcars lol, they are pretty much the same except ascent gets more features like tri zone climate control with a small digital screen, a bigger fan speed knob, ventilated seat buttons, front view 180 degree camera.
I really like this car. But, having "Captain's chair" rear seats means a big hole in the floor with everything folded flat. That is a game changer for me. It appears that a bench rear seat is only available in lowest trim levels. Perhaps I'm wrong.
I really like your channel but I can’t understand why you can’t show the window sticker ?? A lot of people really want to see what the vehicle comes with. That’s the first thing people look at when they go to a dealership.
Subaru seems to lag other companies on the tech.No one is going to use the paddles with the cvt. Its just useless /i love how u guys show the different color interiors and samples of the sound systems ,no one else does that
The make is definitely reliable - no questions there. But, does anyone else think this is a fairly large car to be on a 2.4L / V4 engine? Why is such a size car not having a 3.0L+ / V6 engine? Fuel efficiency at the cost of power / payload / torque?
How can you compare this Ascent to the Highlander or the Pilot? I would like to see this wimpy 4 cylinder pass another vehicle with passengers in all the seats. The engine noise alone... For just a few dollars more you could get a decent 3 row SUV that'll get just about the same gas mileage!
Yeah kinda bland looking but it’s all about the drivetrain. No other manufacturer includes something so robust and mechanical. Every other make has a transaxle wheelbarrow with a nicer interior and flashy shell; Subaru is truly in their own class of awd and it’s why I ditched Audi when Quattro went ‘ultra’
I don't understand why this car is not available for European market. I love subaru and i need a car this size but will have to look to other manufacturers for something simulator
The ascent i so cool, only thing holding me back from buying is the shity cvt. Ive been watching the ascent for 3 years now waiting for an actual transmission. I dont think its ever going to happen its too bad, because my wife and i really liked it.
I own 2 Subarus A 2018 impreza,and a,2020 Forester. Subaru for 2021, crosstrek sport level and up, now harbors,a,2.5 . My suggestiin to Subaru. Stop messing around. Go across the board with ALL models, and give them ALL a turbo 2 4.
I am very interested to this 7 seater, but still hesitate.. I've heard the driving experience is not as great due to the engine loudness. is it true to you guys?
There's no question regarding Subaru Ascent capability compare to other SUV. But when it comes to style and look, it is behind the competition. Subaru should redesign Ascent ASAP to keep in competition.
I’m wandering more about the gas mileage if it’s anything like the crosstrak for get it. Because I own one 2021 and it’s the 2.5 I’m lucky to get 26 miles per gallon on a long ride.
I have a 2020 Ascent Touring. Does anyone else have this problem? When the conversation mirror/sunglasses holder is down, it blocks like 25% of the rear view mirror. I use it to keep an eye on my kids. I know I can flip the rear view mirror to the rear camera mode but it’s still annoying that the conversation mirror/sunglass holder blocks the regular view of the rear view mirror.
Jesus Punlay there was a test drive between the 2020 Toyota Highlander and this car One of the test was noise. Here are the results: Toyota Highlander cabin noise 54-56 decibels. Subaru Ascent cabin noise 57-59. If you find these levels high, then buy a Lexus or Acura. Those are super quiet. If not then you can’t say this car is loud. I have one. Believe me the old Toyota’s SUV are much louder
