Compare the2023 Subaru AscentVS 2023 Tesla Model Y

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Economic Advantages
Recommendations

Safety

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In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the Ascent are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The Model Y doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Ascent has standard Whiplash-Reducing Front Seats, which use a specially designed seat to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the Whiplash-Reducing Front Seats system allows the backrest to travel backwards to cushion the occupants and the headrests move forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. The Model Y doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

When descending a steep, off-road slope, the Ascent’s standard Hill Descent Control allows you to creep down safely. The Model Y doesn’t offer Hill Descent Control.

The Ascent (except Base/Premium) offers an optional Surround View Monitor to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The Model Y only offers a rear monitor and front and rear parking sensors that beep or flash a light. That doesn’t help with obstacles to the sides.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Ascent Premium/Limited/Touring’s standard rear cross-path warning system uses sensors in the rear bumper to alert the driver to vehicles approaching from the side, helping the driver avoid collisions. The Model Y doesn’t offer a cross-path warning system.

The Ascent Limited/Touring’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The Model Y doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

The Ascent Premium/Onyx/Limited/Touring has standard STARLINK Connected Services, which uses a global positioning satellite (GPS) receiver and a cellular system to remotely unlock your doors if you lock your keys in, help track down your vehicle if it’s stolen or send emergency personnel to the scene if any airbags deploy. The Model Y doesn’t offer a GPS response system, only a navigation computer with no live response for emergencies, so if you’re involved in an accident and you’re incapacitated help may not come as quickly.

Both the Ascent and the Model Y have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, all wheel drive, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras and available blind spot warning systems.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Subaru Ascent is safer than the Tesla Model Y:

	Ascent	Model Y
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Neck Injury Risk	21%	25%
Neck Compression	8 lbs.	68 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	159/292 lbs.	298/427 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	210	211
Neck Compression	156 lbs.	189 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	35/30 lbs.	67/30 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Subaru Ascent is safer than the Tesla Model Y:

	Ascent	Model Y
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	37	42
Chest Movement	.5 inches	.6 inches
Abdominal Force	73 lbs.	145 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	81	358
Spine Acceleration	27 G’s	45 G’s
Hip Force	346 lbs.	567 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	149	283
Hip Force	637 lbs.	682 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

Warranty

There are over 4 times as many Subaru dealers as there are Tesla dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Ascent’s warranty.

Reliability

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Subaru vehicles are better in initial quality than Tesla vehicles. With 35 fewer problems per 100 vehicles, JD Power ranks Subaru higher than Tesla.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2023 Auto Issue reports that Subaru vehicles are more reliable than Tesla vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Subaru 12 places higher in reliability than Tesla.

Engine

The flat cylinder configuration of the boxer engine in the Ascent lowers its center of gravity, enhancing handling stability without compromising ground clearance. The Model Y doesn’t offer a boxer engine configuration.

Brakes and Stopping

The Ascent stops shorter than the Model Y:

	Ascent	Model Y
60 to 0 MPH	114 feet	118 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

The Ascent has a standard space-saver spare tire so you can replace a flat tire and drive to have the flat repaired or replaced. A spare tire isn’t available on the Model Y; it requires you to depend on roadside assistance and your vehicle will have to be towed.

Suspension and Handling

The Ascent has standard front and rear stabilizer bars, which help keep the Ascent flat and controlled during cornering. The Model Y’s suspension doesn’t offer a rear stabilizer bar.

For better maneuverability, the Ascent’s turning circle is 1.8 feet tighter than the Model Y’s (38 feet vs. 39.8 feet).

For greater off-road capability the Ascent has a 2.1 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Model Y (8.7 vs. 6.6 inches), allowing the Ascent to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

Chassis

As tested by Car and Driver while under full throttle, the interior of the Ascent Limited is quieter than the Model Y Long Range (70 vs. 73 dB).

Passenger Space

The Ascent has 47.2 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Model Y (153.2 vs. 106).

The Ascent has .2 inches more front headroom, .4 inches more front legroom, 3.9 inches more front hip room, 4.7 inches more front shoulder room, .6 inches more rear headroom, 6.9 inches more rear hip room, 6.3 inches more rear shoulder room, 1.6 inches more third row headroom, 5.2 inches more third row legroom, 9.4 inches more third row hip room and 16.2 inches more third row shoulder room than the Model Y.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the Ascent’s middle and third row seats recline. The Model Y’s third row seats don’t recline.

Cargo Capacity

The Ascent’s cargo area provides more volume than the Model Y.

	Ascent	Model Y
Behind Third Seat	17.8 cubic feet	16.9 cubic feet
Third Seat Folded	43.5 cubic feet	30.7 cubic feet

Towing

Maximum trailer towing in the Tesla Model Y is limited to 3500 pounds. The Ascent offers up to a 5000 lbs. towing capacity.

Standard Trailer Stability Assist on the Ascent uses the Vehicle Dynamics Control sensors to detect trailer sway, then uses individual brakes to counteract any swaying and help keep the tow vehicle and trailer steady. The Model Y doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

Servicing Ease

A maintenance reminder system is standard on the Ascent to save the owner time and money by calculating maintenance intervals for oil changes and tire rotation, vehicle inspection based on odometer mileage. This takes the guesswork out of keeping your vehicle in top condition and helps it last longer. Tesla doesn’t offer a maintenance reminder on the Model Y.

Ergonomics

In case you lock your keys in your vehicle, or don’t have them with you, you can let yourself in using the Ascent’s available exterior PIN entry system (not available on Ascent Base). The Model Y doesn’t offer an exterior PIN entry system.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Ascent has a standard rear wiper. The Model Y doesn’t offer a rear wiper.

Consumer Reports rated the Ascent’s headlight performance “Good,” a higher rating than the Model Y’s headlights, which were rated “Fair.”

To help drivers see further while navigating curves, the Ascent has standard adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle. The Model Y doesn’t offer cornering lights.

The Ascent’s standard side window demisters help clear frost or condensation from the side windows in the winter. The Model Y doesn’t even offer side window demisters, so the driver may have to wipe the windows from the outside to gain side vision.

To shield the driver and front passenger’s vision over a larger portion of the windshield and side windows, the Ascent has standard extendable sun visors. The Model Y doesn’t offer extendable visors.

Manual rear side window sunshades are available in the Ascent to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The Model Y doesn’t offer rear side window sunshades.

Standard air-conditioned seats in the Ascent Touring keep the driver and front passenger comfortable and take the sting out of hot seats in Summer. The Model Y doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

The Ascent Touring has a 115-volt a/c outlet on the dashboard, allowing you to recharge a laptop or run small household appliances without special adapters that can break or get misplaced. The Model Y doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

Economic Advantages

Insurance will cost less for the Ascent owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the Ascent will cost $3890 to $5070 less than the Model Y over a five-year period.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Subaru Ascent will be $8977 to $18192 less than for the Tesla Model Y.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends the Subaru Ascent, based on reliability, safety and performance. The Tesla Model Y isn't recommended.