2019 Subaru Ascent Mid-sized SUV - True 3-row vehicle

[xt2005bonbon]

I actually think the Ascent front grille is way too large and too shiny. And yeah the rear is a bit meh. The headlights are not too bad. But again, I do realize how much you get for the money with this car.

[FLlegacy]

We are the happy new owners of a Abyss Blue Pearl Base Limited Ascent. We checked out the premium we had a deposit on, and were slightly underwhelmed, lol. And so we went to look at the Limited we had previously test drove, but instead ended up at this Base Limited it honestly hit all the boxes and the price was perfect. $40K out the door with the hitch and GAP that I would really like to find cheaper somewhere else.

[xt2005bonbon]

Congrats! Pics?

[FLlegacy]

It was too late this evening when we got home, I am sure the wife will have some up on FB tomorrow I will steal them and post.

 

This one at the dealer ship is all we have right now.

[xt2005bonbon]

That's awesome. K, after break-in, time for a tune, a lift, offroad tires, etc..

 

 

I am juuuust joking. Although I may do the above if I get one, especially the tune. I bet Covet will do that too. He just can't help it .

[FLlegacy]

That's awesome. K, after break-in, time for a tune, a lift, offroad tires, etc..

 

 

I am juuuust joking. Although I may do the above if I get one, especially the tune. I bet Covet will do that too. He just can't help it [emoji38].

Lol, yeah none of that, maybe a few accessories but nothing more.

 

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[covertrussian]

I am juuuust joking. Although I may do the above if I get one, especially the tune. I bet Covet will do that too. He just can't help it .

 

Heck yeah I'm gonna tune the crap out of mine, if it's out of warranty . Just need to wait for that ECU to get cracked.

 

I would tune it not for power, but for MPG. I don't trust CVT with stock levels of power. The catch 22 is, anything you do to improve motor efficiency for MPG typically raises the power much more .

[FLlegacy]

There must have been some updates to throttle mapping and CVT behavior I didn't notice any of the early testing issues. Like touchy throttle inputs. The steering takes getting used to it is very sensitive, but Eyesight is seemless the corrections are subtle. The beeps not so much, lol. We were crusing at 75 and it felt like 45. My wife turned off the auto headlights, she said it didn't turn the highs off fast enough she felt like she was blinding other drivers around a curve. I just laughed.

[covertrussian]

Funny that you mention steering being too light, car reviewers (like TFLCar @6:15:

) are saying it's just right (compared to competition). Perhaps we are just used our our hydraulic systems which are all much heavier then modern all electric setups?

 

I didn't drive the Ascent enough to notice the aggressive throttle mapping, but I see threads, for all modern Subaru's, that say that throttle is way too aggressive in parking lots.

[xt2005bonbon]

Heck yeah I'm gonna tune the crap out of mine, if it's out of warranty . Just need to wait for that ECU to get cracked.

 

I would tune it not for power, but for MPG. I don't trust CVT with stock levels of power. The catch 22 is, anything you do to improve motor efficiency for MPG typically raises the power much more .

 

 

I knew it!

 

 

Same for me though. I'd do the same. I don't know if with the new ECU, there is a bit/counter which tracks overwriting and stuff like that. If yes, then we're screwed until warranty expires.

[laufu]

There must have been some updates to throttle mapping and CVT behavior I didn't notice any of the early testing issues. Like touchy throttle inputs. The steering takes getting used to it is very sensitive, but Eyesight is seemless the corrections are subtle. The beeps not so much, lol. We were crusing at 75 and it felt like 45. My wife turned off the auto headlights, she said it didn't turn the highs off fast enough she felt like she was blinding other drivers around a curve. I just laughed.

 

Throttle mapping...you mean something like this?

 

https://www.ascentforums.com/forum/10-engine-technical-discussion/5075-injen-pedal-x-throttle-controller-confirmed-working.html

[Pilot1226]

Cool, congrats. Head over to the Ascent forum

[FLlegacy]

Cool, congrats. Head over to the Ascent forum

Already there, lol. I joined a couple weeks ago. Here are a few pics I snapped this evening. The all weather mats have come a long way, we may not need weathertechs or husky liners.

 

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[Pilot1226]

Yeah, I love that blue. My coworker has one on a Touring, it really compliments the Java Brown in that trim level.

 

I don't know about the liners in your model, but in my Foz they don't cover the middle hump in the rear seats. I would like this covered up like the weathertechs generally do.

[FLlegacy]

Yeah, I love that blue. My coworker has one on a Touring, it really compliments the Java Brown in that trim level.

 

I don't know about the liners in your model, but in my Foz they don't cover the middle hump in the rear seats. I would like this covered up like the weathertechs generally do.

Here are some shots of the 2nd, 3rd, and cargo area. If the pictures of the WT floorliners are accurate, they dont cover the carpet between the captain's chairs which would be a big minus to us because of the kiddos. We need all the coverage we can get, lol. The wife and I agree the Subaru liners should work for us. And I also like the seatback protectors, those will come in handy.

 

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Edited May 3, 2019 by FLlegacy

[covertrussian]

I also really like that blue, though the charcoal gray is still my favorite, especially since it comes with darker interior too. It's a shame that blue only comes with Ivory, I refuse to get another Ivory car (impossible to keep clean looking).

 

I really don't like the Java Brown either, which is the main reason I wont consider a Touring (even though I like the forward facing camera and rear view mirror display).

 

Those all weather mats look miles ahead of what was available for my outback, about time Subaru!

 

While looking at color combos, I noticed that the Touring has a blacked out grill according to color previews. That alone might be worth the Touring cost

Edited May 3, 2019 by covertrussian

[Pilot1226]

I'm wondering/hoping if the Front View Camera is available in the future model years as an option... I'm also waiting to see if they have some of the new 2020 Outback/Legacy tech get into the Ascent, no reason why they can't I guess...

 

Specifically:

 

Front View Camera

Driver Fatigue Mitigation System

Auto Stop Start

Auto Lane Centering

Full Size Spare Tire (Onyx XT Outback)

The glorious 11.6" infotainment

Motion Activated Subie Emblem for Rear Harch

 

 

Ventilated seats would be cool in a non-Touring trim

Sounds amazing.

 

One of the neighbors has the Magnetite Gray limited, so that would be out for me. I'd be all over a Black or maybe even a Crimson one, haven't seen them yet. But I'd also want to probably go with a Premium 8 or Limited 8, don't think I want to go Touring.

[covertrussian]

Agreed to all but auto stop/start, that's the only I really don't want in any of my cars (even though I do 99% city driving). I really hope the lower models get ventilated seats and front camera too.

 

As for lane centering, does the Ascent not currently get that? It would nudge me back into the lane when I was starting to get too close to the line.

[Pilot1226]

That's probably a function of lane keep assist rather than a lane centering function. Lane centering is essentially an all the time adjustment type of think, LKA only activates when the computer thinks there is a "strong possibility" of lane departure - which means you basically have to drift and then it reacts, as opposed to always being active.

 

Regarding AS/S, it's not that big of a deal to me in the Foz. Yes, I know the components and batteries are more expensive, but at the end of the day we all know this tech is coming whether we want it or not. I suppose you can always disable the function every time you get in the car - that's what the button is for, anyway... for me it's more of a saving the planet from idle emissions compared to, say, saving the fuel. In the 4 months I've owned the car, I've saved about 4 gallons of fuel, but I've also saved about 9 hours of idling, and those emissions mean more to me. Especially the big ocean approach - my car is but a drop in the ocean in emissions, but if we're all using the same tech, it adds up to a big ocean.

 

I'm curious down the road what happens - if people are truly anti AS/S, will they replace the heavy duty battery with a cheapo Costco special since they aren't using AS/S (through the button or other permanent disabling... hmm....?)

[FLlegacy]

The lane keep assist seemed overly active at first, but after a few miles I figured out it was doing its thing and I got used to it. However, Orlando traffic isn't the place to figure the car out especially with evening traffic. Bless my wife she handled it well, although she was cringing the whole time.

 

I would bet pretty hard on the Ascent getting a hybrid upgrade in the refresh cycle, hopefully 2021. It would be an awesome move for Subaru in this lineup.

[covertrussian]

That's probably a function of lane keep assist rather than a lane centering function. Lane centering is essentially an all the time adjustment type of think, LKA only activates when the computer thinks there is a "strong possibility" of lane departure - which means you basically have to drift and then it reacts, as opposed to always being active.

 

Hmm I'm not sure I would like lane centering then, especially if you in the northern states where there are pot holes on the right side

 

 

Regarding AS/S, it's not that big of a deal to me in the Foz. Yes, I know the components and batteries are more expensive, but at the end of the day we all know this tech is coming whether we want it or not. I suppose you can always disable the function every time you get in the car - that's what the button is for, anyway... for me it's more of a saving the planet from idle emissions compared to, say, saving the fuel. In the 4 months I've owned the car, I've saved about 4 gallons of fuel, but I've also saved about 9 hours of idling, and those emissions mean more to me. Especially the big ocean approach - my car is but a drop in the ocean in emissions, but if we're all using the same tech, it adds up to a big ocean.

 

I'm curious down the road what happens - if people are truly anti AS/S, will they replace the heavy duty battery with a cheapo Costco special since they aren't using AS/S (through the button or other permanent disabling... hmm....?)

 

I like the tech in concept, but it might be too young for me. Not being able to get a battery at midnight in the middle of nowhere, from a Walmart is a deal breaker. Though if I can jump start it with one of those pocket jump starters, perhaps that's not as big of a deal?

 

Since most of my trips are ~5 miles, there is a good chance that auto-stop will never activate, since the car wont be warm enough/battery is not charged enough. This means that I would be paying extra for specialty battery/starter and never get the fuel and earth saving benefits.

[Pilot1226]

Yeah portable charger would probably work...

[ehsnils]

At least on my Outback there's a button where I can disable the start/stop function, but it's reset next time I go for a drive. Starting to get a habit to push that button now.

 

 

I would however accept the start/stop function if it was a hybrid vehicle.

[Pilot1226]

There is a button on my Forester to turn off the feature but it is not permanent. You would have to press it every time you start the car.

 

The Crosstrek Hybrid performs as you said. If the engine turns on it stays on for a few minutes to get it up to efficient operating temperature. But if you stay below 50% throttle application and under 65mph you will be in all EV mode for the ~13 miles or whatever exhausts the battery.

Edited May 5, 2019 by Pilot1226

[Pilot1226]

@Covertrussian

 

I'm wondering if idle affects the engine and direct injection moreso than just regular driving... in which case it might actually be *beneficial* for AS/S to activate...