[gnelson05]

Hi, all! I've been lurking in the forums here for a while now, and I stumbled upon this message board while I was doing online research about the Ascent. First and foremost, thanks very much to everyone who has shared here. Your input and discussions have been invaluable!

I'm currently driving an '07 Ford Expedition that's got 130K miles on it, and it's starting to act a little curmudgeonly. My husband drives a '16 Crosstrek and absolutely loves it. That car has been our first experience with Subaru, and his enthusiasm for his vehicle is what first led me to check out the Ascent. I'm looking to downsize a bit, but we still want to be able to tow our 3500 lb. pop-up trailer. And while it's rare these days that all 3 of our long-legged, high school/college kids are in the same vehicle with us at the same time, it would be great to have seating that accommodates us all. The Ascent looks like it could really be ideal.

Even so, the fact that it's a brand new vehicle in the Subaru line up had my husband thinking that maybe we should watch the reviews for the 2019's, and if everything looks as good as we hope, then purchase our Ascent when they come out with the 2020's. Good plan, right?

But then I started reading. And watching videos. And my truck is showing signs of getting grumpier as the days go by. Which makes me read more. And watch more videos. And then, boom...we end up at the local dealership last week for a test drive.

I'm a goner. I want this car. I mean, I reallllly want this car. I originally thought I'd be happy with the Limited, but we drove a Touring, and now naturally, the Touring has my heart. We went so far as to contact the dealership to see if the car we drove is still available. Alas, it's not, so now we're looking at potentially ordering one.

In the meantime, I've kept reading. And I'm starting to see more and more reports about things going wrong with folks' Ascents. Knocking. Squealing. Rough shifting. Engine replacements. I'm starting to get nervous about moving forward with a purchase of the 2019 model. We buy our vehicles outright, and then drive them for years. And the Ascent is easily the most expensive car we'll have purchased. My point is that it's not our intention to drive this car for a couple of years and then trade it in on the next best thing. I'd be just sick if we jumped ahead in our plan and ended up buying a car that didn't have all the kinks worked out yet.

I guess what I'm looking for is some input/opinions, and I'd love to hear that the overwhelming number of new Ascent owners are thrilled with their cars and they have no regrets.

Thanks for letting me ramble!


g

 

[jmbgold]

Hi, all! I've been lurking in the forums here for a while now, and I stumbled upon this message board while I was doing online research about the Ascent. First and foremost, thanks very much to everyone who has shared here. Your input and discussions have been invaluable!

I'm currently driving an '07 Ford Expedition that's got 130K miles on it, and it's starting to act a little curmudgeonly. My husband drives a '16 Crosstrek and absolutely loves it. That car has been our first experience with Subaru, and his enthusiasm for his vehicle is what first led me to check out the Ascent. I'm looking to downsize a bit, but we still want to be able to tow our 3500 lb. pop-up trailer. And while it's rare these days that all 3 of our long-legged, high school/college kids are in the same vehicle with us at the same time, it would be great to have seating that accommodates us all. The Ascent looks like it could really be ideal.

Even so, the fact that it's a brand new vehicle in the Subaru line up had my husband thinking that maybe we should watch the reviews for the 2019's, and if everything looks as good as we hope, then purchase our Ascent when they come out with the 2020's. Good plan, right?

But then I started reading. And watching videos. And my truck is showing signs of getting grumpier as the days go by. Which makes me read more. And watch more videos. And then, boom...we end up at the local dealership last week for a test drive.

I'm a goner. I want this car. I mean, I reallllly want this car. I originally thought I'd be happy with the Limited, but we drove a Touring, and now naturally, the Touring has my heart. We went so far as to contact the dealership to see if the car we drove is still available. Alas, it's not, so now we're looking at potentially ordering one.

In the meantime, I've kept reading. And I'm starting to see more and more reports about things going wrong with folks' Ascents. Knocking. Squealing. Rough shifting. Engine replacements. I'm starting to get nervous about moving forward with a purchase of the 2019 model. We buy our vehicles outright, and then drive them for years. And the Ascent is easily the most expensive car we'll have purchased. My point is that it's not our intention to drive this car for a couple of years and then trade it in on the next best thing. I'd be just sick if we jumped ahead in our plan and ended up buying a car that didn't have all the kinks worked out yet.

I guess what I'm looking for is some input/opinions, and I'd love to hear that the overwhelming number of new Ascent owners are thrilled with their cars and they have no regrets.

Thanks for letting me ramble!
It 's good to ramble. But just buy one-you will be so happy=and don't buy an extended warranty from the selling dealer-i you can get one at cost just to ease your mind about new model-my 8 year 80,000 Gold Subaru warranty was $830 PM send i'// give you his info-just search extended warranty !!!!

 

[Peartree]

Hi, all! I've been lurking in the forums here for a while now, and I stumbled upon this message board while I was doing online research about the Ascent. First and foremost, thanks very much to everyone who has shared here. Your input and discussions have been invaluable!

I'm currently driving an '07 Ford Expedition that's got 130K miles on it, and it's starting to act a little curmudgeonly. My husband drives a '16 Crosstrek and absolutely loves it. That car has been our first experience with Subaru, and his enthusiasm for his vehicle is what first led me to check out the Ascent. I'm looking to downsize a bit, but we still want to be able to tow our 3500 lb. pop-up trailer. And while it's rare these days that all 3 of our long-legged, high school/college kids are in the same vehicle with us at the same time, it would be great to have seating that accommodates us all. The Ascent looks like it could really be ideal.

Even so, the fact that it's a brand new vehicle in the Subaru line up had my husband thinking that maybe we should watch the reviews for the 2019's, and if everything looks as good as we hope, then purchase our Ascent when they come out with the 2020's. Good plan, right?

But then I started reading. And watching videos. And my truck is showing signs of getting grumpier as the days go by. Which makes me read more. And watch more videos. And then, boom...we end up at the local dealership last week for a test drive.

I'm a goner. I want this car. I mean, I reallllly want this car. I originally thought I'd be happy with the Limited, but we drove a Touring, and now naturally, the Touring has my heart. We went so far as to contact the dealership to see if the car we drove is still available. Alas, it's not, so now we're looking at potentially ordering one.

In the meantime, I've kept reading. And I'm starting to see more and more reports about things going wrong with folks' Ascents. Knocking. Squealing. Rough shifting. Engine replacements. I'm starting to get nervous about moving forward with a purchase of the 2019 model. We buy our vehicles outright, and then drive them for years. And the Ascent is easily the most expensive car we'll have purchased. My point is that it's not our intention to drive this car for a couple of years and then trade it in on the next best thing. I'd be just sick if we jumped ahead in our plan and ended up buying a car that didn't have all the kinks worked out yet.

I guess what I'm looking for is some input/opinions, and I'd love to hear that the overwhelming number of new Ascent owners are thrilled with their cars and they have no regrets.

Thanks for letting me ramble!
It 's good to ramble. But just buy one-you will be so happy=and don't buy an extended warranty from the selling dealer-i you can get one at cost just to ease your mind about new model-my 8 year 80,000 Gold Subaru warranty was $830 PM send i'// give you his info-just search extended warranty !!!!

You just described my plight the past few months. Should I buy now, should I wait until Dec. 31st, should I get a forester touring. Well I have made up my (our) minds to get a Limited 8 psngr only through the ASPVA VIP pricing program at a dealer in my state, or any state, that will honor it. I may get an extended warranty (even though I never buy them), in a couple of years thru "Luke", Stamford, CT Subaru, just because of the newness and all the technology. You can wait until your 3 year manufacturers warranty nearly runs out, and then buy an 8-10 year policy. Yes, we will pay a little more at a later date, but apparently his is the best price around.

Good Luck..

 

[Janner]

Hi, all! I've been lurking in the forums here for a while now, and I stumbled upon this message board while I was doing online research about the Ascent. First and foremost, thanks very much to everyone who has shared here. Your input and discussions have been invaluable!

I'm currently driving an '07 Ford Expedition that's got 130K miles on it, and it's starting to act a little curmudgeonly. My husband drives a '16 Crosstrek and absolutely loves it. That car has been our first experience with Subaru, and his enthusiasm for his vehicle is what first led me to check out the Ascent. I'm looking to downsize a bit, but we still want to be able to tow our 3500 lb. pop-up trailer. And while it's rare these days that all 3 of our long-legged, high school/college kids are in the same vehicle with us at the same time, it would be great to have seating that accommodates us all. The Ascent looks like it could really be ideal.

Even so, the fact that it's a brand new vehicle in the Subaru line up had my husband thinking that maybe we should watch the reviews for the 2019's, and if everything looks as good as we hope, then purchase our Ascent when they come out with the 2020's. Good plan, right?

But then I started reading. And watching videos. And my truck is showing signs of getting grumpier as the days go by. Which makes me read more. And watch more videos. And then, boom...we end up at the local dealership last week for a test drive.

I'm a goner. I want this car. I mean, I reallllly want this car. I originally thought I'd be happy with the Limited, but we drove a Touring, and now naturally, the Touring has my heart. We went so far as to contact the dealership to see if the car we drove is still available. Alas, it's not, so now we're looking at potentially ordering one.

In the meantime, I've kept reading. And I'm starting to see more and more reports about things going wrong with folks' Ascents. Knocking. Squealing. Rough shifting. Engine replacements. I'm starting to get nervous about moving forward with a purchase of the 2019 model. We buy our vehicles outright, and then drive them for years. And the Ascent is easily the most expensive car we'll have purchased. My point is that it's not our intention to drive this car for a couple of years and then trade it in on the next best thing. I'd be just sick if we jumped ahead in our plan and ended up buying a car that didn't have all the kinks worked out yet.

I guess what I'm looking for is some input/opinions, and I'd love to hear that the overwhelming number of new Ascent owners are thrilled with their cars and they have no regrets.

Thanks for letting me ramble!


g

I had a Outback and just wished it was a little larger. Then I saw an announcement for the Ascent. I ordered mine in February. Went back and forth on whether to really buy it or not in the time it took for it to be delivered. I took my brother to test drive one when my dealership had one (prior to my delivery) and he asked about buying a first year model and did that scare me. The one thing I learned from my Outback is that when I had a problem, Subaru listened. I had an issue with my Outback hatch. They replaced one thing, then another, then the whole mechanism trying to make sure I was happy. It was going thru this process that convinced me to go ahead with a first year model. I knew that my dealership and SOA would want to make sure their newest model was not a failure and they would make sure I was happy. I did have a battery problem with my Ascent (I also had a similar problem with my Outback battery). Took it in and voila - new battery. The other thing you realize with sites like this is that you only see the "exceptions" complain. You don't see replies from everyone that is happy, you tend to see the negative ones because they get feedback. Yes, there are going to be problems and you'll hear about all of them here. But that doesn't mean your vehicle will have problems and it doesn't mean Subaru won't fix any issues that come up. I was willing to be a bit flexible knowing an issue may come up. But my dealership has always given me a replacement car if mine had to stay in the shop so it's only a minor inconvenience. I was willing to take that for a car that met my needs. YMMV.

 

[SSgt93]

Something to keep in mind with forums is that most people come here to report problems. The vast majority of people without issues you will never see here.

I lpop in from time to time to look for info, like today I learned about the two different down arrows for the venting system. I had no idea and missed that in the manual.

 

[saddleboat]

I am one of the complainers you might have read. We have a clunk, had a left strut replaced and having the right strut now replaced because clunk is still there etc, etc..

but we love our Ascent and are very pleased with it. SOA has been very proactive.

it is chance to take and i can see how reading this forum could give you pause. but i agree that a forum like this will present a view of a new car that is skewed.

i like to read the problem list thread to have an eye and an ear out for a problem. and i just remind myself that a problem list thread is of course going to be full of problems. and that any set of cars sold, even brand new ones, are going to have some number of them with problems ranging from strut clunks to batteries (((but i sure hope replaced engines does not become trending...))

waiting a year makes sense on a new model, for us though we needed a car big enough for our child with needs and are subaru fans already so we jumped on it and have not regretted it at all.

 

[Big Superroo1]

I agree with a lot of what Janner said. People will come on here to tell you their problems. No vehicle will be perfect, but this is my 3rd Subaru in 23 years and to date, none of them have left me stranded. I had my 1995 Legacy until a few months ago when I decided to let it go to make room for the new Ascent. We're still driving the 2007 Legacy with 110k miles on it. I think the key with reliability for most cars boils down to keeping up with the required maintenance. It also helps that we have a dealership where we've taken our Subaru's for service the past 11 years has a great service department with an awesome crew. From what I've read on here, there are many Subaru dealerships with great service departments that will work with you if there is a problem.

We picked up our Ascent Touring on Sep 1 and now have just over 1300 trouble-free miles on it. This is the most expensive vehicle we've ever owned/purchased and we are loving every inch of it and all the new technology that goes along with it. True, it's probably more stuff that could go wrong in the future, but we trust Subaru based on our previous experiences with our other Subarus.

I like to come here and read about issues others are experiencing so I can be aware and watch for things that might pop-up. Some of the things I've read, like squeaky brakes, occur during the break-in period and usually go away shortly thereafter. A few others are more serious, but the kinks will get worked out.

Here's another way to see it. Through September 2018, Subaru has sold more than 16,000 Ascents. Not sure how many people on this forum have "significant" problems that had them returning to the dealership for repairs/resolutions, but even if we say there were 100 people that did, that's less than 1% of Ascent sales. Tack on another 100 problems not reported on here and the number of problems are still less than 2% of total sales. IMO, I don't think it's as bad as it seems on these forum threads. If my Ascent does experience a problem in the future, I have full confidence that my dealership and/or SOA will work hard to resolve the issue to our satisfaction.

Good luck in your decision! I don't think you'll regret your choice if you follow-thru with the purchase of your Ascent.

 

[GHP1]

I have a very early production car (2 week on May build) and have not had one issue as of today. We don't drive it that much so I have low mileage but no complaints from me. Well, I guess I could -The suspension while soft and complainant seems to generate more noise than my 16 Outback it replaced. Perhaps the tires are the culprit and I have the 18's. For the right price these cars offer a lot of value

 

[Sparkland]

I may get an extended warranty (even though I never buy them), in a couple of years thru "Luke", Stamford, CT Subaru, just because of the newness and all the technology. You can wait until your 3 year manufacturers warranty nearly runs out, and then buy an 8-10 year policy. Yes, we will pay a little more at a later date, but apparently his is the best price around.
Good Luck..

It does not matter whether you wait longer after the sale to purchase the Subaru extended warranty or not, coverage still begins on the "in service date." The advertising is a bit misleading, since the warranty actually runs concurrently with the OM warranty for the first 3 years/36K miles.

 

[bmac]

In the meantime, I've kept reading. And I'm starting to see more and more reports about things going wrong with folks' Ascents. Knocking. Squealing. Rough shifting. Engine replacements. I'm starting to get nervous about moving forward with a purchase of the 2019 model. We buy our vehicles outright, and then drive them for years. And the Ascent is easily the most expensive car we'll have purchased. My point is that it's not our intention to drive this car for a couple of years and then trade it in on the next best thing. I'd be just sick if we jumped ahead in our plan and ended up buying a car that didn't have all the kinks worked out yet.

The reality is there are very few problems with the Ascent. For a new model, Subaru did an exceptional job!. I frequent a fair number of forums and I am surprised how few problems have surfaced, I expected more. The other thing is that Subaru, in general, is quite good about working with the dealer to resolve issues. All cars have individual issues but I have not seen any common systemic issues surface and I check the forum daily.

Another vehicle we have been looking at in addition to the Ascent is a Jeep Wrangler. It was redesigned for 2018. Mind you, it is not a completely new model just a redesign. It is more expensive than the Ascent and easily has 10 times the problems with some real common systemic issues. Also, Jeep is less proactive in resolving problems and there are many owners that feel frustrated and neglected. When looked at in context to other vehicles the Ascent is doing really, really well.

 

[Trey T]

From an Expedition, an SUV, to an Ascent (CUV) is a big jump down. JW or 4Runner would likely fits your need, based on the given info.

I chose (ordered to be arrive in Dec) Ascent over 4Runner because of the seating (2nd row captain chair) and better gas mileage.

 

[73bryan]

My wife and I picked up our limited ,the end of July. She choose the Ascent after we went to the auto show and could see all the different new models. We were both set on getting another brand after looking around in the fall 2017. I have a 2006 Forester XT with 150K on it, other that a secondary air valve problem which is now the 4th time and is irritating because the code disrupts the cruise from working is my only complaint.!! I can't imagine not having the Subaru's amazing AWD to get around in Minnesota weather, nothing compares for the last 12 years!!!! The turbo is the fun factor. When we were offered the money back offer(which they didn't cash check for 4 months) until we drove and accepted the car. We have 5100 miles on it now , the only thing that is overwhelming still at times is all the electronic functions and systems. Thank God for a good manual and this great FORUM, helps this 62 year old !!!!!!!!! We are truly blessed and having a great time with this vehicle.:smile:

 

[zulater]

Already said but needs repeating.

Forums are generally polarized. You're going to get the fanboys and the complainers. Most people aren't having any problems and most complaints aren't that bad.

The big thing that I like to remember and keep in mind. Any problems that have arisen have been dealt with quickly. The potential b-pillar welds that ended up not being an issue at all. They were all over it. The old outbacks? with the steering wheel issue, on it.

If there is an issue they are up front about it and take care of it.

 

[Sparkland]

The reality is there are very few problems with the Ascent. For a new model, Subaru did an exceptional job!. I frequent a fair number of forums and I am surprised how few problems have surfaced, I expected more. The other thing is that Subaru, in general, is quite good about working with the dealer to resolve issues. All cars have individual issues but I have not seen any common systemic issues surface and I check the forum daily.

Another vehicle we have been looking at in addition to the Ascent is a Jeep Wrangler. It was redesigned for 2018. Mind you, it is not a completely new model just a redesign. It is more expensive than the Ascent and easily has 10 times the problems with some real common systemic issues. Also, Jeep is less proactive in resolving problems and there are many owners that feel frustrated and neglected. When looked at in context to other vehicles the Ascent is doing really, really well.

No thank you, FCA. The Jeeps look great, but they are just not built to last without significant repairs. Here is the newest recall on the 2018-2019 Jeep Wrangler:

https://jalopnik.com/new-jeep-wrangler-frame-welds-are-failing-and-now-fca-i-1829551649

https://www.jlwranglerforums.com/forum/threads/jl-welding-issues.5446/page-13#post-294421

 

[Subarist]

The issues with the ascent are really minor compared to some other newly designed models. When I was shopping, I was comparing ascent or the new 2018/19 honda odyssey. The #1 issue with the honda odyssey is the zf 9 speed AT which is on all trims except the top 2 (touring and elite). I did not need the top 2 trim which forced me to only considered the lower trims with the problematic zf 9 speed AT. In the end I chose the ascent than having to deal with headaches with possible AT issues with the odyssey.

 

[pro10is]

I defy anyone to find any such forum (auto, motorcycle, boat, RV, etc.) that does not have a list of issues about the vehicle being discussed. Nowhere can you go where there is a forum which describes a perfect vehicle with virtually no problems. It simply doesn't exist. If you want to find everything wrong that's ever occurred on a vehicle right down to the last nut and bolt, go to its online forum. There you'll find every issue ranging from an engine that blew up and caught fire to someone complaining that they nicked their fingernail when adjusting the climate controls.

So, if you're looking for a vehicle to buy and you start reading the forum discussing it, and you don't fully understand what's going on, you'll never be able to be comfortable buying any vehicle again.

What's important to understand is that when any company manufacturers tens of thousands of vehicles consisting of tens of thousands of parts, things will always go wrong with a percentage of them. Some may have a bad strut, others an issue with the engine, others a problem with the electronics. And in this online world where do people go to report the problem to look for help, or simply to vent? Right to the vehicle's forum. So the first thing anyone needs to understand when reading such forums is that the view is skewed. More people will usually come to complain than to praise. This is perfectly natural, when something goes wrong, action is required, when everything's great, no action is necessary. So online forums are a complaint magnet.

This does not mean there are serious issues with the vehicle. If you see a few posts here about someone with a bad motor or transmission, that's unfortunate, but it's also par for the course for any vehicle and not a trend. However, if you observe many posts all about a specific problem, then and only then should you take due notice. You have to be able to read the trends, not the anomalies.

So far the Ascent is looking great, especially for a new design. I see only the usual issues and anomalies, common to most cars, and nothing too concerning. Overall, unless things begin to occur at higher mileages, the Ascent looks like a safe bet.

 

[Sparkland]

I would say the engine/transmission on the Ascent will be the part most susceptible to failure/problems. There is not enough data as of yet, but the turbo engine on the WRX/STI has issues as does the CVT on the WRX and the Outback. This will all be resolved in a few years.

 

[Nhwheelman]

I would say the engine/transmission on the Ascent will be the part most susceptible to failure/problems. There is not enough data as of yet, but the turbo engine on the WRX/STI has issues as does the CVT on the WRX. This will all be resolved in a few years.

IIRC the ascents CVT is not the same as the WRX it's much more stout for the payload v the WRX as for the turbo..... not certain it's the same.

 

[mosum]

It does not matter whether you wait longer after the sale to purchase the Subaru extended warranty or not, coverage still begins on the "in service date." The advertising is a bit misleading, since the warranty actually runs concurrently with the OM warranty for the first 3 years/36K miles.

Would you elaborate what you meant by "in service date"? I too am in a similar position, debating if I should delay the purchase of the extended warranty. Any pros and cons with this decision?

 

[MAGNUMB]

That is a tough situation and ultimately if I had the option I would have waited about another 8-12 months before I bought mine to give them time to work out the small kinks. I've had several kinks, but nothing were I was left stranded or with a rental, but they are annoying.
Say you do end up buying it and not working out for you, could always sell it or trade it in and it should hold it's value better than most other cars so you wouldnt get hammered. The Ascent has many positives as far as safely and driving dynamics it was hard for me to even consider anything else under 50k.

If you're planning on towing and yours doesn't come with a hitch you might be SOL for awhile as there are delay with this accessory.