[Carl Abrams]

If you're part of the Subaru Outback Forums, then you know who I am.

If you're not ... well, why not? :grin:

Seriously, though, I plan on being relatively active on this forum, and helpful as I hope am on the Outback forum. I will NOT post anything confidential, so don't bother asking. (That means, for example, that I may be able to confirm something that someone else posts, or tell you that they're wrong, without being too specific.)

Keep in mind that we at the dealerships may not know everything that's going on with what corporate plans. And also keep in mind (as I've explained many times on the Outback Forums) that the Northeast operates under different rules than the rest of the country, as the dealerships there get their vehicles through SDC (Subaru Distributor Corp) and SNE (Subaru New England). The rest of us deal directly with SOA. (I've also effectively been with Subaru since 1989, first working at SIA building them, then for the last 5 years at the best dealership in OKC. The stupid signature box on this forum won't let me add all my brag photos.)

I was told by my dealership management that it was okay to share the below picture, which is an Ascent next to an Outback. So ... here you go, a real world picture. Enjoy!

 

[R P]

With everyone going to shows, I would sure like to know what the rim offset is for the Ascent. The new Crosstrek was 55mm (ET55), but most previous model Subaru's are 48mm. Also what is the bolt pattern, (guessing 5 X 114.3)?
I would like to fit a set of 17" rims with A/T tires (preferably BFG KO2), but need to know the stock offset before researching suitable aftermarket rims.
So, could someone please ask what is the offset? It is also stamped on the rims, but usually on the inside, so kind of hard to see (small mirror?). And the bolt pattern size?

Hi, Carl, and welcome to the forum. I am very interested in the Ascent, and am trying to find more info on tires and wheels. I know the tire sizes but as per the above post, would like to know more specific info about the rims. Can you help?

 

[txascent]

Welcome, Carl, from a fellow Outback forum (Gen IV) member and occasional contributor.

Thanks for the side-by-side pic. Had seen pictures of people standing beside the Ascent and knew it was significantly bigger than the Outback.

Maybe a question you can answer... so the Ascent comes May/June-ish 2018 as a 2019 model, correct? Does Subaru have any history of doing mid year model updates? I guess I'd expect the first revisions to come in the 2020 model, which would usually come out in fall 2019. That makes it a longer wait period for the year 2 models.

 

[Tup]

Nice picture comparing the sizes...do you have any more from different angles? Would also be really neat to see the Ascent parked next to a Tribeca.

 

[Cannibal869]

Welcome to the forums and Thanks for the picture!! It’s really nice to see a real world comparison photo. Looks beefy!

Glad to have you here - any nuggets of insight that you’re allowed to share with us I’m sure would be greatly appreciated.
I, in particular, would be interested to hear what your thoughts are regarding the preorder process - is it a full pre order? Or more of a placeholder till you can see the car in person and test drive?

Thanks,
-C

 

[Carl Abrams]

Hi, Carl, and welcome to the forum. I am very interested in the Ascent, and am trying to find more info on tires and wheels. I know the tire sizes but as per the above post, would like to know more specific info about the rims. Can you help?

Other than the two pictures of the rims that we've seen (on the Subaru website), we don't have anything further.

 

[Carl Abrams]

Maybe a question you can answer... so the Ascent comes May/June-ish 2018 as a 2019 model, correct? Does Subaru have any history of doing mid year model updates? I guess I'd expect the first revisions to come in the 2020 model, which would usually come out in fall 2019. That makes it a longer wait period for the year 2 models.

Since we typically run 5 year body styles, we don't do mid model year changes. For example, the 15 Outback actually hit our lots in July of 14, and it didn't change until the 16 model year. And there wasn't that much of a change.

You're also probably a bit late in the year. Keep in mind that for the Forester, the WRX, the STI, and the Outback, the end of model year is the middle of the summer. So the Ascent will fit right in there, with the 2020 model hitting mid-summer of 2019, NOT late fall. That messed up a LOT of people who came to our dealership in December looking for all those leftover '17's that they KNEW we had to have, since that's how everyone else does things. We're Subaru - we don't. I think right now we still have 6 '17's still on our lot, and those are all Impreza or Legacy, simply because people here most of the time don't buy cars, they buy SUV's.

 

[Carl Abrams]

I, in particular, would be interested to hear what your thoughts are regarding the preorder process - is it a full pre order? Or more of a placeholder till you can see the car in person and test drive?

Thanks,
-C

Full pre-order. Come in, agree to the price (which is going to be sticker, unless something drastic changes, due to supply and demand), give me a $500 deposit check, I order the car for you. It comes in, we finish things up. What that deposit really does is give you first right of refusal to purchase the car. So when it comes in, we'll get it ready for you WITHOUT putting any dealer installed accessories on it. Then you come in, test drive it to make sure that's what you want, then head back to the business office. THEN we'll put any dealer accessories on it you wanted.

If you decide, for some reason, you don't want the car, it's no blood, no foul, at least with us. We'll sell it to someone else. But that car that comes in is YOURS, otherwise. We (at least here) don't play games and sell it to someone else that saw it come in on the car carrier. Now, if you don't come in for two weeks after the car has gotten here and I've contacted you half a dozen times during that time, that's a different story, and I make that perfectly clear when you place the order. Your car will not be test driven by anyone else, and it should have less than 6 (or so) miles on it when you get it. (It gets a full mile on it before it ever leaves the factory, simply due to the AWD dyno tester. Then driving it out to the factory accessory building, loading it onto the train, unloading it and putting it on the car carrier, unloading it, then for us to drive it around for PDI and to fill it with gas, that's just part of it.)

 

[Trey T]

When will pre-order begin for the Ascent?

 

[Oden123]

THEN we'll put any dealer accessories on it you wanted.

Carl, Thank you for all the great information and the picture!!

Had a question about the accessories. Will those be available from launch? Do you know when they will announce what accessories are planned for the Ascent?

 

[Carl Abrams]

When will pre-order begin for the Ascent?

Huh, thought I'd answered that on here already. Guess not.

We've been told to expect pre-orders to open before the end of this month. We do NOT have an exact date at this time.

Also, as I mentioned earlier, I do NOT know if those pre-orders are going to be the first ones we see. You would think so, but as I said before, it didn't work that way on the Outback. But at least with a pre-order, that means you know you'll be getting one. The math is pretty simple. Right now the factory is supposed to have a capacity of 60,000 units per year. There are over 600 Subaru dealers in the country. If things were spread evenly (which they aren't nor will they be, simply due to the various sales volumes that exist between different dealerships), that'd be 100 cars per dealer - for the whole YEAR, or about 8 per month.

Keep in mind what this also means. If you decide you want wait to see one in person before you reserve one, you may not get your new car until December. I saw that before with the new body style Outback. We went from July of 14 until February of 16 with basically ZERO inventory available for sale, because everything was pre-sold.

 

[Carl Abrams]

Had a question about the accessories. Will those be available from launch? Do you know when they will announce what accessories are planned for the Ascent?

For most of them, probably. We've seen it before with a new car that more things come out, and sometimes there are initial shortages. The body side molding quality issue with Outbacks comes to mind. (They had SOME colors available, others weren't, because the paint they put on those colors ... um .... was terrible.)

And they'll probably announce what will be available when the car itself is initially announced. You can pretty much expect the standard things, moldings, roof racks, cargo nets, and the like, should be available from day one. But until we get pricing and packages, we won't know. And just to quell that question in advance, I will NOT share any of that information. MSRP and such, sure.

 

[Trey T]

Huh, thought I'd answered that on here already. Guess not.

We've been told to expect pre-orders to open before the end of this month. We do NOT have an exact date at this time.

Also, as I mentioned earlier, I do NOT know if those pre-orders are going to be the first ones we see. You would think so, but as I said before, it didn't work that way on the Outback. But at least with a pre-order, that means you know you'll be getting one. The math is pretty simple. Right now the factory is supposed to have a capacity of 60,000 units per year. There are over 600 Subaru dealers in the country. If things were spread evenly (which they aren't nor will they be, simply due to the various sales volumes that exist between different dealerships), that'd be 100 cars per dealer - for the whole YEAR, or about 8 per month.

Keep in mind what this also means. If you decide you want wait to see one in person before you reserve one, you may not get your new car until December. I saw that before with the new body style Outback. We went from July of 14 until February of 16 with basically ZERO inventory available for sale, because everything was pre-sold.

For that to happen, the MSRP should be revealed any day now.

Cant wait!!!

 

[gtbveyron]

That would be nice to see the prices before the N.Y. auto show