Traded for a Climb – Notes after 4 months

We bought a 2021 Outback Onyx XT at MGM in January 2021. Price was great, 0% financing, big fan of the onyx trim (seats, breaks, full stock). Two years with the car were bitter. When it was going well, the car was fantastic. A true jack of all trades. However, ours was… challenged. Subaru of America took care of us (new MCU, lots of software updates, new Starlink module, oil leak from oil level sensor, etc.) for a total of 12 warranty visits in two years. Also, we were coming from a pilot and my better half (he’s her daily driver) missed the extra space, the third row, the driving position and especially the interior vertical height.

I was very excited about the new Honda Pilots and honestly wasn’t really considering the Ascent. Then, in December 2022, our local dealer had a 2023 Ascent Onyx Limited in black on the showroom floor. They weren’t raising prices and the features/$ compared favorably to the Pilot. It also seemed to address everything we were left wanting with OB, so we scaled back. No more 0% financing, but a guaranteed high exchange meant we came out in a good place financially. We ran the OB effectively for free for two years.

I thought I’d spend some time doing a comparison for those interested. I can honestly say there is no “better” car between the two. A few things would be covered if there was an Onyx Limited cut of OB. Otherwise, it’s a matter of use case and personal preference. Here’s what I noticed:

Pros climbing

1. Panoramic roof – we love the extra light and open air feeling. The attractive shade of power gives a pleasant feeling of luxury. If you like sunroofs, the Ascent is a great upgrade to the OB
2. Roof Rails – I appreciate the novelty of the built in rails on the OB… until I went to install a platform rack. Not an issue in OBW, but otherwise points for Ascent.
3. No more auto start-stop – personal preference here, but the Ascent doesn’t and I prefer it that way.
4. Interior Lighting – The Ascent has fantastic interior lighting. The OB had LEDs all around, but it didn’t come close to Ascension. the cargo area light is the exception.
5. Cameras – better quality and 360° view mode in Ascent. My 2013 Nissan Leaf has this feature and I can’t understand how it hasn’t made it to OB. It’s not necessary, but boy is it great for parking.
6. Interior Space – Aside from the increased volume, the ergonomics of the space is better for me, especially the center console area. Everything feels more open.
7. Infotainment – All this needs to be fixed in the 2023 OB, but seat heater buttons on the main screen with wireless Carplay and AA, and much improved response time and reliability make the infotainment excellent.
8. HK Audio on Onyx trim – Not the greatest, but sufficient in any way when it wasn’t the stock OB stereo.
9. Rear climate zone – great for kids/dogs. Controllable from the main screen or rear controls.
10. Power Delivery – The engine/CVT programming is much more linear than the OB. It feels smooth and predictable. Maybe it’s the last gear of the car, but it seems like they got it right with the Ascent and wrong with the OBXT.
11. Tighter Handling – Surprised that the bigger vehicle has tighter response and handling.
12. Pull – OEM 7-pin harness and wire for a brake controller. OBXT should have this as a factory option with higher towing capacity, but it doesn’t. It feels like the Ascent was designed to tow, the OB was not. Also, the OEM bracket is hidden behind a panel. Great for those who don’t keep the ball in place, want the area to remain free of dirt and debris, perhaps irritating for those who have something attached all the time.
13. Shortcut – Totally subjective, but the Onyx Ascent is fully blacked out (window trim) where the OBXT (except Wilderness) is chrome. I don’t want $70 worth of vinyl stickers on my new car.
14. Lane Focus – Our OB would ping pong so I never used it. The climb is much improved, possibly with the new sighting system that could be implemented for the 2023 OBs.

Neutral notes

1. Driver monitoring isn’t as intrusive as I feared. It’s a little annoying, but only when you’re not regularly looking at the road while driving… which hopefully isn’t often. The benefits of multiple driver recognition outweigh the annoyance IMHO.

The benefits of outsourcing

1. Fuel Economy – No surprises here, just a fact. Lighter car with lower CD and different gears. I lost about 3 mpg on average. Still better than the Pilot it replaced, but the Ascent is no miser of fuel.
2. Seat Padding – Honestly, the OB seats were noticeably softer. The fit is comfortable, but on the firmer/supportive side of things. I would take the OB seats if given the choice.
3. Passenger seat height adjustment – the OB has it, the Ascent doesn’t… I don’t know why as the Ascent feels more stylish in every other way, but the passenger seat lacks the OB’s adjustability.
4. Speed ​​- OB is faster. I miss you. I prefer the smoothness of the Ascent, but I really enjoyed the surprising speed of the OB.
5. Cargo Area Light – Mounting is poor at best. There is a single light from the lower left side and the rest of the interior lights still turn off even with the hood open. See, it’s the only thing I’d consider “bad” in Ascension.
6. Forum – No joke, the Ascent forum is good, but the OB forum is awesome.
7. Seat folding handles – The OB ones are great. The mount is less elegant and seemed more of an afterthought.

I will add more if they come up in the conversation here. After all, if our OB was seamless, we wouldn’t have traded for Ascension. I’m so glad we did as there’s nothing I’d change about the Ascension (except that light!), where there were some OB wishes/disappointments. Let me know if you have any specific questions.

This is one of the best auto forums I’ve been to. Lots of technical knowledge, lots of passion and interest, and most importantly a high level of respect in the discussion. I plan to get moving even though I no longer have an OB.