What To Know
- The Highlander boasts a spacious cabin with comfortable seating for eight, while the Ascent offers a slightly more luxurious feel with its plush leather upholstery and generous legroom.
- The Highlander prioritizes a smooth and refined ride, while the Ascent emphasizes nimble handling and a more engaging driving experience.
- The Ascent offers a more dynamic driving experience with responsive steering and a tighter turning radius, making it feel more agile in tight spaces.
Choosing the perfect three-row SUV can be a daunting task, especially when faced with two popular contenders like the Toyota Highlander and Subaru Ascent. Both vehicles offer spacious interiors, impressive safety features, and capable performance, making it difficult to declare a clear winner. This comprehensive comparison delves into the key aspects of each SUV, highlighting their strengths and weaknesses to help you determine which one aligns best with your needs and preferences.
Interior Comfort and Space
Both the Toyota Highlander and Subaru Ascent excel in providing ample space for passengers and cargo. The Highlander boasts a spacious cabin with comfortable seating for eight, while the Ascent offers a slightly more luxurious feel with its plush leather upholstery and generous legroom.
Highlander:
- Seating: The Highlander offers seating for eight, with a third-row that’s surprisingly spacious for adults.
- Cargo Space: With the third row folded, the Highlander offers a generous 84.3 cubic feet of cargo space.
- Interior Design: The Highlander’s interior is functional and comfortable, with a user-friendly layout and high-quality materials.
Ascent:
- Seating: The Ascent seats seven passengers comfortably, with ample legroom in all rows.
- Cargo Space: The Ascent provides 17.8 cubic feet of cargo space behind the third row, expanding to 86.5 cubic feet with the third row folded.
- Interior Design: The Ascent’s interior exudes a premium feel, featuring luxurious leather upholstery, wood-grain accents, and a spacious cabin layout.
Performance and Handling
While both SUVs prioritize comfort and practicality, they offer distinct driving experiences. The Highlander prioritizes a smooth and refined ride, while the Ascent emphasizes nimble handling and a more engaging driving experience.
Highlander:
- Engine: The Highlander comes standard with a 3.5-liter V6 engine producing 295 horsepower and 263 lb-ft of torque.
- Fuel Efficiency: The Highlander achieves an EPA-estimated 21 mpg city, 29 mpg highway, and 24 mpg combined.
- Handling: The Highlander provides a smooth and comfortable ride, with a focus on stability and predictability.
Ascent:
- Engine: The Ascent is powered by a 2.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine that generates 260 horsepower and 277 lb-ft of torque.
- Fuel Efficiency: The Ascent achieves an EPA-estimated 21 mpg city, 27 mpg highway, and 23 mpg combined.
- Handling: The Ascent offers a more dynamic driving experience with responsive steering and a tighter turning radius, making it feel more agile in tight spaces.
Technology and Features
Both the Highlander and Ascent come equipped with a wide array of advanced technology features, including infotainment systems, driver assistance features, and safety systems.
Highlander:
- Infotainment System: The Highlander features a standard 8-inch touchscreen display with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility.
- Driver Assistance Features: The Highlander offers a suite of driver assistance features, including adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning, and blind spot monitoring.
- Safety Features: The Highlander comes standard with Toyota Safety Sense 2.5, which includes automatic emergency braking, pedestrian detection, and lane keeping assist.
Ascent:
- Infotainment System: The Ascent features a standard 11.6-inch touchscreen display with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility.
- Driver Assistance Features: The Ascent offers a comprehensive suite of driver assistance features, including adaptive cruise control, lane centering assist, and automatic emergency braking with pedestrian and cyclist detection.
- Safety Features: The Ascent comes standard with Subaru EyeSight, which includes automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning, and lane keeping assist.
Reliability and Ownership Costs
Both the Highlander and Ascent are known for their reliability and longevity, but there are subtle differences in their ownership costs.
Highlander:
- Reliability: Toyota is renowned for its reliable vehicles, and the Highlander consistently ranks high in reliability surveys.
- Ownership Costs: The Highlander generally has lower maintenance costs compared to the Ascent.
Ascent:
- Reliability: Subaru vehicles are also known for their reliability, with the Ascent consistently performing well in reliability surveys.
- Ownership Costs: The Ascent’s turbocharged engine and more complex drivetrain can result in slightly higher maintenance costs over time.
Off-Road Capability
While both SUVs are primarily designed for paved roads, the Subaru Ascent offers slightly better off-road capabilities due to its symmetrical all-wheel drive system and higher ground clearance.
Highlander:
- AWD System: The Highlander offers an optional all-wheel drive system, but it’s not as advanced as the Subaru Ascent’s symmetrical AWD system.
- Ground Clearance: The Highlander has a lower ground clearance compared to the Ascent, making it less suitable for rough terrain.
Ascent:
- AWD System: The Ascent features Subaru’s renowned symmetrical all-wheel drive system, which provides superior traction and stability in challenging conditions.
- Ground Clearance: The Ascent has a higher ground clearance than the Highlander, allowing it to navigate rough terrain with greater ease.
Which One Is Right for You?
The choice between the Toyota Highlander and Subaru Ascent ultimately depends on your individual needs and preferences.
Choose the Toyota Highlander if you prioritize:
- Spacious interior: The Highlander offers more seating capacity with a third-row that can comfortably accommodate adults.
- Lower ownership costs: The Highlander generally has lower maintenance costs compared to the Ascent.
- Smooth and refined ride: The Highlander provides a comfortable and predictable driving experience.
Choose the Subaru Ascent if you prioritize:
- Luxurious interior: The Ascent offers a more premium interior with plush leather upholstery and a spacious cabin.
- Nimble handling: The Ascent provides a more engaging driving experience with responsive steering and a tighter turning radius.
- Off-road capability: The Ascent’s symmetrical all-wheel drive system and higher ground clearance make it better suited for light off-roading.
The Verdict: A Tie?
Both the Toyota Highlander and Subaru Ascent are excellent three-row SUVs with their own unique strengths and weaknesses. The Highlander offers a spacious interior, lower ownership costs, and a smooth ride, while the Ascent provides a luxurious cabin, nimble handling, and better off-road capabilities. Ultimately, the best choice for you depends on your individual needs and priorities.
Questions We Hear a Lot
Q: Which SUV is better for families?
A: Both the Highlander and Ascent are excellent family vehicles. The Highlander offers more seating capacity, while the Ascent provides a more luxurious and refined interior.
Q: Which SUV is more fuel-efficient?
A: The Highlander is slightly more fuel-efficient than the Ascent, with an EPA-estimated 24 mpg combined compared to the Ascent’s 23 mpg combined.
Q: Which SUV has better safety ratings?
A: Both the Highlander and Ascent have earned top safety ratings from the IIHS and NHTSA.
Q: Which SUV is better for towing?
A: The Highlander has a slightly higher towing capacity than the Ascent, with a maximum towing capacity of 5,000 pounds compared to the Ascent’s 5,000 pounds.
Q: Which SUV is better for off-roading?
A: The Subaru Ascent offers slightly better off-road capabilities due to its symmetrical all-wheel drive system and higher ground clearance.
