Battle of the best three-row crossovers!
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You really can't go wrong with any of them, but the Subaru has some key advantages:
All three have a 3 year/36,000 mile comprehensive warranty and 5 year/60,000 mile powertrain warranty. Only the Toyota comes with two years of free maintenance.Â
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PLANET'S EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
All
are considered "midsized crossovers," which mean they began life on
unibody car frames rather than heavy duty pickup truck platforms.Â
All three seat up to eight by offering functional third row
seating big enough for adults. Only
Ascent offers NINETEEN cupholders, so if hydration is your main
criterion in selecting a car, you're going to love the Ascent!You really can't go wrong with any of them, but the Subaru has some key advantages:
- Ascent is slightly larger in every dimension, and has the highest ground clearance.
- Only the Ascent drives like a nimble Subaru for greater safety during evasive maneuvers.
- Only the Ascent has a turbocharged Boxer engine for more spirited driving AND it gets the best combined fuel economy. Who said a utility vehicle has to drive like a school bus?!
- With its Eyesight system, Subaru's semi-autonomous safety suite is the most sophisticated.Â
- You can't buy a new Toyota or Honda from your undealership. Â
COMPARISONÂ
| Subaru Ascent Premium AWD | Toyota Highlander LE Plus 4WD | Honda Pilot EX AWD | |
Exterior Dimensions Ascent is bigger in every direction than the Highlander and the Pilot. | Ground clearance: 8.7" Length: 197" Width: 76" Height: 72" | Ground clearance: 8.0" Length: 191" Width: 76" Height: 68" | Ground clearance: 7.3" Length: 195" Width: 79" Height: 70" |
| Â Total Interior Space and Front Leg Room Boxy Pilot has a huge greenhouse and can swallow up more ping pong balls than the others. Highlander is a little better for NBA players with long legs. | Â  Â Â 154 cubic feet 42 inches legroom |  Â 159 Cubic Feet 44 inches legroom |  Â Â 172 Cubic Feet 41 inches legroom |
| Â Cargo Area Cubic Feet All three will swallow two adult bikes stacked on their sides without removing the wheels. |  Â Â 2nd+ 3rd Row down: 87 2nd + 3rd Row up: 20 |  Â 2nd + 3rd Row down: 95 |  2nd and 3rd Row down: 84 2nd + 3rd Row up: 17 |
| Third Row Seating All three haul a lot of lass (and lad). All offer second row captain's chairs (seven- passenger configuration) or a second row bench seat (eight passengers). |     |  |  |
|  Engines and Fuel Economy Ascent pulls like a sports car and gets better combined fuel economy than the others. Only Ascent offers a turbo and Boxer engine. |  260 horsepower 20 city, 26 highway  |  3.5 Liter V6 with 8 speed automatic transmission 295 horsepower  19 city, 26 highway |  3.5 Liter V6 with 6 Speed automatic transmission 280 horsepower 19 city, 26 highway |
Fuel tank and range | 19.3 gallons Range:Â 502 miles | 19.2 gallons Range:Â 499 miles | 19.5 gallons Range:Â 507 miles |
 Optional Engines Pilot and Ascent offer only one engine. Nobody does Hybrids like Toyota, achieving almost 30mpg combined, but a loaded Hybrid Highlander will run you over $50,000! Toyota also offers a four-cylinder engine in the base model, paired only with front-wheel drive.  | No other engines available |  Optional 3.5 liter hybrid six cylinder 29 city, 27 highway 280 horsepower | No other engines available |
|  All Wheel Drive Subaru is best known for its legendary Symmetrical All Wheel Drive. Ascent was designed from the ground up with all wheel drive. Honda and Toyota engineers started with front drivers and bolted on additional hardware later. |      Subaru system sends varying power to all four wheels all the time, without pushing any buttons. All four wheels, all the time, at any speed. |  Normally, Highlander system delivers power only to the front wheels until slippage is detected.  To power all four wheels, "Locking mode" can be engaged with a button but turns off over 25mph. |  Honda system is similar to a traditional pickup  truck 4WD drive system but applied to a front-wheel drive platform. |
Towing Highlander can pull a small trailer; Ascent and Pilot can tow a small house! | 5,000 pounds | 2,000 pounds | 5,000 pounds |
| Crash Tests Toyota is a Top Safety Pick. Pilot and Ascent go one better with the "Plus" rating on top of that. |  Â |  |  |
Price Subaru offers tremendous value, which is one reason why its sales have increased seven years in a row--unique in the industry.  | $35,170 | $36,268 Comes with two years/25,000 miles free maintenance | $35,950  |
Purchase and Ownership Experience You can buy a new Subaru at Planet, but not a new Honda or Toyota. |  |  |
 
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Anyone looking for a great deal or lease on a Subaru Ascent should visit Planet Subaru because Boston 3-row shoppers in the Boston area appreciate the review and comparison with the Highlander and Pilot.
