[ThePleiades]

Hello all - I am new to this forum and new to the Subaru brand. I’m a Toyota convert. Have driven them for most of my life. Most recently, I traded in the family minivan - a 2009 Sienna with 206k miles on it for a ‘22 Ascent Premium. We loved “old Bessie” it but after 13 years it was time to move on.

After months of research and lord knows how many test drives we decided on the Ascent.

I’ve had it for just about 2 weeks now and absolutely love it! Quite a change in technology over the last 13 years!
There are a couple of minor things I’ve noticed that I’m not sure about and figured - aside from the dealership- this forum looks like a pretty legit place to ask some questions. 1- The right windshield wiper & deicer function. When we took delivery of the car I noticed that the right wiper was seated in a manner that about the top half of the blade was resting on the clear glass portion of the windshield. I questioned with the dealership how the deicer is able to function properly with the wiper in that position, and they readjusted the arm this morning so that the whole wiper blade now rests lower and entirely on the black portion of the glass. The other question I asked of them was about the deicer strip itself. Even with a bright flashlight I’m not able to see the deicer strip on the windshield. The service manager told me that Subaru changed the placement of the deicer on the ‘22 model so that it is now hidden/buried. Is this true? That deicer strip can be seen very easily on the ‘21 Ascent and ‘22 Outback that they had in the showroom. The second question / observation I’ve had is that the digital speed readout and the analog speedometer are slightly off. The analog needle appears to read ~2-3 MPH higher than the digital readout. Is this normal? It’s not a huge deal but it’s the one thing that irks me every time I get behind the wheel.
oh - also, if anyone has a Thule Motion XT XL on their Ascent - I’m curious about if / how well it fits on the car. Any consideration that needs to be taken for windshield overhang and interference with EyeSight?
Thanks!!!

 

[Hankdog]

Hello all - I am new to this forum and new to the Subaru brand. I’m a Toyota convert. Have driven them for most of my life. Most recently, I traded in the family minivan - a 2009 Sienna with 206k miles on it for a ‘22 Ascent Premium. We loved “old Bessie” it but after 13 years it was time to move on.

After months of research and lord knows how many test drives we decided on the Ascent.

I’ve had it for just about 2 weeks now and absolutely love it! Quite a change in technology over the last 13 years!
There are a couple of minor things I’ve noticed that I’m not sure about and figured - aside from the dealership- this forum looks like a pretty legit place to ask some questions. 1- The right windshield wiper & deicer function. When we took delivery of the car I noticed that the right wiper was seated in a manner that about the top half of the blade was resting on the clear glass portion of the windshield. I questioned with the dealership how the deicer is able to function properly with the wiper in that position, and they readjusted the arm this morning so that the whole wiper blade now rests lower and entirely on the black portion of the glass. The other question I asked of them was about the deicer strip itself. Even with a bright flashlight I’m not able to see the deicer strip on the windshield. The service manager told me that Subaru changed the placement of the deicer on the ‘22 model so that it is now hidden/buried. Is this true? That deicer strip can be seen very easily on the ‘21 Ascent and ‘22 Outback that they had in the showroom. The second question / observation I’ve had is that the digital speed readout and the analog speedometer are slightly off. The analog needle appears to read ~2-3 MPH higher than the digital readout. Is this normal? It’s not a huge deal but it’s the one thing that irks me every time I get behind the wheel.
oh - also, if anyone has a Thule Motion XT XL on their Ascent - I’m curious about if / how well it fits on the car. Any consideration that needs to be taken for windshield overhang and interference with EyeSight?
Thanks!!!

Can only offer comment on the Thule … I have a Thule XT basket that I use for runs when I have to pick up both fisher people and groceries in Bozeman. It’s great for holding luggage, can be used with the Thule zipper carrier and NEVER interferes with the eyesight system. It does make a little noise at highway speeds and this can be mitigated with a Thule wind deflector that’s attached to the front crossbar. I used black electrical tape to ensure the wind guard stayed attached even through the cyclone dryers in car washes. Hope this helps. Also for what it’s worth, I think this is the best user forum in the industry by a wide margin. Robert, Jim and Chris keep the site organized and monitor the threads closely to ensure questions are addressed. Happy motoring and hope you enjoy your first Subie! Our family is on our 9th or 10th. Have loved them all.

 

[TheRaven]

I have to plead ignorance, I have never even heard of the deicer strip and had no idea it existed.

 

[rlb81]

The other question I asked of them was about the deicer strip itself. Even with a bright flashlight I’m not able to see the deicer strip on the windshield. The service manager told me that Subaru changed the placement of the deicer on the ‘22 model so that it is now hidden/buried. Is this true? That deicer strip can be seen very easily on the ‘21 Ascent and ‘22 Outback that they had in the showroom.

While this is not outside the realm of possibility, it does sound odd. IMO the best bet would be to find another 22 to look at and see if the de-icer element is visible. As you mention, I can easily spot them on my 21 Ascent and 18 Outback

 

[Ruben Marin]

I would turn it on and use an IR thermometer to see where it got warm, or just touch it. I am not sure what packages include the deicer function, I will have to see if ours did. We have it on our tribeca for sure maybe my legacy as well, not that we ever have needed it, here in Florida.

 

[Ruben Marin]

All Weather Package Features and Use

Hey friends! I have a 2019 Ascent Limited. I know I have the heating mirrors, seats, steerling wheel etc. What is included in my all weather package when it comes to the windshield? Is the fluid heated? Are the wipers heated? On my forester I have the defrosting lines at the bottom of...

www.ascentforums.com

This may help as well.

 

[pdxeca]

oh - also, if anyone has a Thule Motion XT XL on their Ascent - I’m curious about if / how well it fits on the car. Any consideration that needs to be taken for windshield overhang and interference with EyeSight?
Thanks!!!

Fits just fine with plenty of room and no interference with EyeSight. In fact, I don't even think it extends over the windshield far enough to even see it. A little disappointed that we didn't get the XXL TBH, but the XL works fine.

 

[ThePleiades]

Can only offer comment on the Thule … I have a Thule XT basket that I use for runs when I have to pick up both fisher people and groceries in Bozeman. It’s great for holding luggage, can be used with the Thule zipper carrier and NEVER interferes with the eyesight system. It does make a little noise at highway speeds and this can be mitigated with a Thule wind deflector that’s attached to the front crossbar. I used black electrical tape to ensure the wind guard stayed attached even through the cyclone dryers in car washes. Hope this helps. Also for what it’s worth, I think this is the best user forum in the industry by a wide margin. Robert, Jim and Chris keep the site organized and monitor the threads closely to ensure questions are addressed. Happy motoring and hope you enjoy your first Subie! Our family is on our 9th or 10th. Have loved them all.

Hey there. Thanks for the info! I’ve been researching quite a bit and it seems like Thule and Yakima are really the two leaders out there. Not thrilled about the cost, but it seems like it’s one of those things where you get what you pay for. IDK about the Yakima though. Read quite a few posts of people reporting water infiltration via the rivets. Thule advertised the Motion as being more aerodynamic than the Force. Aside from the exterior finish - glossy vs textured - it seems like there are only minor differences in shape / design of the two boxes..

 

[ThePleiades]

While this is not outside the realm of possibility, it does sound odd. IMO the best bet would be to find another 22 to look at and see if the de-icer element is visible. As you mention, I can easily spot them on my 21 Ascent and 18 Outback

We had a cold morning the other day with some ice and snow. Perfect opportunity to check things out. Fired up the car and hit the deicer, and sure enough I started seeing a perfect outline on the windshield of where the deicer element was located.

 

[Hankdog]

Hey there. Thanks for the info! I’ve been researching quite a bit and it seems like Thule and Yakima are really the two leaders out there. Not thrilled about the cost, but it seems like it’s one of those things where you get what you pay for. IDK about the Yakima though. Read quite a few posts of people reporting water infiltration via the rivets. Thule advertised the Motion as being more aerodynamic than the Force. Aside from the exterior finish - glossy vs textured - it seems like there are only minor differences in shape / design of the two boxes..

Well… I guess I am a Thule man … IMHO their fittings and overall construction is more rugged and takes more abuse. I have also have a 72” Thule topper that tilts opens from both sides. I smacked it really hard in a parking garage (dumb, dumb, dumb) when I forgot it was on. Scared the you - know - what out of me. I thought it would be trashed. But it was only scratched a little and hinges, fittings all still work fine.

 

[pdxeca]

Hey there. Thanks for the info! I’ve been researching quite a bit and it seems like Thule and Yakima are really the two leaders out there. Not thrilled about the cost, but it seems like it’s one of those things where you get what you pay for. IDK about the Yakima though. Read quite a few posts of people reporting water infiltration via the rivets. Thule advertised the Motion as being more aerodynamic than the Force. Aside from the exterior finish - glossy vs textured - it seems like there are only minor differences in shape / design of the two boxes..

Given the "aerodynamics" of the Ascent (or any of the 3-row SUVs out there), I doubt there's an appreciable difference between the Force and Motion. If you're putting them on top of a Lambo, I guess you might be able to notice a difference. But in that case, you have much bigger problems.

 

[xydadx3]

I have to plead ignorance, I have never even heard of the deicer strip and had no idea it existed.

The second question / observation I’ve had is that the digital speed readout and the analog speedometer are slightly off. The analog needle appears to read ~2-3 MPH higher than the digital readout. Is this normal?

Ditto on the de-icer. It was only just a few years ago I had to replace my wife's windshield and one of the replacement selection questions was about the deicer. I had to go look because it had never occurred to me a de-icer would be there!

2-3mph Δ may be within reason depending on what speed you're driving. The diference between the gauge and digital speed on mine is maybe 1mph. You might also want to try plugging your phone in for CarPlay or AA to see the speed on a navigation app and compare with either of the other indications. This article explains why I bring up the GPS speed.
On my Ascent the gauge reads ever so slightly higher than the displayed speed, which both read higher than my GPS speed. So, if I set my cruise speed at 74mph on the dash, the speed I get on GPS ends up being 72-73mph. I don't mind the discrepancy in this direction because its keeping my speed on the conservative side of a potential ticket. It could be more of a problem if the Δ is in the other direction, which would result in you traveling faster than intended.

 

[Hankdog]

Ditto on the de-icer. It was only just a few years ago I had to replace my wife's windshield and one of the replacement selection questions was about the deicer. I had to go look because it had never occurred to me a de-icer would be there!

2-3mph Δ may be within reason depending on what speed you're driving. The diference between the gauge and digital speed on mine is maybe 1mph. You might also want to try plugging your phone in for CarPlay or AA to see the speed on a navigation app and compare with either of the other indications. This article explains why I bring up the GPS speed.
On my Ascent the gauge reads ever so slightly higher than the displayed speed, which both read higher than my GPS speed. So, if I set my cruise speed at 74mph on the dash, the speed I get on GPS ends up being 72-73mph. I don't mind the discrepancy in this direction because its keeping my speed on the conservative side of a potential ticket. It could be more of a problem if the Δ is in the other direction, which would result in you traveling faster than intended.

Yes, agree ... I run larger than standard circumference tires ... about 3-4%%, which doesn't seem like a lot, but when it's the difference between the speedometer (either digital or analog) of being 10 mph over the limit of 13mph over the limit, it can be the difference in getting a ticket, or not getting a ticket. I have 'lost' that difference one time so far!

 

[xydadx3]

Yes, agree ... I run larger than standard circumference tires ... about 3-4%%, which doesn't seem like a lot, but when it's the difference between the speedometer (either digital or analog) of being 10 mph over the limit of 13mph over the limit, it can be the difference in getting a ticket, or not getting a ticket. I have 'lost' that difference one time so far!

The difference is at least expected when you change the tire diameter. I was just speaking of the built-in, conservative margin of error in speedometer readings.

I'm curious now though. With larger diameter tires is there a bigger difference between the gauge and digital reading?

 

[Hankdog]

The difference is at least expected when you change the tire diameter. I was just speaking of the built-in, conservative margin of error in speedometer readings.

I'm curious now though. With larger diameter tires is there a bigger difference between the gauge and digital reading?

Never noticed. Will check and advise.