2023 Subaru Ascent vs 2023 Mazda CX-9 & 2023 Toyota Highlander
The flagship utility vehicle on the Subaru lineup has been the Ascent since its inception just a few years ago in 2019. In those few years since it was introduced, it has established a great reputation within the midsize crossover segment, even competing with some luxury brands. Today, we thought we’d take a look at how the 2023 Subaru Ascent compares to a couple of its biggest competitors in its class, by pitting it against the 2023 Mazda CX-9 and 2023 Toyota Highlander.
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Specification |
2023 Subaru Ascent |
2023 Mazda CX-9 |
2023 Toyota Highlander |
| Base MSRP | $33,895 | $38,750 | $36,420 |
| City Fuel Efficiency | 20 mpg | 20 mpg | 22 mpg |
| Highway Fuel Efficiency | 26 mpg | 26 mpg | 29 mpg |
| Horsepower | 260 hp | 227 hp | 265 hp |
| 0-60 miles per hour | 8.2 s | 9 s | 8.0 s |
| Engine | 2.4L 4-cylinder | 2.5L 4-cylinder | 2.4L 4-cylinder |
| Transmission | Continuously Variable | 6-speed Automatic | 8-speed Automatic |
| Seating | 8 | 6 | 8 |
| Max Cargo Volume | 75.6 cu. ft. | 71.2 cu. ft. | 84.3 cu. ft. |
Comparing Specifications
The table above should showcase exactly how each of these crossover utility vehicles measure up to the others, with the Ascent coming out on top in a lot of regards. Let’s go through the table row by row to get a better idea of where the advantages lie. We kicked things off looking at the base MSRP, which is where pricing begins for each model. That means the base trim level without any extra features or packages. The Subaru Ascent is leaps and bounds ahead of its competitors in this regard, starting off at almost $5k less than the Mazda CX-9 and around $3k less than the Toyota Highlander.
In the next two rows we turned towards fuel economy ratings, which is an important aspect of any vehicle on today’s market. While the Ascent and CX-9 are evenly matched both through the city and on the highway, they are slightly outmatched by the Highlander, as it gets an extra two miles to the gallon through the city and three on the highway.
Then we turned towards power and performance, in which the Highlander once again gets the nod. While the Subaru SUV is still superior to the Mazda, delivering 33 horsepower more than its competitor, it gives up 5 hp to the Toyota. This shows itself in acceleration time as well, as the Ascent gets from 0 to 60 miles per hour 0.8 seconds faster than the CX-9 but 0.2 seconds slower than the Highlander.
In the next two rows we looked at the hardware so you could see from exactly where the previous data was coming. All three models are powered by similarly sized four-cylinder engines, though the CX-9 is the largest by a small margin. However, when it comes to a smooth and comfortable ride, the Ascent is the frontrunner thanks to its continuously variable transmission compared to the automatics of the other two.
Finally, we looked at space. When it comes to passengers, the Ascent and Highlander are evenly matched, with their three-row seating for up to eight passengers, whereas the CX-9 can only accommodate six. As for cargo space though, the Highlander does take the edge. While the Subaru offers an extra 4.4 cubic feet of space than the Mazda, the Toyota exceeds by nearly 10 cu. ft.
If you think you might be interested in a 2023 Subaru Ascent of your own, be sure to get in touch with us right here at Rairdon Subaru of Auburn today!
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