Compare the2024 Buick EnclaveVS 2023 Subaru Ascent

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Environmental Friendliness
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Model Availability
Economic Advantages
Recommendations

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the Buick Enclave’s middle seat shoulder belts have child comfort guides to move the belt to properly fit children. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages children to buckle up. The Subaru Ascent doesn’t offer comfort guides on its middle seat belts.

The Enclave has a standard front seat center airbag, which deploys between the driver and front passenger, protecting them from injuries caused by striking each other in serious side impacts. The Ascent doesn’t offer front seat center airbags.

The Enclave has a standard blind spot warning system that uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them. Only the Ascent Premium/Limited/Touring offers a blind spot warning system.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Enclave has standard Rear Cross Traffic Alert, helping the driver avoid collisions. Only the Ascent Premium/Limited/Touring offers Rear Cross Traffic Alert.

Both the Enclave and the Ascent have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras, available all wheel drive and around view monitors.

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

	Enclave	Ascent
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Neck Injury Risk	15.6%	21%
Neck Stress	198 lbs.	229 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	53/40 lbs.	159/292 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 Buick Enclave is safer than the Subaru Ascent:

	Enclave	Ascent
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Hip Force	204 lbs.	274 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	14 inches	18 inches
Spine Acceleration	34 G’s	52 G’s
Hip Force	554 lbs.	637 lbs.

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

Warranty

The Enclave’s corrosion warranty is 1 year longer than the Ascent’s (6 vs. 5 years).

There are over 3 times as many Buick dealers as there are Subaru dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Enclave’s warranty.

Reliability

To reliably start during all conditions and help handle large electrical loads, the Enclave has a standard 730-amp battery. The Ascent’s 530-amp battery isn’t as powerful.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Enclave second among midsize suvs in their 2023 Initial Quality Study. The Ascent isn’t in the top three in its category.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2023 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Buick vehicles are better in initial quality than Subaru vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Buick fourth in initial quality, above the industry average. With 23 more problems per 100 vehicles, Subaru is ranked 15th.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the statistics that show that Buick vehicles are more reliable than Subaru vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Buick second in reliability, above the industry average. With 79 more problems per 100 vehicles, Subaru is ranked 22nd.

Engine

The Enclave’s 3.6 DOHC V6 produces 50 more horsepower (310 vs. 260) than the Ascent’s 2.4 turbo 4-cylinder.

As tested in Consumer Reports the Buick Enclave is faster than the Subaru Ascent:

	Enclave	Ascent
Zero to 30 MPH	3.1 sec	3.3 sec
Zero to 60 MPH	7.4 sec	8 sec
45 to 65 MPH Passing	4.7 sec	4.8 sec
Quarter Mile	15.8 sec	16.4 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	92 MPH	88 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

In heavy traffic or at stoplights the Enclave’s engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. The engine is automatically restarted when the driver gets ready to move again. If the conditions warrant or the driver wishes, the system can be manually disabled at any time for the duration of a trip. The Ascent doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

The Enclave AWD’s standard fuel tank has 2.4 gallons more fuel capacity than the Ascent (21.7 vs. 19.3 gallons).

The Enclave has a standard cap-less fueling system. The fuel filler is automatically opened when the fuel nozzle is inserted and automatically closed when it’s removed. This eliminates the need to unscrew and replace the cap and it reduces fuel evaporation, which causes pollution. The Ascent doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

Environmental Friendliness

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Buick Enclave higher (6 out of 10) than the Subaru Ascent (3). This means the Enclave produces up to 23.4 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Ascent every 15,000 miles.

Brakes and Stopping

The Enclave stops shorter than the Ascent:

	Enclave	Ascent
70 to 0 MPH	176 feet	178 feet	Car and Driver

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Enclave has larger tires than the Ascent (255/65R18 vs. 245/60R18).

The Buick Enclave’s wheels have 6 lugs for longer wheel bearing life, less chance of rotor warping and greater strength. The Subaru Ascent only has 5 wheel lugs per wheel.

The Enclave has a standard easy tire fill system. When inflating the tires, the vehicle’s integrated tire pressure sensors keep track of the pressure as the tires fill and tell the driver when the tires are inflated to the proper pressure. The Ascent doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

Suspension and Handling

The Enclave offers an available driver-adjustable suspension system. It allows the driver to choose between an extra-supple ride, reducing fatigue on long trips, or a sport setting, which allows maximum control for tricky roads or off-road. The Ascent’s suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

The Enclave has variable-assist power steering, for low-effort parking, better control at highway speeds and during hard cornering, and a better feel of the road. The Ascent doesn’t offer variable-assist power steering.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Enclave’s wheelbase is 7.1 inches longer than on the Ascent (120.9 inches vs. 113.8 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Enclave is 2.9 inches wider in the front and 2.8 inches wider in the rear than on the Ascent.

The Enclave Avenir AWD handles at .83 G’s, while the Ascent Limited pulls only .79 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

Chassis

The front grille of the Enclave uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The Ascent doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

The Enclave uses computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The Ascent doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

As tested by Car and Driver while at idle, the interior of the Enclave Essence is quieter than the Ascent Touring (38 vs. 40 dB).

Passenger Space

The Enclave has 4.1 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Ascent (157.3 vs. 153.2).

The Enclave has 1.4 inches more front headroom, 1.3 inches more front hip room, 1.1 inches more front shoulder room, .2 inches more rear hip room, 1.3 inches more rear shoulder room, 1.4 inches more third row headroom, 1.8 inches more third row legroom, 2.6 inches more third row hip room and .1 inches more third row shoulder room than the Ascent.

Cargo Capacity

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

	Enclave	Ascent
Behind Third Seat	23.6 cubic feet	17.8 cubic feet
Third Seat Folded	57.7 cubic feet	43.5 cubic feet
Second Seat Folded	97.4 cubic feet	75.6 cubic feet

A low lift-over cargo hatch design makes loading and unloading the Enclave easier. The Enclave’s cargo hatch lift-over height is 30.5 inches, while the Ascent’s liftover is 32 inches.

The Enclave’s cargo area is larger than the Ascent’s in almost every dimension:

	Enclave	Ascent
Length to seat (3rd/2nd/1st)	26.2”/54”/90”	20.3”/48”/82.9”
Max Width	52.7”	50.5”
Min Width	48.5”	45.9”
Height	30.8”	34”

Pressing a button automatically lowers or raises the Enclave Premium/Avenir’s third row seats, to make changing between cargo and passengers easier. The Ascent doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

To make loading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the Enclave’s liftgate can be opened and closed just by kicking your foot under the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The Ascent doesn’t offer a hands-free gesture to open its liftgate, forcing you to put cargo down if your hands are full.

Servicing Ease

The Enclave uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Ascent uses a prop rod to support its heavy hood. It takes two hands to open the hood and set the prop rod, the prop rod gets in the way during maintenance and service, and the prop rod could be knocked out, causing the heavy hood to fall on the person maintaining or servicing the car.

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Buick service is better than Subaru. J.D. Power ranks Buick fifth in service department satisfaction. With a 20% lower rating, Subaru is ranked 16th.

Ergonomics

The Enclave Premium/Avenir’s standard easy entry system raises the steering wheel and glides the driver’s seat back when the door is unlocked or the ignition is switched off, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. The Ascent doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

The Enclave Premium/Avenir has a standard heads-up display that projects speed and tachometer readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The Ascent doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The power windows standard on both the Enclave and the Ascent have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the Enclave is engaged the driver can still operate all of the windows, for instance to close one opened by a child. The Ascent prevents the driver from operating the other windows just as it does the other passengers.

The Enclave’s front and rear power windows all lower with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside of the car. The Ascent’s rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to open them fully.

If the windows are left open on the Enclave the driver can close them all from a distance using the remote. On a hot day the driver can also lower the windows the same way. The driver of the Ascent can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

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

The Enclave’s standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. Subaru only offers heated mirrors on the Ascent Premium/Limited/Touring.

When the Enclave Premium/Avenir is put in reverse, both rearview mirrors tilt from their original position. This gives the driver a better view of the curb during parallel parking maneuvers. Shifting out of reverse puts the mirrors into their original positions. The Ascent’s mirrors don’t automatically adjust for backing.

The Enclave has a standard heated steering wheel to take the chill out of steering on extremely cold winter days before the vehicle heater warms up. A heated steering wheel is only available on the Ascent Onyx/Limited/Touring.

The Enclave Premium/Avenir has standard massaging front seats in order to maximize comfort and eliminate fatigue on long trips. Massaging seats aren’t available in the Ascent.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Buick Enclave has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Wireless charging costs extra on the Ascent.

Model Availability

The Enclave is available in both front-wheel drive and four-wheel drive configurations. The Ascent doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.

Economic Advantages

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Enclave is less expensive to operate than the Ascent because typical repairs cost much less on the Enclave than the Ascent, including $166 less for a starter and $394 less for front struts.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Buick Enclave and the Subaru Ascent, based on reliability, safety and performance.