A Subaru so big it could swallow another Subaru
Does the Ascent feel that big when you drive it? In life, everything is relative. If you're not familiar with it, introduced in 2018, this is Subaru's largest SUV.
It is six-and-a-half feet longer than Subaru's first mass produced car, the two-door 360 city car. The Ascent is two feet wider, one-and-a-half feet taller and is five times heavier than the 360. If the Subaru 360 was just a few inches smaller, it could fit inside the Ascent.
The Ascent is relatively big by Subaru standards … but not by North American standards. (The Chevrolet Suburban is two-and-a-half feet longer than the Ascent.)
This three-row, seven-passenger, mid-size SUV is surprisingly manoeuvreable and perky on the road. Its continually variable transmission (CVT) and 260-horsepower, turbocharged, four-cylinder boxer engine combine to make this 4,500-pound sport-ute a pleasure to drive.
Power is sent to all four wheels via Subaru's legendary symmetrical full-time all-wheel drive.
Just how good is its all-wheel drive?
Full disclosure, I have owned four Subarus: a 2006 WRX STI, a 2011 WRX STI, a 2016 WRX STI and my current car, a 2023 Subaru WRX.
Why so many Subarus? Well, for one, the all-wheel drive.
Winter, Spring and Fall are three of the best seasons to own a Subaru. Whether you're driving their most performance-focused WRX, or one of their five SUVs, Subaru's all-wheel drive provides sure footedness that is amongst the best on the road today.
You can have your Ascent in one of six different trims: Convenience ($48,874), Touring ($50, 874), Onyx ($52,374), Limited ($55,874), Sport ($56,874) and Premier ($58,874). Convenience and Limited have an eight-passenger configuration with a middle-row bench seat. The Touring, Onyx, Sport and Premier are seven passenger SUVs with second row captain's chairs.
The Ascent Sport is new for 2025. It comes with everything the Limited has plus numerous upgrades and add-ons, including brown accent stitching, interior and exterior bronze accents; heated and power, folding door mirrors; gloss-black, front-grille accents; gloss-black, interior, trim surfaces; all-weather, soft-touch, seating surfaces; gloss-black, roofline spoiler, with integrated brake light and 20-inch aluminum alloy wheels.
The great outdoors is part of Subaru's DNA, and that's seen in the Ascent. An example of this is the quantity of carrier options available; you can get a two- or four-bicycle, hitch-mounted bike rack; a rooftop bike carrier; a canoe carrier; a kayak carrier; a kayak stacker; a crossbar roof-rack; a roof basket; a ski and snowboard carrier, which can hold up to six pairs of skis or four snowboards, and a paddleboard or surfboard carrier. The optional medium, large or extra-large, rooftop-mounted, cargo box can add 509 litres of cargo capacity.
Once you, your passengers, bikes and kayak arrive at your destination, you can open up a roof-mounted awning to shelter you from sun and rain. You can even pitch a tent on your roof, which can sleep a couple of adults. All of these options range in price from around $300 to $3,300, for the rooftop tent.
Subarus have a bit of a rep for being a little old-school. Case in point is the optional single-disk CD player ($1,100), which can be added to the centre console. What's not old-school is the very useful wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, which work seamlessly for those who wish to stream their music, rather than listen to CDs. Wireless charging is optional.
Part of the charm of this go-anywhere-do-anything SUV is that it has all the premium attributes you'd want, without all of the attitude that comes with some of the other premium SUVs. Do its competitors have full-time Symmetrical all-wheel drive? No, they don't. Our roads are wet or snowy more than half the year, so having the sure-footedness of Subaru's all-wheel drive is a big plus. A feather in its cap is that the Ascent has been awarded the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) Top Safety Pick every year from 2018 to 2024.
If you're in the market for a three-row SUV, you would do well to check out the Ascent.
Type:
Seven passenger, all-wheel drive, mid-size Sport Utility Vehicle
Engine:
Turbocharged, 2.4-litre, horizontally-opposed (boxer), 4-cylinder engine, 260 horsepower and 277 pounds-feet of torque (motive force)
Transmission:
Continuously Variable (CVT)
Fuel:
12.3 litres/100 km in the city, 9.4l/100 km on the highway, 11.0l/100 km combined
Cargo:
2,061 litres, or 72.7 cubic feet, with second and third row seats folded; 1,193l, or 42.1 cu. ft., with third row seats folded; 458l, or 16.1 cu. ft., with all seats up
Price:
$56,874, excl. freight, other fees, taxes
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