Driving the full-sized “mom-mobile” from Ridgefield, Washington to Bend, Oregon reawakened my thirst for adventure.

When you hear or read “Subaru,” what immediately pops into your head? Did you picture National Parks stickers dotting the rear windows? Or a “Coexist” sticker on the bumper? Did you imagine a 1990s or early 2000s Outback or first-generation Forester with a kayak strapped to the roof, or a cargo box, skis, or bikes on a rack?

Subaru knows exactly who their cars appeal to, and they’ve done an amazing job keeping their niche market alive and thriving. Before I bought my 2011 Subaru Forester eight years ago, the first thing I thought was, “Well, I like camping, fishing, off-roading, and exploring… So, I need to get me a Subaru.”

Coming from an older Forester, the Ascent feels very grown up. If it were next to mine or the first-gen Forester you pictured above, the Ascent is the accomplished, stylish older sister who works a fancy corporate job and only visits on holidays because she doesn’t relate to her eccentric, hippie family anymore.

The relation shines through in the best of ways, though. Everything I adore about my Forester I loved about the Ascent. The high seating position, excellent visibility, big windows, easy-to-manage steering wheel (complete with a crazy good turning radius), and uncomplicated yet posh interior.

No joke – the interior of the Ascent Onyx Edition was more appealing to me than some of the higher end cars I had the privilege of driving. I didn’t have to dig in the settings to find all the controls, everything was right where I assumed it would be.

The interior of the Ascent I tested had beautiful neon green accent stitching, water resistant “StarTex” upholstery, black accent trimming, and cool floor matts thanks to it being an “Onyx” edition. On the outside, the Onyx influence showed in blacked out exterior trimming, custom 20-inch glossy, black wheels, and matte black badges.

It also had a humongous, tinted 54-inch panoramic sunroof, which my oldest daughter and I thoroughly enjoyed.

I’m a sucker for black wheels and badging, so if I had the extra dough to pay for the Onyx edition, I most certainly would.

The infotainment system was incredibly easy to use and navigate, all of the controls were in familiar spots, and Subaru did an amazing job of making the Ascent feel dainty from the driver’s seat.

“Who cares? I’m in a Subaru. This is nothing.”

I was lucky enough to drive the Ascent from my home in Bend, Oregon up to Ridgefield, Washington as a press car to the 2024 Drive Revolution event with the Northwest Automotive Press Association (NWAPA).

Getting to Washington meant driving through the Mt. Hood National Forest area, with plenty of dirt roads, campgrounds, snow parks, and vista parking lots – but I blazed past them in the interest of saving time.

On the way back, though, I drove through a pretty gnarly rainstorm. But the Ascent was agile, it stayed planted, and it inspired confidence because I’m very technically familiar with Subaru’s Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive system and just how capable that system truly is.

Heading into the valley, I saw a sign for a campground near a beautiful creek, and slowed to turn into the parking lot. At first, I considered pulling away knowing full well the campground was empty due to the rain and mud plaguing the grounds. That thought was quickly followed up with another: “Who cares, I’m in a Subaru. This is nothing.”

It brought me back to being adventurous in my Forester before I had my two kids. I was regularly “getting lost,” finding cool spots to pull over and eat lunch or meander and take pictures.

The Ascent appealed to that very same sense of adventure, that curiosity, and that desire to wander and discover. I spent a good 20 minutes enjoying the magic of the Pacific Northwest before hitting the road: the sounds of the rain tapping the ground, the rushing water of a swollen creek, and birds creating a symphony in the canopy above.

A Queen-sized Sleeper

Make no mistake, the Ascent is a plus-sized Queen. It’s wider than the same model year Forester by 2.25 inches on both sides, longer by 14.1 inches, and taller by three inches. It’s by far the largest Subaru in the lineup (I guess you could say it truly has “Ascended” that way), and despite the extra inches, it doesn’t feel that much bigger.

It feels exactly like my Forester. The only time I noticed how much bigger it really was in comparison was when I had to make tight turns at high speeds, and when I tried to rest my elbows somewhere. However, the elbow thing was easily fixed by putting my seat lower and pulling the steering wheel closer. If a “problem” is easily fixed, it doesn’t really count as a problem to me.

The Ascent is not lazy. This thing really does get up and go when you ask it to. When I had to pass trucks or a Mustang GT500 going 35 mph on a 55 mph road (not joking, even slightly), all 260 horses with the help of the twin-scroll turbo were rearing and ready to go. The continuously variable transmission (CVT) dropped the RPMs and the Ascent threw me back into my seat. Parents, beware, driving it may change your driving style knowing how quick it is.

With the third row up cargo space is incredibly limited. So, if you’re fitting a family in the backseat, you should consider a cargo box or basket for the roof, or brief your passengers that they’ll be carrying their belongings in their lap for the duration of the trip.

With the third row down, however, the cargo space is mind blowing. My kids’ double stroller, all of my Costco groceries and their diaper bag had plenty of wiggle room.

The same could not be said for my Forester, which is regularly crammed with their items.

“Opey da winnow, Mommy!”

After testing the Ascent solo for a few days, I decided to put it through the paces by putting my toddlers’ car seats in it. The tester I had came with two captain’s chairs in the second row, which made installing their chairs quick and easy. My oldest is front facing and my youngest is still rear facing, and setting up both seats was no sweat.

In addition, the big windows were popular with my girls. Both enjoyed being able to see more of the world around them. My oldest hates it when the sun is shining on her through the window (and I always know it’s happening because I hear her shouting, “Go away, sunshine! Go away!!!”), so the sunshades for the rear windows were heaven sent.

For the four days she rode in the Ascent, I didn’t hear her curse the sun once. My youngest was also a huge fan of the shades. After driving this car, I added “sun shades” to my Amazon Wishlist.

My oldest was head over heels in love with the panoramic sunroof the most, though.

She didn’t like it open, since she doesn’t like strong breezes on her face, but the first thing she’d do when I hopped in the driver’s seat was demand I “opey da winnow.”

I didn’t even use the Harman Kardon sound system when she rode with me (though, I thoroughly enjoyed the subwoofer when I was alone) because I loved hearing her talk about the trees, big trucks, colored cars, and people she saw out of the big windows.

The Ascent also has a really cool, bus-like fish eye mirror that’s part of the sunglasses holder. It helped me out tremendously, as it kept me from having to physically turn around to check on my front-facing toddler like I do in my Forester.

My youngest has a mirror that reflects her image in the rearview, but I got to watch my oldest pick her nose in high-definition. She didn’t get away with anything using that mirror, and therefore, represents the very only thing she didn’t like about the Subaru.

As a parent, that little addition makes a huge difference.

Otherwise, she loved the Ascent so much, she cried watching it be driven away by the fleet company. She still asks me when the “big car” is coming back.

You definitely get what you pay for

The Onyx Edition I tested had a sticker price of a little more than $46,000, which, compared to other vehicles in the three-row SUV segment, is definitely a bargain.

The interior is a beautiful and pleasant place to be, the ride is comfortable (though some may say it’s noisy, but only when you compare it to cars like BMW or Mercedes), soft but not too soft, and the cargo space is insane with the third row tucked away.

It also comes with X-Mode to handle dirt, mud, and snow, and comes with cameras on the side mirrors, under the badge up front, and in the rear to give drivers a nearly complete image of their surroundings. That paired with the legendary AWD system is *chef’s kiss* for that price. To someone like me with only two kids and one other adult in the household, this would be the car I’d buy over the Toyota Highlander or the Kia Telluride.

Everything is easy to use, easy to access, it’s easy to get in and out of, the kids are easy to pack in and out, the visibility is amazing, and the technology is helpful without being overwhelming. It’s the Swiss-Army knife of family cars, and that price makes it a car worth considering – especially with kids.

Other Safety/Creature Comforts worth mentioning:

Keeping to tradition, the Ascent is incredibly safe, as it earned a five-star safety rating from the NHTSA in 2023, and was chosen as the 2024 Top Safety Pick+ by the IIHS.

Okay, so what are the downsides?

I can honestly say there weren’t many, aside from the dinky third-row that was only a little comfortable for a normal-sized adult. I could not imagine sitting in that rear seat for more than maybe three hours before I’d be begging the driver to put me out of my misery. It also eats up a LOT of cargo space, so unless the third row is only used in an emergency, “Mom, Timmy from soccer practice wants to have dinner, can he come over?” situation, it’s not ideal for a family with more than two kids and two adults.

I also, personally, would prefer a bench seat over the captain’s chairs to be able to fit another person in the second row. But that’s just me – if that’s not something that’s needed, captain’s chairs are just fine.

It also didn’t get amazing gas mileage. I’m used to Subaru mileage since my old, beat up Forester gets just under 20 mpg driving around town and maybe 23 on the highway. The Ascent, even with the CVT, was getting around 19 mpg around town and about 25 mpg on the highway. Again, being familiar with an all-wheel drive Subaru’s averages those figures didn’t shock me – but someone who takes the EPA estimates close to heart may find themselves disappointed.

Just remember – it’s all-wheel drive and heavy, so don’t expect two-wheel drive numbers.

A Master Technician says, “Ehhh…”

Also, if you’re looking to buy the Ascent due to the 5,000 lb towing rating, I would be wary. My husband is an ASE Certified Advanced Level Specialist who has in-depth knowledge of Subarus, and says consistently towing that much with the engine and transmission setup may compromise the longevity of the brakes, engine, and CVT.

Additionally, I’ve read on a lot of mom groups that they were on their second or third CVT after having towed that much with their Ascent. So, keep that information in your pocket and do with it what you will. Just know that a technician with nearly 20 years of experience urges caution against towing that much that often. However, it is nice to have the option to tow that much in a pinch. Especially since most people rarely tow more than 3,500 lbs.

Specifications as Tested:

Engine: 2.4-liter four-cylinder twin-scroll turbo charged Boxer engine

Horsepower: 260

Torque: 277 lb-ft

Combined MPG: 21 – 25 highway, 19 city

Total Seating: 7, 8 with bench seats

Cargo Capacity: 17.6 cu. ft.

Curb Weight: 4,590 lbs (only a little heavier than my Forester!)

Fuel Type: Regular Unleaded

Max Towing: 5,000 lbs (see note above)

Price as Tested: $46,795 MSRP

TL;DR Summary:

PROS	CONS
Amazing visibility for drivers and passengers	“Bad” mileage – not even close to EPA estimates
Extremely livable (easy to park, easy to drive, easy to get in and out of, a familiar for previous Subaru owners)	Limited cargo space (when third row is erected and in use)
Intuitive technology and features	Third row is uncomfortable for adults
Impressive cargo space (when third row is tucked away)	Captain’s chairs means one less passenger
Very competitive pricing, even for top tier trim levels
Impressive acceleration, stopping, and turning