Extra-roomy Ascent right move for Subaru
Now when buyers outgrow their Foresters, there’s something bigger waiting for them
THE Ascent represents a do-over of sorts for Subaru, which markets itself as a trusted provider safe and secure all-wheel-drive transportation. The Ascent — Subaru’s largest offering — is also capable of taking you and the family over off-road territory.
The company’s previous effort, the Tribeca, which exited in 2014, was an ultimately unsuccessful attempt at cracking the larger-utility class currently occupied by Chevrolet, Ford, Toyota, Honda and others. Following a lengthy category absence for Subaru, the built-in-indiana Ascent rejoined the three-rows-ofseats group for the 2019 model year and continued unchanged for 2020.
For its second attempt, Subaru created a roomier structure for up to eight adult-sized passengers, including space for three in the third row. Total interior volume is equal to that of the Honda Pilot and the Volkswagen Atlas, but it’s less than that of the Chevrolet Traverse and the Buick Enclave.
A second-row bench seat is standard, but that can be swapped out for two extra-cost high-back bucket seats that can slide fore and aft to improve access to the third row. There are four USB ports and a bathroom-break-inducing 19 cup holders, which is more than two per person when the Ascent is fully occupied.
At the far end, there’s sufficient space behind the rearmost seat for stowing reasonable amounts of luggage, groceries and other cargo. The Ascent’s standard roof rails will come in handy when you need to bring along some really bulky stuff, such as bicycles, kayaks, etc.
For front-seat riders, the dashboard and gauges are clearly marked and include oversize knobs that control audio and ventilation systems. A 6.5-inch touch screen is standard, while an 8-inch unit is available.
Subaru also has eschewed a growing number of vehicles that use rotary dials or switches to change gears: The Ascent sticks with a traditional console-located shifter.
The cabin is enclosed in conservative yet stylish sheet metal, fronted by a hexagonal grille that speaks to Subaru’s current design theme. The fenders are neatly flared, but the vehicle isn’t as aggressive-looking as, say, the VW Atlas. The blackedout fender lips and lower side trim hints at the Ascent’s ruggedness,
which is backed up by standard allwheel drive along with 8.7 inches of rut-clearing and boulder-hopping ground clearance.
The Ascent is built on a version of Subaru’s Global Platform that emphasizes stiffness and light weight. It now underpins most of the automaker’s offerings, except the BRZ sport coupe, of course.
The only engine offering is a turbocharged 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine that makes 260 horsepower and 277 pound-feet of torque. The accompanying continuously variable transmission has eight steps that can be manually controlled by paddle shifters located behind the steering wheel.
Subaru claims the Ascent can travel up to 500 miles between fuel stops, thanks to a big tank and a 23 mpg in combined city/highway driving. That range will undoubtedly shrink should you take advantage of the vehicle’s 5,000-pound towing capability.
Ascent base pricing starts at $33,000, or about $7,500 more than the five-passenger Forester wagon. That fee includes plenty of content, plus tri-zone climate control, 18inch alloy wheels and a number of active-safety technologies such as autonomous emergency braking and active cruise control.
The Premium trim level comes with a power driver’s seat, up-level cloth upholstery, rear-seat climate controls and heated front seats, outside mirrors and windshield. Blind-spot detection, rear cross-traffic alert and lane-change assist are also added.
Moving up to the Touring trim gets you leather-covered seats, steering-responsive (pivoting) headlights, 20-inch wheels and retractable sunshades for the second-row windows.
At $46,000, the Ascent Touring tops out with a panoramic moonroof, navigation system, premium leather seats, fancier interior and exterior trim and a 14-speaker Harmon Kardon-brand surround sound system.
With Subaru’s successful product track record and an excellent reputation for build quality, the return to manufacturing an extra-roomy utility wagon appears to be the right move at the right time. The automaker’s near fanatical fan base would probably agree.