[pdxeca]

Never had any issues with the turning radius, thought it was pretty good for a vehicle this size.

Mine actually has a better turning radius than the wife's Mini Countryman which is quite a bit shorter. Not sure why, but that car turns at low speed like a box truck.

 

[Subabubaru]

I found my Ascent to have plenty of power whenever I needed it. Are you saying at full throttle it doesn't have enough power to safely merge onto the freeway? If so, get it checked, as there is clearly something wrong with your car. If I used full throttle I would easily be doing triple digits by the time I got to the end of the ramp.

I have to agree on the fake shifts as I find them extremely annoying. I have to wonder who thought that was a good idea. I traded off my Ascent and the Outback is on the way out as well and a lot of it has to do with the fake shifting.

They employ fake shifts because they hold specific tension on the CVT creating a specific ratio. Problem with CVTs is torque and allowing it to be continuously variable puts a lot more stress on the chain and prematurely wears it out. So they employ a CVT to maximize mileage but eliminate the C part under torque loads.

 

[bmac]

They employ fake shifts because they hold specific tension on the CVT creating a specific ratio. Problem with CVTs is torque and allowing it to be continuously variable puts a lot more stress on the chain and prematurely wears it out. So they employ a CVT to maximize mileage but eliminate the C part under torque loads.

They employ fake shifts because a certain percent of the population had difficulty adapting to a car that doesn't shift. They complained and whined about it enough so Subaru thought they would "fix" it.

There is no valid functional reason for it. Let the CVT do what it is intended to do, operate at the precise RPM's that is most efficient for required power demand.

 

[xydadx3]

They employ fake shifts because a certain percent of the population had difficulty adapting to a car that doesn't shift. They complained and whined about it enough so Subaru thought they would "fix" it.
There is no valid functional reason for it.

They employ fake shifts because they hold specific tension on the CVT creating a specific ratio. Problem with CVTs is torque and allowing it to be continuously variable puts a lot more stress on the chain and prematurely wears it out. So they employ a CVT to maximize mileage but eliminate the C part under torque loads.

Unless the Subaru engineers weigh in on it someday we're just speculating. It could very well be a balancing act between what @Subabubaru and @bmac state, or something else.
Most of us can at least agree we don't like it!

 

[Jim_in_PA]

If I'm remembering correctly, "Car and Driver" had and apparently still has significant preferences for the fake shifting and would even prefer it to be more pronounced. My opinion is to either do away with it or make it user selectable.

 

[bmac]

Unless the Subaru engineers weigh in on it someday we're just speculating. It could very well be a balancing act between what @Subabubaru and @bmac state, or something else.
Most of us can at least agree we don't like it!

If you read up on it you will undoubtedly come to the same conclusion. When CVT's first appeared on the scene, Subaru included, fake shifting was not part of the programing. People had trouble adapting and enough of them complained that many manufacturers added it to subsequent models updates. The whole idea of a CVT was to allow the engine to operate as efficiently as possible. The addition of fake shifting is a step backward in that regard but it did offer similar feel to their previous automatic transmissions.

Eventually, manufacturers will eliminate it as hybrids and electric cars become more common. As far as I know none of them have fake shifting.

 

[Slagmi]

The word i use for the steering is "wonky" though I think it's really more related to the suspension. Wish there was an easy RSB and STI tower strut upgrade like on the Outback!

 

[MVDrft]

I tell people this all the time! Most would consider me an aggressive driver but I call it active driving. Most of the same people would likely be surprised what their ETA and mpg’s do when anticipating changing lanes to maintain speed takes precedence over pulling up behind someone then figuring out the maneuver.
I’m convinced the mentality comes from driving a manual and not wanting to downshift more than necessary



You’re not necessarily wrong and I’m not advocating excessive speeding, BUT what is dangerous is the speed delta. It is very dangerous when one person is doing 55 with everyone else doing 80.

If I hear one more person say “this doesn’t drive like my old car” on this forum I might snap. This drives like a Subaru but distinctly heavier. Know two cars drive identically but it’s not like I have to factory reset my driving skills moving from a MT 03 WRX and my Ascent.

The problem is everyone believes they are a “good” driver when in all likely hood they are an “ok” driver. Nobody with real car control skills experiences all these drivability issues.

warranty and mechanical problems are a different story. Thankfully my car has had none and it’s been driven hard and put away wet.

 

[C-Dub]

Mine actually has a better turning radius than the wife's Mini Countryman which is quite a bit shorter. Not sure why, but that car turns at low speed like a box truck.

The countryman has a radius of about 21 feet while the Ascent is about 19. the Ascent also happens to be on par with the Highlander and Pilot.

 

[gmatt1000]

I have lurked on this forum for a longtime without posting. I have a 21 ascent with 18,000 miles 5,000 of which are towing. I live in the San Bernardino mountains in Southern California and constantly drive the car over 8k feet in intense summer heat and ice cold snowy roads. This is my 6th Subaru and I currently own a 17 Forester and an 03 WRX both are manual.

The Ascent IS NOT a slow car. My transmission does not false shift under normal driving conditions including towing small trailers. In fact my vehicle to use the CVT in such a way that I can accelerate with no Rpm change at many speeds. My car gets relatively poor MPG but so does my manual forester.

90% of drivability complaints on this forum come from 2 things. First, an inability for people to learn how to use the throttle on the Ascent. Second, the common tendency for people to be re-active rather than active drivers.

Some common issues like the higher revs without acceleration while on an incline mimics a proactive way to drive a MT on certain types of inclines. It prevents the need to excessively downshift while simultaneously allowing for quick engine braking. This means you can adjust your speed with precision and little mechanical influence by properly managing your throttle.

If more people could get control of their throttle input most driving problems would disappear on this car. But because people can’t, Subaru probably needs to make adjustments to the throttle in future models. The same goes for steering. It’s light but nowhere near scary or bad. I blast up mountain roads with nothing but control on the Ascent all the time.

I agree MVDrift. I would agree with some other posters that it almost seems some people's experiences vary quite a bit it almost seems as though they are describing another car.

It likely is either poor adaptability in driving or possibly a legitimate problem.

I have the exact opposite experience of the OP in every way possible. Love my 2019 (and 2020) Ascent!

 

[nobodyspecial]

The Ascent IS NOT a slow car.

I'm not saying the Ascent is slow, I'm saying it's not a quick/fast car. My basis---the Ascent will do 0-60 in about 7 seconds. A full sized sequoia that weighs almost 1k more will do it in just over 6..

It moves itself adequately, but not fast..

 

[nobodyspecial]

The problem is everyone believes they are a “good” driver when in all likely hood they are an “ok” driver. Nobody with real car control skills experiences all these drivability issues.

Well, thanks for the personal judgement of my driving skills. Am I a race car driver, no.... Answer me this professor---In my driving career, I have driven full sized SUV's, European sports sedans, multiple American Muscle cars, Picks ups, and multiple sedans across manufacturers and towed trailers exensively. I also rent 15-20 cars a year, so I am constantly driving various cars with absolutey zero previous knowledge of their characteristics when I get in them for the first time.

The Ascent is the only car I have every experienced these phenomena in. Are you trying to tell me that the Ascent is the only highly tuned, sensitive, performance car that really exposes my "ok" driver skills that I'm unable to adapt to?

Try again.

 

[Titanrx8]

Well, thanks for the personal judgement of my driving skills. Am I a race car driver, no.... Answer me this professor---In my driving career, I have driven full sized SUV's, European sports sedans, multiple American Muscle cars, Picks ups, and multiple sedans across manufacturers and towed trailers exensively. I also rent 15-20 cars a year, so I am constantly driving various cars with absolutey zero previous knowledge of their characteristics when I get in them for the first time.

The Ascent is the only car I have every experienced these phenomena in. Are you trying to tell me that the Ascent is the only highly tuned, sensitive, performance car that really exposes my "ok" driver skills that I'm unable to adapt to?

Try again.

Ditto. I have written elsewhere in this forum that the Ascent is the only car I've driven in decades that regularly bucks, shudders and occasionally slams it's way through the powerband under light throttle. Like @nobodyspecial , I regularly drove rental cars and trucks of every make, size and trim. Probably 50+ vehicles per year for decades since I rented cars for business travel. Sure, the occasional car would get confused and lug the engine rather than downshift or hard shift after braking followed by a full throttle but the Ascent does this under light, steady throttle. I expected more from Subaru engineering.