Last year, a friend's mom(whose family are my parent's neighbors) decided to drop her name in the hat for then in-vitro Subaru Ascent after deliberating between a Pilot or Highlander. 6 months ago the local dealer called her in to ask her about options. She got the wagon last weekend.
I was able to take out for a quick spin and to me, it felt and handled like any other Subaru but I did notice a definite power jump, while it's no WRX/STI with a hotter FA20DIT/EJ255 it certainly felt like it can go when commanded unlike the 4-cylinder Legacy/Outback and Forester. The FA24DIT is rated for 260HP and 275ft-lb. The Highlander and Pilot do make more but those are also 3.5L NA V6s. The CVT was transparent. I didn't get to take it on the freeway but around town there wasn't any obtrusive rubberbanding or lag. There is torque vectoring, but it seems like it's based off the ABS/ESP system. The rear diff looks like standard Subaru fare, I didn't see any additional electrical connectors that would have tipped me off to a multi-plate clutch like the SH-AWD implementation of Honda's VTM-4.
The interior is probably one of Subaru's better efforts, the materials while some did look or feel cheap certainly felt better than Toyota/Ford spec. The doors closed with a solid feeling thump, not the nice, satisfying German thump of a pre-2000s Mercedes product but better than the typical Japanese one. The Legacy/Outback have in higher trim levels the more "luxurious" of interiors in their class and the Ascent felt like a step up from the usual Honda/Toyota fare. This was a 7-passenger model so there was a center aisle to access the 3rd row like a minivan but the 2nd row seats do slide forward like a coupe. The back row looked like a tight squeeze. As typical for a car-based SUV/CUV there isn't too much cargo space if the 3rd row is used.
I feel this will be a hit for Subaru - families that had a Forester or Outback will now have a "natural" upgrade path. It's certainly a much better effort than the old B9 Tribeca. Yes, I will say Subaru has become "norm-core" and in a way, the new Volvo while the latter is trying too hard to snipe down Mercedes/Audi/BMW in the luxury market. Now if Subaru sticks the Ascent motor into a WRX and tweak it to hit 320+HP in stock form...
I was able to take out for a quick spin and to me, it felt and handled like any other Subaru but I did notice a definite power jump, while it's no WRX/STI with a hotter FA20DIT/EJ255 it certainly felt like it can go when commanded unlike the 4-cylinder Legacy/Outback and Forester. The FA24DIT is rated for 260HP and 275ft-lb. The Highlander and Pilot do make more but those are also 3.5L NA V6s. The CVT was transparent. I didn't get to take it on the freeway but around town there wasn't any obtrusive rubberbanding or lag. There is torque vectoring, but it seems like it's based off the ABS/ESP system. The rear diff looks like standard Subaru fare, I didn't see any additional electrical connectors that would have tipped me off to a multi-plate clutch like the SH-AWD implementation of Honda's VTM-4.
The interior is probably one of Subaru's better efforts, the materials while some did look or feel cheap certainly felt better than Toyota/Ford spec. The doors closed with a solid feeling thump, not the nice, satisfying German thump of a pre-2000s Mercedes product but better than the typical Japanese one. The Legacy/Outback have in higher trim levels the more "luxurious" of interiors in their class and the Ascent felt like a step up from the usual Honda/Toyota fare. This was a 7-passenger model so there was a center aisle to access the 3rd row like a minivan but the 2nd row seats do slide forward like a coupe. The back row looked like a tight squeeze. As typical for a car-based SUV/CUV there isn't too much cargo space if the 3rd row is used.
I feel this will be a hit for Subaru - families that had a Forester or Outback will now have a "natural" upgrade path. It's certainly a much better effort than the old B9 Tribeca. Yes, I will say Subaru has become "norm-core" and in a way, the new Volvo while the latter is trying too hard to snipe down Mercedes/Audi/BMW in the luxury market. Now if Subaru sticks the Ascent motor into a WRX and tweak it to hit 320+HP in stock form...
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