2024 Subaru Ascent Touring test drive review

I’m a big fan of Subarus. The vehicles are an excellent fit for Utah’s climate, terrain and demographics. Most models are very practical, offering excellent ground clearance and all-wheel drive. Not to mention they are fun to drive. The same, I’m happy to report, can be said after spending a few days cruising around Southern California with some friends in the 2024 Ascent Touring. It should be on your shortlist if you’re in the market for a midsize SUV.

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Subaru’s trademark all-wheel drive comes standard on the 2024 Ascent. Photo by Subaru U.S. Media Center

Price and value 

The Ascent’s price was one of the most surprising things about it. It’s genuinely a great value, even when loaded up with options like ours was. The MSRP range for the 2024 Subaru Ascent in a seven-passenger configuration is $38,455-$48,695. It is available in five trim levels, with a suite of standard features that includes Subaru’s Starlink safety and security system, an all-weather package and a rear seat climate control panel. Some of the major differences in trim levels are noted below. 

● Premium 7-Passenger: $38,495 See listings

5,000-pound towing capacity 

4G LTE Wi-Fi capability

Second row captain’s chairs

● Onyx Edition 7-Passenger: $41,795 See listings

StarTex water-repellent upholstery

20-inch black finish alloy wheels

Black grille and exterior trim

Power rear gate

Keyless access with push-button start

Reverse automatic braking

● Limited 7-Passenger: $42,095 See listings

Leather-trimmed upholstery

20-inch alloy wheels

Heated front and second-row seats

DriverFocus distraction mitigation system

● Onyx Edition Limited 7-Passenger: $46,795 See listings

Panoramic power moonroof

360-degree surround view monitor

Harman Kardon premium audio system

Subaru Starlink multimedia navigation

● Touring 7-Passenger: $48,695 See listings

Nappa leather-trimmed upholstery

All trims come standard with the same turbocharged engine and all-wheel drive. If amenities aren’t your thing, even the Premium trim could be a good value for you. As it is, our tester was the loaded Touring trim, which still felt competitive at almost $50,000. 

The Ascent comes standard with three years or 36,000 miles of limited warranty coverage, and five years or 60,000 miles of powertrain warranty coverage. No complimentary maintenance is included. 

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A traction control system on the Ascent has a snow/dirt mode, making it a true four-season vehicle. Photo by Subaru U.S. Media Center

Performance 

The Ascent may not inherit much of the rally DNA found in its WRX brother, but it does share its engine and some of its turbo punch in some surprisingly engaging ways. It’s not the most thrilling midsize SUV, but it is far from the mundane. The Touring trim includes some nice driving aids, but it’s really on the interior where you feel the trim’s premium touches.

Engine 

Subaru uses the same engine in the Ascent as in the WRX, and it’s a good one. The 2.4-liter turbocharged boxer engine produces 260 horsepower and 277 pound-feet of torque. It doesn’t feel quite as spritely in this large SUV as compared to the WRX, but there’s no denying its welcome turbocharged boost around town and when passing on the freeway. Every Ascent is rated to tow 5,000 pounds. 

A look under the hood of the 2024 Subaru Ascent. Photo by Subaru U.S. Media Center

Drivetrain 

The boxer engine is paired with Subaru’s High Torque Lineartronic continuously variable transmission. It’s an interesting pairing, with the CVT occasionally moaning under load. The symmetrical all-wheel drive system is excellent, as it always is in Subarus. I’ve tested these systems extensively, and there’s nothing that can compete with a Subaru in the snow, especially when fitted with winter tires. 

Acceleration and handling 

The turbocharged four-cylinder gets up and moves pretty well, but it does level out fairly quickly under hard acceleration. Car and Driver clocked it from 0-60 mph in 6.8 seconds. Handling was more agile than expected, perhaps due to the flat boxer engine providing a slightly lower center of gravity. Ride quality was comfortable and supple, even when riding on 20-inch wheels. 

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Braking 

The Ascent’s brakes felt strong and reassuring. The brake pedal position was unusually high, however, which made for some somewhat tricky modulation. Small-footed drivers may struggle. The Ascent Touring was fitted with braking assist technologies like Reverse Automatic Braking, Brake Override and Subaru’s EyeSight driver assist system.

Interior comfort and convenience 

Stepping into the interior felt both refreshing and familiar. As is typical with most Subarus, the interior is a comfortable, sensible and fairly spacious place to spend time. There’s room for up to seven passengers, but the third row is tighter than some of the competition. Even still, the interior feels tailor-made for families and boasts 19 cupholders, as well as several storage cubbies and charging ports. 

Ergonomically designed front seats are a favorite feature of the Subaru Ascent. Photo by Subaru U.S. Media Center

Seats 

The front and second-row seats are very comfortable and supportive, and the Touring trim’s Nappa leather feels top-notch. The front seats are especially excellent and would make road trips a more than welcome endeavor. The heating and ventilation features also worked very well, but the second row is only heated. The third row is on the smaller side of the competition, but two smaller adults should fit fine — just don’t expect a lot of cargo space with it up.

The third row of the Subaru Ascent is a bit more cramped than that of competitors. Photo by Subaru U.S. Media Center

Climate control 

The tri-zone automatic climate control worked well, cooling us down on warmer Los Angeles days and warming us in the morning and evening. The second-row occupants also have their own HVAC controls, which our rear passengers enjoyed and found easy to use. 

Cargo space and cabin storage 

One aspect of the Ascent that was universally loved by all four of us was the amount of cabin storage. There are cubbies and cupholders pretty much everywhere you could want them, the favorites being the cupholders in the door armrests. There wasn’t much cargo space with the third row up, but there was plenty for our luggage with the third row folded flat. 

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The 2024 Ascent has 17.8 cubic feet of rear cargo space, which can be increased by folding the seats down. Photo by Subaru U.S. Media Center

Infotainment system 

The infotainment system looks beautiful, but the 11.6-inch touchscreen was difficult to use. It was challenging to connect our phone and use Apple CarPlay, and overall wasn’t very intuitive as to how to navigate, control the HVAC system, change settings, etc. The Ascent’s infotainment was updated for 2023, but it already seems due for an overhaul. 

Exterior appearance and functionality 

The Ascent looks unmistakably like a Subaru and a natural evolution of the Outback, Forester and Crosstrek with a tiny bit of WRX tossed in for good measure. If you like how those vehicles look, the Ascent has very similar styling cues, albeit on a larger scale. Overall the Ascent looks like what it is: a practical, comfortable, adventurous family hauler. Our tester was finished in a beautiful Crimson Red Pearl paint. Other paint colors for the Touring trim include:

• Autumn Green Metallic

• Cosmic Blue Pearl

• Crystal Black Silica

• Crystal White Pearl

• Dark Mahogany Pearl

• Ice Silver Metallic

• Magnetite Gray Metallic 

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Towing capacity 

Every Ascent can tow 5,000 pounds, but that doesn’t mean you should. In Car and Driver’s 40,000-mile testing, fuel economy dropped to the single digits while towing, and the CVT strained to keep the momentum.

Wheels 

The Touring trim’s 20-inch alloy wheels were a classy touch and looked sharp. They may have firmed up the ride a bit, but we didn’t mind the trade-off. Road noise was a little louder than expected, but that also could have been in part due to poor road quality. 

Cosmic Blue Pearl is one of many exterior color choices available on the 2024 Subaru Ascent. Photo by Subaru U.S. Media Center

Lights and turn signals 

The Ascent’s auto on/off LED low and high beam headlights illuminated the dark Los Angeles highways really well. The turn signals were bright and easily visible. 

Cameras and side mirrors 

The Touring trim includes a surround view monitor camera system which was helpful for parking in tight spaces. The view only uses half of the large, vertically oriented infotainment screen, and we wish it used more of it. The touring trim also comes with a rear vision camera in the rearview mirror, which helps with rearward visibility. 

Front and rear windshield 

One of our favorite Subaru qualities in the Ascent was its excellent visibility. Subaru always does a great job providing large, wide views to the front and sides of the car and the Ascent is no exception.

Safety 

Another strong selling point for the Ascent is its safety. The Ascent boasts an overall five-star safety rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and a Top Safety Pick+ designation from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. 

Subaru is known for its advanced safety features, and the 2024 Ascent has earned several awards. Photo by Subaru U.S. Media Center

Features 

As expected, the Ascent Touring comes loaded with safety features. 

• EyeSight Driver-Assist System with Automatic Emergency Steering

• Driver Focus - Distraction Mitigation System

• Reverse Automatic Braking System

• Subaru Advanced Frontal Airbag System

• Brake Override System and Safety Pedal System 

Awards and Ratings

• Experian “Built to Last” award

• Intellichoice “Cost of Ownership” award

• MotorTrend’s “Top-Ranked” award 

Final impression 

The Subaru Ascent Touring is a good entry in the midsize three-row SUV segment. It’s comfortable, safe and practical. The third row is a bit tight for adults; smaller children should fit just fine. The infotainment can be frustrating … but who cares when you have 19 cupholders? Overall we really enjoyed the Ascent and its turbocharged boxer engine as it shuttled us around Los Angeles for a few days. If you’re in the market for all the things Subaru offers, but in a larger wrapper, you’ll love the Ascent. 

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While the Touring trim and its Nappa leather was nice to have, you would probably be just as happy with Onyx Edition or Limited trims as they offer most of the same basic options but for thousands less. 

Highs: 

• Legendary all-wheel drive

• Excellent safety tech

• Super comfortable front seats

• Fun turbocharged engine

Lows: 

• Mediocre fuel economy

• Tighter than expected third row

• Safety tech can be a little overbearing

• Infotainment could use a revamp

FAQs 

Is the Subaru Ascent good for families? 

Definitely. It may not be as spacious as some of the competition, but it’s extremely well thought out, usable and durable. Cargo space isn’t particularly spacious with the third row up, though, so pack lightly. 

Is it fun to drive? 

While it’s no WRX, the turbocharged engine and enjoyable handling make the Ascent engaging enough to drive. Some may balk at the lifeless CVT, but most probably won’t even notice it's there. 

*KSL Cars does not endorse any vehicles. The views or opinions expressed in this article are those of the writer and do not reflect the views or opinions of KSL.com or its employees.