The 2023 Subaru Ascent: A Detailed Look Inside

Luxury, versatility, and comfort––what do these three things have in common? They are three words you can use to describe the 2023 Subaru Ascent. The first word many drivers think when they hear the phrase “three-row SUV” is “spacious.” The Ascent lives up to this expectation, but like many vehicles in the Subaru lineup, you can expect an interior that will make anyone a fan of car rides, long or short.

There’s a nearly indescribable distinction between two vehicles made of different materials––one high-quality, the other low-quality. Subaru vehicles are of the former, and if you’re looking for a Subaru Ascent for sale, you’ll be pleased to know the 2023 model is the best the Ascent has ever been. For example, the 2023 Subaru Ascent has some of the most sought-after technology available in vehicles today. The Ascent also comes standard with all-wheel drive, but this doesn’t stop the Ascent from remaining fuel-efficient. Lastly, the Subaru Ascent is one of the safest vehicles money can buy, but we’ll get to all this.

The first thing you should know is that the 2023 Ascent sports a starting MSRP of $33,895 and is available in six trim levels: Base, Premium, Onyx Edition, Limited, Onyx Edition Limited, and Touring.^[a] Most of those trims are familiar from last year. However, the Onyx Edition Limited is a new addition to the lineup for 2023, blending the best features of the rugged Onyx Edition and the luxurious Limited. With that out of the way, let’s begin exploring the 2023 Subaru Ascent.

Subaru Knows Comfort

Subaru vehicles stand out from the crowd, especially their interiors. The Ascent isn’t the lowest-priced vehicle in Subaru’s catalog of SUVs, sedans, and performance cars, and this shows in its uncompromised premium Subaru experience. Understandably, you would assume a premium experience means a better one in function, form, comfort, and materials. You’d be correct.

The seats are cloth in the base configuration. However, available options for your seats include leather, perforated leather, and StarTex. Subaru StarTex is a rugged, water-resistant material that keeps your interior looking new and clean. The StarTex seats aren’t to be confused with the stain-resistant cloth that comes standard on the Premium trim––StarTex is found on the Onyx Edition. We highly recommend the StarTex water-resistant seats, especially if you are regularly driving with your family. Drivers with families are all too familiar with seat stains after one too many fast-food drive-thru visits or road trip juice boxes. Speaking of drinks––the 2023 Ascent has nineteen cup and bottle holders, which may seem like a bit much, but as a wise man once said: “It’s better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it.”

Perhaps nineteen cup and bottle holders aren’t too excessive when you consider that the 2023 Ascent can seat up to eight passengers. Alternatively, you may opt for a seven-passenger capacity and swap the second-row bench seat with a comfortable pair of captain’s chairs. Many drivers will likely opt for this configuration, and backseat passengers tend to appreciate it. An added rarity––the Ascent seats adults comfortably in the third row with its 36.2 inches of headroom and 31.7 inches of legroom. And as an added touch, the 2023 Ascent introduces Cabin Connect, which is comparable to an intercom, allowing the driver to speak to passengers in the third row by pressing a button. The point? Cabin Connect mitigates accidents by relieving drivers of having to raise their voices or take their eyes off the road.

If the 2023 Ascent follows the pattern set by the 2022 model, a six-way manually-adjustable driver’s seat comes standard. An eight-way power-adjustable driver’s seat is available in the middle trims. The front-seat passenger also gets an eight-way power-adjustable seat on higher-tier trim levels like the Limited and the Touring. Additionally, the Limited and the Touring trims provide heated seats in the second row of the cabin––heated front seats come standard on every trim level but the base. Ventilated front seats are also available, but only on the Touring trim. The Touring trim is a favorite for many drivers, not only for its luxury features but because of its unique wood grain accents within the cabin. With anything, wood grain can lend a classic luxury feel without sacrificing any modernity.

A Much Needed Upgrade

For all of its great features, something that felt out of date in the 2022 Ascent was its infotainment center. In the base 2022 Ascent, drivers only received a 6.5-inch infotainment center––that’s smaller than Apple’s largest iPhone! Last year’s Ascent offered a larger eight-inch screen, but only as an option for the higher trims. Now, this begs the question: what about the 2023 Ascent?

The 2023 Ascent saw noticeable improvements to multiple facets of the driving experience, but nothing is as impactful as the new and improved infotainment center. The 2023 model swaps the choice between two infotainment centers for one upgraded system displayed on a standard 11.6-inch screen in portrait orientation. Why is portrait orientation important? A taller screen, rather than a wider one, not only looks sleek and is the way the market is heading, but it allows apps to display more information while making it easier to view at a glance.

Aside from the upgraded screen, the infotainment center in the 2023 Ascent has seen some improvements over last year’s model. For example, the 2023 Ascent comes standard with Wireless Apple CarPlay and Wireless Android Auto. Wireless smartphone integration is rarely found standard on modern automobiles, but not having to physically connect your phone is a real game-changer.

How Safe? Very Safe

The 2023 Subaru Ascent is safe. How safe? Very safe. The Subaru Ascent is no stranger to being considered one of the safest vehicles money can buy––the 2022 Ascent was rated a Top Safety Pick+ by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), which is the independent agency’s highest honor. The 2023 Ascent has not yet been tested by the IIHS, but it has a strong chance of again being an IIHS Top Safety Pick+, so we’ll see.

The 2023 Ascent comes standard with Subaru EyeSight driver assist technology. This safety suite includes a variety of features that will keep you and your passengers safe and protect other drivers and pedestrians. Last year’s Ascent came with a host of safety features, but this year Subaru has taken things a step further with Automatic Emergency Steering. Automatic Emergency Steering works in tandem with the Pre-Collision Braking system, and both systems will be simultaneously activated if the Ascent detects an impending collision. Pre-Collision Braking isn’t anything new, but Automatic Emergency Steering is bringing us one step closer to minimizing accidents the best we can.

Other features that come standard with the 2023 Ascent as part of the EyeSight driver assist suite include Lane Centering Control and Adaptive Cruise Control, which work in tandem with many of the other features we’ve mentioned. Lane Centering Control provides subtle steering inputs if the Ascent is leaving the lane the driver wants to travel in and will apply slight pressure to the brakes to straighten the vehicle out. Adaptive Cruise Control utilizes sensors to increase or decrease the speed of your Ascent and maintain a safe distance from the car in front of you. From start to finish, the 2023 Subaru Ascent is a masterclass in engineering, and its safety features only help to further this perspective.

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^[a] MSRP may change without notice. See dealer for complete details.

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