Used 2020 Subaru Ascent SUV Consumer Reviews
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Absolutely wonderful car
George in Chicago, 02/06/2020
2020 Subaru Ascent 4dr SUV AWD w/8-Passenger (2.4L 4cyl Turbo CVT)
17 of 18 people found this review helpful
I am a first time Subaru owner but my wife has one and ever since she got a forester I have wanted a Subaru. I love the way the Ascent drives feels solid on the road has enough room for weekend utility of home improvement projects. I previously had a 04 Honda Pilot and loved that car to its death. I needed a car to check off all of my check boxed to move away from Honda line but in comparison Subaru Ascent met and exceeded my list. I absolutely love the adaptive cruise and lane keep assist when driving on long trips it makes it a breeze. To sum up: Lots of cargo space, room for 6 adults, top of the line Safety features, over all great value.
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Lovin my Ascent
JayinUT, 12/10/2019
2020 Subaru Ascent Premium 4dr SUV AWD w/8-Passenger Sporty Pkg (2.4L 4cyl Turbo CVT)
17 of 18 people found this review helpful
I purchased a 2020 8 passenger Ascent Premium and have been throughly enjoying it. Fits my family of 7 just fine, but we put the smaller members, 5' 5" or smaller in the back. The third row is best for two adults or three children under the height of 5'5" . Love that the second row bench seats recline. Noise is not an issue in my Ascent from the engine or the road. Sound systems is good, and I love the integration of using my iPhone with the display. Lane correction does take a little bit of time to adjust to, but you can turn that off or I can. When we get groceries the third row is folded down as we need that space or when we transport other items. I have taken it out to the West Desert of Utah and it performed great off road with dirt, some mud and snow. AWD works like a charm like it has on the 3 Outbacks I have owned and operated in the mountains and the desert. The gas pedal may seem touching as the turbo charger kicks in when you hit the gas. Ease on the pedal and I don't have that jerky issue. Love that it has a turbo on it. Climate control works wonderfully and I like the fact I can lock out the rear controls if I want to, or as I drive around, I can have all on the same temperature for even climate in the car. Overall, I am very happy with the purchase. One compliant. I like to drive with my left arm on the top of the driver inside window and I cannot do that here.
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All the tech/upgrades at the basic level
CH, 03/10/2020
2020 Subaru Ascent Premium 4dr SUV AWD w/8-Passenger Sporty Pkg (2.4L 4cyl Turbo CVT)
10 of 10 people found this review helpful
What a fantastic SUV and value too. A fully loaded Premium trim with the Sporty Package, tow hitch, all weather floor mats, back seat cover, cargo cover, and cargo net all for only $36,200! You don't even have to go up to the higher trim levels to get all the high tech safety equipment unlike **cough**cough** domestics. I really don't hear the engine/road noise on the highway like Edmunds sates in their review. I was scared because of that review and almost didn't even test drive it. I was between this and the Telluride but I wasn't about to pay MSRP for an SUV and have to take a much bigger hit on the depreciation. If you are looking for a family SUV with all the amenities and space, this is it.
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By George, I think they fixed it!
TejasBob, 08/08/2019
updated 09/30/2020
2020 Subaru Ascent Touring 4dr SUV AWD w/7-Passenger (2.4L 4cyl Turbo CVT)
93 of 107 people found this review helpful
I bought the 2020 Touring (high-end) model expecting that the first-year problems that were uncovered should be corrected in this second-year model. Apparently I was wrong - I've had it only two weeks today and already the air conditioner has gone kaput - plenty of air, but no conditioning. The dealership has it now and they put me in an Enterprise loaner (a Toyota Rav4) until they can make the necessary repairs. I sold a perfectly good Lexus RX350 in order to buy this car with all the bells and whistles, but now I'm worried that I've made a mistake (i.e., see the title). If anything else major goes wrong, rest assured that I'll be back at the Lexus dealership. Update: I'm back in the service dept. again - for another case of air condioning failure - barely a month after the initial failure. With record-setting heat here, this isn't any fun nor was it expected. In addition, I've complained about the engine's tendency to hesitate when starting up following a full stop (as at a traffic light). This can be unnerving when trying to turn left in front of oncoming traffic. While the A/C problem is inconvenient, the hesitation could be quite dangerous - so I hope it can be corrected. My wife is already pushing me to go back to the Lexus dealership, less than two months into ownership... UPDATE 03/21/2020... This vehicl had its Engine Control Module reprogrammed at its 6 month service in January. Since then the hesitation problems have nearly all disappeared. The few minor ones are likely more to do with my two-footed driving technique than with the vehicle. Let's just say that now I'm a satisfied customer.
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I've had too many problems to like it
Disappointed with my Subaru, 02/20/2021
2020 Subaru Ascent Touring 4dr SUV AWD w/7-Passenger (2.4L 4cyl Turbo CVT)
9 of 9 people found this review helpful
I bought the 2020 new in March of 2020. One day in June it started to lose power while accelerating and the dashboard lit up like a christmas tree. I took it to the dealership and they said it had a faulty O ring on the turbo boost and a leaky gasket on the cool air intake. They repaired the issue and I have no idea if me driving it like that caused any lasting damage. In November, my rear view mirror completely stopped working. I have the touring model and the review mirror has the homelink buttons, a compass and a rear camera when you flip the switch on it. It seemed to just not have any power to it. I took it to the dealership and they reset the mirror and said it must have been a glitch in the software. It happened again a month later and they ended up replacing the mirror. In February (about a week ago), it struggled to start after being parked for 5 minutes and the dashboard lit up like a christmas tree again. I took it back to the dealership and they said my battery had been discharged and caused it to throw some codes. They cleared the codes and charged my battery. There was no reason for my battery to discharge in the 5 minutes that it was parked and they have no idea why it did that. I'm completely over the car at this point and ready to trade it in on something else. This was my one and only Subaru and I will never buy another.
Comfortable SUV
Ray, 08/15/2019
updated 08/15/2023
2020 Subaru Ascent Premium 4dr SUV AWD w/7-Passenger Convenience Pkg (2.4L 4cyl Turbo CVT)
39 of 45 people found this review helpful
Gas mileage less then the sticker on the window. A little more thigh support. Gas pedal is cranky. Transmission balky searching for whatever. Adaptative cruise and all the safety devices are super. Ride is great on trips. Plenty of room as the great grandson will attest to. Brakes need to be beefed up. Plenty of power when needed. Fit and finish along with paint are great. On recent trip to East coast got over 30.1 mpg. 28.5 on the way back. Very comfortable car for long trips.
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Value abundance
Joe Wilkerson, 01/03/2020
2020 Subaru Ascent Premium 4dr SUV AWD w/7-Passenger Convenience Pkg (2.4L 4cyl Turbo CVT)
13 of 14 people found this review helpful
This vehicle has had no issues for our family. Smooth ride, comfortable seats, stable on the road, standard features you would pay thousands extra for. Subaru has worked hard to make us loyal customers. The cvt is different but never a problem. Road noise is slightly higher than previous vehicles, but I think it is the choice of tires. Picking this vehicle would serve a family well.
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Could be great!
Jason, 02/02/2020
2020 Subaru Ascent Limited 4dr SUV AWD w/7-Passenger Technology Pkg (2.4L 4cyl Turbo CVT)
23 of 26 people found this review helpful
We love our Outback 3.6R Limited and have been thinking about and Ascent. The limited and touring are full of features other brands only offer at extreme top end pricing. The Ascent is fantastic on flat to even sloping ground but if you live up a narrow, winding, super steep road half way up a mountain with low speed limits do yourself a favor and drive the Ascent in such conditions before buying. I think the engine is fine with plenty of power. The CVT with its 8 programed shift points isn't happy in this condition. It keeps searching and kind of rolls or lurches through the shift points trying to find a happy place. The only way we could keep it happy is either driving too fast for the curves, staying on it, or to use the paddle shifters. I don't think you should have to do that. I'm older, I like to put a car in drive and just drive. Other than that the Ascent is fantastic, love all the features in the limited we had for a weekend test drive. Sure wish Subaru made its 3.6R 6 cylinder available in the Ascent, if they did it'd be the best mid-size 3 row around and I'd own one in a heartbeat!
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Most unreliable vehicle I have ever owned
unhappy, 06/09/2020
updated 12/10/2020
2020 Subaru Ascent Limited 4dr SUV AWD w/8-Passenger (2.4L 4cyl Turbo CVT)
28 of 32 people found this review helpful
Bought my 20 ascent in September of 2019 . Got groceries out of the rear hatch one day, got distracted, forgot to close it , left open for about 4 hours , dead battery. Dealership told me there is a design flaw that keeps hatch motor powered and it draws 4 amps. No fix, Subarus fix was to tell me not to leave open. Twice I could not unlock car, not with keyless, not with key fob, not with button on hatch. Thank god I could unlock it with phone app. No fix at dealership. Air quit working, bad Freon tube. Seat heaters defective. Brakes squeal at ever stop. Radio head unit went out. Final straw , around 3500 miles started noticing at take off , ascent would accelerate, slowdown, then accelerate again. Stopping at stop sign would feel like someone rear ended it. Around 4000 miles would occasionally rev way up, squeal like a pig and drop rpms again. Sometimes could barely make it up a hill. Took to dealership, faulty transmission. Would take a month and a half to fix . Back order and another ascent with crap transmission before me. Told dealership, I’m done . Only had 3 months , 4000 miles . Ascent transmissions are very unreliable and defective. Actually the whole car is. Luckily the dealership gave me a great deal to get out of that horrible unreliable ascent and into a forester.
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Ascent is a luxurious vehicle
Aaron C, 09/26/2019
2020 Subaru Ascent Limited 4dr SUV AWD w/7-Passenger Technology Pkg (2.4L 4cyl Turbo CVT)
31 of 36 people found this review helpful
I have owned the 2020 Ascent for 60 days but I am very happy with the 2020 Limited. The acceleration is responsive, leather interior to be easy to clean with two kids and plenty cup holders/USB ports for everyone to use. The engine and road noise is not loud very quiet inside except for the awesome sound system. The Ascent feels like a luxury car and so many standard safety features, which is why I drive two Subaru vehicles. Fuel efficiency is good for the size of the vehicle. I am thoroughly satisfied with the new 2020 Ascent and am happy to give it a five star review.
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