So, what’s it like to drive?
Benjamin Zhang/Business Insider
The Subaru Ascent offers a pleasant and reassuring driving experience. The Ascent stands out with its confident handling and strong acceleration in a segment that doesn’t prioritize driving pleasure.
When it debuted in 2019, I, like many in the industry, wasn’t sure we could pair a small turbocharged four-cylinder with a 4,600-pound SUV that seats 8 passengers. However, the Subie quickly proved myself and other skeptics wrong. In fact, it’s become a bit of a pioneer as others, like the Toyota Highlander and Chevrolet Traverse, ditched their big V6 engines in favor of four turbos.
The Subie remains peppy around town while offering bold acceleration on highway on-ramps. The Ascent never felt short on power, even when loaded down with cargo and people.
According to Car and Driver, the Ascent can complete the zero-to-60 mph sprint in a more than respectable 6.8 seconds.
However, the Ascent has its imperfections.
The continuously variable transmission is the weakest point in the Ascent’s driving experience and its drivetrain. CVTs on previous climbs, including mine, can feel abrupt or tend to surge when accelerating at lower speeds. This was still the case on our 2024 test car, but the effects are much more muted and barely noticeable.
Then there’s the whine of the CVT. Upon initial startup, the Ascent’s transmission makes a high-pitched noise during acceleration. The noise, reminiscent of a torque converter dying on a traditional automatic transmission, disappears once the vehicle reaches normal operating temperature. Although the transmission normally delivers power when it makes a disconcerting noise, it seems very out of place in a $50,000 SUV.
That said, Subaru’s Lineartronic unit is one of the most capable CVTs on the market and is capable of providing a useful approximation of a traditional automatic transmission. Pre-programmed shift points that mimic the feel of an 8-speed automatic helped alleviate the dreaded CVT drone under hard acceleration.
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