2021 Subaru Outback vs Ascent

Outback vs Ascent: Passenger Space & Cargo Room

The Subaru Outback is a great fit for families and adventure seekers. It features lots of space in both rows, as well as enough room for all your bags. The trunk is designed to carry lots of luggage and a few of your four-legged friends. If you need to load more, you can quickly fold the back seats down.

The 2022 Subaru Ascent also offers tons of cargo room, but it's built with enough space for the whole team or your extended family. There are three rows of seats with a choice between a bench or two captain's chairs for the second row. You can also fold both the second and third rows down to give yourself storage space for boxes, furniture, and a whole lot more.

Subaru Outback vs Subaru Ascent: Safety Features

Whether you go with the 2022 Subaru Outback or the Subaru Ascent, you can be confident that you'll be safe and secure. Both vehicles offer peace of mind with a stable drivetrain and smart safety features. EyeSight® Driver Assist Technology comes standard in both and helps prevent accidents with technology such as:

• Pre-Collision Braking
• Pre-Collision Throttle Management
• Lane Departure and Sway Warning
• Advanced Adaptive Cruise Control with Lane Centering

The Outback also offers an extra set of eyes with the DriverFocus® Distraction Mitigation System. It analyzes your driving patterns and reminds you to keep your eyes on the road.

Both Subaru models are built to protect you, too. They're outfitted with two front airbags, seat-mounted front side-impact airbags, side-curtain airbags that run the length of the cabin, and a driver's knee airbag. The 2022 Outback also adds a front-passenger seat cushion airbag.

Outback vs Ascent: Performance Specs

Symmetrical all-wheel drive comes standard with both the 2022 Outback and the 2022 Ascent. In addition to all their space inside, they're both capable of towing a trailer or bringing some recreational vehicles along for the ride.

The Subaru Outback starts with a 2.5L 4-cylinder engine that gets up to 182 horsepower and 176 lb-ft of torque. This powertrain can tow up to 2,700 pounds and offers an efficient drive with an EPA-estimated 26 city/33 highway MPG.¹ For a more powerful performance, a turbocharged 2.4L engine is also available. With 260 horsepower and 277 lb-ft of torque, it can haul up to 3,500 pounds.

The Subaru Ascent also features a 2.4L 4-cylinder engine. It provides the same 260 horsepower and 277 lb-ft of torque, but it helps the larger SUV tow up to 5,000 pounds. You'll also get good gas mileage with an EPA-estimated 21 city/27 highway MPG.²