2024 Subaru Ascent Onyx Edition Limited Review: An Adventurous 3-Row SUV

3-row SUVs are some of the most popular vehicles here in the U.S. thanks to their ability to carry large families and their cargo-hauling versatility. Launched with great fanfare and praise, the Subaru Ascent hasn’t changed dramatically since its launch in 2019. Despite that, this is the first time I’ve driven one. I recently got to know the 2024 Ascent Onyx Edition Limited, a higher-end model with some unique aesthetics. Notably, it has a black bar instead of a chrome one across its grille and rolls on 20″ gloss black alloy rims. The Onyx Edition and the Onyx Edition Limited tested here have a few differences, the latter getting upgrades like a Harmon Kardon premium audio system, navigation, and a surround-view monitor.

Every Ascent is powered by a 2.4-liter turbocharged Subaru Boxer engine connected to a Lineartronic CVT. Power output is 260 horsepower at 5600 RPM and 277 lb-ft. of torque from 2,000 to 4,800 RPM. This setup accelerates as well as you’d expect from a family hauler. It’s not exactly quick, but it’ll get the job done and has enough grunt to tow up to 5,000 pounds.

More memorable is the Ascent’s handling, which is good for a 3-row SUV. The 4-wheel independent suspension provides a nice smooth ride and minimizes body roll when cornering. Road noise is well controlled, keeping the cabin nice and quiet. Forward and rearward visibility is excellent, though you lose some rear visibility with passengers in the third row. Being able to see behind passengers is one of the big reasons digital rearview mirrors exist, but that feature is only available on the pricier Ascent Touring.

Measuring 198 inches long and 46 inches wide, the Ascent is similarly sized to the Toyota Highlander, Mazda CX-90, and Hyundai Palisade. Its overall design is more rugged and utilitarian than its competition, embracing Subaru’s adventurous spirit. Roof rails come standard, and the Ascent has some features for riding on rough roads, like Subie’s very good X-MODE all-wheel drive control system and an above-average 8.7-inch ground clearance. It’s designed more for riding on dirt and gravel roads than any heavy-duty off-road trails.

Standard safety tech includes Subaru’s EyeSight driver assist system with automatic emergency steering, Driver Focus distraction mitigation, reverse automatic braking, blind spot detection with rear cross-traffic alert, rear seat occupant reminder, and more. Bright warning lights reflect off the windshield to alert you to things like drifting out of your lane or the emergency braking system kicking in. The adaptive cruise works well, though I found the lane departure technology bounces between the lane markers rather than just sticking to the center of the lane. Subaru’s driver monitoring system is pretty slick, using facial recognition to automatically load driver preferences for seating and mirror positions for up to five drivers.

The interior of the Ascent features a mix of soft-touch and hard-touch surfaces, mostly in black, with green stitched accents throughout. There’s a traditional on-the-floor shift lever for the transmission, which I prefer to some of the fussy and gimmicky controls on other vehicles. The seats in the Onyx Edition are covered in a synthetic leather material called StarTex. The nice thing about this material is that it’s waterproof and cleans up easily. But it feels more plasticky than other synthetics, and it also tends to bunch up at the seams, which takes away from a more premium look. For about $2,000 more, the Ascent Touring gets Nappa leather seats, which I would prefer.

An 11.6-inch vertically oriented touchscreen is the dominant feature of the dashboard. It runs Subaru’s proprietary Starlink system, which is one of the more complicated interfaces on the market, but did deep enough into its menus, and you’ll find it provides greater control over vehicle and safety settings than most cars. The system supports Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, but for some reason, there’s no wireless charging dock to go with. The surround-view camera system is superbly crisp, and the upgraded Harman Kardon audio system has excellent dynamic range and isn’t fatiguing even at loud volumes.

The second-row captain’s chairs offer excellent legroom and headroom and can recline for comfort. They’re a bit firmer than the front-row seats but still pretty comfortable. These seats slide and fold forward for easy third-row access, and there’s room between the seats for getting back there as well. I found getting in and out of the back seat pretty easy, though both the legroom and headroom are just too limited for adults or taller passengers.

The second and third rows have ceiling vents, and a panoramic sunroof helps keep the cabin bright and airy. There are USB-A and USB-C charging ports for the second row and a pair of USB-A charging ports in the back row. Oddly, they’re both on the right side, so middle- and left-seat kids will need a longer charging cable. There’s no shortage of cupholders back here, and those side storage bins also have plenty of room to hold a phone or handheld gaming system. In the photo below, you can see some of the StarTex fabric puckering I referred to earlier.

Available cargo space behind the third row is better than I expected. 17.8 cubic feet is plenty for grocery bags, roller suitcases, or a couple of golf bags. Drop the third row, which climbs to 42.1 cubic feet and 75.6 cubic feet with both rows folded.

As 3-row SUVs go, the Subaru Ascent ticks almost every checkbox. It’s comfortable, spacious, and versatile, packs plenty of safety tech, and beats the competition in some important ways. The Onyx Onyx Edition Limited looks sportier than other Ascents, thanks to the black grille and wheels. Still, it sacrifices a few features that warrant an upgrade to the Ascent Touring, specifically that model’s leather seats and digital rearview mirror. For comparison’s sake, the Ascent Onyx Limited starts at $46,795, and the Ascent Touring starts at $48,695.