It’s not essentially the most fetching face within the section, however kind belies operate. 
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The Subaru Ascent’s sole replace for 2020 is the addition of a rear-seat reminder system. Otherwise, this three-row SUV enters its second mannequin 12 months unchanged. We’ve already given this factor a radical examination over the course of a 12 months with our long-term tester, and after each journey we walked away impressed. But there’s at all times one thing new to glean from extra time behind the wheel, and driving by majorly schizophrenic February climate has given me extra cause to understand the Ascent.

LikeStandard all-wheel driveComfortable and spaciousLoads of fine options

Don’t LikeHyper-sensitive throttleMediocre all-season tiresAnxious lane-keep help

Easy on the each day commuteMost of the time, the Ascent is about as inoffensive as a manila envelope. Its look is not everyone’s cup of tea, however I feel it really works properly with the remainder of the present Subaru lineup, and with my Touring-trim tester driving on 20-inch wheels, it appears to be like a bit extra cohesive than lesser fashions.The inside is a bit more expressive, and this Ascent is positively loaded with comfortable enhances. The brown leather-based is gentle, and it performs properly with the matte-wood trim scattered throughout the cabin in small bits. Storage positively abounds, with massive cubbies within the doorways, a purse-sized opening within the heart armrest, extra pockets on the dashboard and yet one more hidey-hole just under the local weather controls. Throw 19 cup holders into the combo, and the complete household can have no downside ensuring stuff will get saved no less than considerably securely. Visibility is the tops, too, with plenty of glass permitting me to test blind spots with ease. The third row can be tremendous easy to fold up or down, requiring a single twine pull by the trunk, and it is simply as straightforward to slip into, because of a dead-simple tilt-and-slide mechanism.

The Ascent may not lead the pack in capacities, but it surely’s correctly aggressive. While the second row’s house is aggressive towards vehicles such because the Hyundai Palisade and Chevy Traverse, the third row is a bit tight for bigger people and its house falls behind the competitors. Cargo house is first rate, providing 17.8 cubic toes behind the third row or 47.5 cubes with these seats folded down.The Large Adult Subaru’s dry-road demeanor is equally vanilla, which ought to be good for many households buying on this section. Under the hood of each Ascent is a 2.4-liter turbocharged flat-four producing 260 horsepower and 277 pound-feet of torque. The engine is more than pleased to shove the Ascent round with spectacular haste, enhanced in no small half by a (barely annoying) throttle that likes to blast forward with even the slightest trace of engagement. It’ll get you on top of things on the freeway, after which some, very quickly flat for a mass-market household car.

Connected to that four-pot is a repeatedly variable transmission, the only real cog-swapper accessible on most Subaru fashions today. It’s a very fantastic factor, knocking off the occasional simulated gear shift below heavier throttle purposes, working its means up and down the tachometer easily in much less spirited conditions. It’s an excellent mixture, though I feel a Snow mode with muted throttle inputs would go an extended strategy to bettering the foul-weather drivability (extra on that in a minute).

Fuel economic system is a combined bag. While the EPA charges the 2020 Ascent Touring at 20 miles per gallon metropolis and 26 mpg freeway, I used to be by no means capable of obtain these numbers. Some of it is possible resulting from my native highways’ 70-mph velocity limits (and 80-mph circulate of visitors), however most Roadshow workers had the identical struggles with our previous long-term Ascent.In the snowI’m the man who reads the climate studies and memorizes the radar map earlier than setting out on an extended journey, however nothing may have ready me for what I hit on my means residence from the 2020 Chicago Auto Show earlier this month.Somewhere between Jackson and Ann Arbor, Michigan, about two hours from residence, the snow got here. This wasn’t some namby-pamby dusting, both. Full-on whiteout situations appeared out of nowhere, catching dozens of drivers off guard as everybody slowed and crammed right into a single line for security’s sake.The Ascent’s driver’s seat is a reasonably comfortable place to spend a snowstorm — no less than when your sofa is not additionally an choice.
Andrew Krok/Roadshow
Despite all of the momentum it carries, the Ascent is sure-footed within the snow. The automotive held its course simply, by no means wavering even because the snow started to build up on the street, obscuring traces and curves. My tester’s customary LED headlights created an terrible lot of brilliant reflections on the incoming snow, obscuring my visibility, however I doubt it might have been any higher with halogens. I saved the significantly highly effective entrance and rear defrosters on full and used intermittent blasts of wiper fluid to maintain salt residue from additional obscuring the street forward. I by no means skilled icy buildup on the corners of the windshield, which has occurred in different vehicles and may shortly turn out to be a security difficulty.While the Ascent dealt with the whiteout prefer it wasn’t even there, later post-snowfall driving highlighted the SUV’s common all-season tires. The inventory set of Falken Ziex all-seasons are assured sufficient at larger speeds, however at decrease speeds they mix with the sensitive throttle to offer extra wheelspin than I’d like. The Ascent’s stability-control system enables you to decide to a stunning quantity of yaw, so I hope you realized methods to countersteer. Any client who hasn’t already stretched their funds on the Ascent ought to spend money on a set of correct winter tires or no less than substitute the Falkens with higher all-weather rubber from Continental or Michelin. Be ready to pony up, although — 20-inch tires don’t come low cost.Check the techThe Subaru Ascent packs a robust technological punch, hitting consumers with each security and creature-comfort options that maintain tempo with the competitors.While base Ascents make do with a 6.5-inch infotainment display, my Touring tester packs the upgraded 8-inch display. The Starlink infotainment system would not have the newest graphics, but it surely’s nonetheless lots succesful, with each Apple CarPlay and Android Auto coming customary throughout the board. Navigation is on the market on larger trims, however I favor smartphone mirroring to Subaru’s built-in stuff. Wi-Fi connectivity is sin right here, too.Starlink might not have the flashiest graphics, but it surely’s quick sufficient and packs nearly each characteristic a household will want.
Andrew Krok/Roadshow
Subaru has lengthy touted its security file, and its customary complement of butt-saving tech solely highlights that additional. Every single Ascent comes with EyeSight, which covers computerized emergency braking, forward-collision warning, lane-departure warning, lane-keep help and adaptive cruise management. This hands-on system works nice, maintaining the cruel actions to a minimal, however the lane-keep help does attempt a bit too arduous to maintain you within the absolute center of the lane, which may get spooky when passing a truck that continues to float ever nearer to the dashed white traces. Thankfully, the techniques are straightforward to show off in case you favor to go it alone.New for the 2020 mannequin 12 months is a rear-seat reminder system. It’s a easy one, remembering whether or not or not the rear doorways have been opened previous to beginning a journey, and providing up a reminder to test the rear seat on the finish of a visit. It’s annoying for me, as a result of I’m of the “How could you ever forget about a living thing in the back seat?” mentality. But what? If it helps save even one life, it is well worth the chime that comes when the ignition is turned off.How I’d spec itThe 2020 Subaru Ascent Touring has every little thing I may probably need in a three-row household SUV, however all that equipment comes at a value — this top-trim tourer has a window sticker of $46,055 after accounting for the $1,010 vacation spot cost.Personally, I’d go for the penultimate Ascent Limited trim, which begins at a much more palatable $39,345. If you need the bigger display and a few additional creature comforts, a $2,950 Tech Package provides the 8-inch show, along with higher audio and a panoramic moonroof. That brings the worth right down to $43,305 after vacation spot — a bit higher, particularly in case you can reside with out the ventilated seats and wooden trim.Down to brass tacksThe Ascent is fairly evenly priced towards its largest rivals. The Chevy Traverse presents more room, however its inside high quality is the pits (a GM difficulty generally). The Honda Pilot is probably a bit extra trendy, and it presents rear-seat leisure whereas the Ascent doesn’t, nor does the Pilot mandate a CVT. The Hyundai Palisade and Kia Telluride are sizzling new contenders that ramp issues up within the model division, however each of these new three-rows can get costly in a rush. Suffice it to say, comparability buying on this section would possibly take a while.But in case you do go for the Ascent, I do not suppose you may be let down. It drives properly in all method of climate situations, there’s loads of house for households to retailer stuff and its customary security tech ought to provide a complete lot of peace of thoughts.