Motor Trend managed 6.9 seconds 0-60. Other reviewers managed 7.0-7.2 seconds, and one reviewer got some crazy number in the 8's. With a tune, it's considerably faster - some of us have shaved almost a full second off that with a COBB Accessport.

As for in the mountain passes, it's a beast. When my friends and I hit Utah (2020 Forester, 2006 Baja, me), I easily blasted up every mountain pass and had to wait for them to catch up on the downwards. 😁

 

@Robert.Mauro very nice!! Yeah, reading through everything I can find, I really don’t see how anyone can call the Ascent slow or underpowered. I’m currently in an ‘09 Outback 3.0R and I expect the Ascent to feel about the same for power, or maybe a bit better. The Outback pulls well in the mountains, but you do have to rev it pretty good. I’m hoping the Ascent will make it a more relaxed experience. 😁

 

I’m currently in an ‘09 Outback 3.0R and I expect the Ascent to feel about the same for power, or maybe a bit better.

I think you'll find the Ascent to both feel and be significantly faster than your Outback!

 

Our Ascent has substantially more performance than the Nissan Rogue it replaced, in spite of being about a thousand pounds heavier. It's not the fastest car I've ever driven, but it's possibly the fastest I've ever owned. Definitely in the top 3, and that includes a Daytona Turbo Z, which counted as a mainstream "performance car" in the 80s.

 

Yep. If you don’t mind converting $ to m/s² you won’t be disappointed in the Ascent

 

This is SOOOO true... using that turbo is lotsa fun - but it comes at a price - literally.

 

Don't let those youtubers fool you. Most of what you see is garbage and is biased based on the phase of the moon, who knows.

A good example:

This video talks about total legroom, the sum of the legroom values of the first, second and third rows. At 6:30 he shows the table... with the Telluride on top by a huge margin.
Now I googled a few of the vehicles, and the numbers match: the total for the Ascent for example matches the numbers shown on Subaru's website for legroom, added all together. The numbers of his champion Telluride on the other hand... are off by a lot! He messed up the math, just like that.
The video has been out since March, has 260k views and 770 comments. Not one of those comments makes any mention of his math being wrong! The actual number is still 115.2 for the Telluride, which keeps it at the top. Of course, adding those numbers makes zero sense, since the numbers are maximums, so to get the 42,4 inches at the second row you need to slide the front seat forward and the 2nd row backwards to their max. positions. Stick a tape in the back of your Ascent and you'll see that to get 31.7 inches of legroom at the third row that the manual claims you need to slide the 2nd row forward all the way.
So the whole video is garbage, and yet this is a relatively well respected youtube channel.

Back to your question:
Ascent has 277 lb-ft of torque available between 2000-4800 rpms, right where you use them.
Most of the competition is around 260 lb-ft at 5000-5500 rpms, so it's only available when you make your engine scream. Most of the time you'll be driving far from that maximum torque, so you'll have available even less than that value. Same thing with the power, most have a V6 around 290 HP at 6000 rpms. But power is torque times rpms (with proper unit conversion factors in there), so that only means that the torque comes up at higher rpms. The Ascent has 260 Hp at 5600 rpms because the torque starts decreasing above 4800 rpms, and while 290 HP looks like a lot more than 260 HP, the reality is the Ascent engine has more torque available everywhere except at the one point where the competition has their peak torque.
Also, as you mentioned, those numbers are only on paper, as soon as you go up in altitude the naturally aspirated numbers go down, the turbo doesn't care much.

And one more thing: if you aren't happy with 277 ft-lb of torque, a $675 ECU software upgrade from COBB will give you 335 lb-ft of torque and 280 HP, if you are willing to pay for Premium 93 gas.

 

Do you need any other upgrades to get these numbers? I mean instead of spending my money on Hookers and Blow I can spend it on COBB and Horsepower!

 

I’m mostly curious to hear everyone’s experience with their Ascents at altitude. I live at nearly 5,000ft

I've got a cabin at 5,000ft accessed by a steep, rutted gravel road. Obviously not testing out the speed there but I've never felt I had to work to get enough power for the climb while every tire is bouncing over different rocks and pits, and I'm often carrying heavy loads in the cargo area (not to mention the heavy load in the driver's seat).

 

Wrong, wrong, wrong!!



That is just plain wrong.

There is no legal or sane driving condition under which the Subaru Ascent is underpowered. Just so sr21 knows (op appears to be relatively new based off# of posts), I am no Subaru fanboy, and I came from a twin Turbo Gls450, and never have I felt the car to be flat footed or lacking power. I feel that the power is just right. And a plus is that it's tuned for the bottom end, so around town driving is effortless ( once you adjust to the sensitive throttle tip in, which takes a week at most), but unlike the cx-9, it still has top end power. I don't spend a lot of time at a constant 3000', but I am over peaks and passes relatively frequently and never had an issue, even with a full load of people and crap in the back.

 

Robert is totally correct and I agree,the Ascent is a absolute beast on hills.

 

Thanks for the all the input, everyone!! It all makes me very excited! I’m definitely new to the ascent forum, but I’m a Subaru ambassador and have been pretty active on the Outback forum. I’ve been lurking here for a while and finally posted 😁

I’ve never felt that my Outback was underpowered and have loved it as a highway cruiser, so if the Ascent will handily outperform it, well then I’ll love it!

I’m actually renting an Ascent for my family to take from Idaho to Arizona for Christmas. We’ll be up and down through multiple passes, and we’ll go through the pass into Flagstaff at just over 7,000ft. I’m verrryyy interested to see how the Ascent performs vs my 3.0R. It probably won’t be close 😎

 

Thanks for the all the input, everyone!! It all makes me very excited! I’m definitely new to the ascent forum, but I’m a Subaru ambassador and have been pretty active on the Outback forum. I’ve been lurking here for a while and finally posted 😁

I’ve never felt that my Outback was underpowered and have loved it as a highway cruiser, so if the Ascent will handily outperform it, well then I’ll love it!

I’m actually renting an Ascent for my family to take from Idaho to Arizona for Christmas. We’ll be up and down through multiple passes, and we’ll go through the pass into Flagstaff at just over 7,000ft. I’m verrryyy interested to see how the Ascent performs vs my 3.0R. It probably won’t be close 😎

And doing so on 87 regular gas 🙌🏾

 

IMO, the Ascent has adequate power most of the time. You will need to get used to the throttle response though - it's a little different. I do feel, at times, there are some "dead spots" in the powerband, however, "learning" how the throttle responds will help you overcome most of that.

I've driven at altitude a few times (Lake Tahoe which is at least 5,000'+ I believe - I know, I know, I could have "googled it" in the time it took me to type this...!) and I think it's clearly better at altitude than sea level. Plus, I seem to hear the turbo spool a little more there, which is cool too!

 

Yeah, it sounds like there is a bit of a learning curve with the turbo/CVT combo!

 

Yeah, it sounds like there is a bit of a learning curve either the turbo/CVT combo!

The learning curve is mostly if you want to ever get good mpg’s. There’s also the delays that can be caused by obstacles EyeSight thinks are in the way. Once you’re used to that have fun!
There was an VW a couple weeks ago that tried and failed to merge at the last minute in front of me; he ended up behind me and tailgated me all the way around the highway on-ramp. Coming onto the highway there’s a decent merge area but it comes right off a sharp uphill curve in the on-ramp. I never saw him again when I leaned on the skinny pedal as soon as I was almost parallel to the highway. 😈

 

If your previous vehicle was a BMW m5 or durango srt8 yes it will seem slow. Anything pedestrian though, it's a well powered vehicle. Quicker than it needs to be for sure. I have no complaints about its performance and my wife doesn't either.

 

@TSiWRX thanks for that response. If I were coming from a similar background to you, I’m sure the Ascent would feel “adequate” for its job. That totally makes sense 👍🏼

My 3.0 is the fastest (least slow?? 😉) car I’ve owned and I’ve never really been disappointed in it. I’m certainly not looking for a drag racer. I just didn’t want the Ascent to be a step down from what I have now.

 

@xydadx3 that’s the kind of thing I’m looking for! Those kinds of situations are where I feel like my Outback has been great. I don’t have to think 30 seconds ahead to pass, etc. I know the Ascent isn’t a Hellcat, but I do expect it to be able to scoot along pretty well when I need it to.

 

The few times I've stepped hard on the skinny pedal for situations like xydadx3 mentioned were totally satisfying...and I previously drove a top trim Grand Cherokee with the big Hemi V8. (heavier vehicle but a lot more horsepower, too) The Ascent was "very spirited" in those situations. Thankfully, at least to my wallet, err...Professor Dr. SWMBO's wallet since she pays for gas in our budget...I don't normally drive like that.

 

This drivetrain is downright fast in the outback. My ascent isn’t broken in yet so I haven’t opened it up yet but it still feels perfectly adequate around down and on the highway.

 

Our other vehicles are Honda 3.5L SUVs which are, in their own right, pretty quick (at least for their day). The Ascent easily outruns both of them. The CVT has some peculiar tuning in certain situations. It sometimes feels that you have to dig a little bit for the power (only because the CVT isn't letting the engine run). In other times, there's much more power than I thought I called for, and it's pretty much there immediately. I'd prefer a little more linearity in the power band or programming. I do spend a lot of time in manual mode, which adds a LOT of predictabilty to the powertrain. This is my first Subaru, first turbocharged engine, first CVT...it's a lot of firsts. We've had ours for nearly 24 months and about 18k miles now and I'm still learning some of the nuances about its powertrain programming. I'm very sensitive to (and interested in learning more about) that sort of thing, and it's truly been fun learning about this car and how it "likes" to be driven.

I get excellent fuel economy in ours...it's rated 20/26 and I get about 21-22 in our normal "around town" driving and 26-29 on the road, depending on speed and other conditions. I'm quite pleased with this powertrain overall. Our Honda SUVs are lucky to get 17-18 in town and about 23 on the road. It's pretty impressive to me that the Ascent easily outruns either one of them and still delivers significantly better economy.

 

I’m definitely one of those people that loves the tech side of things and will take the time to learn them thoroughly. I think the same goes for the CVT/turbo combo. I’m sure I’ll figure it out quickly and then not think too much about it. 😁 I like to make things work, even if it means changing the way I typically do things.

 

I got into it for the first time today (only 1500 miles, didn't intend to so soon, but that's another story). While it's no rocket ship, it moved me when asked.

 

TLDR version...

Ascent is not slow!

Longer version...

I bought a 2020 OB Onyx, which has the 2.4 turbo, for hauling my boat which weighs 3150#.

The car was a rocket but even with the 3500# trailer limit it's rear suspension squatted while trailering.

I replaced it with the highly venerated, exalted, holy grail of vehicles... The Toyota Tacoma.

The truck's suspension and longer wheelbase were better matched to the task of hauling my boat but...

The engine and transmission SUCKED!!!

Give it the gas.

Go?

No, the truck has got to have a committee meeting first and then maybe if you push the pedal much harder something might happen eventually.

Pull the boat?

Sure, if you don't mind listening to the engine screaming all the time.

The six speed transmission would go through this cycle on the highway:

Get up to 65 mph, tranny goes into sixth gear.

Rpms drop out of the torque power band so it's time to mash the pedal.

More noise occurs and it drops a gear but the speed is still dropping off so, mash the pedal more.

Lots of noise now as it drops another gear and hits 4500 rpm which is where the Tacoma starts producing enough usable torque.

Back up to 65 now so it's time to repeat the cycle.

Had I bought a Ranger with a turbo I might still have it today but after 6 months and 11,500 miserable miles I sold my Tacoma and bought the Ascent.

BOTTOM LINE:

If I can't have torque when I need torque it doesn't matter what the number is.

I'll take the Subaru 2.4 spinning from 2,000 to 3,000 over the Toyota 3.5 V6 spinning like a sewing machine at 4,500 rpm.

Rant over.

Yes, I sold the Tacoma for a profit.

 

@8gv I definitely got a good chuckle out of your post! 😂 thanks for writing that all up! That’s exactly the kind of thing I’m hoping to avoid by going with the Ascent. I love the fact that the torque is so useable! I don’t like wringing out engines for extended periods of time!

 

We live in the Phoenix area but spend the summer in Colorado (Summit County). This was the first year our 21 Touring made the trip. You will not be disappointed in your Ascent in the mountains, Vail Pass, Loveland Pass are a piece of cake.

 

Oh wow! Those passes far exceed anything I’ll be doing, so that bodes very well 😎

 

I do live at 5000ft and regularly drive the Ascent up over 8000 ft - 9000ft passes (Spooner/Echo summit, and Mt. Rose Hwy) full of family and gear. There is no "wringing" the engine at all. It is completely drama free and pulls well at all altitudes. In fact one of the reasons we didn't choose the highlander or Pilot was freeway speed passing up a hill at this altitude require 4000-4500RPM to get moving.

We have a 2007 RDX that is extremely quick and I never feel the Ascent is "slow" compared to it.

 

We have a 2007 RDX that is extremely quick and I never feel the Ascent is "slow" compared to it.

So, here's the thing, @sr21 -

I'm a scientist by trade-and-training, and a part of the problem, to me, as I read through this thread is that there are comments like @Smores ' above. @Smores , please understand that I mean you absolutely no disrespect - I'm simply using your post for illustrative purposes.

Part of the issue, as I've tried to illustrate to you, @sr21 , in my first reply to this thread is that we're all somewhat biased in our qualitative approach to your question - beholden to what vehicles we've had experience with, ourselves.

@Smores noted that his '07 RDX was "extremely quick" - a Google search shows various tests pegging its 0-60 at somewhere around 6.5 seconds, and quarters in the low 15s.

Is that objectively "extremely quick?" You'll remember from my previous post that my wife's vehicle history has two (2) SH-chassis turbocharged Forester XTs - which perform in a near-carbon-copy manner versus the RDX of that same time-period in terms of straight-line acceleration. Given our other vehicles, our subjective take on those numbers isn't quite the same as @Smores: it's just a matter of perspective.

As I noted previously, if what you're comparing the Ascent to is your '09 3.0R Outback, objectively, no, compared to a "new" 2009 3.0R, the heavier Ascent just can't post the same numbers (IIRC, the BP-chassis 3.0R managed 0-60 in the 6.5 to 7 second range, depending on testing source). Subjectively, however, I would be willing to bet that you won't be disappointed given the feel of the larger/heavier vehicle (which I do believe that you will notice), despite both those differences as well as differences in how the CVT powertrain behaves (I often refer to it as a game that I play with my car: of when I request torque, and when I'm finally granted it ) versus the more conventional BP-chassis 2009 3.0R Outback.

Objective versus subjective - the numbers game is easy, and all any of us have to do is to hold the pedal WOT into the floorboard, and keep an eye on the timer app on our smartphones.... but each of us can insist on our own perceptions until we're blue in the face, and yet our subjective takes may never match. 😅

I think that the only way you'll be able to find true satisfaction is to carve out a bit of time for an extended test-drive, courtesy of your local dealer. At least the fact that, at least for the time being we've only got one drivetrain choice should make it easier to find that test vehicle.

 

This is our first Subaru as well. I'm hoping to make an objective observation in this area soon. Between break in and 55 mph speed limits where we live...not a lot of opportunity yet. A couple days ago at 1154 miles. I went WOT for the first time from 55 to 70 or so. It was a smooth acceleration. The test will be the trip in January when we head west. some of the speed limits are 75. I run 7 over. We'll see what kind of juice it has from 70-90 mph. Our G2 Ridgeline was more than adequate in that area and extremely quiet at 80 plus. I've run it up to a 100 a couple times and it was very solid feeling and still very quiet. I'm pretty sure the RL is stronger in the powerplant area, but so what? I see no reason to enhance anything with the Ascent. We have cars that go REALLY fast! ...and very quickly! I'll likely be content with whatever my experience is with the Ascent.

As a side note, we're getting a lot of snow right now and I'm liking the AWD set up more all the time...especially the bias balance between front and rear.

 

The test will be the trip in January when we head west. some of the speed limits are 75. I run 7 over. We'll see what kind of juice it has from 70-90 mph.

Just yesterday I was on one of our local turnpikes with a speed limit of 80 MPH. I set The CC @ 83 and the car was only turning around 2400 (?) RPM if I recall correctly. It felt very relaxed and solidly planted, with very little wind/road noise. I can see it could be too easy to creep up into "license and registration please, sir" territory. Best to rely on the CC to keep things from getting away.

 

Like everybody had said, it depends on how you drive your car especially the CVT transmission. The car is not slow and it can’t win you a drag race, however, you can beat a red light when you need it. The CVT is smooth like butter especially when the car is already in motion. Floor the gas pedal and the car will fly!!!.

 

I'll throw in my $0.02. As I've mentioned in other threads, my last car was a '08 Cadillac CTS. 3.6L DI V6 with 304 HP, 3500 lbs curb weight & a stated 0-60 of 6.3 seconds. The Ascent is 1000 lbs. heavier & I can't tell the difference in acceleration from a seat -of-the-pants feel.