NEWSFLASH!! People that buy this vehicle LOVE it's understated presence. These buyers are typically professional people (think tenure track professors with a small family). They frown upon the glitz of more flashy SUV's. Subaru knows it's audience and serves them well.
Absolutely and everything bigger is NOT better ask Outback owners who absolutely hate 11.5 inch screen just to turn on heated seats. Buttons are functional even in 2023
I’m an engineer as a profession and I concur with this statement. This car is practical and doesn’t shout “money”. I’d much rather have a practical car that is reliable, safe, and gets the job done instead of something that’s flashy. Only broke people care what other people think,
@@Family-fs1fd a little. The brakes seemed weak to begin with. I traded mine in, because Subaru of America was ok with my car smoking. Almost ever time I started it in the morning, it had a HUGE white smoke screen that covered the entire street. I took it in 6 different time, with videos showing it. Every time they said it’s normal, just condensation . White smoke that lingers is a oil leaking into the system problem. It’s documented with a few other owners, but they want it to be a complete failure before warranty kicks in. So I traded it. Good luck with yours.
Bought mine in February, the Touring trim level. I considered the Hyundai Palisade and Kia Telluride as second and third choices but would never consider spending MSRP, let alone a markup over MSRP which the dealers want for the Kia or Hyundai. While the ascent is not as "flashy" as the Hyundai or Kia, it is a worthy competitor. I don't regret buying the Ascent for one moment.
@@joeyloots9614 the road noise doesn't pose a problem for me, no complaints - and I've got a Kia K900 which is extremely quiet in the cabin. You should take a test drive and judge for yourself. IMO, no one should buy a car without a test drive. Take a test drive on a quiet road, a busy road, and a highway. That would give you a good basis for judging the road noise.
The exterior styling is very on-brand for Subaru. They’re a smaller company that prefers conservative styling. I personally believe that’s something their buyers seek out. The more radically styled vehicles have a habit of aging poorly or at least showing their age. Subaru is know for their longevity, so it makes sense that they’d want to deliver more evolutionary designs over revolutionary designs. It’s not future proof, but it cannot be described as offensive.
I have yet to see a midsize SUV that makes me say "OMG that looks soooo cool!". The Ascent is no better or worse looking than any of the competition. What's funny is him griping about the swath of black on the rear bumper and then in the same breath griping about the chrome strip above it saying it needs to be black.🙄
There are trajectory lines on the backup cam; you just have to turn the wheel. Also, if you recline the 3rd row, the base of the seat tilts up and moves back. It was bolt upright for cargo hauling but if you carry people, just recline it. It’s 12” off the floor vs just 7” for the Telluride or Palisade (I measured)
While the third row is rarely used for most people it’s still tight when compared to the Telluride/Palisade. Subaru just made a mediocre 3-row crossover with no goal to be the best out there.
@@snp5O0 the 3rd row reclines and the seat base moves back and up. Much more comfort if you do that. I took a tape measure and the seat base is 12” off the floor, vs 7” for the Telluride.
Height off the floor is one thing. Width and combined legroom is another. The Koreans have apportioned the space much more efficiently than the rest. Not my opinion just numbers shown online.
@@snp5O0 you have to consider both. 5” advantage is not insignificant. Yes the Koreans have more horizontal room but Subaru has 5” more room vertically, so you don’t sit with your knees in your chest. It’s also a TopSafetyPick+, even the base model. No Telluride is. Steering Responsive LED Headlights are standard even on the base Ascent. It also has more ground clearance and very good hill descent control. Each vehicle has its advantages.
@@ateixeira when you have less legroom that won’t be comfortable. I don’t know about your numbers. Could be your opinion. It’s a CVT, nobody likes them other than die hard Subaru customers. The new Pathfinder moved on from CVTs and they are looking more competitive to the Palisade/Telluride. Consumer reports and JD power have the Koreans up there. Don’t get me started on the tech and premium feel of Highlander, Mazda and Koreans. The Pilot even wins the most residual value. The Ascent just didn’t hit the mark. Subaru needs to step up.
Oh my partner just purchased a barely used 2020 Ascent right after I purchased my 2022 Ascent. Both are limited. Amazing vehicles. I’m disappointed like other reviewers you don’t explain that you can move both the first and the second row to make extra room for the third row. It seems like every reviewer complains about how there’s no room in the third row and then they complain that you have to move the second row which cramps their space. There’s plenty enough space in the front row so you can move the seats and still have enough room for everybody. I’m 6 foot seven. My father and I picked up a 12 foot box utilizing the entire right side of this vehicle the other day. He sat behind me at 6 foot two. I had enough room moving my seat and he had enough room sitting behind me. If the Giants can fit in this vehicle with no issue there’s plenty enough space for everybody.
I agree! I'm not tall, but I'm 5'8" and with the driver seat set for my height, I sat in the 2nd row with at least 6 inches of knee space left. I then sat in the 3rd row and had at least 5 inches of knee space left. It was really spacious, comparable to my Chrysler Minivan in terms of knee space. Plus the 3rd row of the ascent has one of the tallest leg areas of any SUV (meaning your knees aren't in your chest like in the Telluride). One other thing not noted much is the FOOT space in the 3rd row. Many SUV's have good knee space, but no foot space, meaning you are still feeling cramped even with good knee room since you feet have to be kind of sideways. Not so in the Ascent, plenty of room for tall legs, long feet, etc.
I have to disagree with the appearance criticism of the Subaru Ascent. I'm not attracted to the Kia/Telluride whatsoever. I'm not a trendy person; this one is just right for me! To each their own.
I totally agree. I think the telluride is hideous looking and if I were in a bad crash I would trust my life to a Subaru over a Kia any day but that’s just me 🤷🏻♂️
Subaru is adding an Onyx Edition (basically a blackout package) to this for 2022. Also, you can get a black leather interior now on the Touring trim in addition to the brown interior.
@@gosman949 Mark up on Tellurides are ridiculous! Kia dealership near me has a $15,000 dealer mark-up on their Tellurides and they're not budging on price.
@@DurangoRTGuy2019 i dont doubt that the Pilot is just as quick, it does have 290hp after all. but i’ve never seen any vids where it’s done below 6.5 secs. though, even with the Ascent being that quick, it’s still not my top pick for its segment. that goes to the Highlander or CX9 😁
It's not a sport oriented, purely cosmetic (all black) and only get 7 seats...and no rearview camera or forward facing camera. I would get the Onyx if it had 8 seats. Still have our sights on the Limited in 8 seat configuration. I love subaru, but they always keep what I really want JUST out of reach (i.e. 8 passenger, all black, with rear view camera mirror).
@@slandshark well, sport is not necessarily means more power, it just means some black wheels and ect. as you just said, it’s just cosmetic, basically like other brands, like Honda’s black edition, kia’s nightfall edition.
@@slandshark I agree with you, I prefer 8 seats, I don’t like captain’s chairs. If I am buying ascent, I will get the limited trim with 8 seats, however, I will miss out ventilated seats and front 180 degree camera which I do find it helpful.
A CVT makes no sense in a large vehicle, or something for offroad adventure. I'd be more inclined to considering a Subaru if they didn't stick a CVT in everything these days.
You know what you're talking about. For a small economy car with a tiny engine a CVT might be ok, but for a heavy family vehicle with turbo power and a 5000lb towing rating, a stout conventional automatic makes more sense.
The Subaru Ascent is very underrated! Sure it won't win in the looks department, but it blows away all the other vehicles in its class via its price to performance ratio IMO.
@@KT-si9rz 50k is top trim. Ascent top trim is 47k. Let’s not include the SX Prestige since it has more features than the Ascent top trim. A like for like is 46k Telluride vs a 47k Ascent. Edit also, if we’re adding addendums (which we shouldn’t since those are uncontrollable, but let’s humor you) a telluride base model usually sells for 5k over MSRP (higher trims have higher addendums), and a base Telluride is 33k putting it at 38k with the addendum, and it STILL has more features and better interior works than the base Ascent. (Bigger screen, 292hp, 5000 lb towing capacity, 200lbs lighter, more cargo space, etc etc.)
I wouldn't trust a CVT on such a large heavy vehicle, especially if it's used for it's intended purpose of hauling a lot of people & cargo. CVT tends to last longest in small light vehicles. The only reason I trust the CVT in my Corolla SE is because it has a physical first gear which means there's a lot less strain on the CVT.
I like the non descript aspect of Subaru. Bought a 2021 Ascent Limited 7 passenger w/Tech Package. It's a good Dad car. I came from an Edge Sport and the highway passing power is almost on par. I am annoyed at the lack of the Outback/Legacy screen, but wasn't a deal breaker. Cooled seats in the Edge just made me feel like I sat in something wet. Wife has a 2016 Forester and I had both a 2005 and 2011 WRX hatches.
Just wanted to say, after 3 weeks of shopping and test driving almost all of the midsize 3rd row SUVs, ended up buying the Ascent. Best all around SUV and Value almost fully loaded for just below 40k. Looks are Subjective but an 8 Safety 9 Ride and NVH 9 Handling and road manners 8 Space 8 Design 8 Equipment 9 Value 10 The only thing that came close was the Pathfinder SL 4WD at 43k.
@@alexrosenblatt4348 What delays? There have been a few car shows that had the 2023 Ascent Onyx on display. The production version went into production in mid October and will arrive mid November at the dealerships.
The fake shifting is ridiculous, I have the same problem with my 2018 Forester XT. I have to do the same "launch control" you did to force the CVT to act like a real CVT.
A Subaru with CVT is for a comfortable ride with the family... not to race againgst a Civic TypeR, for that it's the Impreza WRX with manual transmission
Great review Sofan ! Subaru is an amazing car I loved my 2016 Forester. I now have a 2021 Passport V6 touring model and I love it. No CVT it’s a great car and I averaged 25-27 MPG highway.
I like Outback. This super-sized one looks even better. I don't want people to pay attention to me nor my family. The "plain" look works wonderful. It has a great field of view and very comfy. The captain seats and the standard 4-wheel drive are cherries on top.
The elephant in the room is the terrible reliability reviews and the vote of "non-recommendation" by Consumer Reports. That killed this vehicle for me.
Why do so many reviewers evaluate the 0 to 60 of a family SUV? Families do not care. Tell me how many things can you place in the back while having your family in the car. Put a pallet or a plywood sheet in the back......Please do evaluations relevant to the market intended. Other than that, pretty good job.
Subaru has a target audience that no one seems to understand. Our family bought our 2020 Forester simply because of it's standard AWD and projector headlights as it was massively more important for mountains than some digital speedometer
@@braetonwilson4296 and yet tons of people drive subarus in the north cause their AWD just works. Plus they hold their value and come standard with a lot where others pay extra for such as floor matts, roof rails, awd, great safety systems, you dont pay extra for different colors. Idk i have 2 subarus and really the only thing that is enticing me to swap from our legacy and outback is the hyundai santa cruz. And that is only cause im outgrowing the legacy with my family and im not a huge fan of the other trucks on the market. Also i was in an acident recently with my '11 legacy that wrecked both doors, my wheel was clipped and it broke a few suspension parts and my rear bumper was destroyed. Guess what it wasnt totaled out and it is getting fixed and thats because they hold their value like crazy. Yes i have a car thats been in an accident but its a fully loaded legacy 3.6r and i have 0 problems with it and i have yet to need any "features" this car is missing
I do like the fact that you get standard all wheel drive but the exterior design is a bit boring. I would rather get a Palisade or a Telluride or any of the other Japanese offerings. Great review Sofyan!
Might be boring but it will still look good 5 years from now unlike the trendy ones you mentioned. Not to mention hold its value. I like what Kia and Hyundai are doing but their designs they are just not timeless. How long you think the current gen Sonata will last with the weird front end and headlight implementation for example?
@@lurcharoni I don’t kno bro…the Hyundai i agree, but you may not be right about that Kia Telluride. It has a very timeless, classic look like the Range Rover silhouette. Ford Explorer used to have that same vibe, but they ran away from that look and now they are suffering, Kia is winning! Subaru’s might last, but they will never win any beauty contests!
Kia dealership near me is charging a $15,000 dealer mark-up on their Tellurides and refusing to bring the price down. Guess I'm not buying a Telluride then.
Are the 3rd-row floor flat and same ground level as the 2nd row? The 3rd-row on Toyota Highlander bump up few inches makes it not so comfortable for an adult.
Subarus are great for people that just want a reliable and relatively basic suv/wagon. Not everyone wants a 17 inch screen and touch buttons everywhere.
but that is no excuse for being dated and dull. Exactly what Sofyan says. The reason why the Palisade and Telluride do so well, is because they offer something interesting, attractive and modern/contemporary. Those cars do all that + still have good controls and ergonomics.
@@Astke I will sum it up for you. Those Hyundais are like European cars which isn't surprising given how hard they are trying to be pseudo-European hiring European designers and German engineers. Like those European cars, it is for people that buy them with the heart, not with the brain. Those that are shallow, or are getting caught up with Europe=best mentality. Hyundai tries to make their design good with tech, but beyond that, ho-hum nothing mediocrity. They don't get any work done or does it in just average or below not spectacular at all. If you wanna tow more, Get an Explorer or Pathfinder. Fuel economy? Get a Highlander. Sportiness? CX-9. Off-road capability? Subaru. More luxury and comfort? Upcoming Jeep Grand Cherokee. Wanna go batshit crazy? Durango. The largest space? VW Atlas. Absolutely the best deal? Chevy Traverse. Do you get my point? Interesting, attractive, modern/contemporary? Those are all BS marketing terms to me and it is very subjective. Only automaker to go all in on the boxer engine, standard best in the industry AWD sounds more interesting to me.
@@miraphycs7377 Hyundai and Kia cut corners on quality of materials (just like vw/audi) and stick a premium on their flashy shoebox with a transaxle. I’ll take a dull-looker with a solid drivetrain and quality materials over a disintegrating, flashy wheelbarrow any day.
If you need a flat screen tv in my car, buy a Tesla or a Samsung TV. I think the younger generation is trying to change cars into social media. There is a reason why old classic cars & trucks are still desired.
Thanks for your review. They could enhance the look by Changing the wheels. They look like hubcaps. Something new with thinner spokes..more of a deeper dish look would be great Upgrade all signals to LED change out the headlights to dual LED bulbs Or the jewel LED look. Even better. Limited should have power folding side mirtors. Just not reserved for TOURING trim Yes waiting for EV model or considering the Solterra
Their exterior design just looks so old. Like this could be something from ten years ago. Other models in this segment like Telluride, Pathfinder and Grand Cherokee all have amazing designs and almost luxury vibes now.
I will not buy a Subaru if it wasn't close to that box look that I like, the openness of the car and the conservative look....wife is a tree hugger am a geek.....I think that tells u a lot about it's customer base. Just ordered our 2022 Ascent and will be trading in our 2019 ascent which we bought by trading in our Forester, which we bought by trading in our legacy, which we bought by trading in another legacy...wife is so excited for our new member.
As much as I like my 2020 Civic, I wished I have done more research and bought a 3 instead. Maybe I will switch to Mazda once I am done with my payments lol.
@@asdfghjqwertyu1858 the Mazda 3 is very nice. The only knock is it’s ride and comfort is not on par with the civic. But again it’s a more drivers focused car
6.1 seconds is really good for the type of car it is, but I’m not sure but I think the pilot with the 9 speed is still quicker, maybe not quicker but just as fast, and in case is just like 0.4 seconds slower, I prefer having a regular automatic transmission with gears even tho I don’t love the ZF 9 speed in the pilot, also the sound of that V-TEC V6 I think is the best one on the segment actually 😅, but the pilot is getting redesigned soon so let’s see, I think it’s going to be a lot better looking but with a little bit less space 😓 but it pretty sure they are going to put the brilliant 10 speed auto finally !!
I think the pilot is even more ugly. I can't get past my grandparents and my parents liking the look of the Honda. Subarus are ugly to me in general. Designed with authoritarianism in mind.
I believe my pilot does it in 6.0-6.1 seconds so a tad quicker but about the same. I have a 2016 and I was considering buying one of these as my sister is driving my pilot for now. The new pilot I assume is going to be slower than the current one. Honda has a pattern where their cars have one generation where everything is quicker than their competition (civic 1.5, pilot, odyssey, accord) then the next generation is slower than the predecessors ( 2023 civic 1.5 and 2023 CRV are all slower by a second to 60 than the previous generation) so I assume Honda will keep power the same and it will weigh more so it will be slower
been looking at medium/midsize suvs lately and damn, they are just too expensive for what they are....everything is nowadays but at least if im going to get gouged I want something super capable.
I am a Subaru owner (2010 Forester), and I (partially) represent the demographic the marketers went after with the Ascent. I wouldn't get one, based more on what Subaru DIDN'T DO. I appreciate Subaru is a traditional, "little-c" conservative brand. It is puzzlesome, however, that in a market segment where the engineers/beancounters knew Highlander offers a hybrid and other competitors were pushing the envelope, Subaru didn't do anything to really sway those outside the loyal Subaru brand umbrella. Yes, they are safe vehicles with AWD, but where are the efficiency and ease-of-use touches that could have catapulted them to the top?
Not really the point of the vehicle. Subaru had to release something more conservative to just to make sure people wouldn't be afraid to purchase a three row Subaru. In a crowded marketplace, it isn't flashy, but the purchasers of this vehicle don't want that. They want a dependable, simple, solid vehicle and the Subaru delivered excellently on that. It was a safe release and it definitely worked, Ascents are everywhere. The next refresh might be more daring now that Subaru has more presence on the market.
@MGJMiller1995 Subaru is selling a premium model for about 37k right now. You cannot find another 3rd row SUV at this size with a turbo and AWD at this price. AWD on the Telluride's today are close to 50k. Same story with VW Atlas. Ascent smokes them all in terms of speed and power at this price point.
Sofyan: I leased a 2021 Outback Limited and a 2021 Forester Limited based almost 100% on your reviews of those 2 cars, which I can now say I feel were "spot on" pretty much. We find ourselves needing a larger car. I LOVE the Outback, and the way that it drives. After I test drove it, I had to drive an Ascent as well. I hated it! I felt that the steering was super sloppy, and that there was a noticeable lag between the CVT and the Turbo 4 cylinder. I really wanted to LOVE the Ascent, but didn't after driving one just a few quick miles. (And I actually like the CVT a lot to my surprise.). You....didn't mention either of those faults in this review.....and if you found them to be noticeable, I know that you would have. Did I just drive one that wasn't set up yet or something? Should I re-drive an Ascent? Will it drive as well as my Outback? What do you think? Thanks!
We own an Ascent and your experience is spot on to what we have with ours. We've owned Subarus for a number of years. The Ascent will be our last. Unfortunately this review is not an actual portrayal of what it's like to drive one of these every day.
Drove one but no passenger seat hight adjustment available on any trim package. Deal breaker for those over 6' tall that will want to lower the seat. There are times when I'd like my wife to drive, especially on long trips but there's no way I'm going to sit on the passenger side like a high-chair. Typical issue also with Honda, toyota, and Nissan. I dkw they can't think that option thru. When reviewing vehicles, be sure to "zonk" that for lack of design, maybe they'll get it as US makers of SUVs do.
I generally think this could be potentially the most meh 3 Row CUV out there. I have no hatred to the segment but this one just ain't where it's at. I would go with a Explorer, Highlander, or the 2 Koreans over this.
I'm on agreeable terms that the Subaru Ascent from the outside isn't attractive enough and looks like a bloated up Outback or Forester. The third row seating area is tight when compared to the rival competitors. I'm not sure when in the coming years Subaru will do this, but for the next generation Ascent some improvements needs to be made on the outside and inside. As for the outside it needs to be on a different platform. For the appearance there needs to be more distinctive characteristics between it, the Outback and Forester. The platform they can use like the rival competitors for the next generation Ascent so that it'll be more distinguishable would be to use a unibody truck platform. That way it'll have a bold aggressive stance. It needs to have a more truck appearance like the rival competitors. Another thing they can do like what was mentioned in this video is to tone down a little bit for the chrome accents/panels. As for the inside the third row seating area needs an increase in space. An increase of 3 to 5 inches of legroom. So basically, the same thing Nissan just did with the very soon to be released new generation 2022 Pathfinder is what Subaru needs to do for the next generation Ascent. Nissan got rid of that bubble minivan in disguise appearance, got rid of the CVT transmission, made it a lot more stylish and improved the third row seating area. One more thing Subaru can do from a performance standpoint is to have an available V6 engine. Still keep the turbo 4 cylinder boxer engine, but also have a V6 available so that the vehicle would be more competitive and it will give the customers more powertrain choices.
@Ka Ch Yep. That's true. I forgot to mention the reduction of noise entering the cabin. I think Sofyan mentioned that too while he was driving it. Hopefully Subaru will reduce the noise entering the cabin for the next generation Ascent. The just released new generation 5th generation Jeep Grand Cherokee L had that for one of many improvements made. The cabin area is a lot quieter now for the Jeep. I sat in it few days ago and the seats are comfortable. The model I was in wasn't even the high trim level. I currently have the third generation Jeep Grand Cherokee and I have intentions on getting the Jeep Grand Cherokee L. However, I'm not going to get the first year of the new generation. I'll get the second year of the new generation so that it'll give me more time to put some money aside for it and also by that time couple more standard features will get added. When the time comes for me to get it I'll get it in the Overland trim nicely equipped with the legendary 5.7 liter HEMI V8 engine.
I guess it means you step on the break pedal and push the accelerator till the engine reaches high RPM then you release the breaks so the torque makes the car go faster from the start
I have the Ascent now and is a great baby mobil but, my first cvt vehicle and hate it. The torque is great when merging/on ramp but the fake shifts bog it down. They are doing a shadow edition for the Ascent and also an EV to be released I believe next year.
Oh my goodness what a diva review. If you would’ve said one more time something about the looks of the vehicle as if it’s a dress to be worn to a cocktail party I would’ve screamed. We got you the first thousand times you mentioned how you didn’t like the look.
Subjective appearance preferences, e.g. too much chrome, unattractive wheels, etc., should be minimized. We want to hear about features, drivability, etc. Let's allow the viewers to make up their own minds about appearance.
I drove this as a shuttle vehicle for a whole week. The CVT ruins the experience and often times I had to manually control the 'gears'. It was fatiguing to drive. Averaged 16 MPG in all city driving. It's very quick though.
Just bought a 2022 hyundai santa fe limited hybrid. Seriously best car ever. We test drove and researched over 10+ cars. Hyundai is in a league of its own. Plus a 10 year 100,000 mile warranty to throw in the mix.
Looks a lil bland, but I like it otherwise. I don’t think they should put in a big vertical screen because the newer Subaru Starlink screen is pretty laggy and it takes away the actual hard buttons, knobs, switches, which that I actually don’t like. Also.. u left the rear window cracked open when u drove it 😂😂
I've seen one these struggling with midwestern snow weather. Compared to my AWD Sienna, never left me stranded in snow. The Acsent needs a 6 cylinder engine, too much mass for the 4 cylimder it has
We own a 20 Ascent in the Touring trim. A great car, but there is a learning curve to drive it. For example, the accelerator pedal needs you to place your entire foot on it- not just your toes, due to the position of the arm behind it. Use your toes and you’ll get a bucking starting out.
I have a ‘20 Touring as well. Be careful with the tailgate and leaving it open. It’ll drain your battery. It was and is a problem on the MY ‘19 and ‘20. If you ever get a drained battery, Subaru will replace it for free. It’s under warranty. It just happened to me this week. Go to the Ascent forum for more info if needed.
Let me say first mr.bey, that I watch your reviews all the time for vehicles ensite, but a lot of us love the styling of the accent.we don't think it's boring & a lot of us hate black wheels, I like chrome. also most of us don't have to have bullet acceleration to make the car worthy. so don't be so harsh on Subaru styling. Plz.🤔
I prefer the old interior found in the Ascent, Forester, Crosstrek, and Impreza. The new dash from the Legacy, Impreza, WRX, and maybe a hypothetical Levorg WRX is not as intuitive and functional. I'm simply not a fan of touch-screen-everything.
43k is not affordable ! Unless you leasing cars or suv. And you really can’t afford to own that’s only reason I can see leasing it. You want to have a status I guess.
When it was time to move to a larger vehicle than my Outback, the Ascent is the first one I looked at. Unfortunately the size (or lack thereof) didn't fit my needs - at 6 feet tall, the 3rd row could not accommodate me without my head uncomfortably touching the ceiling. You can also tell that it's definitely not as wide as many of its competitors. We ended up getting a Traverse and absolutely love it.
