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2019 Subaru Ascent First Drive Review | A three-row do-over

McMINNVILLE, Ore. — The brand-new 2019 Subaru Ascent could very well be called the Mulligan. You may have heard the term used by amateur golfers as a sort of do-over for an egregiously bad first shot. But in the case of the Ascent, Subaru's largest-ever vehicle, it means that the Japanese automaker gets one more chance to build a successful three-row crossover for America. Instead of trying to forget the unloved and slow-selling Tribeca, we get the sense that Subaru wants to keep that massive failure at the top of its collective mind. And we also got the sense that Subaru's engineers and product planners are confident that this time, they've hit a perfect drive off the tee — if not at Pebble Beach, then at least at one of the thousands of reasonably priced golf courses dotting the landscape of suburban America. All the pieces of the crossover puzzle are in place: seven- and eight-passenger seating options, a sizable cargo area, standard all-wheel drive, and class-appropriate fuel mileage estimates. But, this being a Subaru, the manner with which the Ascent hits its targets varies a great deal from many of its competitors. In place of a naturally-aspirated V6, as found in the Honda Pilot or Toyota Highlander, is a turbocharged four-cylinder. And instead of sleek styling meant to attract eyeballs at the expense of usability, the Ascent is boxy, upright, and, well, kinda boring. In person, the Ascent looks like an Outback-shaped balloon that's been blown up a bit too much. An oversize grille is flanked by big headlights at the top of the fascia and faux air intakes molded from matte black plastic at the bottom. It's bland, sure, but it's also not at all surprising that Subaru would err on the side of inoffensive after the design tragedy that was the face of the original B9 Tribeca. And while it definitely shares a strong family resemblance to the Outback, it's sufficiently different enough that buyers aren't likely to confuse the two on the showroom floor. There are some interesting creases and bends in the Ascent's bodysides that add visual interest to what would otherwise be big, flat, sheetmetal stampings. And we have to commend Subaru for its restrained use of plastic underbody cladding, especially since the original Outback helped popularize that trend in the mid-1990s. There's a reasonable glass-to-metal ratio that helps the interior cabin feel airy and bright. Getting into the Ascent's third row is made easier by a large, squared off rear door.

Subaru offers 50th-anniversary edition versions of all its cars

Subaru is celebrating its 50th year in the U.S., and like so many automakers, its doing so by rolling out some special edition models. What's a bit unique about Subaru's approach is that the anniversary editions are available on every single model in the lineup. That includes Impreza, Crosstrek, Forester, Outback, Legacy, WRX, WRX STI and BRZ. The only exception is the Ascent, which isn't yet on sale in any form. What distinguishes the 50th anniversary edition Subarus are really just cosmetic things. They're all painted in an exclusive "Heritage Blue" and accented with satin chrome trim. Naturally they have "50th Anniversary" badges, too. Inside, they're all equipped with black leather featuring embroidered "50th Anniversary" logos and contrast silver stitching. The seatbelts are also silver. These special Subarus are limited production vehicles. The company will build 1,050 each of the Impreza, Crosstrek, Forester, Outback and Legacy. The WRX, WRX STI, and BRZ will comprise 1,050 cars with 600 WRXs, 250 BRZs and 200 STIs. Every example is also the highest trim level, and models that offer more than one engine will be split such that there will be fewer of the high-horsepower versions. All of the anniversary edition cars are now on sale. View 15 Photos Related Gallery 2018 Subaru 50th Anniversary Editions View 9 Photos Image Credit: Live photos copyright 2018 Drew Phillips / Autoblog.com Chicago Auto Show Subaru Coupe Crossover Hatchback SUV Sedan 2018 Chicago Auto Show

2013 Subaru Legacy and Outback recalled over potential steering loss

Subaru today announced a recall that affects 5,379 Legacy sedan and Outback wagon models in the United States. All of the affected 2013 model-year vehicles were built between February 15 and June 15 of 2012.
According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, "the inner and outer shafts of the steering column assembly may become disengaged from one another" in these vehicles. If that happens, the driver can lose the ability to steer the vehicle, which could obviously lead to all sorts of harmful things.
Subaru will notify owners of the problem, and affected models will have their steering columns replaced at dealerships, free of charge. Scroll down for the official NHSTA report.