[Packard8]

Yes, I believe that was the same vid, I didn't bookmark it, but I'll see if I can find it. The difference is 0-60 times was significant. I only have 300 miles on the clock, so I'm not ready to try either method yet.

But.........

"You can't believe everything you see on the interwebs"
--------------A. Lincoln----------------

Found the vid, 0-60 time went from 7.55 to 6.1 seconds...this is at about 13:30 into the vid.

 

[TSiWRX]

I saw one interesting YT review/road test of the Ascent. For the 0-60 test, the reviewer first did the standard "stab and steer" from a dead stop and recorded 7.2 sec. He then torque loaded with the foot brake to spool up the turbo and recorded 6.0 flat...quite a difference, and 6.0 is not too shabby for a two-ton+ SUV. I recall that he left the trans in "D" for both runs. Who knows how reliable his methods and timing were, but I wonder if the TQ loading might have influenced the CVT's operation.

Brake-torquing has been a part of the auto-transmission launch sequence for some time - for the CVT, this Subaru press conference details its operation as "launch control" on the VA-series WRX, starting at about the 14-minute time-point:

But in all honesty, it's a laughable "launch." It's actually laughable to even call it that, for those who've experienced "launch control" in other powerful vehicles or have performed a clutch-abusing AWD-launch in their manual-transmission force-fed Subarus (I smoked the factory clutch in my modded '05 LGT at 30K miles, and replaced it with an ACT SB5-HDMM...I launched it a bit 😅 ) or DSMs.

Along with other current CVT WRX drivers, none of us have seen (with the factory tune) above 2.5 PSI at-launch, and most actually just see it sitting at zero. It doesn't build up much boost, no matter what....but as the saying goes, "it's better than starting off in vacuum!"

I don't have any kind of boost-gauge on my Ascent, but I've tried to brake-torque it a few times. In all honesty, I like using AVH better, as I'm not sitting there revving up the engine - and don't clue-off the idiots sitting in the adjacent lanes who are doom-scrolling or Tik-Tok'ing or texting at the light.

 

[Packard8]

Brake-torquing has been a part of the auto-transmission launch sequence for some time - for the CVT, this Subaru press conference details its operation as "launch control" on the VA-series WRX, starting at about the 14-minute time-point:

But in all honesty, it's a laughable "launch." It's actually laughable to even call it that, for those who've experienced "launch control" in other powerful vehicles or have performed a clutch-abusing AWD-launch in their manual-transmission force-fed Subarus (I smoked the factory clutch in my modded '05 LGT at 30K miles, and replaced it with an ACT SB5-HDMM...I launched it a bit 😅 ) or DSMs.

Along with other current CVT WRX drivers, none of us have seen (with the factory tune) above 2.5 PSI at-launch, and most actually just see it sitting at zero. It doesn't build up much boost, no matter what....but as the saying goes, "it's better than starting off in vacuum!"

I don't have any kind of boost-gauge on my Ascent, but I've tried to brake-torque it a few times. In all honesty, I like using AVH better, as I'm not sitting there revving up the engine - and don't clue-off the idiots sitting in the adjacent lanes who are doom-scrolling or Tik-Tok'ing or texting at the light.

Thanks for the tips. I'm familiar with basic brake-torquing (R2 Avantis have a 2100+ stall converter), but I don't see how the AVH helps launch....it disengages as soon as the throttle is depressed..right? Please educate me in the ways of Subaru, thanks!

 

[TSiWRX]

You're not wrong at all - the AVH doesn't "help" with the launch....except that it's "stealth!" 😅

The engine is not revving up.
There's no vapor being forced out of the tail-pipes.
Neither CAKE's The Distance nor Beastie Boys' Sabotage is blasting out of the windows.

No-one's the wiser that you're trying to get the hole-shot: everyone is still focused on their cell phones and fighting with the toddlers in the back seat and finding that dropped French-fry!

As long as I'm playing it cool and pretending to also look at my phone 😎, no-one else is trying outright to beat me off the line. 😬 My foot's already in-contact with the pedal: in the shooting sports, we call this "taking the slack out of the trigger" - just waiting for the light to turn green.

And I am super-jealous of your Avanti, BTW!

 

[Packard8]

And I am super-jealous of your Avanti, BTW!

Thanks, it was pretty "Space Age" in its day...standard front discs, built-in roll bar, etc. Mine was ordered with the blower, "PowerShift" trans (HD Borg 3 speed, hi stall), and a 4:09 Posi axle. It was quick back then, but not so much today, probably good for 5 sec 0-60 in good tune, it would get smoked by a Civic R today

 

[TSiWRX]

^ Modern cars really are amazing, aren't they?

I think it's just a sign that we're getting old. I keep telling my daughter that for a car to be in the 5-second range for the sprint to 60 MPH when I was a kid, that was

Now, it's, like,

 

[Packard8]

^ Modern cars really are amazing, aren't they?

I think it's just a sign that we're getting old. I keep telling my daughter that for a car to be in the 5-second range for the sprint to 60 MPH when I was a kid, that was

Now, it's, like,

A few years ago one of the car mags did a piece on a restored 1966-67? Corvette 427, dual quad roadster. One of the photog staff was there with a current BMW 7 series 4 door sedan. For fun, they matched the two up for the 1/4 mile run.
The BMW very sedately, but convincingly spanked the fire-breathing, tire-smoking Vette.

Is the Ascent slow? Not compared to what were "performance cars" just a few years ago.

 

[TSiWRX]

Is the Ascent slow? Not compared to what were "performance cars" just a few years ago.

^ But compared to an Explorer ST....

 

[Packard8]

^ But compared to an Explorer ST....

400HP twin turbo V6+ AWD? Explorer has the edge, in performance and in price ($65K+? to get that configuration)
Back to the classic question...."How fast do you wanna go?"....."How much do you wanna spend?"

 

[TSiWRX]

I thought the ST started at $50? Be heck of a challenge to find one that isn't priced into the 65-range, though.

Heck, at that price, why not just go for broke and step up go all the way for a HPE1000 Trackhawk?

Gotta impress the valet, right

 

[hokiefyd]

Back in the day, my dad bought a new 1996 Grand Cherokee with the 5.2L V-8. They'd been putting Chrysler's 318 into the ZJ chassis since it was new, but it stood out, at the time, as the fastest or at least most powerful of the mid-size SUVs. That's when the XJs had the old 4.0L I-6, Explorers had 4.0L V-6s, S-10 Blazers had the 4.3L, 4Runners and Pathfinders had smaller 3.0L or 3.3L engines, etc. That Jeep (and we put a Borla exhaust on ours which sounded pretty sweet) was the stoplight king against other SUVs.

The Ascent, of course, would leave it standing at a light, and we do have 25 years of progress on that old Jeep. But it is funny how expectations change with time. Back in the mid-90s, a 0-60 time of about 8 seconds was PLENTY fast for an SUV, and nobody would turn their nose up at that. In the modern era, it seems that anything that can't get to 60 in fewer than 6 seconds is "slow".

Just before that Jeep, dad had a 1992 Mustang 5.0L LX. We put some Ford Motorsport parts on it (used an E303 camshaft...for some reason, I still remember the model number of it), GT40 heads, GT40 upper and lower intake, etc. The stock 0-60 was in the mid-6 second range and we were probably down into the upper 5s or near 6 even when all that was done. But it'd still require some heads-up shifting by the Mustang driver to keep ahead of an Ascent today.

 

[sr21]

In the modern era, it seems that anything that can't get to 60 in fewer than 6 seconds is "slow".

This. The standard for “fast” has changed a ton, but a 6-7 second car can still put a smile on my face! 😆

 

[gatorblue92]

Compared to my F150 with the 3.5 Ecoboost the Ascent is very slow but compared with the CRV which we replaced with the Ascent it’s pretty quick. It certainly seemed on par with the Pilot and Highlander we crossed shopped.

 

[Karpediem]

I've had the Ascent since launch. I would not call it fast. It can be adequately zippy around town, but that is about it. A Honda Odyssey minivan will beat you off the line.

 

[TSiWRX]

A Honda Odyssey minivan will beat you off the line.

Not if it's loaded down with the entirety of the travel soccer team! 😬

I pick my races very carefully. I only attack the weak.

 

[TheRaven]

Everything is relative, of course, and I've never owned anything super fast. That said, though, I've been hugely impressed with how fast this dang beast is, and feel like it can beat anything off the line other than sports cars. If a fancy little Audi or Porsche pulls up next to me, yeah, they can leave me in the dust, but anything other than that I feel like I can race away from anytime I want to. Definitely don't think any minivan could keep up with me. And I'm not a speed demon by any means, but maybe my fellow Portland drivers are just really slow.

 

[TSiWRX]

....but maybe my fellow Portland drivers are just really slow.

So there is that, of-course, right?

Maybe they're more interested in doom scrolling on their phone, versus heading you off to the next traffic signal or the on-ramp? 😬

But no, that minivan or wagon - or that Jeep - in the next lane might not be as wimpy as it seems. There's sleepers, always.

 

[hokiefyd]

A current generation Honda Odyssey will do 0-60 in 6.5 seconds for some magazines. Assuming not a carefully staged launch in an Ascent, the Honda would definitely keep its nose ahead of us.

 

[Robert.Mauro]

A current generation Honda Odyssey will do 0-60 in 6.5 seconds for some magazines. Assuming not a carefully staged launch in an Ascent, the Honda would definitely keep its nose ahead of us.

And that is the singular and only reason I got a COBB AccessPort! No way in hell I am letting a minivan beat me off the line!!! 😁

 

[Steve70]

We did our first mini road trip to GB on Saturday to see the PACKER victory last night 400 miles total. Our Ascent has about 1600 miles now and I've played with the go pedal a tad. Speed and quickness are relative to everyone's reality of what they've driven. We are fortunate to be able to have a few vehicles that are monsters in each of those departments. I never expected the Ascent to do any more than it does. If I had one word to describe the Ascent acceralation, it would be smooth. I find it OK to 60. Works for me! 60-90 is again smooth and the needle climbs satisfactorily for me. I think it rock solid at 75 and 80 MPH for cruising. Except for a couple shots up to the higher MPH, we cruised between 63 and 75 depending on speed limits. We found the seats quite comfortable!

As a kinda comparable, I believe our 2017 G2 Ridgeline is a little faster all the way through the spectrum. It's a little quieter too I think. Immaterial to us. I'll be selling the truck shortly I hope.

Like many posts just above here, I well remember when 6.5 to 60 MPH was a sprightly number. In reality, it's still not bad, it's just that it's only average right now. The 1982 SAAB 900 5 door turbo we had went to 60 in around 8 seconds! I thought it fast at the time.