I recently purchased my third Subaru, a 2022 Ascent Touring and traded in a 2018 Outback Limited. I really enjoy the added room; however, I seldom use it. Our plan is to keep the Ascent for two years and then purchase the next car. I liked the Outback so much that it just might be another Outback. There are many, many attributes that the Ascent brings to the table and except for the added room and towing capacity, many of the attributes are also available on the Outback. I have compared the Subarus with many, much higher priced vehicles, and felt that the Subaru was the better product. An example is comparing the Ascent to the Audi Q5. The flaw I found with the Audi was the mystery surrounding the maybe yes/maybe no need for high octane fuel for an engine that could easily have been designed to operate on regular grade gasoline. I am a very satisfied 2022 Ascent buyer and would not hesitate to recommend it. For future purchases, my one caveat is that my next car must have a robust, integrated, surround view camera system. I am hoping that Subaru is working hard to include that feature in the future. The existing Subaru front view camera does not meet any of the requirements of a robust, integrated, surround view system IMHO.
Robust, Integrated, Surround View Camera System
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Just curious what drove you to buy the Ascent if you liked the Outback so much and didn't need the extra room or towing capacity of the Ascent?
I've never owned a car with the surround camera but have ridden in some. It was neat but I never found it that useful. Though my opinion could easily change if I ever spent more time with one and got used to it the way I've gotten used to using a simple backup camera. I have a Premium Ascent so I don't even have the front view camera. I've never had a situation where I couldn't mange my way into or out of an extremely tight spot, but I have thought to myself it would be convenient to have.
I've never owned a car with the surround camera but have ridden in some. It was neat but I never found it that useful. Though my opinion could easily change if I ever spent more time with one and got used to it the way I've gotten used to using a simple backup camera. I have a Premium Ascent so I don't even have the front view camera. I've never had a situation where I couldn't mange my way into or out of an extremely tight spot, but I have thought to myself it would be convenient to have.
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Coincidentally, some time back in 2018, I was part of an owner survey, asking us what we thought was missing, or would like added, to the Ascent. One of the options was 360° surround view. I chose "Hell yes!!!". I wonder if we'll get it some model year down the road...
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my 2020 touring has the front camera (which i use every day) and the digital rear view camera now a must have on any future vehicle especially when traveling with full load the digital RV is absolute must have
2019 Subaru Ascent Limited 2010 Subaru Legacy GT limited
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As a driver who has scraped the nose of my legacy on my own privacy fence while making a tight turn in my backyard I can see the value of a good or "robust" camera system for those tricky situations especially as it becomes more common on competitors vehicles even if only as an option. I definitely wish the rearview and front view cameras were optioned alone for the ascent but can't say I would have bought one, but probably.
I would have sprung for the cameras on the Onyx if it were available. For sure! Sadly the options are so damn stratified right now it's a bit ridiculous. Or the other way, I would have sprung for StarTex and not wood interior on the Touring if I could've.
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To dream the impossible dream...
I don't have a solid logical answer to your question and your question is on target and certainly logical. I think I can say that I bought the Ascent because I wanted more room, like the old days, and I had confidence in the car because it was a Subaru. I find the extra room very convenient but, I honestly don't use it very often. It is also very possible that when I step back into an Outback I just might find it too confining and be tickled with a new Ascent. I don't use the added towing features because I don't like to tow.
My son has an Infinity SUV with a surround view camera system that I found to be an exceptional feature to help reduce the cockpit load and make life a bit easier. I would suggest that it is similar to air conditioning back in the early 60s which was very unique and not needed until you drove in a car that was air conditioned. The rear view camera is now a must safety feature and some brands have blind spot video cameras that energize the moment you move the turn signal lever. The camera system can also be very helpful in tight or crowed parking situations. The camera systems are beginning to become part of the standard equipment list and not just on the high end wheels. Of course, this is seen through my eyes and you may see it differently.
Well one should also consider how they implemented a "robust" camera system. The implementation of the front mounted camera on my Legacy is not as good as my Ascent. Even though the Legacy has that big display, it can only show one camera feed at a time. You can't have the front camera on while backing up. On the Ascent, when you shift from reverse to drive, the front camera activates for a few second so you can see what is in front of the car while pulling away. Can't do that on the Legacy. Also, the button to activate the camera is placed in an inconvenient spot, it is located to the right of the transmission lever and is blocked when the car is in drive. I have to reach around to push the button.
2019 Subaru Ascent Limited 2010 Subaru Legacy GT limited
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A dedicated center display would be useful for the around view for sure.
Probably the most missed feature when moving from the Infiniti SUV to the Ascent Touring. The Infiniti was the first vehicle I ever had it on and only took it because it was optioned with something else I wanted. As someone here said it was like AC you never knew you needed it until you got a car with it. Being 74 my first car was a 55 Ford sedan, probably the fourth car after that when I got my first one with AC. Anyway I really miss the 360 camera and at my age might not need another vehicle after the Ascent but might trade up if they ever offer the 360 camera. Although I am getting the hang of the Front/Rear cameras for parking.
I can appreciate that this is an important or desirable feature for many folks...but honestly, I'm not sure what benefit it would provide to me with how and where I drive these days. The excellent backup camera pretty much satisfies me a whole bunch and I honestly rarely use the front camera...usually only if I have to part face in to a pole.
Jim,
I, like you, never saw the need until our last Infiniti. When we got that one, we did not want the rear entertainment system and the only unit in the color combination that we wanted without the entertainment system had an option group that included the 360 camera so we took it as I figured I would use it a lot more than the rear screen entertainment system. Less than a year later, I began disliking driving my MX37 that I had custom ordered without the camera and collision avoidance system because I had gotten so used to that setup in my wife's SUV. Prior to having it I would have made the same statement you just posted.
Mike
I, like you, never saw the need until our last Infiniti. When we got that one, we did not want the rear entertainment system and the only unit in the color combination that we wanted without the entertainment system had an option group that included the 360 camera so we took it as I figured I would use it a lot more than the rear screen entertainment system. Less than a year later, I began disliking driving my MX37 that I had custom ordered without the camera and collision avoidance system because I had gotten so used to that setup in my wife's SUV. Prior to having it I would have made the same statement you just posted.
Mike
Yup. The Ascent is the first car I've owned with backup camera. For the first 6 months I never used it since I was accustomed to using mirrors and turning my head which I've done for decades in all sorts of vehicles. Once I started using the backup camera it was hard to drive my other car which didn't have one (just sold that one). The one I just sold had blind spot detection and the same process occurred; when I got accustomed to the blind spot detection, I didn't like driving my other car which didn't have it.
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