Subaru Ascent vs Honda Prologue

The 2024 Honda Prologue showcased a design that blended EV innovation with a touch of normalcy. Its base EX trim came in five colors, but the higher Touring and Elite trims introduced an eye-catching “Sonic Grey” and a new color called “North Shore Pearl,” a vibrant turquoise that undoubtedly stood out. The front of the Prologue featured a smooth, flawless black panel where a traditional grille would be, emphasizing its EV nature with Honda's classic “H” emblem centered.

From the side, the Prologue's elongated silhouette, which extended three inches longer than the Honda Passport but stood eight inches shorter, gave it a low-slung gangster car appeal. It rode on large wheels—standard 19-inch on the base trims and 21-inch on the Elite—enhancing its low-roof aesthetic. The rear featured a new font spelling out “Honda,” signaling its fresh approach to propulsion.

Inside, the Prologue's Elite trim exuded an upscale vibe with its brown and black leather interior. The rest of the lineup offered a practical gray and black two-tone scheme, with the base EX sporting cloth seating. The dashboard layout reminded testers of recent models like the revamped CR-V, albeit without the honeycomb grille hiding the air vents. Instead, piano black plastic adorned the dash. Overall, the interior felt upscale yet familiar, aiming for a seamless transition for first-time EV adopters.

Subaru’s struggle with styling changes was evident in the 2024 Ascent, which bore some controversial design choices from a recent refresh. The SUV's front exhibited bold, arguably overwhelming tufts and a spear-like element that ran across the grille into the headlights.

The Ascent, unchanged for 2024, continued in its various trims: Base, Premium, Onyx Edition, Limited, Onyx Edition Limited, and Touring. Our test model, the Touring trim, featured a panoramic sunroof, premium Nappa leather upholstery, ventilated front seats, a navigation system, and a 14-speaker Harman Kardon premium sound system.

Inside, the Ascent’s modular design seemed as though it was snapped together like a Lego set, prioritizing functionality and practicality over sophistication. The interior materials, especially in the Touring trim, appeared high-quality albeit lacking in cutting-edge design elements.

The Prologue offered both front-wheel drive (FWD) and all-wheel drive (AWD) options. The FWD model, featuring a single motor, delivered 212 horsepower and 236 pound-feet of torque, making it the most efficient variant with a range of 296 miles on 19-inch wheels. The AWD setup, available on the EX and Touring trims and standard on the Elite, combined dual motors to produce 288 horsepower and 333 pound-feet of torque. The Elite trim with its 21-inch wheels achieved a range of 273 miles, whereas the EX and Touring on 19-inch wheels managed 281 miles.

Though rivals like the Ford Mustang Mach-E and Tesla Model Y offered higher long-range versions, the Prologue's base range outperformed their most accessible trims. The Prologue’s driving dynamics were typically Honda, offering a familiar and enjoyable experience. With a 121.8-inch wheelbase, it provided a comfortable ride and decent handling, though it fell short of being "remarkably serene and quiet," with noticeable road and wind noise at highway speeds.

The 2024 Ascent housed a turbocharged 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine pushing out 260 horsepower at 5,600 rpm and 277 pound-feet of torque between 2,000 and 4,800 rpm. The engine worked with a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT) and standard all-wheel drive (AWD) with active torque vectoring. The Ascent's towing capacity reached up to 5,000 pounds.

The Ascent shone in everyday driving scenarios, be it city streets, suburban sprawls, or rugged trails. It managed neighborhood speed humps and off-road terrain with ease and demonstrated capability on winding gravel roads and store parking lots alike. However, it struggled in twisty mountain roads due to its porky curb weight and softly tuned suspension. Fuel efficiency wasn't a strong suit, either, with an actual economy of 16.7 mpg in the city and 18.6 mpg combined, significantly lower than the EPA ratings of 19 mpg city, 25 mpg highway, and 21 mpg combined with 20-inch wheels.

A user-friendly feature of the Prologue was its traditional door handles, simplifying the transition for new EV users. The cabin offered 111.7 cubic feet of passenger volume, providing ample legroom of 39.4 inches in the second row and 41.4 inches in the front. Headroom was slightly less generous, with 39.6 inches up front and 38.1 inches in the back, but the reclining rear seats and panoramic moonroof in the Touring and Elite trims helped to alleviate any claustrophobia.

Heated front seats and dual-zone climate control were standard, with additional comforts like driver’s seat memory and front seat ventilation available in higher trims. The cargo area, accessible via a hands-free power liftgate in Touring and Elite trims, offered 25.2 cubic feet of space, expandable to 57.7 cubic feet with rear seats down. Although there was no frunk, a hidden compartment beneath the cargo floor provided extra storage.

The Subaru Ascent emphasized practicality. Its dashboard shelf, large cupholders in rear doors, and backpack pegs on the second-row seatbacks highlighted its family-friendly design. The Touring trim's premium Nappa leather seats were comfortable, though the front passenger seat lacked a height adjuster.

The Ascent's rear doors opened nearly 90 degrees, aiding in easy loading and unloading. However, while the second-row captain’s chairs were comfortable, legroom felt a bit cramped compared to competitors. The third-row seating was acceptable for short trips, offering decent leg support and extra air vents.

The Ascent provided 17.8 cubic feet of cargo space behind the third row, expandable to 43.5 cubic feet with the seats down, and up to 75.6 cubic feet with both second and third rows folded. Some space was slightly reduced in models with a panoramic sunroof.

The Prologue came with keyless access—either a proximity key fob or a card-format key in the Elite trim. A wireless charger, four USB-C ports, and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto were standard, showcased on an 11.3-inch infotainment screen and an 11-inch digital driver-information display. Elite trims also featured a head-up display.

Google Built-In offered native Google Maps integration and a route-planning feature for EV chargers. The Touring and Elite trims boasted a 12-speaker Bose premium audio system, enhanced by Honda's Active Sound Control, adding artificial sounds during specific driving actions.

The Subaru Ascent featured the latest Starlink infotainment system on an 11.6-inch touchscreen, supporting wireless Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, SiriusXM, and text messaging. Higher trims included Starlink connected services, a Wi-Fi hotspot, a navigation system, and a 14-speaker Harman Kardon surround-sound system.

Subaru also equipped Starlink with physical buttons for key functions and Cabin Connect in upper trims, allowing driver-to-passenger communication via stereo speakers. Additional features included a surround-view camera and a camera-based rearview mirror in the Touring trim.

The Honda Sensing suite was standard on the Prologue, including rear cross-traffic braking and blind-zone steering assist—new interventional technologies. Higher trims offered additional features like front-park assist, surround-vision system, and rear pedestrian alert. Honda aimed for top safety ratings, although official assessments were pending.

The Subaru Ascent underscored Subaru's commitment to safety. It enjoyed high crash-test ratings, with a five-star overall from NHTSA and a Top Safety Pick+ from IIHS. The EyeSight suite included forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, and more. However, lane-centering assist performance was problematic in real-world testing, underscoring an area in need of improvement.