[FoRealz]

Well...woke up and drove 50+ miles to drive the Ascent finally. :smile_big:

Here are my thoughts:

I was pretty impressed. /endthread haha

I initially got in and adjusted the mirrors. Someone had jacked up the left side mirror and the motor was struggling to snap it back into position. Eventually, I got it. The mirrors seem a bit small, but I'm also used to my Tacoma's. I do think it will take a bit of adjustment, but should be fine.
@Robert.Mauro - I tried adjusting the rearview, but didn't get it as high as I had with the other one I saw in person. Curious if you were able to raise it like you said.

Visibility was really good. Definitely better than my Tacoma. It reminded me of the Forester. As mentioned before, I need to see if I can raise the rearview a bit higher for myself, but it wasn't really creating a blind spot that I was that concerned about.

I didn't like the steering feel, it's definitely electronically assisted power steering. It feels very loose compared to my truck I have now and the Forester I had driven before. It reminds me of the Atlas, which I didn't love. My guess is, I'll get used to it and over it. That was really the only con I had. It does have a great turning radius though and that makes it very easy to make turns with minimal effort.

Luckily, I was able to take it out onto the highway and for a decent little drive. It accelerates EXTREMELY easily. I felt like I stayed under 3000 rpm unless I actually pushed it. And when I did push it, the engine/exhaust has a nice growl! :devil: I was pretty impressed. Considering the weight of the vehicle and it being a turbo 4-cyclinder, it was really unexpected. I felt like it was quicker than my v6 truck. I was in the 65-80mph range on the highway and had no issue passing when I needed to or getting up to speed.

The "fake" shifting seemed very subtle. I didn't really even notice it. I didn't try out the paddle shifters either. I did briefly test the cruise control and it was pretty awesome. It's going to be great on long roadtrips.

From a dead stop it gets up and goes very easily. Caught my gf off guard once...oops!

The limited was so...smooth. Compared to my truck I have now, this felt like a luxury car that just eats up the bumps. Very comfortable and enjoyable ride. It also is super quiet inside the cabin. I didn't notice any body roll when I took corners sharply. The AC was nice and chilly too.

The brakes were great. Very responsive and slow it down with ease.

I didn't notice the HUD or any of the safety beeps. I kind of feel like they were turned off. Lane keep was definitely off. That's one of my regrets was wishing I had tested/had them enabled so I could hear the beeps and see the lights etc. I would probably only use the lane keep assist during night driving or road trips and keep it off most of the time.

Overall, I was very impressed. Both my gf and I agreed it felt like it was the fanciest Subaru we've ever been in. Everything feels like quality. The drive was great and so smooth! I didn't notice any lag or lack of power. It feels zippy and nimble. It felt fun to drive and reminded me of my gf's CX-5. So it makes sense they were targeting the CX-9 drivability. When we did go up a steep hill, I did hear the engine working harder, but it still didn't seem like it was struggling at all. I am curious what some of the Colorado testers' impressions are in the mountains/at elevation.

The only other thing I wish I had paid more attention to was drive height compared to the competition and my truck. I didn't pay attention to the cars around me though. (highlander, pilot, pathfinder, explorer, etc) I still felt like I was up high, but possibly slightly less than my Tacoma. I also wish she had driven it, but maybe on the next one.

I'm excited and hoping I can do a few more test drives while I wait for mine. I'm hoping it comes before the date on the sheet. :grin:

 

[pilot1226]

Yeah, I would agree with it - it "drives small" despite its size. I like that - in contrast, my wife's Honda Pilot (2016) feels a lot more "boaty" when turning, and not clumsy, but "cumbersome" when doing three-point turns, etc.

I am actually looking forward to the electric power steering. Right now, I feel every single vibration, twitch, jostle, jolt, bump, etc. with my Outback. My experience with electric is that it's more muted. Which is a con if you're specifically looking for tactile feedback from the road to the wheel, but it sure drives a lot easier. So, I'm looking forward to it.

 

[husker_soze]

Well...woke up and drove 50+ miles to drive the Ascent finally. :smile_big:

Here are my thoughts:

I was pretty impressed. /endthread haha

I initially got in and adjusted the mirrors. Someone had jacked up the left side mirror and the motor was struggling to snap it back into position. Eventually, I got it. The mirrors seem a bit small, but I'm also used to my Tacoma's. I do think it will take a bit of adjustment, but should be fine.
@Robert.Mauro - I tried adjusting the rearview, but didn't get it as high as I had with the other one I saw in person. Curious if you were able to raise it like you said.

Visibility was really good. Definitely better than my Tacoma. It reminded me of the Forester. As mentioned before, I need to see if I can raise the rearview a bit higher for myself, but it wasn't really creating a blind spot that I was that concerned about.

I didn't like the steering feel, it's definitely electronically assisted power steering. It feels very loose compared to my truck I have now and the Forester I had driven before. It reminds me of the Atlas, which I didn't love. My guess is, I'll get used to it and over it. That was really the only con I had. It does have a great turning radius though and that makes it very easy to make turns with minimal effort.

Luckily, I was able to take it out onto the highway and for a decent little drive. It accelerates EXTREMELY easily. I felt like I stayed under 3000 rpm unless I actually pushed it. And when I did push it, the engine/exhaust has a nice growl! :devil: I was pretty impressed. Considering the weight of the vehicle and it being a turbo 4-cyclinder, it was really unexpected. I felt like it was quicker than my v6 truck. I was in the 65-80mph range on the highway and had no issue passing when I needed to or getting up to speed.

The "fake" shifting seemed very subtle. I didn't really even notice it. I didn't try out the paddle shifters either. I did briefly test the cruise control and it was pretty awesome. It's going to be great on long roadtrips.

From a dead stop it gets up and goes very easily. Caught my gf off guard once...oops!

The limited was so...smooth. Compared to my truck I have now, this felt like a luxury car that just eats up the bumps. Very comfortable and enjoyable ride. It also is super quiet inside the cabin. I didn't notice any body roll when I took corners sharply. The AC was nice and chilly too.

The brakes were great. Very responsive and slow it down with ease.

I didn't notice the HUD or any of the safety beeps. I kind of feel like they were turned off. Lane keep was definitely off. That's one of my regrets was wishing I had tested/had them enabled so I could hear the beeps and see the lights etc. I would probably only use the lane keep assist during night driving or road trips and keep it off most of the time.

Overall, I was very impressed. Both my gf and I agreed it felt like it was the fanciest Subaru we've ever been in. Everything feels like quality. The drive was great and so smooth! I didn't notice any lag or lack of power. It feels zippy and nimble. It felt fun to drive and reminded me of my gf's CX-5. So it makes sense they were targeting the CX-9 drivability. When we did go up a steep hill, I did hear the engine working harder, but it still didn't seem like it was struggling at all. I am curious what some of the Colorado testers' impressions are in the mountains/at elevation.

The only other thing I wish I had paid more attention to was drive height compared to the competition and my truck. I didn't pay attention to the cars around me though. (highlander, pilot, pathfinder, explorer, etc) I still felt like I was up high, but possibly slightly less than my Tacoma. I also wish she had driven it, but maybe on the next one.

I'm excited and hoping I can do a few more test drives while I wait for mine. I'm hoping it comes before the date on the sheet. :grin:

Thanks for your driving report!

How does the turn signal indicator work for the Ascent (maybe Subaru's are all the same) when changing lanes? ... does it do the 3 flashes and stop when you partially engage the lever?

 

[notoyotanow]

Yes it does.

 

[Sparkland]

I am glad to hear the Ascent will accelerate in 65-80 mph range. Not surprised it feels faster than the Tacoma V6, which is notorious for its' slow acceleration.

 

[vang0017]

I am glad to hear the Ascent will accelerate in 65-80 mph range. Not surprised it feels faster than the Tacoma V6, which is notorious for its' slow acceleration.

I'm glad to hear this as well. I was a little concern of the small displacement and its torque range. Thanks!

 

[pilot1226]

Interesting the Subies still have a standard turn signal bulb in front and back. Wonder why. Cost cutting or something else.

 

[FoRealz]

Interesting the Subies still have a standard turn signal bulb in front and back. Wonder why. Cost cutting or something else.

I'm sure it helps keep the price down compared to the competition. Same thing could be said with the $158 LED bulb upgrade in the cabin. Those bulbs aren't expensive and I plan on upgrading them myself as I did with my Tacoma.

I feel like cars are similar to computers, there's always some sort of compromise when it comes to cost and competition.

 

[Dandy]

Interesting the Subies still have a standard turn signal bulb in front and back. Wonder why. Cost cutting or something else.

It may have to do with the flasher. If switching to LED bulbs the flasher either needs to be changed out for an LED compatible flasher or I believe a resistor added to create more load so that the flasher will function correctly.

The LED flashers are not really much more expensive but we all know that Subaru likes to pull parts from bins. I would be willing to bet that down the line, all of their cars will have LED bulbs and the flashers will be LED compatible. By not having 2 flashers, it probably eliminates the issue if an incorrect flasher would be installed.

I obviously am guessing as to their reason why.

 

[pilot1226]

@Carl Abrams

Don’t sell the 3.6 short, though. Mated with the HTCVT doesn’t it produce 90% of peak torque at 2000? That’s still an impressive amount considering the OB is about 1000 pounds lighter. Having taken a 3.6 on a test drive it moved pretty well without having to push it.

 

[pilot1226]

Interesting the Subies still have a standard turn signal bulb in front and back. Wonder why. Cost cutting or something else.

It may have to do with the flasher. If switching to LED bulbs the flasher either needs to be changed out for an LED compatible flasher or I believe a resistor added to create more load so that the flasher will function correctly.

The LED flashers are not really much more expensive but we all know that Subaru likes to pull parts from bins. I would be willing to bet that down the line, all of their cars will have LED bulbs and the flashers will be LED compatible. By not having 2 flashers, it probably eliminates the issue if an incorrect flasher would be installed.

I obviously am guessing as to their reason why.

There is a module called TurnTap I think that gets rid of hyper blink. I’d be curious to use this as an aftermarket way to get LED turn signals.

But, the LEDs compatible I think are not usable in Amber yet. So you would need it to be in an amber housing or red rear to be legal.

 

[Carl Abrams]

@Carl Abrams

Don’t sell the 3.6 short, though. Mated with the HTCVT doesn’t it produce 90% of peak torque at 2000? That’s still an impressive amount considering the OB is about 1000 pounds lighter. Having taken a 3.6 on a test drive it moved pretty well without having to push it.

Except that the peak torque for the 3.6 is 247 lb ft at 4,400. Base curb weight is 3,900 pounds, so the Ascent is 530 - 700 pounds more.

Don't get me wrong - I've always thought the 3.6 was a good engine for the car, and I just thought I was going to miss it. But the FA24 in the Outback - presuming that's what they put in - is going to make the Outback into a serious speed machine.

 

[Subiesailor]

The 2.4 no doubt sheds some weight over tge 3.6 also which can have pretty sizable impact on handling especially in cars with longitudinally set engines. Like Subaru and Porsche. The reduced weight at the ends of the car has the biggest impact on handling characteristics.

I haven’t seen Torque details on the 2.4 other than the 277 at 2000 rpm which is really a nice point it shows its not a weezy whimp till its spinning at 5000rpm. Torque number increase with rpm so once some one dyno tests the 2.4 I doubt Subaru will release its own torque curve chart.

But 277 at 2000 I wont be surprised if its in 300 range at 4300. DIT and smaller displacement lets them get torque at lower RPMs but unlike larger displacement engines that increase with RPMs isn’t as large.

 

[Jason]

But 277 at 2000 I wont be surprised if its in 300 range at 4300. DIT and smaller displacement lets them get torque at lower RPMs but unlike larger displacement engines that increase with RPMs isn’t as large.

Published torque output is 277 from 2,000 rpm to 4800 rpm before falling again at higher rpm.

 

[Subiesailor]

Only offical torque info I have seen published says 277 at 2000 and at 4800 it peaks. Nothing suggests it stays fixed at 277.

 

[traildogck]

Only offical torque info I have seen published says 277 at 2000 and at 4800 it peaks. Nothing suggests it stays fixed at 277.

I have never seen a Subaru torque curve with a flat top. Hence, a curve. There are some cars that flatten that curve, but it isn't the Ascent. It will cold that torque for a 20-30rpm bandwidth and then the HP will have fallen off and the TQ will as well.

 

[Subiesailor]

Neither have I. No combustion engine runs a flat hat torque number over a 2400 rpm range.

Its a marketing point that holds value with people that understand engines when they publish respectable torque numbers at low usable RPMs. Which is what Subaru marketing did here. From 2000-4800 Subaru is simply indicating that Torque will be 277 or greater within this rpm range after 4800 it starts to drop off.

Which case as do all combustion engines the torque numbers will increase between 2000-4800rpm. How much torque increases will be the dyno test bell curve everyone would love to see.

Course today small engines are tuned more and more for transmission longevity as engine durability is getting to be a non issue.

 

[Robson13]

I'm new here but not new to Subaru. Last Saturday I test drove Ascent, VW Atlas and Pilot (6 speed and 9 speed transmissions).
I really liked Ascent and Pilot with 6 speed. I think Pilot is more quiet under hard acceleration. I'm not 100% sure. Will have to do more test driving. Pilot redesign is scheduled for September. Ascent not out yet. I guess I'll wait a little longer but I'm partial to Subaru since I own Forester and legacy.

 

[Jason]

I have never seen a Subaru torque curve with a flat top. Hence, a curve. There are some cars that flatten that curve, but it isn't the Ascent. It will cold that torque for a 20-30rpm bandwidth and then the HP will have fallen off and the TQ will as well.

Just found the *OFFICIAL 2.4T Torque curve. Thats flat bro!

 

[traildogck]

Just found the *OFFICIAL 2.4T Torque curve. Thats flat bro!

Please verify the source.

Is this a dyno? Who's? , real or virtual? Or is it on the street with a family in the car?

Your image looks like a FaceBook Meem. (or whatever those internets kids are calling phone images these days) If you work for a dealer, then you must have real hard data. Please post the dyno log numbers that prove how long this motor holds that TQ from what rpm level and how long.

An empty vehicle theoretical curve means nothing. I have been working with a tuner and logging dyno data for over 4 years. That looks like a Honda type R curve. If that was really the case, the rally world better look the f'out...because the potential STI would be sick.

I don't think the real world will prove this to be true. If it does come to pass you are correct. I will buy you a beer.

I'm not hater, but I have seen what the 2.0T can do tuned, and it's impressive. But not like the claims on this "diagram".