You know that squint thing that people — myself included — do when they aren’t wearing their glasses? Or the little spectacle raise and head tilt, and a potential squint, to get a better view of something blurry?
You don’t need to do that if you’re the driver of the 2022 Subaru Ascent. Everything in the front cabin is very easy to see and labelled with big, bold letters, but I’ll get back to that in a bit.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen (squinting or not) a Subaru Ascent drive past me on the road, and quite frankly, I’m not that surprised. It’s not that I didn’t love the Ascent, but it’s overshadowed by the Forester — ironic since the Forester is a smaller SUV that holds fewer people — and overlooked due to some stiff competition from other mid-size SUVs like the Toyota Highlander, Kia Telluride, and even the Volkswagen Atlas.
2022 Subaru Ascent Onyx Photo by Renita Naraine
2022 Subaru Ascent Onyx Photo by Renita Naraine
2022 Subaru Ascent Onyx Photo by Renita Naraine
2022 Subaru Ascent Onyx Photo by Renita Naraine
2022 Subaru Ascent Onyx Photo by Renita Naraine
2022 Subaru Ascent Onyx Photo by Renita Naraine
2022 Subaru Ascent Onyx Photo by Renita Naraine
2022 Subaru Ascent Onyx Photo by Renita Naraine
2022 Subaru Ascent Onyx Photo by Renita Naraine
2022 Subaru Ascent Onyx Photo by Renita Naraine
2022 Subaru Ascent Onyx Photo by Renita Naraine
2022 Subaru Ascent Onyx Photo by Renita Naraine
2022 Subaru Ascent Onyx Photo by Renita Naraine
The drive
Upon start-up, and also while driving, it’s a bit louder than other SUVs, but the noise seems to fade into the background once you start driving and becomes less and less noticeable. The gas pedal is light and a tiny push makes it fly, but don’t get too excited; it’s not a sports car type of pick-up, it just feels lighter and moves more easily than other vehicles in the segment.
The Ascent is surprisingly easy to park; I wasn’t expecting it to be overly difficult, but for an SUV of its size, it gets bonus points for easily fitting into some of the smaller spots in mall parking lots, or sandwiched between two vehicles. However, if you do choose tighter spots, note the unusually heavy doors that can swing wide open and ding the car beside it. The doors will also need quite the shove to close properly; likewise, it takes some extra muscle to pull the door shut from the inside (my kids couldn’t do it).
2022 Subaru Ascent Onyx Photo by Renita Naraine
2022 Subaru Ascent Onyx Photo by Renita Naraine
2022 Subaru Ascent Onyx Photo by Renita Naraine
2022 Subaru Ascent Onyx Photo by Renita Naraine
2022 Subaru Ascent Onyx Photo by Renita Naraine
2022 Subaru Ascent Onyx Photo by Renita Naraine
2022 Subaru Ascent Onyx Photo by Renita Naraine
Seating and cargo
This tested vehicle is in the new-for-2022 Onyx trim, falling right in the middle of the seven available trims. Pricing for the Onyx starts at $44,995 and it’s only available as a seven-seater, though eight-seaters are available in other trims.
The second-row captain’s chairs are spacious and comfy, and include three ways to maneuver the seat from the side for easy access to the third row. It’s also just as easy to walk through the middle of the two seats, especially if you’ve got a car seat secured in there making the forward tilt inoperable. The third row has ample legroom for children (up to 804 mm), though it really comes down to who’s sitting in the second row and how far the seat is pushed forward or back.
Cargo space is as expected in a three-row: a mere 458L of vertical space can be used with all seats up, but due to its shape, it holds more than you’d think. There’s more flat area for groceries, and you won’t need to do as much stacking as in other three-row SUVs. The third-row’s 60/40 split folds flat and gives access to a maximum of 1,193L in the Onyx trim, for a total of 2,061 with the second and third row down.
2022 Subaru Ascent Onyx Photo by Renita Naraine
2022 Subaru Ascent Onyx Photo by Renita Naraine
2022 Subaru Ascent Onyx Photo by Renita Naraine
2022 Subaru Ascent Onyx Photo by Renita Naraine
2022 Subaru Ascent Onyx Photo by Renita Naraine
Infotainment and features
The front cabin looks amazingly plain, and delightfully boring. There are no major distractions and nothing that requires more attention than a quick glance to confirm. The capital letters make the buttons easy to read, and seeing the actual word is so much easier than second-guessing an icon that may not mean what you think it means. Pressing a physical button is likewise better than hoping you tapped in the correct vicinity of a tiny Home button. Not to mention, the use of knobs is still an awesome idea — if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it — right?
Well, while some of us may prefer to stay in a past that wasn’t quite as broken as today, it’s impossible to get away from a world of technology-driven upgrades. I got so used to wirelessly connecting Apple CarPlay in competitor vehicles, for instance, that I forgot to bring the wire to connect it to the USB port. I was still able to connect for basic functionality through Bluetooth, but this is an area where Subaru lags.
My question to you is, do you really want to pay nearly $50,000 for a new SUV that looks like it still blissfully lives in 2018? If there are no major changes in the past few years, I’d even consider looking into a used Ascent (paging Driving’s Justin Pritchard for used car guidance).
If you’re in the market for brand new, consider bumping down a couple trims. The base trim starts at $37,295 and offers an equally spacious ride, an added seat, and much of the same safety content as the top Premier trim. All-wheel drive is standard, as is Subaru’s EyeSight Driver Assist Technology which includes lane centering and lane keep assistance, and pre-collision braking. To top it off, there’s standard rear seat reminder, rear door locking system, and LATCH systems in the second and third rows.
2022 Subaru Ascent Onyx Photo by Renita Naraine
Final thoughts
Sure, this Ascent could use a refresh if its target audience is modern families with younger children, and being a seven-seater SUV, that’s probably the goal. However, it is so refreshing to be in an SUV that isn’t trying to be fashion-forward and filled to the brim with technology and distractions galore. This has the confidence to go out into the world and be an average SUV that burns a combined 10.5 litres of fuel per 100 kilometres, and easily satisfies the needs of modern families who aren’t looking for all the bells, whistles, and weird gear selectors.
I’d be satisfied driving a 2022 Subaru Ascent daily. I love the lack of distractions in this pleasantly basic SUV. It’s safe, predictable, and easily does its job of hauling families.
In a sea of modern looks and tech-heavy upgrades, I can understand why families are hesitant to choose simplicity over luxury — especially when the latter is available for a similar price. But if you’re looking (or squinting) for something simple, this is probably your best bet. However, I think it’s pretty easy to see a refresh in the near future — one that will presumably leave this Ascent’s charming simplicity far behind.
Keyword: Millennial Mom’s Review: 2022 Subaru Ascent