2020 Subaru Ascent Limited
model. 2020 Subaru Ascent
price. $33,005 (incl $1,010 destination)
as tested. $43,305 (incl dest) Limited
top trim: $46,055 (incl dest) Touring
seating/style. 7-pass/4-door SUV
powertrain. 2.4L Turbocharged V-6, 260 hp
transmission. CVT with 8-speed manual mode
driveline. symmetrical AWD
towing: 5,000 pounds properly equipped
fuel economy. 20/26/22 city/highway/combined
available. now
also shop: Toyota Highlander, Honda Pilot, Kia Telluride, Hyundai Palisade
2020 Subaru Ascent Limited
model. 2020 Subaru Ascent
price. $33,005 (incl $1,010 destination)
as tested. $43,305 (incl dest) Limited
top trim: $46,055 (incl dest) Touring
seating/style. 7-pass/4-door SUV
powertrain. 2.4L Turbocharged V-6, 260 hp
transmission. CVT with 8-speed manual mode
driveline. symmetrical AWD
towing: 5,000 pounds properly equipped
fuel economy. 20/26/22 city/highway/combined
available. now
also shop: Toyota Highlander, Honda Pilot, Kia Telluride, Hyundai Palisade
2020 Subaru Ascent Limited
model. 2020 Subaru Ascent
price. $33,005 (incl $1,010 destination)
as tested. $43,305 (incl dest) Limited
top trim: $46,055 (incl dest) Touring
seating/style. 7-pass/4-door SUV
powertrain. 2.4L Turbocharged V-6, 260 hp
transmission. CVT with 8-speed manual mode
driveline. symmetrical AWD
towing: 5,000 pounds properly equipped
fuel economy. 20/26/22 city/highway/combined
available. now
also shop: Toyota Highlander, Honda Pilot, Kia Telluride, Hyundai Palisade
Subaru’s first foray into the seven-seat mid-size SUV world is a good one, with the 2020 Ascent offering a roomy interior and appealing materials. Handsome exterior styling and an ergonomically friendly interior layout entice a second look.
Ingress and egress are effortless, even for my petite stature, and finding a comfortable seating position is straightforward. Large windows afford broad visibility with the drive height benefiting from nearly 9” of ground clearance.
Quality materials grace the Subaru Ascent’s cabin with the chocolate exterior and vanilla interior a delicious if impractical choice for a family or wearer of dark denim. The doors thunk when closing, and switches and levers are weighty. Cargo room is plentiful even with all the seats up.
On the road, the Subaru Ascent is a durable, well-balanced vehicle, with a sure-footed feel thanks in part to standard AWD and a quiet, well-insulated cabin. Road noise is kept to a minimum, even riding on 20” tires. The CVT engine complains on aggressive uphills and can shift too much on the descent, but overall acceleration is excellent for entering the highway or popping away from a stoplight.
The Subaru Ascent deserves consideration even in this crowded class of vehicles.
Subaru’s first foray into the seven-seat mid-size SUV world is a good one, with the 2020 Ascent offering a roomy interior and appealing materials. Handsome exterior styling and an ergonomically friendly interior layout entice a second look.
Ingress and egress are effortless, even for my petite stature, and finding a comfortable seating position is straightforward. Large windows afford broad visibility with the drive height benefiting from nearly 9” of ground clearance.
Quality materials grace the Subaru Ascent’s cabin with the chocolate exterior and vanilla interior a delicious if impractical choice for a family or wearer of dark denim. The doors thunk when closing, and switches and levers are weighty. Cargo room is plentiful even with all the seats up.
On the road, the Subaru Ascent is a durable, well-balanced vehicle, with a sure-footed feel thanks in part to standard AWD and a quiet, well-insulated cabin. Road noise is kept to a minimum, even riding on 20” tires. The CVT engine complains on aggressive uphills and can shift too much on the descent, but overall acceleration is excellent for entering the highway or popping away from a stoplight.
The Subaru Ascent deserves consideration even in this crowded class of vehicles.
Subaru’s first foray into the seven-seat mid-size SUV world is a good one, with the 2020 Ascent offering a roomy interior and appealing materials. Handsome exterior styling and an ergonomically friendly interior layout entice a second look.
Ingress and egress are effortless, even for my petite stature, and finding a comfortable seating position is straightforward. Large windows afford broad visibility with the drive height benefiting from nearly 9” of ground clearance.
Quality materials grace the Subaru Ascent’s cabin with the chocolate exterior and vanilla interior a delicious if impractical choice for a family or wearer of dark denim. The doors thunk when closing, and switches and levers are weighty. Cargo room is plentiful even with all the seats up.
On the road, the Subaru Ascent is a durable, well-balanced vehicle, with a sure-footed feel thanks in part to standard AWD and a quiet, well-insulated cabin. Road noise is kept to a minimum, even riding on 20” tires. The CVT engine complains on aggressive uphills and can shift too much on the descent, but overall acceleration is excellent for entering the highway or popping away from a stoplight.
The Subaru Ascent deserves consideration even in this crowded class of vehicles.
rebeccadrives
-ON HIATUS-
Lexus GX460
Lexus GX460
model. 2020 Lexus GX460
price. $65,290 (incl $1,025 dest)
as tested. $71,695 (incl dest)
seating/style. 7-seat 3-row/4-door SUV
powertrain. 4.6-liter V-8 engine with 301 hp
transmission: 6-speed transmission
driveline. 4-wheel-drive
fuel economy. 15/19/16
available. Now
words. Rebecca Lindland
visuals. Rebecca Lindland
also shop.
The Lexus GX460 is a Toyota 4Runner in a dressier package, not unlike its larger sibling, the LX570, is a dressier LandCruiser. The GX460 is great for consumers looking for a classic, old-school truck-based SUV, with a host of off-road capabilities and a decent on-road ride.
The GX460 comes with seating for up to seven, a robust V-8 engine, and full-time four-wheel-drive. It’s a terrific vehicle for off-roading and scaling dirt trails while glamping. Once back on tarmac, the GX460 provides a surprisingly competent ride, particularly for front-seat passengers. The second row can be too firm, with the last row best suited for smaller humans.
The V-8 engine is eager to please and the 6-speed transmission is smooth. But the combination of these antiquated technologies result in low fuel economy especially compared with newer engine and tranny combos out there.
Lexus includes some newer safety technology on the GX460, but the infotainment system lacks Android Auto or Apple CarPlay and is clumsy to use. I like the side-swing back door for loading and unloading, and the glass window opens separately to haul longer items.
The GX460’s mix of old and new results in a truck of pros and cons.
