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Disappointed

5K views 21 replies 14 participants last post by  packout 
#1 ·
At this stage , my experience has been disappointing !!
Bad transmission ( replaced) ; tires worn out after 20K . Just not a good experience with this vehicle. I owned Honda’s for 20 years and I may just go back to the Pilot
 
#2 ·
I'm sorry to hear about your disappointment with the Ascent, I had that myself with a VW Passat- great expectations but a major disappointment in the end. Went back to Hondas until I bought the 2019 Ascent in the Fall of 2018.

I took a chance on an unproven model and honestly couldn't be more satisfied. I've had no problems and the fit, finish and reliability is as good or better than all of the Hondas since 1991.

How was your dealer experience when the CVT failed?

20K on OEM tires isn't terrible, I'm at 23K and will replace them before next Winter.
 
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#4 ·
I'm sorry to hear about your disappointment with the Ascent, I had that myself with a VW Passat- great expectations but a major disappointment in the end. Went back to Hondas until I bought the 2019 Ascent in the Fall of 2018.

I took a chance on an unproven model and honestly couldn't be more satisfied. I've had no problems and the fit, finish and reliability is as good or better than all of the Hondas since 1991.

How was your dealer experience when the CVT failed?

20K on OEM tires isn't terrible, I'm at 23K and will replace them before next Winter.
Are you excluding Acura from Honda? Because I beg to differ. I’ve never had so many minor issues come up in a car before. But it’s not so much these issue as it is getting them resolved. With Acura, if there was ever anything wrong I’d tell them and they would look and fix. No questions asked. With Subaru, I would say 80% are first to discount what you say or say that is normal operation and nothing to be done. Or try to blame you for whatever happen and try to avoid warranty repair. Which forces you to call corporate to push them to action. But of course the first thing out of their mouths are if we modified ANYTHING, that it could void your warranty. Besides that, it’s been a great car. And I do have to agree with the tire issue. 25k on oem tires awesome. Try over 115k on the original oem tires I bought the car with. But with replacement parts, you don’t have to worry because with such a following there are performancereplacemeta parts for just about every component in the car. I mea when I began looking for performance parts I couldn’t believe how many parts retailers were selling. I mean, support or reinforcement or protection for almost every panel in or on the car. Makes a person wonder why that is, no?
 
#6 ·
To be honest, the OEM tires only has a treadwear of 360 so you can't expect much out of it. Even if you switch to a Honda Pilot, the OEM tires will also have a treadwear similar to what you get from the Ascent's OEM tires.
 
#9 ·
It's unfortunate you've had a bad transmission in your Ascent, but I'm happy to hear that your dealer replaced it without hassle. Honda transmissions are pretty good today, but their Pilot and Odyssey transmissions from about 15 years ago have a very poor reputation. Sometimes, it's just the luck of the draw. Most of us with Ascents have had good service from them. Many owners here tow trailers and some tow trailers pretty close to the 5,000 pound limit and have had good service from the CVT. Again, it's sometimes just the luck of the draw.

In the end, a vehicle is just a machine. Nice cars like these are just an appurtenance to life and if you're not comfortable with the Ascent and have the means to trade it for a Pilot, then I'd suggest doing so. Statistically, you're likely to have a good experience with both Honda and Subaru, as brands in general. Of course, brand choice in the automotive industry is often very much an emotional and subjective decision.
 
#11 ·
Sorry to hear about all the issues. I had a ton of issues over the past 2 yrs (17+ service visits, so I understand), Although I'm currently on my longest stretch without a dealership visit- approaching 4 months (Feel free to peruse my posts over the past few years regarding my issues). The most surprising thing was having one of the Falkens out of spec with a total of only 4000 miles on the tires. I put separate Winter wheels and tires on and I do two alignments per year, one in the Spring and one in the fall when I swap out wheels and tires, so my tires tend to last forever. The Falkens are a jack-of-all-trades master of none tire, but they are pretty quiet and they do ride nicely, although I don't like their handling or braking characteristics, and they stink in the rain. I went with Generals as replacements and am happy with them. I think the car handles a little better with them as well.

I have pointed out in the past, while Subaru is generally a reliable brand, there are always exceptions to the rule, and you and I appear to have been among them.
 
#12 ·
I look at it this way , anything that breaks under warranty and is repaired with or without upgraded components , really never broke. Weird to say and hard to swallow but it is true. Wldcrd76 , your experience is not so much Subaru , but that of the dealer you go to.


Carl
 
#18 ·
Way back in the day (of just a few years ago), EPA ratings were a bit easier to make, and EPA requirements weren't as high. So, it was easier to have big, thick rubber, soft and comfy, long wear tires on a car right off the dealership floor. Add to that, that I am sure it's assumed most people who buy an Ascent do so for a decent sized family that required a third row, who's looking for a bit more comfort than those who buy a Crosstrek or Outback are, so, highly street oriented tires that generally have less tread life fit well. It also means they can spend less and we can be charged less for the tires that a number of us are taking off our Ascents for something that better suits our needs. For instance, honestly, there isn't a single road tire they could have put on my Ascent that I would have kept on it. Many who don't off-road but are repeat Subaru owners would be looking for something more cold/winter/snow friendly (Vermont and Colorado are BIG markets).
 
#20 ·
Way back in the day (of just a few years ago), EPA ratings were a bit easier to make, and EPA requirements weren't as high. So, it was easier to have big, thick rubber, soft and comfy, long wear tires on a car right off the dealership floor.
The Michelins that came OEM on my 2010 Mazda 6 had 11/32 tread depth new and 65k warranty. They lasted a little over 50k. Replaced with the same brand, model and size which had 8.5/32 tread depth new and they lasted likewise just over 50k but only had a 50k warranty. The tire manufacturer reduced the amount of material, changed the rubber formulation and saved on warranty claims but the real world performance of the tire was unchanged.
 
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