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AUTO
REVIEW

2022 Subaru Ascent

By Stephen Schutz, MD

Subaru finally has a successful mid-size crossover with three rows As you’d expect, the Ascent is spacious inside, even in the second
of seats, the Ascent. Subaru would probably like us to forget the 2005- row (although the third row is a little tight, as it is in competitors
2014 B9 Tribeca, which had three rows of seats but never sold well, such as the Ford Explorer). While Subaru’s largest vehicle ever can be
ostensibly because of its looks. mistaken for an Outback from the outside, on the inside it’s much
I don’t think its design was the problem, although obviously Sub- roomier, and getting to the third row of seats is easy thanks to a clever
aru corporate did because they rushed a facelift to market just two second row that moves out of the way quickly and easily.
years after the Tribeca’s debut. No, I think the problem was that it On the road the Ascent is, again, a lot like the Outback. It handles
was just too small—the Tribeca, which was based on the Legacy in-town duties without complaint, but it is in no way fun to drive as
sedan/wagon platform, ended up being not much bigger inside than it does that. Neither are the Explorer, Toyota Highlander or Honda
the Legacy wagon, and that’s what led to its demise. For the record Pilot though. That’s life with kids, isn’t it?
sales dropped from a mediocre 14,797 in 2005 to an embarrassing Road trips are better because the Ascent’s engineers favored stabil-
1,598 in 2013. Compare that with just under 60,000 Ascents sold in ity and comfort over athleticism and performance, so quiet and
2021, a number that would have been even higher had there not been drama-free describe what the Ascent is like on the highway.
computer chip shortages. Actually, I think Subaru has taken over the space that Volvo occu-
So, with the new Ascent, the third largest Japanese automobile pied in the 1980s and 1990s: the reasonably priced, reliable and non-
manufacturer has finally achieved mid-size crossover success. How mainstream automotive brand for smart people who are comfortable
did they do it? In addition to making the Ascent much larger inside but not rich. Look around. What do college professors, school teach-
than the Tribeca, they also made it look like an Outback station ers, and Nurse Practitioners drive these days? A disproportionate
wagon, only bigger, rather than, “a Subaru crossover that doesn’t look number of them own Subarus, just as their predecessors used to drive
like a Subaru,” which is what the Tribeca was. Too bad, I like different Volvos.
things to look different. Ascents can be had in Base, Premium, Onyx and Limited versions.
Anyway, the Subaru Ascent looks good, and the wagon-esque ex- I would guess that BCMS members interested in the Ascent would
terior design probably makes it look smaller than it is, because it is probably order loaded models rather than “strippers”. That means that
not small. With a length of 196.8in, width of 76in, and height of out-the-door prices will be in the $40,000-$45,000 range, which
71.6in the Ascent is 7in longer, 2in wider, and 5in taller than the seems low given everything you get with a well-equipped Ascent.
Tribeca. That’s a big difference. Maybe that’s the secret to Subaru’s success with their newest
For perspective, I parked my press car Ascent next to a new Audi crossover: charge a reasonable price for a nice, but not lux, vehicle
Q5 and was astounded at how much bigger the Ascent was. It kinda with all of the appeal of an Outback but additional space. And then
dwarfed the Audi. I guess the Ascent’s design really is “slimming.” watch buyers flood your showrooms.
Not surprisingly, the Ascent’s interior looks a lot like that of an As always, call Phil Hornbeak, the Auto Program Manager at
Outback wagon. It’s not as posh as the aforementioned Audi Q5, but BCMS (210-301-4367), for your best deal on any new car or truck
it is quite modern and nice. Given the Ascent’s pricing, which starts brand. Phil can also connect you to preferred financing and lease rates.
at around $33,000 and rises to just over $40,000—in the current mar-
ket expect to pay close to MSRP, even with Phil Hornbeak’s best ef- Stephen Schutz, MD, is a board-certified gastroenterologist
forts—it should be no surprise that owners will be faced with a lot of who lived in San Antonio in the 1990s when he was stationed
plastic and uninspiring buttons and knobs when they sit behind the here in the US Air Force. He has been writing auto reviews
wheel. The tech is up to date, however, and ergonomics are excellent. for San Antonio Medicine since 1995.

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