2021 Subaru Ascent Touring

The 2021 Ascent is Subaru's three-row family SUV, slotting above the Outback and Forester in size and seating capacity. It competes with the Honda Pilot, Toyota Highlander, and Kia Telluride, but stands apart with standard all-wheel drive. The turbo engine pulls strongly from low revs, making the big SUV feel quicker than its size suggests around town. With three rows and up to eight seats, the Ascent offers generous passenger space and a useful amount of cargo room behind the third row. The Touring is the top trim of the Ascent lineup, above the Premium and Limited, and it adds leather upholstery, ventilated front seats, and a Harman Kardon sound system. The 2.4L I4 makes 260 horsepower and 277 lb-ft of torque, routed through a CVT and all-wheel drive, and it returns 22 mpg combined. Only the Touring gets the panoramic moonroof as standard, and the second-row captain's chairs drop seating to seven but make the middle row more comfortable.