[Wierz1995]

So my family beat around car is a 2003 Honda Pilot and I’ll be looking to replace it in the near future. Stuck between a new Forester or waiting for the subaru Ascent. Any thoughts on the new Ascent?

 

[SD_GR]

The nose looks like a Chevrolet and the tail like a Toyota. Last time they tried doing an SUV the nose looked like an Alfa Romeo.

Also, last time they made an SUV, they offered the only 7-passenger SUV in the world that seated 5 people. Will they... um... "innovate" just like that again?...

"We are all waiting for this SUV!" -- Nobody.

My Honda Pilot is better than any Subaru I've ever driven. It's only got 300K miles on it though so it's not due for replacement yet.

 

[Wierz1995]

My Honda Pilot is better than any Subaru I've ever driven. It's only got 300K miles on it though so it's not due for replacement yet.

Yes our 2003 Honda Pilot has served the family and I for all those years very well. I am only looking to donate the vehicle to Cars for Kids program to get benefits since our car is starting to require more maintenance where it seems to be worth investing into another vehicle.

I’d rather not purchase a Honda brand vehicle and look else where. Since the Ascend is coming out this year I thought I’d consider it.

 

[SD_GR]

I’d rather not purchase a Honda brand vehicle and look else where. Since the Ascend is coming out this year I thought I’d consider it.

If/when the time comes I'll consider the Subaru as well, briefly, whilst driving to the Honda dealer. YMMV.

 

[SD_GR]

Although truth be told I'm hoping to never buy anything with an internal combustion engine ever again so I'll likely wait it out as long as I possibly can to see how long my existing stuff can go, then hopefully we'll have moved away from fossil fuels.

 

[rqjoe]

I like the looks of the Ascent and I like the engine offered in it. If I was in the market for an SUV I'd certainly look at it. Sure, it will not be 'perfect' but for me it is definitely worth a look.

However, I also hope my next vehicle will be all electric. But I must wait at least two years for one --- Tesla's new Roadster does not come out until 2020

 

[RayfieldsWRX]

I'd like to see the Ascent in person; I'm not sold on it aesthetically from the pics. Looks a lot like it's trying to "be something other than a Subaru", somehow.
We just bought a compact SUV, and I couldn't get my wife anywhere near a Forester. I don't know how they could make it look any more bland. (Not the #1 buying parameter for me, but for my wife the aesthetic is an important piece.) Our new CX-5 looks insanely sportier, to our eyes.

 

[JaySin]

If/when the time comes I'll consider the Subaru as well, briefly, whilst driving to the Honda dealer. YMMV.

FWIW...I've heard in several random places that Honda ruined the Pilot by turning it into a minivan. Including some reputable car magazines.

 

[SonicWagon]

My dad is getting the ascent he had an outback 3.6r then a LR4 that he felt like a douche driving so he traded that after 6 months for a new outback 3.6r but he really wanted something bigger.

 

[90Duck]

Our "family" car is also a Honda Pilot that we got new in December of 2003. It was, and still is, the most we've ever spent on a vehicle (around $32k), but it has undoubtedly been the best vehicle we've ever owned. The longer we have it, the more I appreciate its all around utility and reliability. I'm also really curious about the Ascent as a potential replacement and want to see one live and in person. I'm not sold on the ability of a turbo four to tow our raft/trailer efficiently, however. Also, the kids are legal adults now and drive their own Subarus so not sure why we'd need another "family" vehicle like that. Our Pilot only has 150k miles on it and still does everything we ask, so I'll likely just keep on driving it until it stops being reliable. FWIW, my wife absolutely hates the looks of the new Pilot - like JaySin mentioned, she think's it looks like a minivan! We had a 2011 Forester before the WRX, and my wife really hated the looks of it as well. It was her idea to get something more fun.
View attachment 303465

Feel kind of bad that for all of the adventures it has been on, this was the only photo of it in action that I could find of it. I have dozens of photos of my WRX already. Obsessed.

 

[rexxx0486]

"We are all waiting for this SUV!" -- Nobody.

Have to disagree with you here. The hype on Ascent is rediculous here at my dealership. We have people in here every day asking about when they arrive and even a few preorders. I think Tribeca would have been a really good seller if not for the reasons you mentioned. They really bungled the design on it. They seemed to have learned from thier failure this time. Granted I am selling in a wealthy area with lots of inclement weather (in the NY metro area), so our market for this car may be better than other regions. But so far so good. My biggest concern is the 2.4L engine, but I was worried about the 2.0L wrxs and they turned out great so I will hold my judgment on that for now.

 

[Wierz1995]

Our "family" car is also a Honda Pilot that we got new in December of 2003. It was, and still is, the most we've ever spent on a vehicle (around $32k), but it has undoubtedly been the best vehicle we've ever owned. The longer we have it, the more.....

We bought our Honda Pilot the same year when they were released and can totally back that it’s one of the best vehicles we have purchased.

The reason why I refer to us wanting to get a “family” vehicle is because we use it for mostly vacations, long trips, and trunk space for transportation... the WRX and Evo I have are not suitable for what we want and it’s the reason we’re looking into a Forester or Ascent.

 

[Doctor Jeff]

Hmmm tough call--I guess I'd have to see the Ascent in person and see how much they charge for it. If it's the low 30's that sounds competitive.

My fiancee had a Pilot which her kids use--300K miles and won't die, so yes they're built to last. However, while the starting price of a Pilot is close to $30K, I imagine the average price would be quite a bit higher with options. Stylewise I think the Ascent actually looks better than the current Pilot, at least from the pics.

I drove a Ford Explorer last year for vacation and thought it was a very cushy and capable larger SUV--would be in the running for me if I needed that 3rd row.

 

[90Duck]

while the starting price of a Pilot is close to $30K, I imagine the average price would be quite a bit higher with options. Stylewise I think the Ascent actually looks better than the current Pilot, at least from the pics.

That $32k was over 14 years ago. These days I'm sure it would be hard to get out the door in a new Pilot or an Ascent for less than $40k. I do like the looks of the Ascent, at least in photos, a lot better than the new Pilot. Then again, the old Pilot was not exactly a looker. It was described in one of the major publications as looking like the product of a congressional subcommittee on SUV design. We've spiced ours up a bit with tubular side steps and a bull bar with fog lights since the photo was taken and it at least looks a little more distinctive from the dozens of other beige Pilots of that era running around this town (that's in addition to the giant Pack-a-Sport that makes it easy to spot in parking lots). My wife coaches a high school robotics team and I am constantly amazed at the amount of bodies/equipment that she manages to pack into that thing for trips all over the northwest.

I'm really looking forward to checking out a new Ascent, but that 2.4 liter turbo sounds better suited to a new STI than it does for a large SUV, but I suppose it is the way most manufacturers are going these days to meet the CAFE standards, assuming those are still a thing.

 

[rexxx0486]

That $32k was over 14 years ago. These days I'm sure it would be hard to get out the door in a new Pilot or an Ascent for less than $40k. I do like the looks of the Ascent, at least in photos, a lot better than the new Pilot. Then again, the old Pilot was not exactly a looker. It was described in one of the major publications as looking like the product of a congressional subcommittee on SUV design. We've spiced ours up a bit with tubular side steps and a bull bar with fog lights since the photo was taken and it at least looks a little more distinctive from the dozens of other beige Pilots of that era running around this town (that's in addition to the giant Pack-a-Sport that makes it easy to spot in parking lots). My wife coaches a high school robotics team and I am constantly amazed at the amount of bodies/equipment that she manages to pack into that thing for trips all over the northwest.

I'm really looking forward to checking out a new Ascent, but that 2.4 liter turbo sounds better suited to a new STI than it does for a large SUV, but I suppose it is the way most manufacturers are going these days to meet the CAFE standards, assuming those are still a thing.

If it was a congressional Commitee who designed it they'd still be working on it with no end in sight.:rotfl:

Regarding the 2.4L, the tow rating looks encouraging at 5000lbs. The 3.6L Outback has a tow capacity of 3000lbs to put it in perspective.

 

[rqjoe]

If it was a congressional Commitee who designed it they'd still be working on it with no end in sight.:rotfl:

So true! You must have government experience.

 

[SD_GR]

FWIW...I've heard in several random places that Honda ruined the Pilot by turning it into a minivan. Including some reputable car magazines.

That’s incredible! People still print car magazines?! I’m baffled by that.

 

[JaySin]

That’s incredible! People still print car magazines?! I’m baffled by that.

I still love holding and reading a magazine. :dontknow:

 

[90Duck]

Regarding the 2.4L, the tow rating looks encouraging at 5000lbs. The 3.6L Outback has a tow capacity of 3000lbs to put it in perspective.

5,000 lbs of towing capacity is the same as our old Pilot, so theoretically the Ascent would work just fine. As it is sitting in that picture for a weekend on the Deschutes, I doubt it is even 1,500 lbs combined trailer/raft and even my old '11 Forester with 175 hp could tow it without too much strain. For longer trips out of state, however, we carry a lot more gear with us (often two boats stacked on the trailer) and the thought of a little 4 cylinder hauling that much weight for that far seems like a stretch. I should probably just buy a pickup.

And I'm with Jaysin, I'm a fan of actual car magazines still.

 

[rqjoe]

I like magazines also. They'd be better, though, if the pictures moved - as in the Harry Potter movies.

We can all pick apart the Ascent, but I am still with the dealer on here; I think it will be a huge hit with the public in general. I will be wishing I did not sell my Subaru stocks.
Oh, and I believe tow ratings have as much to do with suspension, frame, cooling capacity, and brakes on the vehicle as the engine. A smaller engine just means one cannot go as fast up big hills with a full load.