Used 2023 Subaru Ascent Consumer Reviews
Used Ascent for sale
We have a limited number of reviews for the 2023 Ascent, so we've included reviews for other years of the Ascent since its last redesign.
The best deal and a great car if you need AWD
Houston, 08/02/2023
2023 Subaru Ascent Limited 4dr SUV AWD (2.4L 4cyl Turbo CVT)
105 of 106 people found this review helpful
My review will focus mostly on how my impressions differ from the the "expert" review at Edmund. First in terms of size, the Ascent is shorter than most 3-row but it utilizes the space well. It has just the right size for a family of four but I have carried two full size adults, one is >6ft tall, in the third row across town with no complaints. A car that is bigger than the Ascent will be more difficult to park and drive in tight corner. On paper, Ascent's second row passenger room may be smaller than that in the Highlander — is that why Edmund thinks the second row is small in the Ascent? In reality, the Ascent's second row is roomy and spacious, even for people over 6ft, and the seats are very comfortable. In terms of ride comfort, the Ascent's ride is almost luxury car like, comfortable and quiet. Most reviews I read are consistent with that. The gas peddle on a turbo-charged car can be "touchy" but you should be able to quickly learn to adapt. By reading driving experience from people owning earlier and the 23 models, the throttle responses seem to have improved with the latest model. Once you get used to it, together with a tight turning circle and assist from the AWD system, you would find it fun to drive with lots of power passing on the highway with a full load. While most SUVs offer AWD as an option for at least $2,000, AWD is standard on the Ascent, and Subaru has the best AWD for a main stream car. I am tired of hearing about the Telluride. The reviews should take into consideration the markups they are charging, plus the added cost of the AWD, before comparing it to the Ascent.
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Great in snow and at high speeds
WickedPete, 07/10/2022
updated 01/12/2023
2022 Subaru Ascent Limited 4dr SUV AWD (2.4L 4cyl Turbo CVT)
113 of 116 people found this review helpful
We have had our Ascent for 13 months and have driven over 15k miles of mountain, city and highway miles on it. It has been flawless with everything we have asked it to do. Living at 8,500 feet in the Colorado Rockies, it has handled winter snow storms without issue. We have also vacationed through Yellowstone, Seattle and Portland (3,700 miles total). No issues passing on high speed 2 lanes, sometimes pushing significantly over the 70 mph speed limit. Very comfortable on a long trip. Only issue has been a bad battery, which Subaru paid for a new Interstate AGM battery. Negatives... Limited passenger seat only adjusts 4 way. Brakes could be a little better in the mountains. Android Auto is a bit quirky but works fine.
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Great family car!
TJ , 02/09/2024
2023 Subaru Ascent Limited 4dr SUV AWD (2.4L 4cyl Turbo CVT)
39 of 40 people found this review helpful
We love our Subaru ascent. we previously owned a 2020 Subaru ascent premium. We moved up into a 2023 limited version. Both cars are terrific family vehicles. We love the fact that it has a great safety rating, the all wheel drive system is wonderful, especially in the hills of West Virginia and during the winter time. It has the third row, which creates lots of extra space for the family. It has great ground clearance, the engine sits lower in the chassis, so the car has a great low center of gravity with less top roll. So the car handles very well on all sorts of terrain. We love some of the driving features such as the headlights will rotate left and right with the steering wheel a little bit, which gives you great vision at night. The ability to see the car from the top using the camera is a wonderful thing especially when trying to park in tight spaces. The eyesight is a great feature and helping keep you out of a crash situation. With our limited version, we have leather heated seats which are really nice, and I never thought I would enjoy it, but we love the heated steering wheel. We also have premium speakers which the audio sounds really great. There’s many other features about the car that we love, but the overall fact that the car handles great, is very safe, has plenty of space inside, and can go anywhere you need with the all wheel drive system makes it a great car for us.
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Smooth, quiet and nice interior
CLTGUY, 12/22/2022
2022 Subaru Ascent Touring 4dr SUV AWD (2.4L 4cyl Turbo CVT)
126 of 133 people found this review helpful
What a great vehicle - it's missing a couple refinements but is amazing and wonderful considering it is the replacement for our 2016 Acura MDX Advanced SH-AWD that we never truly loved because of the Transmission being so jerky - in fact that same transmission being used on the Honda Pilot and 2023 Nissan Pathfinder eliminated them from our list to look at. I always found the Forester and Outback overpriced for such a bumpy ride and cheap interior. Obviously, I am willing to pay for quality, and the Subaru Ascent Touring caught me off guard! We went to test drive the forester and drove less than 1/4 mile before turning around since it was just junky. I had never heard of the Ascent, but the salesman said, "Drive this" and gave us keys to a used 2021 touring to try. The java puke interior looked horrible, but the ride and comfort were amazing! We looked and found a 2022 Silver with Black interior to buy and have been happy so far! The interior was the biggest shock in a good way compared to other Subaru models. The leather interior is firm but plush, providing comfort and the feel of durability. The accent trims of wood grain and two-tone leather really make it pop. The LEG ROOM in the front and second rows are enough for my 6'1" 270-lb frame to feel comfortable - I found the Ascent to be more comfortable than other options we looked at. The VW Atlas, Telluride, and Sorento were high on our list - but the Telluride was more expensive for less, and the second row was smaller. The Atlas was HUGE but the leg room in the front is limited in width from the console. The Sorento is just a smaller vehicle. The MDX, Pathfinder, CX9 and Highlander were all cramped inside for being so big. The seats are very comfortable, and the front driver and passenger get heated and ventilated seats - and they work well! Hot is HOT! Cold is enough to feel the cooling but not freeze your rump. The heated steering wheel was just put to the test during a skiing trip - my cold hands were loving gripping the smooth, warm leather after being frozen. The Infotainment system in the Ascent is simple and functional Android Auto is awesome! Something we hated on the MDX, Pathfinder, CX9 and Highlander was the location of the controls, and the painful steps you needed to take to change the temp, radio station, or enter an address. The Ascent is simple - while not the biggest screen, or flashy features, it is very functional which is the most important thing since you can actually use the system easily while driving! There is a small info display screen for showing temperature, directions, or radio stations above the dash while the main screen is being used for navigation. The cup holders could be larger, but what the lack in size is made up in quantity, rivaling a minivan with 19. The engine is a boxer 4 cylinder, turbocharged and universally used for Subarus. It's low center of gravity make the GIANT SUV feel smaller than it actually is when making turns - the body roll is very dampened. The SUV is supposedly slower than our MDX was off the line - but it doesn't feel sluggish, and the ride is FAR smoother. The CVT and suspension is probably to thank for that. I found I am never going below the speed limit or worrying that I won't be able to merge onto the highway. The standard AWD make turning the long vehicle a breeze, the turning radius is pretty good for the length of the vehicle. Safety - the stereo camera system does an amazing job with lane keep assist, adaptive cruise control, and mitigation braking. The rear doors have a giant latching lug that makes it feel like a tank. What I don't love are some of the luxury features that would make this rival any other vehicle. The keyless remotes are not personalized - meaning the car doesn't distinguish between Driver 1 or 2 based on the keys, even though the car has memory seats and driver profiles. You have to press 1 or 2 when you get in the car, and the profile is selected based on whose phone pairs first. If my wife gets the kid in the car while I'm fixing my cup of coffee, I have to go load my profile and hit 2 on the memory seats when I get in to drive. The touring also has power folding mirrors - but the button for them makes them fold in when pressed - not when the car is turned off - it's something so simple to build into the car - when activated, fold mirrors in when car turned off, unfold when car turned on - but that is not the case. The rear gate light is does not turn on when you open the trunk - so you have to flip a switch or unlock the car with the remote to get the interior lights to come on - annoying since the trunk is so big. For having all the luxury feel, they just missed some basic things to make this perfect. For instance - I get that wireless android and apple auto came in 2023 and would have been nice with a wireless charging pad, but the USB plugs for the connection are right in front of the gear shift. Just little things that aren't a big deal, but really would have made this feel luxurious and sporty at the same time. The car lacks parking sensors for some reason, so pulling into a spot or garage requires you to activate the extra front camera that only comes on the touring model so you can see what's directly in front of your bumper, I really wish it just activated when you hit your garage door opener, or the stereo cameras noticed you were parking. The rear sensors aren't such an issue since the backup camera is activated when you are reversing. On the touring model you can flip the rearview mirror and activate an additional rear camera mounted high that replaces your mirror view if the back window is obstructed - it's weird to use while but definitely helpful for specific situations. The 3-year 36,000 warranty on a complex engine is a painful point - compared to others being 40,000-50,000 miles (KIA's 100,000 warranty is VERY limited). We traveled to buy our Ascent in another state for $5,000 off MSRP and opted to use those savings for the 100,000-mile extended bumper to bumper warranty - still costing us less than a Kia Sorento. I wish Subaru (and Honda for that fact) just warrantied their vehicles as such since they tout their reliability. Not necessarily a Subaru thing alone, but don't brag about reliability without backing it up. Overall, this is a great vehicle - my family owned a 1988 Subaru Legacy Station wagon that got 188,000+ miles on before the head gasket blew. I imagine this will be with us for at least the same amount of time, but most likely longer.
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Best car I've ever owned
Upstate1NY, 03/24/2022
updated 08/22/2022
2022 Subaru Ascent Touring 4dr SUV AWD (2.4L 4cyl Turbo CVT)
78 of 84 people found this review helpful
I have driven mostly SUVs throughout my life, and this vehicle is far superior to all the rest. The safety and convenience features available on the touring model are worth the extra cost. UPDATE: I am handicapped and need a walker. It fits well in back with the third row folded down. The car has many safety features which make driving a lot easier, for example, lane departure warning and automatic dimming of high beams. The only negative is a donut instead of a full size spare tire.