[KAH]

4 People here -- 2 adults, a baby/car seat and an 8 year old. No dog,l but our 3rd row is almost always down. We do a lot of driving around California and neighboring states and the Ascent provides us with PLENTY of cargo space without sacrificing room around the passengers. We love it. MY23 here.

 

[chemgeek]

I do a lot of traveling for curling. That's a 4 person team for 4 day weekend events, with equipment plus luggage. In my Forester we are packed to the gills, equioment bag doesnt fit well, can't see out the back window, and small luggage in the back seat between passengers. In the Ascent, everything packs neatly in the cargo area behind the captain's seats, with good rear vision, and passengers are comfortable with room for snacks in a cubby on the floor between the seats. When packing for a week-long vacation for two with kayaks and bikes, everything we need to pack fits under the cargo cover enroute.

 

[haldent]

We are a family of 4, 2 adults 2 kids in car seats, with a big 90lb dog. We have an Outback and love it but it is tight for camping adventures as the dog takes up half the trunk.

I'm trying to get an idea of the amount of cargo space in the Ascent with the third row folded down.

We don't need the extra seats and we don't tow so I'm not sure if the Ascent is the right choice. I'm really wondering if the extra 10 cubic feet of cargo space makes a difference for people?!?

Other option is to go with a new Outback with a roof box and hitch rack...seems like a lot of stuff though and would prefer to store inside the car.
Please feel free to give your ideas.

We got an Ascent Touring with Captain chairs in the second row and keep the third row folded and have a cargo separator so that we can use the added cargo space.

 

[Tmoenter]

With the captains chairs put the dog on the floor between the kids. Lots of cargo space then.

 

[BobK]

We are a family of 4, 2 adults 2 kids in car seats, with a big 90lb dog. We have an Outback and love it but it is tight for camping adventures as the dog takes up half the trunk.

I'm trying to get an idea of the amount of cargo space in the Ascent with the third row folded down.

We don't need the extra seats and we don't tow so I'm not sure if the Ascent is the right choice. I'm really wondering if the extra 10 cubic feet of cargo space makes a difference for people?!?

Other option is to go with a new Outback with a roof box and hitch rack...seems like a lot of stuff though and would prefer to store inside the car.
Please feel free to give your ideas.

We have 2 big dogs weighing a total of roughly 135 pounds, and we go to Florida for two months every winter in our '21 Ascent 8 passenger. The previous vehicle was a 2012 Outback; I loved that Outback, but the Ascent is way better for us. We load up a thule rooftop box with all the stuff we need in Florida, put the third row seat down for the pups, and put the short term stuff in the second row seats. At the motels, we grab our bags, dog food, etc. from the second row -- easy. And the dogs have plenty of room to get up and move around and get comfortable.
It's most likely better and safer to put the dogs in secured crates and get them out more often, but this is what we do.

 

[Wolverine73]

We are a family of 4, 2 adults 2 kids in car seats, with a big 90lb dog. We have an Outback and love it but it is tight for camping adventures as the dog takes up half the trunk.

I'm trying to get an idea of the amount of cargo space in the Ascent with the third row folded down.

We don't need the extra seats and we don't tow so I'm not sure if the Ascent is the right choice. I'm really wondering if the extra 10 cubic feet of cargo space makes a difference for people?!?

Other option is to go with a new Outback with a roof box and hitch rack...seems like a lot of stuff though and would prefer to store inside the car.
Please feel free to give your ideas.

Hi. We have a ‘23 Ascent Limited and a 2018 Outback. 3rd row has never been in use on the Ascent…. always folded. Plenty of storage room and cavernous with 2nd row down. We did a 1400 mile trip to Florida a month ago and start the return trip tomorrow. The Outback (with nothing stored on the roof) would average 30+ mpg on the interstate. The Ascent will not break 24. That may be a consideration for you. I prefer the Ascent for trips due to the power and higher driving position and better seats. A roof box on the Outback will definitely affect your gas mileage negatively. I know this from experience. Just something to keep in mind.

 

[AnnaW]

We are a family of 4, 2 adults 2 kids in car seats, with a big 90lb dog. We have an Outback and love it but it is tight for camping adventures as the dog takes up half the trunk.

I'm trying to get an idea of the amount of cargo space in the Ascent with the third row folded down.

We don't need the extra seats and we don't tow so I'm not sure if the Ascent is the right choice. I'm really wondering if the extra 10 cubic feet of cargo space makes a difference for people?!?

Other option is to go with a new Outback with a roof box and hitch rack...seems like a lot of stuff though and would prefer to store inside the car.
Please feel free to give your ideas.

Just got our Ascent. Similar family but our dog is 120 lbs. She loves all the space and off we use a roof top carrier, there is more than enough room for everyone and the kids love that they can control the temperature in the back. We have the 2023 premium.

 

[Firebug85]

We have an 8-passenger Ascent. This gives us the ability to have the little ones at the ends and small dog in between. This also gives the kids an area to set stuff down on and be reachable throughout a drive if the little dog isn’t with us. When we packed for camping trips we were packed to the brim. Plus bigger bulky stuff on a hitch rack. Now that we have a big dog I imagine she will take up half the back and we may end up investing in a roof rack. I’ll rather not since it would hurt our already precious fuel economy but may not have a choice. A small trailer is another option for camping trip. Our camping trips are usually a week long. Great car with plenty of space but at some point it will get maxed out by your family if you plan on packing big like we do. We don’t alway pack this way and is why we wouldn’t need something bigger than the ascent. No need for a bigger car if we will only truly need that space 2-3 times a year. I trailer or roof rack is much cheaper than a bigger car with more cargo space.

 

[chang]

I'm in a similar situation (2 adults, 2 kids in car seats) but no dog. We have a 2011 Outback 3.6R and a 2022 Ascent Limited 7-passenger.

For me, the extra cargo space in the back makes a huge difference. There are often situations where I can just put the 3rd row down and load up the back where with the Outback, I would have to take the car seats out and fold the back seats down. With the captain's chairs (not sure about the 2nd row bench) I can also push those forward for even more room. It's very convenient to not have to take out car seats.

For instance, I can easily fit my 20ft Gorilla ladder in the back with just the 3rd row down whereas in the Outback, I would have to take at least 1 car seat out.

The Ascent is definitely a bigger vehicle and the biggest I've owned – it took a bit to get used to the size. It's nice that we hung on to our Outback for places that have tighter parking. A few months into ownership, I ended up installing the OEM hitch receiver myself (based on lots of helpful forum posts here). I don't tow often or have much experience, but it's been nice to have the option.

 

[kevdiggity40]

As a father of 4 who remembers the days of only 2, I'd still take the Ascent over the Outback and I've owned both. Our other vehicle is a 2021 Toyota Sienna. It has been fantastic on gas, averaging close to 34 mpg and to be honest, I recommend vans even for families with 2 kids. The utility is just unbeatable. But staying in the Subaru family, you can't beat the Ascent. It's undoubtedly the best value in mid-sized 3 row SUVS, has the highest possible safety ratings/crash testing, is comfortable and gives you the cargo room and AWD versatility you're looking for. We've been on multiple 5 hour road trips with a cargo box and bikes on the hitch and everyone was comfy (I'm about 6'4" and have 16, 14, 11 and 8 yo kids that are all taller than average). You'll have more cargo space for strollers, even kid-sized bikes in the Ascent (if needed). Soon enough, you may be carrying athletic gear and luggage for their various sports/activities and you'll have extra room for carpool with other families.

I've always been a wagon fan. I still love Volvo wagons but until my kids are out of the house, a 3 row option just makes too much sense.

 

[theprofessor]

I’m an outlier here. I have 21 Touring and find it to be meh. We have two kids under 5 and a teen.

The teen and wife hate the third row. It’s comfy but they get motion sickness back there. No issue with it in our X7, only the subie.

the car is not very fun to drive. It beeps way too much. People here will say “drive better” buts that’s stupid. The X7 has the same safety features but you don’t hear a peep out of that car. All the notifications are more passive.

the adaptive cruise control has almost put us into a guard rail twice so that’s turned off.

the auto braking collision is overly dramatic and put another car in the ditch this past winter. The car auto applied the brakes causing the car behind me to lose control. It was a complete overreaction by the subie.

the apple car play is horrible.

my wife hates driving the ascent because of all these issues. Our neighbor bought a new outback and retuned it after a few days for the same reasons.

I loved my 2010 Outback but think I’m done with Subie. This summer I’ll dump it for XC90 or similar.

I know this triggered some of you. So be it.

 

[Luffy1000]

I got an 23 ascent limited bc I needed a 7 seater and didn’t want to spend extra $10k to get a highlander. It’s a great car. Has low mpg in city and pain to street park so be aware. Not good in city neighborhoods where there is a stop sign every block. That’s just a fact. It’s ideal as a second car for a family of four or bigger like any 7 seater. I appreciate the safety features bc I’m bad about being in my phone while driving. It keeps me in check. The front collision alert can be a little sensitive sometimes but honestly I am cutting it a bit close when it goes off like a car is crossing in front of me and I take off just a split second too early. Have had zero issues with the eyesight. It’s amazing and I use it all the time on the highway to just chill and let it do its thing on long drives. The seats are amazing, good lumbar support. Good visibility and you get respect from all the maniacs in giant lifted trucks speeding around like mad max. If it had better mpg it would be a best seller. If your budget is tight and you’re stretching to the hilt to afford one you will never be happy with it due to fuel and insurance costs. But if it fits your budget enjoy the crap out of the turbo and have the peace of mind that you are in an incredibly safe little tank on these dangerous roads with distracted/impatient drivers.

 

[Landshark]

I’m an outlier here. I have 21 Touring and find it to be meh. We have two kids under 5 and a teen.

The teen and wife hate the third row. It’s comfy but they get motion sickness back there. No issue with it in our X7, only the subie.

the car is not very fun to drive. It beeps way too much. People here will say “drive better” buts that’s stupid. The X7 has the same safety features but you don’t hear a peep out of that car. All the notifications are more passive.

the adaptive cruise control has almost put us into a guard rail twice so that’s turned off.

the auto braking collision is overly dramatic and put another car in the ditch this past winter. The car auto applied the brakes causing the car behind me to lose control. It was a complete overreaction by the subie.

the apple car play is horrible.

my wife hates driving the ascent because of all these issues. Our neighbor bought a new outback and retuned it after a few days for the same reasons.

I loved my 2010 Outback but think I’m done with Subie. This summer I’ll dump it for XC90 or similar.

I know this triggered some of you. So be it.

I agree with you on several of those complaints. I've turned off the driver monitoring feature and never use the lane centering feature because both of those are completely broken for me. It'll constantly tell me to keep my eyes on the road when I'm staring at the road and the lane centering (and eyesight in general) will jerk the car onto the shoulder constantly as it follows tar snakes and other stuff on the road.

I think where the unfairness comes from is comparing the Subaru Ascent, starting MSRP of $34k with the BMW X7 starting at $84k and the Volve XC90 non-hybrid starting at $58k. The latter 2 being completely different categories of vehicles that don't compete with the Subaru...and also cost well above MSRP when you start adding features to compare more directly with Subaru's standard feature set.

I wouldn't mind the hybrid Volvo XC90, we almost bought one. But it'd be 2.5x more expensive than the Ascent. For the price I paid for the Ascent I can live with a few annoyances. Figure there'd be some annoyances with the Volvo as well.

 

[DDL]

I got an 23 ascent limited bc I needed a 7 seater and didn’t want to spend extra $10k to get a highlander. It’s a great car. Has low mpg in city and pain to street park so be aware. Not good in city neighborhoods where there is a stop sign every block. That’s just a fact. It’s ideal as a second car for a family of four or bigger like any 7 seater. I appreciate the safety features bc I’m bad about being in my phone while driving. It keeps me in check. The front collision alert can be a little sensitive sometimes but honestly I am cutting it a bit close when it goes off like a car is crossing in front of me and I take off just a split second too early. Have had zero issues with the eyesight. It’s amazing and I use it all the time on the highway to just chill and let it do its thing on long drives. The seats are amazing, good lumbar support. Good visibility and you get respect from all the maniacs in giant lifted trucks speeding around like mad max. If it had better mpg it would be a best seller. If your budget is tight and you’re stretching to the hilt to afford one you will never be happy with it due to fuel and insurance costs. But if it fits your budget enjoy the crap out of the turbo and have the peace of mind that you are in an incredibly safe little tank on these dangerous roads with distracted/impatient drivers.

Thank you for the detail

 

[Jim_in_PA]

the car is not very fun to drive. It beeps way too much.

Most of them can be...turned off.

 

[En3D]

As for too many beeps, used to it because it's been this way for other Subarus we've owned. The only beep I hate is the seat belt one.

My biggest complaint about the Ascent is how light the steering is which I think makes the car more difficult to drive.

 

[theprofessor]

I agree with you on several of those complaints. I've turned off the driver monitoring feature and never use the lane centering feature because both of those are completely broken for me. It'll constantly tell me to keep my eyes on the road when I'm staring at the road and the lane centering (and eyesight in general) will jerk the car onto the shoulder constantly as it follows tar snakes and other stuff on the road.

I think where the unfairness comes from is comparing the Subaru Ascent, starting MSRP of $34k with the BMW X7 starting at $84k and the Volve XC90 non-hybrid starting at $58k. The latter 2 being completely different categories of vehicles that don't compete with the Subaru...and also cost well above MSRP when you start adding features to compare more directly with Subaru's standard feature set.

I wouldn't mind the hybrid Volvo XC90, we almost bought one. But it'd be 2.5x more expensive than the Ascent. For the price I paid for the Ascent I can live with a few annoyances. Figure there'd be some annoyances with the Volvo as well.

the point being a car can have all the safety features without being so obnoxious. The subie is obnoxious. I had most of it turned off permanently via the dealer but during the recall fixes they said they could not legally turn them off again. Manually turning them off is annoying. Again, you can have the safety features without being annoying

the ride quality is probably not a fair comparison. Our X7 was a six figure purchase. So I’d expect the third row to ride smooth. The ascent third row seems to affect people (the Subaru Reddit sub had a few people complaining about motion sickness as well).

I would consider Subaru again if they dumped the eyesight. My neighbor works for Subaru NA and he said the complaints about eyesight are well heard. Not sure what that means, but let’s hope they become more passive.

I know this forum gets triggered when people Talk negative about Subie. I do love so much about the car, but eyesight is a deal breaker for me.

 

[TSiWRX]

I think Eyesight -as everything else- has its pros and cons. It's definitely one of the safety systems that performs better - but I also think that yes, it does take away from the "Zen" of driving (i.e. that it can at-times be too intrusive).

I've often referenced this set of memes:

My Ascent yells -

I scream back -

FWIW, I feel that my '21 Ascent's Eyesight intrudes sooner than my '19 (both the Touring model)? And certainly, Eyesight in the Ascents has been more aggressive than any other of our late-model Subarus (we've had 12 since 2005, with Eyesight models starting with my MIL's 2019 Legacy 2.5i Limited that's currently my teenage daughter's vehicle, along with a '22 Forester Limited, '22 WRX CVT Limited as fellow current-generation vehicles).

Similarly, I've also experienced those "advanced advanced braking" instances of forward collision mitigation (that said, it doesn't matter if the car behind me takes such intense evasive maneuvers that they end up in a ditch - that's their fault, as maintaining sufficient following distance is always the trailing vehicle's responsibility).

That said, I've been able to reconcile these differences into my daily driving. I've written about this before: I love driving stick-shift - it feels like I'm mechanically syncing with the car. Even the amazing Porsche PDK, or just the SPT CVT in my wife's '22 WRX (which I actually love), it still feels that I'm working against the car, trying to guess what my input will elicit and when exactly it will happen. To me, this brings about its own weird and almost perverse kind of enjoyment, but it's just not the same.

My hope is that, @theprofessor , what your neighbor who works for Subaru says is true, and that they'll continue to refine the system so as to achieve a better balance and to draw out the "Ghosts in the Machine" (I also don't like LCA/LKA as it often provided me with a feeling of "uncertainty," although I have yet to have it push me too far within the lane, or beyond it).

And you're right - the Ascent does pitch and roll quite a bit: but alas, as you very well noted in your follow-up, this is a vehicle that's priced at only a fraction of comparable vehicles with sophisticated active suspensions. While what induces motion-sickness in each person is subjective and highly dependent on the individual, objective pitch/roll/yaw behaviors are undeniable, and the rather pillowy ride of the conventionally suspended Ascent does exact a toll, here.

Apple CarPlay is glitchy in just about every vehicle in its own way. I recently was in a variety of different rental vehicles of the following 3 marques, Kia, VW, and Toyota, and none worked seamlessly. I think that this is just par for modern living - that until the industry works out a better way to handle various updates, this kind of annoyance is just gonna be Tuesday. Here, I think it's more a matter of the individual's tolerance on just what kind of glitches they are able to live with on a daily basis.

 

[Jim_in_PA]

I would consider Subaru again if they dumped the eyesight.

I seriously doubt that's going to happen and all the other manufacturers have implemented or are in process or implementing similar advanced safety monitoring systems.

 

[tmz2003]

I’m an outlier here. I have 21 Touring and find it to be meh. We have two kids under 5 and a teen.

The teen and wife hate the third row. It’s comfy but they get motion sickness back there. No issue with it in our X7, only the subie.

the car is not very fun to drive. It beeps way too much. People here will say “drive better” buts that’s stupid. The X7 has the same safety features but you don’t hear a peep out of that car. All the notifications are more passive.

the adaptive cruise control has almost put us into a guard rail twice so that’s turned off.

the auto braking collision is overly dramatic and put another car in the ditch this past winter. The car auto applied the brakes causing the car behind me to lose control. It was a complete overreaction by the subie.

the apple car play is horrible.

my wife hates driving the ascent because of all these issues. Our neighbor bought a new outback and retuned it after a few days for the same reasons.

I loved my 2010 Outback but think I’m done with Subie. This summer I’ll dump it for XC90 or similar.

I know this triggered some of you. So be it.

Nobody triggered here.

As with anything, we all have our own opinions/impressions about the car. No harm, no foul.

All I can say is that your experience with the car has not been mine.