Land Rover Range Rover Velar vs Subaru Ascent

The 2024 Range Rover Velar showcased an evolution of Land Rover's “reductive” design philosophy. This ethos prioritizes simplicity by eliminating unnecessary elements, aiming for a modern and streamlined aesthetic both inside and out. The Velar, which first adopted this philosophy in 2018, saw further refinements in 2024. It sported a new grille, revised headlights and taillights, fresh wheel options, and updated exterior detailing. Notably, a new rear bumper design emphasized the Velar’s width, giving it a lower and broader look complemented by a full-length upper stop lamp.

Inside, the Velar featured a larger 11.4-inch touchscreen infotainment system that appeared to float before the dashboard. The new center console discarded traditional knobs and dials for climate control and stereo functions, forcing reliance on the touchscreen. While this streamlined approach epitomized modern aesthetics, it also invited criticism for omitting convenient physical controls – a move viewed as a mistake.

Otherwise, the Velar's interior exuded quality and elegance, although some signs of substandard materials were evident. New seating options included an animal-free Kvadrat wool blend upholstery. Additionally, the Velar offered advanced features like the Cabin Air Purification Plus system with PM 2.5 filtration and carbon dioxide monitoring. The test vehicle, equipped with Dynamic SE trim, boasted numerous upgrades, including a powerful six-cylinder engine and high-end paint and wheel options, wrapping up at an MSRP of $80,533, including destination charges.

Conversely, Subaru struggled with its styling endeavors. The 2024 Ascent continued with an aesthetic that had garnered mixed reviews, marked by stylistic elements deemed offensive by some critics. Despite not undergoing changes for 2024, the Ascent's design remained polarizing with its notable grille and headlight integration.

The 2024 Subaru Ascent lineup ranged from Base to Touring trims, with prices extending from $34,395 to $48,695, excluding the $1,345 destination charge. The tested Ascent Touring featured optional all-weather floor liners, bringing its MSRP to $50,181. Ascent Touring distinguished itself with a panoramic sunroof, premium Nappa leather upholstery, ventilated front seats, a comprehensive navigation system, a 14-speaker Harman Kardon sound system, a camera-based rearview mirror, and a surround-view camera.

The Ascent's interior leaned heavily towards function over form. The design was intuitive and practical, favoring utility with features like large cupholders, numerous storage solutions, and backpack pegs. While the design may lack sophistication, it remained functional and catered to everyday needs efficiently.

The Velar's turbocharged 3.0-liter inline six-cylinder engine with a 48-volt mild-hybrid system generated an impressive 394 horsepower between 5,500 rpm and 6,500 rpm, and 406 lb-ft of torque between 2,000 rpm and 5,000 rpm. This version, branded as the P400, stood in contrast to the less powerful P250 variant, which featured a 247-horsepower, 2.0-liter turbo four-cylinder engine.

The upgraded six-cylinder proved superior by nearly two seconds in the sprint to 60 mph and was more suitable for a luxury SUV, albeit with slightly lower efficiency. The P400 achieved an EPA rating of 21 mpg in combined driving, and during the evaluation, the Velar managed an average of 19.5 mpg. An eight-speed automatic transmission provided seamless power distribution through an advanced all-wheel-drive system that adjusted power between the front and rear axles. The Velar boasted up to 9.9 inches of ground clearance with optional air suspension and water fording abilities up to 22.8 inches.

Land Rover's Terrain Response system allowed drivers to select between various driving modes like Eco, Comfort, Grass-Gravel-Snow, Mud-Ruts, Sand, and Automatic. The test model's Dynamic mode enhanced the on-pavement driving experience. The Velar performed admirably on mountain roads, offering nimble handling and athletic prowess. Comfort mode delivered a quiet and smooth highway drive, although urban settings revealed some softness in suspension behavior.

The 2024 Subaru Ascent, equipped with a turbocharged 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine, produced 260 horsepower at 5,600 rpm and 277 lb-ft of torque between 2,000 and 4,800 rpm. A continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT) powered all four wheels through a standard all-wheel-drive system with active torque vectoring. Subaru claimed a towing capacity of 5,000 pounds for most trims, reducing to 2,000 pounds in the Base trim.

The Ascent excelled across various environments – urban, suburban, and rugged terrains. It handled speed humps and rutted off-road stretches with ease, showcasing resilience and strength on gravel roads. Its engine partnered with the CVT, which mimicked a conventional automatic transmission convincingly, offering good power delivery with characteristic grumbling.

However, the Ascent's limits appeared on twisty mountain roads, where its weight and softly tuned suspension hindered agile handling. Efficiency also fell short, with EPA ratings of 19 mpg city, 25 mpg highway, and 21 mpg combined driving. The test vehicle returned 16.7 mpg in the city and 18.6 mpg overall but benefitted from a 19.3-gallon fuel tank, providing a decent range before requiring a refill.

Approaching the Velar revealed power-deployable flush-mounted door handles, although they posed a slight hazard with their protruding upper corners. Tall individuals found front seat access challenging due to the narrow openings and angled windshield pillars. However, settling into the plush, supportive seats, now updated for 2024, was a rewarding experience. The test unit featured 14-way power-adjustable seats, heated and leather-clad, paired with ventilated front seats and heated rear seats through the optional Cold Climate Pack.

Inside, the Velar's new Cloud over Ebony theme with genuine wood veneers exuded elegance, marred only by lower-quality plastics and ill-fitting floor mats. The back seats provided excellent comfort for two adults, with accommodating backrest angles, lumbar support, decent legroom, and extended panoramic sunroof coverage. Surprisingly, rear doors lacked sunshades.

Storage was adequate; door bins were generous but prone to item sliding, and a hidden wireless smartphone charger tray lacked noise-dampening liners. The power liftgate unveiled 30.9 cubic feet of cargo space, expandable to 62.7 cubic feet with the 40/20/40 split rear seats folded.

In contrast, the Ascent emphasized practicality with features like a dashboard shelf, large cupholders, and backpack pegs on second-row seats. Touring trim's front seats, clad in premium Nappa leather, were heated and ventilated, but the omission of a height adjuster for the front passenger seat was noticeable. However, the seat’s high mounting mitigated discomfort.

Rear doors opened almost 90 degrees, facilitating easy entry, especially useful for loading kids. The comfortable second-row captain’s chairs and wide sills eased rooftop cargo management. Though snug on legroom, window shades provided excellent child protection against sunlight. Third-row seat comfort proved adequate, though access was narrow, positioning passengers high for leg support and offering sufficient storage areas and air vents.

Cargo space behind the third row measured up to 17.8 cubic feet, extending to 43.5 cubic feet with the third-row seats down, and maxed out at 75.6 cubic feet with all the second-row seats folded, slightly reduced with the panoramic sunroof.

The Velar's 2024 iteration introduced the next-generation Pivi Pro infotainment system, featuring an 11.4-inch touchscreen, over-the-air updates, Amazon Alexa compatibility, and an improved user interface. However, integrating climate control, stereo volume, and defrost functions into the screen added complexity. While shortcuts in the sidebar enhanced usability, tiny icons and the lack of a resting place for hands compromised ease of use, especially while driving.

Despite drawbacks, Amazon Alexa and cloud-based digital assistants were available through active subscriptions. The test unit’s Online Pack required Amazon account setup, although wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto could bypass these complexities.

The Velar offered a 12.3-inch digital instrumentation panel, configurable themes, standard Meridian sound systems, optional head-up display (HUD), and a surround-view camera. The test vehicle featured the helpful HUD but lacked the surround-view camera, relying instead on standard reversing aids.

The Subaru Ascent came equipped with the Starlink infotainment system, boasting an 11.6-inch portrait-mounted touchscreen with Bluetooth, wireless Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, SiriusXM, and text-messaging. Higher trims added Starlink connected services, navigation, and a 14-speaker Harman Kardon system. Safety & Security plans included emergency assistance and remote engine start.

The tested Ascent had these features, though the screen’s visibility under direct sunlight was poor, and native voice recognition was subpar, making smartphone integration preferable. Basic physical buttons and knobs controlled essential functions, simplifying operations. Upper trims included Cabin Connect for in-car communication, surround-view cameras, and rearview mirror integrations.

The Velar came standard with an array of advanced driving assistance systems (ADAS), enhancing safety. The adaptive cruise control featured a speed-limited function, clearly indicated on the steering wheel. Adaptive Cruise Control with Steer Assist offered semi-autonomous driving assistance but faltered with inconsistent lane tracking and misjudging scenarios like turn lanes, freeway ramps, and curved paths.

Instances of unwanted steering adjustments and delays in adaptive cruise response were noted during tests, leading to situations where Steer Assist introduced stress rather than alleviating it. The Velar's adaptive cruise system regulated speed efficaciously, aided by signal-linked speed resumption for overtaking.

Conversely, the Subaru Ascent emphasized safety through its robust steel structure and standard EyeSight suite, encompassing forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane departure warnings, lane-centering, adaptive cruise, and evasive steering. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) ratings awarded it five stars in most assessments and four stars in rollover resistance. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) recognized the Ascent with a Top Safety Pick+ rating.

Upgrading from Base to Premium trim unlocked blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert, with further enhancements like automatic reverse braking on upper trims. EyeSight demonstrated reliability overall, although the latest lane-centering tech showed hesitation and struggled with lane variations.