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112 Posts
So, I hit 1,000 miles today and figured I'd give the standard report out. Let me set the stage by saying this is my first Subaru--it's a 21 Limited. The review is going to be honest and give credit where credit is due and the same with lumps---keep in mind it is a focus group of one, but it is honest. As a comparison, when shopping I looked at the Outback, Tiguan, Cx9, Edge, CRV, NX300, Highlander, Rav4, Escape, and Grand Cherokee, so I did some homework.
1. Overall, the car is "OK". I would not call this a great driving car, I would not call this a bad driving car. Fit and finish seems ok, but nothing stellar. I'll get into details down the line.
2. Engine---it's light on power--both HP and torque. I was driving this morning and really paid attention to what the engine RPM's were doing. At 73 mph, the drivetrain did the equivalent of downshifting while going over most overpasses. The RPM's jumped from about 1900 to almost 2800 using cruise. It did this repeatedly--albeit smoothly. These were roads I have driven for 14 years and never had a vehicle do that. That seems pretty excessive. I've read so many posts about the torque and HP, but frankly, I'm not seeing it. I can't imagine towing a trailer with this. The engine is very quiet at idle, but does drone a bit, especially when cold.
3. Handling. The vehicle itself seems to handle reasonably well for it's size. It has very little body roll through the corners, but the seats have so little bolstering that you tend to get thrown around before the suspension hits it's limits. If they would have given a little more bolstering, it would have really helped. The car does seem to track pretty well at highway speeds. The vehicle drives "big", which is good. Not the easiest to park due to sight lines, but pretty manageable.
4. Gas Mileage. I realize I'm only at 1000 miles, but the mileage is pretty poor. I'm averaging 15 in town and 21 on the road. Sticker is significantly higher. My 12 year old full size 4wd V8 SUV does almost the same as this. So far, that's a big disappointment. Maybe it will improve
5. Seat comfort. It may be to early to tell, but so far, not a huge fan. I drove the car today for 80 miles and I was getting numbness from the seats already....That doesn't bode well for longer trips
6. Wind noise---I have a lot of it and it drives me crazy...much worse into a headwind. I actually have to turn up the radio driving into a headwind.
7. Lighting. The headlights and fog lights are very very good. The most articulation I've seen steering responsive headlights.
8. There are a lot of bells, chirps, alarms, warnings, etc. I'm not saying this is good or bad, but there sure are a lot of them. I've turned off as many as I could.
9. Interior space is good. Very roomy. A main reason for the purchase.
10. All-wheel drive. I haven't had a chance to test this yet as we currently have no snow on the ground, but being in MN, it's going to get a chance to shine or tarnish before the season's over.
11. Driving position/front seating. . This is very personal I realize. My wife seems to like it, but I'm still trying to find a comfortable position. Surprised the passenger seat doesn't have a height adjustment on it. My other callout is that the driver's side seems to radiate cold from the door. Not airflow, but cold. In 22f today, my left leg was cold from the mid-thigh to the ankle. No air leakage though.
12. Wireless charging pad is nearly useless. I put my phone on it and after driving 42 miles this morning, the battery went up 12%. That's a pretty slow charging rate for nearly an hour.
So, overall, what do I think about the Ascent....I'm pretty indifferent. I rent a lot of cars each year (20+) on business so I drive many different vehicles that I can compare. . I can't really say the Ascent stands out to me so far. It's not a bad vehicle, but it also doesn't inspire me to drive it. I understand that Subaru's have an impeccable safety record, which is always a great thing. I also am starting to believe that Subaru drivers seem to be looking for similar things out of a vehicle (based strictly on what I've read on the forums) which is why they have such high loyalty. I'm not sure I'm in that group. Do I wish I had bought a different vehicle? I'm not ready to say that yet, and I'm hoping it will grow on me. I want to love the car, but I don't just yet. Let's see what the next 1,000 miles brings.
1. Overall, the car is "OK". I would not call this a great driving car, I would not call this a bad driving car. Fit and finish seems ok, but nothing stellar. I'll get into details down the line.
2. Engine---it's light on power--both HP and torque. I was driving this morning and really paid attention to what the engine RPM's were doing. At 73 mph, the drivetrain did the equivalent of downshifting while going over most overpasses. The RPM's jumped from about 1900 to almost 2800 using cruise. It did this repeatedly--albeit smoothly. These were roads I have driven for 14 years and never had a vehicle do that. That seems pretty excessive. I've read so many posts about the torque and HP, but frankly, I'm not seeing it. I can't imagine towing a trailer with this. The engine is very quiet at idle, but does drone a bit, especially when cold.
3. Handling. The vehicle itself seems to handle reasonably well for it's size. It has very little body roll through the corners, but the seats have so little bolstering that you tend to get thrown around before the suspension hits it's limits. If they would have given a little more bolstering, it would have really helped. The car does seem to track pretty well at highway speeds. The vehicle drives "big", which is good. Not the easiest to park due to sight lines, but pretty manageable.
4. Gas Mileage. I realize I'm only at 1000 miles, but the mileage is pretty poor. I'm averaging 15 in town and 21 on the road. Sticker is significantly higher. My 12 year old full size 4wd V8 SUV does almost the same as this. So far, that's a big disappointment. Maybe it will improve
5. Seat comfort. It may be to early to tell, but so far, not a huge fan. I drove the car today for 80 miles and I was getting numbness from the seats already....That doesn't bode well for longer trips
6. Wind noise---I have a lot of it and it drives me crazy...much worse into a headwind. I actually have to turn up the radio driving into a headwind.
7. Lighting. The headlights and fog lights are very very good. The most articulation I've seen steering responsive headlights.
8. There are a lot of bells, chirps, alarms, warnings, etc. I'm not saying this is good or bad, but there sure are a lot of them. I've turned off as many as I could.
9. Interior space is good. Very roomy. A main reason for the purchase.
10. All-wheel drive. I haven't had a chance to test this yet as we currently have no snow on the ground, but being in MN, it's going to get a chance to shine or tarnish before the season's over.
11. Driving position/front seating. . This is very personal I realize. My wife seems to like it, but I'm still trying to find a comfortable position. Surprised the passenger seat doesn't have a height adjustment on it. My other callout is that the driver's side seems to radiate cold from the door. Not airflow, but cold. In 22f today, my left leg was cold from the mid-thigh to the ankle. No air leakage though.
12. Wireless charging pad is nearly useless. I put my phone on it and after driving 42 miles this morning, the battery went up 12%. That's a pretty slow charging rate for nearly an hour.
So, overall, what do I think about the Ascent....I'm pretty indifferent. I rent a lot of cars each year (20+) on business so I drive many different vehicles that I can compare. . I can't really say the Ascent stands out to me so far. It's not a bad vehicle, but it also doesn't inspire me to drive it. I understand that Subaru's have an impeccable safety record, which is always a great thing. I also am starting to believe that Subaru drivers seem to be looking for similar things out of a vehicle (based strictly on what I've read on the forums) which is why they have such high loyalty. I'm not sure I'm in that group. Do I wish I had bought a different vehicle? I'm not ready to say that yet, and I'm hoping it will grow on me. I want to love the car, but I don't just yet. Let's see what the next 1,000 miles brings.