Used 2019 Subaru Ascent SUV Consumer Reviews
Used Ascent for sale
After the bugs are fixed it is an average SUV
Will, 12/07/2018
updated 06/09/2021
2019 Subaru Ascent Touring 4dr SUV AWD w/7-Passenger (2.4L 4cyl Turbo CVT)
86 of 96 people found this review helpful
I will be honest and say I was afraid after I purchased my Ascent. Within a few months I had to have the transmission replaced but once that was done it has been a great vehicle for me. Good power and very comfortable ride. After 2 years of ownership I will not buy another Ascent. Transmission problems galore and poor gas mileage
- Safety
- Technology
- Performance
- Interior
- Comfort
- Reliability
- Value
Needs better transmission
Milan, 04/17/2019
2019 Subaru Ascent Premium 4dr SUV AWD w/7-Passenger Convenience Pkg (2.4L 4cyl Turbo CVT)
11 of 11 people found this review helpful
After owning the car for six months and driving close to 3,000 miles, generally I can say I am happy with the Ascent. It's roomy, comfortable, rides great on the highway, has plenty of power, full of technology and ,what's most important for me, has an abundance of safety applications. However, there are a couple of downsides. The biggest complaint I have is its CVT transmission. It's not smooth at low speeds, below 35 mph or so (and most of my drive is in the city at 20-30 mph). The ride is jerky, and what bothers me the most is the upshifting: you start from stop, and it immediately upshifts to 2nd or 3rd, and you suddenly loose all power (unless you really step on the accelerator). Looks like it's programmed to keep the RPM at around 1,500 to be optimal, which is not always the best option in city driving. One thing I'm using is the paddle shifter, it actually works even when you're in the Drive mode for a quick shift. Often I opt to use the Manual mode and I have much more control over it's power and shifting. But for some reason it seems that the noise coming from the engine/transmission is louder than in D mode, even at the same RPMs. I think that Subaru had to tweak the CVT to match the engine power and the size of the car, but looks like they didn't finish the job completely. I had a Forester with a CVT transmission, and it was super smooth all the time. The other thing is the fuel consumption. In city driving I barely get to 15 mpg, even though its rated at 21. It performs much better on the highway, and that's where this car really shines. It's very smooth at higher speeds, no transmission problems, and the ride is comfortable. The only thing is the noise at high speeds, but I still don't think this to be a problem. Even though you can customize a lot of settings, I could never make the setting that unlocks all doors with just one press of the button work. Not a big deal, but for a $40k car you should expect things like this to be worked out. Overall I would rate the Ascent at 7.5/10.
- Safety
- Technology
- Performance
- Interior
- Comfort
- Reliability
- Value
2019 Subaru Ascent for sale near you
Showing 3 of 63 listings
- Touring 4dr SUV w/7-PassengerMSRP: $28,99917 mi away
- Premium 4dr SUV w/8-Passenger Sporty PkgMSRP: $22,2926 mi away
- Premium 4dr SUV w/7-Passenger Sporty PkgMSRP: $21,9905 mi away
See all 63 listings
We love it!
Ry, 02/13/2019
2019 Subaru Ascent Limited 4dr SUV AWD w/7-Passenger Technology Pkg (2.4L 4cyl Turbo CVT)
18 of 19 people found this review helpful
We made the switch from our 2017 3.6R legacy which we had a hate and love relationship with that car. We enjoyed the speed and acceleration but the overall drive on the highway was garbage. The Driver and Passengers seats are horrendous to the point where realized we needed an upgrade.With that said onto the Ascent. We purchased the Limited with the KCC-23 package Moonroof/Navi etc. The driver and passenger seating is SO much better than our limited 3.6r . There is plenty of room for our 2 kids and our dog. I'm 5'9 and I can sit in the 3rd row with plenty of room. The navigation/entertainment system is great. Though, laggy at times but this is to expected with a new system. We love Android Auto its nice and intuitive. One thing I would speak to is some of the reviews about the cars "crash avoidance" system. I highly recomend that you read the manual. Some of the post talk about the car "taking control" and applying the breaks etc. First off if you have all the systems on and don't know how to use them then don't blame a car for doing whats its programmed to do...99% of the time it's user error. With that said we did experience an odd glitch with the RAB coming on after android auto crashed. I pulled over and restarted the car and haven't had the glitch since. My thoughts around this is that the system must shut do a hard reset and the RAB and other systems are tied into the just one HD for security reason. I'm hoping an update will fix this. The car in the snow is great which is nothing new for Subaru. The X-mode is nice and we put it to use on the first day we drove to work we received 12 inches of icy snow here in the NorthEast. So far we can't find any complaints with this car. As time goes on I will update the review but I will leave the review with this. We test drove every single car within the segment. e.g. Highlander/Pilot/CX-9/Durango and I will say though the Subi doesn't have the "power" of the Durango or the look of the CX-9 it is a far superior car in many ways.
- Safety
- Technology
- Performance
- Interior
- Comfort
- Reliability
- Value
Transmission Trouble Ruins Car experience
Nicole, 10/08/2019
2019 Subaru Ascent Limited 4dr SUV AWD w/8-Passenger (2.4L 4cyl Turbo CVT)
10 of 10 people found this review helpful
I wanted to love this car so much. There are so many good things to say about the comfort, some good bells and whistles. But ultimately, if a car isnt safe and able to be driven consistently nothing else should matter. Im going on my third week with a car at the dealer needing a new transmission. We noticed a shuddering while driving in the car on the freeway and took it in to get checked out and found out the entire transmission needed be replaced. The car is 9 months old and has 10,000 miles on it. it was leased brand new off the lot. To add insult to injury, apparently so many ascents are having this problem that the transmissions are backordered and there is currently no ETA for the repair. When we brought our car in there were 7 other Ascents at our dealership alone awaiting the repair. Luckily we're just in a lease. After this, I cant wait to hand them back the keys and take my business elsewhere. Not only is this incredibly inconvenient, but this is a family car and the biggest reason for us purchasing this car was to keep our small children safe -- which they definitely are not with a transmission that starts to fail out of nowhere on the freeway.
- Safety
- Technology
- Performance
- Interior
- Comfort
- Reliability
- Value
Mechanical issues!
Noelle, 09/25/2019
updated 09/29/2023
2019 Subaru Ascent Limited 4dr SUV AWD w/7-Passenger (2.4L 4cyl Turbo CVT)
16 of 17 people found this review helpful
I bought the Subaru Ascent brand new in January after driving it and reading great reviews. It was my first time getting a Subaru but had heard nothing but good things so I took a chance. Well 7 month in and electrical malfunction they say is triggered by my insurance sensor. This morning squeaking sputtering and took to shop. They are having to replace the TRANSMISSION and I’ve only had the car 7months. I was very happy with the car until I have had these issues. Having to take time off work for repairs on your brand new car is extremely frustrating to say the least! Updated review: My new 2019 ascent had to have the transmission worked on, electrical issues, fuel pump replaced, then transmission replaced all by 40k miles. After talking with Subaru they made it right with me. Transferred me into the 2020 subaru ascent for a good deal. I was assured all the issues were fixed. Well same situation. My car started skipping when I drove it. Took it in and had to have the transmission worked on. Same problem happened so they had to replace the transmission completely. Had to have a window motor replaced. After getting my car back (which btw took 2 months of me in a rental due to parts delayed). I get a recall notice. Spent 6 months calling till they finally had a solution. Had to have my car back in the shop. Have had to replace the window seal on the drivers side. Had the covering to my fog light just fall off so they replaced that as well. I have been extremely disappointed in the quality of car subaru made with the ascent. My advice to all is DO NOT BUY a subaru ascent. It has cost me sooo much time and effort going back and forth to the dealership, rental cars, hours on hold with service department and I'm just now at 50k miles. 2 different brand new ascents and the same problems. Ironically I bought subaru because of the safety ratings and I wanted the best since having a new baby. I will never buy subaru again. Updated Review: Still give it a 1 star and will never buy Subaru again. They swapped me into the 2020 Subaru Ascent and I was hopeful to not have any issues with the new car. Well I have had many issues. First was my window would not go up and that had to be repaired. Then I had the transmission repaired and replaced. Have had 3 or 4 recalls that I've had to take it back into the shop for a few times. This all happed over 70k miles.
- Safety
- Technology
- Performance
- Interior
- Comfort
- Reliability
- Value