Ascent Touring Burnishes Subaru Brand

CHATHAM, Mass – A few years ago Subaru joined the burgeoning three-row sport-utility (SUV) market with the introduction of the Ascent, the flagship of the brand’s offerings.

As befits a flagship, Subaru has steadily added features enabling the Ascent to maintain its competitive position for consumers wanting a mid-size three-row SUV or loyal Subaru owners who needed more room than an Outback or Forester might provide.

I recently had an abbreviated period driving a 2024 Subaru Ascent Touring, the ultimate trim level of the model range, and found it just as satisfying now as it was four years ago when I reviewed a 2020 Premium version.

Back then I wrote, The Subaru Ascent, like its brand siblings, is a perfect family car if you need three rows (even if the third row is simply for occasional use) of seating, lots of interior space for passengers and cargo, and want the added security of all-wheel drive along with the company’s reputation for quality and reliability.

It remains a perfect family car for the same reasons and in Touring trim, bordering on a luxury vehicle.

Boxer motor, CVT, all-wheel drive = a Subaru powertrain

The Subaru Ascent, like all Subaru models except the rear-wheel-drive BRZ sports coupe, features a powertrain with a BoxerÒ engine, continuously variable transmission (CVT) and all-wheel drive (AWD).

At heart of the Ascent is a 2.4-liter, four-cylinder, horizontally opposed SUBARU BOXER® engine with aluminum cylinder block and cylinder heads, twin-scroll turbocharger and intercooler. The motor produces 260 horsepower and 277 pounds-feet of torque.

The power flows through the fully automatic CVT, which also has eight-speed manual-mode function facilitated by steering-column paddle shifters,

Moving the power to all four corners of the Ascent when conditions dictate is the Subaru Symmetrical AWD system. The system features Active Torque Split All-Wheel Drive with electronically controlled variable transfer clutch; X-MODE variable transfer clutch lock control; Dual-function X-MODE with selectable Snow/Dirt and Deep Snow/Mud settings.

This means the Subaru Ascent Touring is ready for virtually any road conditions, a Subaru trademark.

Not a Subaru tradition was the Ascent’s ability to get up and go. The 196.8-inch long, 4,578-pound SUV might not embody a performance machine, but the powertrain was able to provide strong performance, getting from rest to 60 miles per hour in 6.8 seconds according to Car and Driver. And the engine always felt strong when I pushed the accelerator, responding without lag.

And it performed this way while getting 24.9 miles per gallon which exceeded the federal Environmental Protection Agency’s rating of 21 (19 urban, 25 highway).

Reliable foundation

The BOXER-engine design helps provide the Ascent – which, like all Subaru models, uses the Subaru Global Platform – with a low center of gravity, helping the suspension system to provide sure-footed handling.

The basic components include MacPherson-type struts, lower L-arms, coil springs, stabilizer bar and liquid-filled rubber engine mounts in the front while a double-wishbone setup with coil springs and stabilizer bar takes care of business in the rear.

The power-assisted four-wheel disc brake system includes electronic brake-force distribution; four-channel anti-lock system (ABS); brake override; active torque vectoring and auto-vehicle hold. The ventilated rotors are 13.1 inches in the front, 13.0 in the rear.

The 20×7.5J dark-gray aluminum alloy wheels wear 245/50R20 102H all-season radial tires.

The Ascent handles with precision while providing a comfortable, compliant ride without wallowing or stiffness.

ADAS keeps getting better and better

Subaru consistently and continuously keeps improving the advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS). For the 2024 model year, the Ascent receives an enhanced version of the Subaru EyeSight Driver Assist system, the company’s primary ADAS.

The enhanced system operates more smoothly and in a greater range of conditions. These improvements are a result of a wider field of view (thanks to a wide-angle mono camera working in conjunction with the EyeSight stereo cameras), updated control software, and the addition of an electric brake booster.

The blind-spot detection with lane change assist and rear cross-traffic alert system now includes automatic emergency steering, a safety feature that works in conjunction with the EyeSight Pre-Collision Braking to help the vehicle avoid a collision when traveling at speeds slower than 50 mph. Luckily, I never had an opportunity to test this feature.

Luxury touches throughout the technology-filled interior

Nappa leather covers the seven seating positions of the Ascent Touring with the fronts power adjustable, heated and ventilated, while the middle-row captains’ chairs also featured heating, as does the leather-wrapped steering wheel.

Cabin heating – and cooling – is determined by the automatic three-zone climate-control system (including rear controls) with touch controls occupying the bottom of the 11.6-inch color LCD tablet-oriented (vertical orientation) screen at the center of the dash.

The screen is the heart of the SUBARU STARLINK Multimedia Plus and Navigation system which feature wireless Apple CarPlay® and wireless Android Auto™; SiriusXM satellite radio; Bluetooth streaming audio, and Cabin Connect which boosts the driver’s voice when speaking to occupants in the second and third rows.

This and all sounds are presented by the 14-speaker, 792-Watt Harman Kardon premium audio system.

The large screen also provides the 360-degree images of the surround-view camera system while simply turning one’s face skyward will allow an unlimited view of the heavens through the standard panoramic moonroof.

The interior is certainly one of a premium-level vehicle (not to be confused with the Premium trim, which is the second member of the Ascent lineup: Base, Premium, Onyx Edition, Onyx Edition Limited, Limited and Touring), very comfortable, technology filled and modern.

A worthy family

In its first six years, the Subaru Ascent has earned a solid place at the top of the company’s product line. The base model, with enhanced EyeSight for 2024, starts at $34,195 while the Touring, like I sampled, comes in at $48,495. The Touring is a fully equipped vehicle; the review unit had $141 floor mats and a $1,295 destination & handling charge bringing the as-reviewed total to $49,931.