[Burutoo]

I didn't even consider a Traverse because GM. Greedy a$$bags! I'd never own a product from them after the 2008 crash. Having worked with them for years they acted untouchable and superior but when s hit the fan they were the first in line for a handout. I wouldn't ever willingly give them anymore of my money.

 

[Janner]

I've had an Atlas as a rental recently and I can tell you that there is very minimal gap between the second and third rows when both are folded down. The cargo room in the Atlas is the best thing about that car. When the second and third rows are folded down you get a huge continuous flat surface for cargo. For a lot of other reasons, I still much prefer the Ascent but the cargo space is definitely much more useable in the Atlas.

I loved my Outback - I didn't even consider anything besides the Ascent. I just wanted an Outback that was a little bigger and higher - and the Ascent delivered. I drive a lot of highway miles in the west alone and like the Subaru AWD for it's bad weather driving, adaptive cruise, clearance and safety features. I'll deal with the seat gap but that doesn't mean I won't complain a little about it. :tango_face_wink:

 

[bluesube]

FWIW for me, the CX9 did not pass the auto show test. It's just too big outside for the space available inside. Then I read where Consumer Reports readers were reporting a lot of engine problems and also that the climate control was weak. Everybody says it drives well, but that's not my priority and the above are big misses in my book. Crossed it off my list a long time ago.

 

[kensubaru]

For another perspective, the use-case for my wife and I was around going on 2 to 3 day road trips with our 2 (large) dogs, with travel crates/food/bowls/etc., along with our own stuff.

The 2012 Outback was fine for 1 dog, but with the new addition, it's good for shorter trips of a hour or two, but not for overnight.

The Ascent is just enough bigger to accommodate the needs. The Traverse and the Atlas were next on the list, being the options that had a bit more space.

With the Atlas. the main concern was that it just "felt" big -- harder to see over the bonnet (and we're both 6'2"), and wider, though we did like all the space -- and the AWD system wasn't as nice. The longer warranty would have been nice as well.

For the Traverse, the tradeoffs were similar, though less extreme than for the Atlas. It "felt" smaller (than the Atlas), but still "big". The Ascent was the smallest vehicle that was "big enough". And, my wife and I are fond of Subarus and their safety features in general, so that sealed the deal.

 

[sandy]

Interesting the two companies have swapped position in the cargo space war. Decade ago when Tribeca competed with then CX-9, main disadvantage was much less space under similar external size.

 

[hendersonra]

No Comparison

I have owned both CX-9 and now the Ascent... There is absolutely no comparison. Subaru blows the Mazda away. If you live in any sort of snow, the CX-9 does not compare. We ended up selling it as it couldn't get up our driveway in the snow. A lot of features and bells, but the Ascent has just as many and keeps the resale value. The safety of the Subaru is amazing, cargo and passenger room quite comfortable and the top end model affordable. Just my 2 cents, but seriously the CX-9 has some room to improve.

 

[Sparkland]

One vehicle left off the list was the Dodge Durango - it is a capable competitor to any vehicle on the list. I personally would not purchase a Dodge product, but it is a very nice vehicle.

 

[Xandersmama85]

One vehicle left off the list was the Dodge Durango - it is a capable competitor to any vehicle on the list. I personally would not purchase a Dodge product, but it is a very nice vehicle.

I love the look of the new model Durangos but I too wouldn't buy one. Every person I know with a Chrysler has had nothing but issues and most are less that 5 years old. If I'm spending $30,000-40,000 on a vehicle, it **** well better get me around town without ending up in the shop every 6 months.

 

[wireedm]

It looks to me like the original poster dislikes some of the aesthetics of the Ascent, but likes the practical aspects. Whereas, on the CX-9 likes the aesthetics but dislikes the practicality.


If aesthetics are your priority, CX-9 it is. If practicality, choose the Ascent.

 

[pilot1226]

I have owned both CX-9 and now the Ascent... There is absolutely no comparison. Subaru blows the Mazda away. If you live in any sort of snow, the CX-9 does not compare. We ended up selling it as it couldn't get up our driveway in the snow. A lot of features and bells, but the Ascent has just as many and keeps the resale value. The safety of the Subaru is amazing, cargo and passenger room quite comfortable and the top end model affordable. Just my 2 cents, but seriously the CX-9 has some room to improve.

Curious, are you comparing apples to apples, meaning your CX9 had AWD, and that the problem with your driveway wasn't an issue with old tires, etc?

 

[Robert.Mauro]

Curious, are you comparing apples to apples, meaning your CX9 had AWD, and that the problem with your driveway wasn't an issue with old tires, etc?

Mazda's newest i-Active AWD system is 98% FWD biased unless it determines it needs to shift power. I think on hills in snow it may suffer from that, because, as we all know, once a wheel breaks free...

 

[rockthebeef]

I appreciate this discussion because I'm still on the fence between these two vehicles. I know I'd be pretty satisfied with the Ascent. However, all of my vehicles have put practicality over passion/aesthetics/whatever. It might be time for Daddy to tip the scales a little bit (I'm not likely to ever get a bike or sports car) and get something that leans toward driving engagement. My current vehicle is a 2012 Outback and it's been good overall. It's OK to drive, but I see what I'm missing when I drive my wife's CX-5. I'm a fan of both Mazda and Subaru for different reasons.

As far as space is concerned, we can honestly get by with a compact SUV, but I wan't something more substantial this time. The Outback has had plenty of space for camping, road trips, the beach, etc. for our small family (wife, kid, me). That being said, an occasional 3rd row would be appreciated. I don't care too much for vertical storage space as I try not to load the car far above the window line. I think the Ascent and CX-9 are comparable in terms of floor area.

I know where to get good prices on parts and accessories for Subarus, and the oil change would be a breeze with the top mount filter! That's a big pro for the Ascent. It seems there's also more active online discussion and aftermarket stuff for Subarus in general than compared to Mazda. That kind of thing actually adds to the ownership experience for me.

So do I lean more toward fun to drive or toward practicality? The thing is, the CX-9 isn't really *impractical* for us and the Ascent seems to be almost as fun to drive as the CX-9. (Actually the new Acadia scores well in this category). I change my mind almost daily - it's like I just have to flip a coin...

 

[gobears157]

If all the benefits of the ascent aren’t important on your list, you may be happier with the cx9: it’s been around longer so you know what the issues are (less surprises), it does drive more fun, and you can probably get it for cheaper. The ascent is obviously the better fit for my needs. Just the lack of modern technology was a deal breaker for me on the cx9.

 

[Denversubie11]

The CX9 does look very nice but the feel of everything is cheap. The ascent looks and feels well built with quality materials (besides the ugly ivory "carbon fiber" trim).

 

[Steve in Denver]

I'm honestly surprised we are not seeing more people compare the Ascent to the Traverse. Having driven a lot of the competition in this class recently I'd actually choose the Traverse second to the Ascent.

Traverse is out for us because you can't get the advanced safety features on the lower trims (as I recall you have to get the very top trim if you want the safety stuff.) 1. I don't care much for the bells and whistles of the higher trim, and I'm not willing to pay $10k extra just to get the safety features when they are available on other vehicles. 2. It's a turnoff to me that Chevy would make such a decision - advanced safety not available to frugal people.

Sort of a bummer - I do wish the Traverse were an option for me. I'd buy the Pacifica if it had AWD, too.

-Steve

 

[Steve in Denver]

Curious, are you comparing apples to apples, meaning your CX9 had AWD, and that the problem with your driveway wasn't an issue with old tires, etc?

And what year / generation of CX-9 was this? Is it more or less what is being sold now, or a previous model?

 

[Steve in Denver]

If you truly hated the interior ivory pieces that you're describing, I'm thinking that you could order parts from a limited trim in the color preference you want and replace them? It may cost a little more, but you could do it, right?

That's an interesting idea. I'd need to look into how easy to replace they are (are they separate parts, or more integrated into the dash / door panels), and of course how much it would cost to do it. But definitely an interesting idea.

An additional thing that bugged me about the white pieces was that they are hard, and therefore not very grippy...so when I put my phone in there, it slid back and forth fairly easily. I'm thinking the leather wrapped pieces would add more grip, so that would be nice.

 

[thomasoniii]

I was originally strongly considering the CX-9 before I went with the Ascent. There were a couple of things that changed my mind:

* The CX-9 is known as Mazda's least reliable current model. Of course, we don't know the reliability on the Ascent, but we know the CX-9 is iffy. The 3 is Mazda's best car.
* My wife has a Mazda 3 and it has the same entertainment system as the CX-9. I just don't care for it. I found Starlink far more intuitive, and the Android Auto integration was a big deal.
* I think Subaru's AWD is going to out perform Mazda's.
* Cargo space was better, and rear seating was a lot nicer. I also preferred the captain's chairs for 3rd row access.
* I think Eyesight is a better safety system.
* Even though the CX-9 is a pretty safe car (IIHS top safety pick), I'm banking on the Ascent beating it. Hopefully I don't regret that.
* The Ascent is still pretty fun to drive, even if it may not handle as well as the CX-9.

As far as the handling/"fun" of the car, also take into account that I upgraded from a 15 year old Toyota Matrix. So any new car is going to be substantially safer/nicer/more fun to drive. The Ascent and CX-9 have comparable acceleration. For my old Toyota? 0-60? "Yes".

 

[GHP1]

From a safety standpoint the implementation of the SGP chassis really sets Subaru apart from other automakers. If you take a deep dive into the engineering behind it you will be impressed. ****, the Impreza was tested by Subaru to take a over 50mph small overlap impact by a 2/5 ton auto and survive. This was a 1 billion dollar investment by Subaru which meets or exceeds safety standards until 2025 or more. Throw in the AWD, great resale value plus value pricing it's my choice

 

[JPGators]

I test drove the CX-9 back in May and finally got to test drive an Ascent yesterday. The one thing that always stuck in my mind with the CX-9 was how small the interior felt. My wife had a Mazda3 & CX-5 so I was already used to the way Mazdas drive. It was nice but nothing I particularly cared for. We both noticed how small the CX-9 interior felt, and I was surprised (and happy) when she said she didn't want it. In the end I got her a Honda Pilot which feels roomy, but also drives larger. When I got behind the wheel of the Ascent not once did I feel it was small inside yet it drove like a smaller vehicle. It was a short test drive so I didn't get to do much except punch the accelerator once and make a U-turn. Still it was enough for me to wish I was leaving the dealership in an Ascent! My wife wasn't with me so she'll have to wait until next month when mine arrives to actually enjoy the Ascent (or more likely say she still prefers her Pilot lol).