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Would You Like Sliding Doors on the Ascent?

  • ๐Ÿ’š Holy crap! That would be amazing!

    Votes: 13 25%
  • ๐Ÿค” Maybe. I could take it or leave it.

    Votes: 5 9.6%
  • ๐Ÿ˜ก You want them to do WHAT to my beautiful SUV!?!?!

    Votes: 34 65%

Put Sliding Doors on the Ascent ๐Ÿ™

24K views 64 replies 26 participants last post by  Jimi1976  
#1 ยท (Edited)
OK, this is going to sound really weird, but if there is any company that would take the leap it is Subaru. Here in a the US most modern families (๐Ÿ™‹โ€โ™‚๏ธ) will shun the obvious functional superiority of a minivan for the gratifying/aesthetic benefits of an SUV. However, that doesn't mean that SUVs can't take a page or two from the minivan book. Specifically sliding doors would give numerous advantages for families. I can't tell you how many times I have wished I had them in our cramped garage while putting our kids into the car. For those who get the ascent without family hauling in mind, they would quickly see that the positives carry over to virtually any use case.

In summary, just think about how good this would sound and how much of a splash it would make in the industry:

"The all new 2024 Subaru Ascent. The first SUV with sliding doors."

5494

Note: This is just a random picture I found online.
 
#2 ยท
Before someone else comments and says as such, I'll bring up one of the prime negatives to having sliding doors. Doing so would likely require much thicker pillars between the second and third row windows. This would have a negative impact on the visibility (something subaru is known for). However, this can't happen until the redesign year in 2024. Subaru is fast advancing their safety technology and I have no doubt that there will be side view options that are as good or better than looking directly. Especially if they were motivated to do so.
 
#3 ยท
We went the SUV route because there wasn't a minivan with enough ground clearance and traction, even with winter tires, to make it up to our place in the hills. There is still nothing that equals a minivan for passenger space and cargo, which is what 95% of the people need them for anyway (There are a small percentage of people who tow & off-road, so a minivan would likely not be a good choice).
Sliding doors are one of the greatest inventions I've ever seen, especially with kids in crowded/ narrow parking lots/ spaces on windy days. It's one of those things if you tried it, you would have a hard time going back, especially when you're trying to put a kid in a booster seat in a narrow parking spot.
The problem is 70% of the population will never consider anything with sliding doors because of the so-called minivan stigma attached to it. I still miss my Honda Odyssey quite a bit, it was great on gas and fun to drive.
And with Subaru's theme of all-wheel drive and ruggedness, I think would be a tough task to pull off something that was sort of minivan-esque successfully. You would end up with something like the Mazda MPV from way back that was all-wheel drive (which actually kind of had the quirky Subaru styling from that era).
I also think with the relative increase in fuel economy from SUVs over the past decade, that there are more feasible arguments for buying an SUV than a minivan. And with the perceived need for all-wheel drive, an SUV seems to fit the bill quite well for most people these days.
 
#22 ยท
We went the SUV route because there wasn't a minivan with enough ground clearance and traction, even with winter tires, to make it up to our place in the hills. There is still nothing that equals a minivan for passenger space and cargo, which is what 95% of the people need them for anyway (There are a small percentage of people who tow & off-road, so a minivan would likely not be a good choice).
Sliding doors are one of the greatest inventions I've ever seen, especially with kids in crowded/ narrow parking lots/ spaces on windy days. It's one of those things if you tried it, you would have a hard time going back, especially when you're trying to put a kid in a booster seat in a narrow parking spot.
The problem is 70% of the population will never consider anything with sliding doors because of the so-called minivan stigma attached to it. I still miss my Honda Odyssey quite a bit, it was great on gas and fun to drive.
And with Subaru's theme of all-wheel drive and ruggedness, I think would be a tough task to pull off something that was sort of minivan-esque successfully. You would end up with something like the Mazda MPV from way back that was all-wheel drive (which actually kind of had the quirky Subaru styling from that era).
I also think with the relative increase in fuel economy from SUVs over the past decade, that there are more feasible arguments for buying an SUV than a minivan. And with the perceived need for all-wheel drive, an SUV seems to fit the bill quite well for most people these days.
The 1st gen MPV didn't have rear sliding door, it was a traditional hinged door.

Also, the MPV wasn't AWD. It was a part-time 4WD system.

Back in the day, adding AWD or 4WD to a minivan also came with a lift compared to the 2WD counterpart.

But, you still have the Toyota Sienna with the AWD option, and the next gen Sienna hybrid (only) will have an AWD option.
 
#8 ยท
just cuz a few people are interested in a minivan-like SUV does not translate into a market-wide acceptance..... the market moved off the minivan because of perceived stigma of driving the family mobile and went to the CUV and SUV Platforms..... just like the perception of driving a station wagon versus a CUV which is a frequent discussion in the outback forum.... is the outback a station wagon or CUV..... the ascent is an SUV... any attempt to morph it into a van would be a major failure. It ya want van features, buy a van like a Toyota Sierra or Pacifica.
 
#12 ยท
Yes, the name lives on. But it's one of the best minivans still on the market for folks who want/need one of those thangs...

----
Relative to the question posted by the OP. Nope. Zero interest in sliding doors. It would also likely require some substantial engineering changes to maintain the current high level of safety that the Ascent's design incorporates relative to side-impact and crumple factors because the doors would interface with the body structure differently.
 
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#15 ยท
...anyway. I think this thread tells me all I need to know about the likelihood of this happening. People would just assume they are making it a van regardless of the reality.

I think what might be more likely is we someday get a Subarized "minivan". More an SUV than a minivan, but take a lot of the minivan features. Keep the 8.7", sacrifice some of the space a normal minivan has (maybe 120 instead of 150 cf), of course have sliding doors, and style it like an SUV (longer nose, more pitched windshield, ect.). In other words, if someone looks at it they think it is an SUV.
 
#55 ยท
absolutely...... there was discussion in this some time ago.... something in the size of the older Tacos.... a good all around truck that ya can commute in, Haul plywood and supplies, carry a family of four around town, easy to park and get reasonable fuel economy. Iโ€™d bet thereโ€™s pent up demand for that class of truck. The only alternative is a large truck amongst the brands With a whopping sticker.
 
#23 ยท
It's interesting that Sienna sales dropped (and continue to) when the new batch of 7/8 seaters (Ascent, Teluride, Palisade, etc) hit the market. Wondering if there's a relationship.


I think the minivan stigma really hurts. While a sliding door does not define something as a minivan, it definitely creates the perception, because of the strong association.

Obviously, this is not a minivan. (and wow this is cool)
5519

 
#25 ยท
I think the above is all very true. I still think there's a little bit of false security with all wheel drive ( This coming from a person whose 3 cars are AWD-two of which arguably have the best systems available- the Subaru, and the JLR system), as I think many people forget they still have to turn and stop in potentially unfavorable conditions, acceleration and traction are just one component.
We've also advanced to the point where, with the exception of a few high-end automakers, the flagship models are now SUVs. And you can get almost the same second row space in $30-45k SUV as you can in a full size luxury car. No, the experience isn't going to be quite the same, but for somebody who's never sat in the back of an executive equipped s-class with heated and cooled rear seats, nobody would ever really notice the difference.
That kind of space has pretty much always been available in a minivan, and on paper they do make the most sense, but then again a car purchase is often as much emotional as it is sensible. I would have loved to have gotten another minivan (the previous generation sienna was nice, but it was a snoozer to drive, and the Pacifica, like the sienna, didn't have enough ground clearance), but the ground clearance issue was the biggest problem for us. Getting stuck in the winter on a back road in the Berkshires is not an ideal thing, winter tires wouldn't make a difference when you're high centered.

It'll be interesting to see if the wagon, which is my favorite body style for a car, or the minivan will ever make a comeback. As we go more hybrid / electric, I guess the body style will mean less to people on paper, as even with relatively inefficient vehicles, plugging in doesn't seem to have the same emotional toll as filling up.
Either way, this isn't a criticism towards one body style or another, just some thoughts and observations. I'm glad we have all these options available.
 
#26 ยท
Many years ago I was riding with a friend in his new minivan (growing familly). Not having previously thought about minivans I was noticing them on the road an remarked how many of them had dents and dings in them. I came to think of them as the manatees of the road.
 
#27 ยท
Keep in mind that AWD and higher ground clearance don't have to be part and parcel. AWD has benefits in many situations including wet road performance or areas like where I live that have very light winter conditions. Minivans tend to be low to the ground because that makes it easier for the tasks that they excel at including "people moving". But I'd want a more capable SUV for "mountain living" in cold climates for sure!
 
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#28 ยท
I imagine the engineering involved to allow for sliding doors while maintaining structure, especially for off-road but also safety, at the same time it would need to open enough to allow the third row to be accessed, would drastically change the look of the vehicle. So I would not be interested. If they could somehow make it happen without any drastic styling changes, I wouldnโ€™t say no. I was considering a minivan (sliding doors would work a bit better in the garage) before realizing Iโ€™d miss the awd and ground clearance that I had with my Ridgeline.
 
#31 ยท
I imagine the engineering involved to allow for sliding doors while maintaining structure, especially for off-road but also safety, at the same time it would need to open enough to allow the third row to be accessed, would drastically change the look of the vehicle.
exactly my earlier point about the Pacifica. They shouldnโ€™t have even used the same name because itโ€™s not even close to the same vehicle. If Subaru ever went the sliding door route I donโ€™t think they should put it on anything called Ascent
 
#38 ยท
Strange. Very strange...and it also looks like it's only available in certain states. I can't say I've seen one on the road. Just Pacifica which is much nicer. (for a minivan :) )
 
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#40 ยท
That would be a big no!!! That is the stupidest Idea I have ever seen!!!! I travel with my 2 male Standard Poodles and my female Weimaraner-Standard Poodle mix in my Touring Model Ascent. I like the plain doors that just open and close like regular car doors! I sure as HOLY HELL donโ€™t want mini-van sliding doors to screw up their routine their when they get in and out of my Ascent!!! And I sure as HOLY HELL donโ€™t want to drive a minivan type of vehicle!!!! I have been a Subaru driver since I got my Loyale Wagon when they first came on the market.
 
#41 ยท
No way. I wouldn't drive anything with a minivan look anymore than I would sport a mullet. I would NEVER have bought the Ascent if it had a sliding door. Now the reviewer with the Lambo door comment, that would be cool.

Maybe I'm not being clear. I'm not trying to make the Ascent a minivan. I'm trying to make it an SUV with sliding doors. Sliding Doors does not equal minivan.
You're probably cooler than the rest of us so you are able to pull off anything that hints at being a minivan. I'm getting old. I need all the help I can get to not appear to be someone who has simply given up. You're also a nicer parent. The sliding door is easier for kids.

That would be a big no!!! That is the stupidest Idea I have ever seen!!!! I travel with my 2 male Standard Poodles and my female Weimaraner-Standard Poodle mix in my Touring Model Ascent. I like the plain doors that just open and close like regular car doors! I sure as HOLY HELL donโ€™t want mini-van sliding doors to screw up their routine their when they get in and out of my Ascent!!! And I sure as HOLY HELL donโ€™t want to drive a minivan type of vehicle!!!! I have been a Subaru driver since I got my Loyale Wagon when they first came on the market.
I do not support a door change, but I do support intelligent, polite responses. Maybe you should reread you comment and repost.
 
#42 ยท
Wow, I didn't know people felt so strongly about sliding doors. They don't have to look too different from standard doors when closed. Have you ever tried them? Super convenient and the worry of parking lot door dings is much less. You don't have to like them. It just sounds like some people would rather walk on Legos for eternity.
 
#43 ยท
Only the worry about making dings is less. Sliding doors are still just as susceptible to receiving dings ๐Ÿ˜‰
Sliding doors are great for convenience. The track on the side of the vehicle kinda gives away the fact it has them.