the Subaru Outback has a cult following and I'm a fan too but like many parents
I can't fit my kids three car seats in its back seat enter this Subaru ascent
Subarus new three row SUV Subaru hasn't had a three row SUV in its lineup since
the 2014 Tribeca Subarus Assent is the biggest Subaru SUV but size isn't just
what families care about they care about features too I got the chance to drive
the ascent on the Oregon coast to see if it delivers power comes from a new
turbocharged 2.4 liter 4 cylinder engine that might sound like a small engine for
a vehicle this big but for the most part it's not low end power is strong and
there's no turbo lag where it starts to feel underpowered is on the highway
during passing and merging maneuvers or hill climbs you feel in here it's
struggle the sole transmission is a continuously variable automatic and it's
drone is loud and unrefined and it takes a while to spool up power a v6 and any
other transmission are unavailable in terms of road manners the ascent feels
predictably like a three row SUV it's composed in corners but doesn't feel
agile and its ride quality is good bumps are well damped and overall it's
comfortable to drive but a touch loud in terms of road and wind noise all-wheel
drive is standard and it's a capable system I drove it on sand gravel and
dirt and it handled it all well aided by the X modes hill descent control which
automatically moderates throttle on descents very helpful system
outside the ascent looks like a plumped up version of the Outback inside it's
more Subaru all over the cabin you've got this very straightforward clean
looking setup which you see in a lot of supers I don't love this material but in
higher grade trim levels it's a little bit classier a little bit nicer I really
do like this multimedia system however a 6.5 inch screen is standard which is
large enough and an 8 inch screen is optional it's an upgraded version of
Subarus usual multimedia system and it's got tuning and volume knobs which are
really handy and overall it's very easy to use apple carplay is standard Android
auto is standard wireless hotspot capability is optional
another new option is a camera based rear-view mirror system so if your car
is loaded you can't see behind you using the mirror you flip a switch it becomes
a camera based system and you have clear visibility which can be a handy feature
another new option is ventilated seats another creature comfort that's
available just this year the ascent has seating for seven or eight passengers
depending on trim level this model seats eight on a bench seat Subaru says
there's room enough for three car seats across the back seat which we aren't
able to test but it feels very roomy it also has two sets of latch anchors and
an additional third latch anchor for a little bit of car seat flexibility when
installing the seats another family-friendly feature that I like are
these cloth seats they're stain and liquid resistant so if you spill
anything on them the liquid will just beat up and not soak into the fabric so
you won't have a stain and you won't have a smell which is less mess another
feature that I really like are there's 19 cupholders in this cabin standard
which seems like a lot you don't have to put drinks in all of them but you can
use them as personal storage cubbies coming in handy when you have a lot of
kids lastly there's also a conversation mirror so the front seat occupants can
kind of check what's going on in the back seat which is another handy
family-friendly feature what's missing back here is a rear entertainment system
Subaru does not offer one on the ascent but it does offer something called the
entertainment anywhere package which is a pair of iPads and some headphones so
basically it's it kind of functions as a personal entertainment system for
whoever is in the back using dad's getting back to the third row is
actually pretty easy thanks to this button on the side of the
chair and the step in is pretty manageable too so kids should have no
problem getting back here by themselves once back here room is pretty average
for a three row SUV the seats are kind of hard it's not the most comfortable
seat in the house but it's pretty comparable to others in the segment now
one thing that I do like is this window a lot of third rows can feel kind of
dark in cave-like and this really opens up visibility
makes it feel a little airier another thing are these cupholders there's tons
of them and then in higher trim levels you also get USB ports back here lastly
there's also a set of lower latch anchors back here and three top tether
anchors so if you want to install a car seat back here you can it makes the
ascent more family-friendly in back there's 17.8 cubic feet of space
which is a little less than the Volkswagen Atlas but a little more than
the Honda Pilot and the third row goes down for more space there's also a
little bit of underfloor storage space here for smaller items the ascent may
not be the quietest or the most refined vehicle but it's good where it counts
it's practical capable and it has enough goodies to keep families precious cargo
safe and happy
you