2023 Subaru Ascent
I’ve got a car tour on deck I haven’t walked through in quite a while! The 2023 Subaru Ascent received a mid cycle refresh from its original release in 2019 and is a much-needed larger vehicle from this manufacturer. Subaru is a large competitor in the affordable car market I’ve walked through many times, but the question still stands: is it family-friendly?
If you’re new here - welcome! I’m Kelly the Car Mom and as a CPST, mom of three, and just a car lover in general, I really want to help you find the perfect vehicle for your family. By the end of this post, you’ll understand all the specifics of the 2023 Subaru Ascent and if it’s right for you.
Before you dive in and start car shopping, make sure you’re fully prepared to tackle today’s market with confidence. To learn everything from dealership prep to a complete negotiations strategy, check out my Car Buying Course!
2023 Subaru Ascent Exterior
The Subaru Ascent is the largest car in the Subaru lineup and comes in at about 5 inches longer than their popular Outback model. Historically, I’ve really been a fan of the Forester, Outback, and even the Crosstrek - despite being smaller in size they’re all really family friendly.
I have the Onyx edition today, so we have a lot of nice blacked out elements and a blacked out grill. Looking at our side profile, we're going to have the 20-in blacked out rims on this Onyx Edition a black fender, black mirror caps, black roof rail - a lot of blacked out elements. I honestly love it.
2023 Subaru Ascent First Row
In the Onyx edition, we're going to find some really cute green contrast stitching throughout the interior. It’s definitely more on the sporty side, no wood trims or anything like that. As for something new to note, Subaru is showing off their new Star Tech leather, which they claim is one of the most durable leathers out there. It’s completely vegan, but also waterproof, mud resistant, and child resistant - all good things. Obviously, I can’t put this brand new vehicle’s leather to the complete test, but it looks really nice.
Infotainment System
Let's dive into the infotainment system because wow. Subaru has been needing a new upgrade to their infotainment system and combined with the upgraded interior, I am impressed. What once was this weird split screen mambo jumbo is now a nice long iPad screen. It looks a lot more competitive to vehicles in its class now.
However, the screen feels like my son’s Fisher Price phone. The icons look the same and this is just my personal opinion, but I think it’s one of the ugliest displays ever. I do appreciate that they pulled out the climate control buttons, I just don’t like the look at all. There are a lot of great safety tech features though and Subaru gets a lot of props for not hiding them behind a price wall.
2023 Subaru Ascent Second Row
With me I have the EvenFlo Revolve360 Slim which is one of my favorites, except for the fact it takes up a lot of room, and the Graco Extend2Fit, one of the most compact car seats from front to back. If you're going to be a tall driver in this car, you might want to consider a more compact car seat front to back. To see a list of the slimmest car seats on the market, check out my post here.
For car seat install, we have three sets of LATCH: two full sets of lower and tether anchors on the outboard seats, as well as an upper tether and one lower anchor for the second-row middle seat.
I've been driving this car for about a week with my three kids and for my oldest to enter into the third row, I just tilt the seat and then he's able to climb around. Another type of third row access that you could do with Subarus, which I think is really awesome, is they have the seats on some very intense tracks. With a forward- facing seat, I can move the seat all the way forward and then my skinny little four-year-old could easily fit through to the third row.
2023 Subaru Ascent Third Row
I’ve installed my son George’s Graco SlimFit 3LX in the third row, this is a very nice versatile car seat, and it’s got kind of a short base. They have three seats back here, which most of the time I think is a joke, like if you look at the Honda Pilot or the Kia Telluride their third row seats you could never install a car seat in. Subaru actually has a middle seat that's a little bit wider where I could install this car seat here, I chose to install it in the middle because my son has very little leg room with these rear facing seats. Overall, there’s just no room back here for a passenger or a child.
2023 Subaru Ascent Trunk
Let's talk about the trunk space of the Ascent. It's definitely not the biggest trunk in its class, however I was able to fit a more compact Baby Jogger stroller in here. This is a new stroller I might start touring with just to give you an idea of what a more compact stroller would look like in the trunk. I was also able to fit the Mocking Bird stroller, it just took a little bit more configuration.
With either stroller option, there’s still room for groceries which is always needed. There is a power tailgate and parking sensors on the back, both features I love for families (and any driver in general). They just make life easier.
2023 Subaru Ascent: Wrap Up
The 2023 Subaru Ascent received some much-needed upgrades to put it in competition with other vehicles in its class. The new leather interior is nice, along with the new infotainment system shape, but I cannot get past the Fisher Price looking buttons on it. Although there’s not the most leg room in the second row, I’d consider this vehicle a solid 4 passenger option with limited use of the third row.
To see a complete walkthrough of the 2023 Subaru Ascent, click here.
What do you think of the 2023 Subaru Ascent? Let me know in the comments! And to keep up with the latest family vehicles on the market, check out my most recent car tours:
