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-
Hyundai Kona
Hyundai Kona
model. 2019 Hyundai Kona Ultimate AWD
price. $20,970 SE (incl dest)
as tested. $30,005 Ultimate (incl dest)
seating/style. 5-passenger/4-door SUV
powertrain. 2.0-liter or 1.6-liter turbo 4-cylinder
transmission. 6 or 7-speed
driveline. FWD or AWD (tested)
fuel economy. 26/29/27
available. now
also shop: Kia Soul, Honda HR-V
also shop.
The Hyundai Kona is an appealing little guy and drives as fun and modern as it looks. Labeling the Kona an SUV is bit of a stretch, but whatever you call it, it’s a good, solid vehicle.
The Kona’s fairly low to the ground, providing easy ingress and egress and adding to its appeal. This lower stance coupled with a wide base (and available AWD) stabilizes the handling of the Kona, so zipping around town feels secure and planted. Visibility is the downside of that lower stance and the Kona feels more like driving in a car on the highway than an SUV.
Inside, the Kona is trendy and sporty versus premium and luxury. But the available sleek perforated leather and judicious use of buttons, switches, and chrome make for an appealing cabin.
The intuitive infotainment system communicates through an 8-inch touchscreen. The Kona Ultimate adds a head’s up display and smart cruise control. All but the base model comes with a host of advanced safety features.
Overall, the Kona is a good, solid car – er, crossover. With good utility, available AWD and fun styling, there’s a lot to like.
