Compare the2024 Subaru AscentVS 2023 Dodge Durango

Safety
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Ergonomics
Economic Advantages
Recommendations

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the front and second-row seat shoulder belts of the Subaru Ascent have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The Dodge Durango doesn’t offer pretensioners for its second-row seat belts.

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 Durango doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Ascent (except Base) offers optional Reverse Automatic Braking that use rear sensors to monitor for objects to the rear and automatically apply the brakes to prevent a collision. The Durango doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the Ascent. But it costs extra on the Durango.

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

The Ascent’s standard lane departure warning system alerts a temporarily inattentive driver when the vehicle begins to leave its lane and gently nudges the vehicle back towards its lane. A lane departure warning system costs extra on the Durango and is not available with SXT.

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 Durango 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.

The Ascent’s optional 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 Durango doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Ascent and the Durango have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, height adjustable front shoulder belts, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, daytime running lights, rearview cameras, available blind spot warning systems and rear cross-path warning.

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 Dodge Durango:

	Ascent	Durango
OVERALL STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
Neck Injury Risk	21%	34%
Neck Stress	229 lbs.	236 lbs.
Neck Compression	8 lbs.	11 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	159/292 lbs.	339/364 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	210	295
Chest Compression	.7 inches	.8 inches
Leg Forces (l/r)	35/30 lbs.	303/32 lbs.

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

A significantly tougher test than their original offset frontal crash test, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety does 40 MPH small overlap frontal offset crash tests. In this test, where only 25% of the total width of the vehicle is struck, results indicate that the Subaru Ascent is safer than the Durango:

	Ascent	Durango
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	MARGINAL
Restraints	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Head Neck Evaluation	GOOD	GOOD
Head injury index	71	119
Peak Head Forces	0 G’s	0 G’s
Steering Column Movement Rearward	0 cm	9 cm
Chest Evaluation	GOOD	GOOD
Hip & Thigh Evaluation	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Femur Force R/L	.8/.1 kN	5.3/2.5 kN
Hip & Thigh Injury Risk R/L	0%/0%	6%/0%
Lower Leg Evaluation	GOOD	POOR
Tibia index R/L	.51/.39	1.53/.59
Tibia forces R/L	1.8/.1 kN	1.9/1.4 kN

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 Dodge Durango:

	Ascent	Durango
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	37	46
Chest Movement	.5 inches	1.1 inches
Abdominal Force	73 lbs.	111 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Spine Acceleration	27 G’s	34 G’s
Hip Force	346 lbs.	446 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	149	194
Hip Force	637 lbs.	714 lbs.

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

Instrumented handling tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and analysis of its dimensions indicate that the Ascent is 2.8% to 4.2% less likely to roll over than the Durango.

For its performance in IIHS driver-side and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, updated side impact, headlight, daytime pedestrian crash prevention, and nighttime pedestrian crash prevention testing, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Ascent its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2023, a rating granted to only 29 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Durango is not even a standard “Top Safety Pick.”

Reliability

For smoother operation, better efficiency and fewer moving parts, the Ascent has an overhead cam design, rather than the old pushrod design of the 5.7 V8 in the Durango.

To reliably power the ignition and other systems and to recharge the battery, the Ascent has a 190-amp alternator. The Durango’s standard 160-amp alternator isn’t as powerful.

Engine

The Ascent’s 2.4 turbo 4-cylinder produces 17 lbs.-ft. more torque (277 vs. 260) than the Durango’s standard 3.6 DOHC V6. The Ascent’s 2.4 turbo 4-cylinder produces 17 lbs.-ft. more torque (277 vs. 260) than the Durango’s optional 3.6 DOHC V6.

As tested in Motor Trend the Subaru Ascent is faster than the Dodge Durango V6:

	Ascent	Durango
Zero to 60 MPH	6.9 sec	8 sec
Quarter Mile	15.2 sec	16.1 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	90.5 MPH	86.9 MPH

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

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Ascent gets better mileage than the Durango:

			MPG
Ascent
	AWD	2.4 turbo flat-4	20 city/26 hwy
		Limited/Touring/Onyx 2.4 turbo flat-4	19 city/25 hwy
Durango
	RWD	3.6 DOHC V6	19 city/26 hwy
		5.7 OHV V8	14 city/22 hwy
	AWD	3.6 DOHC V6	18 city/25 hwy
		5.7 OHV V8	14 city/22 hwy

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Subaru Ascent uses regular unleaded gasoline. The Durango with the 5.7 V8 engine requires mid-grade for maximum efficiency, which can cost on average about 51.4 cents more per gallon.

Transmission

The Ascent has a standard continuously variable transmission (CVT). With no “steps” between gears, it can keep the engine at the most efficient speed for fuel economy, or keep it at its peak horsepower indefinitely for maximum acceleration. The Durango doesn’t offer a CVT.

Brakes and Stopping

The Ascent stops much shorter than the Durango:

	Ascent	Durango
60 to 0 MPH	129 feet	144 feet	Consumer Reports
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	136 feet	160 feet	Consumer Reports

Suspension and Handling

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

The Ascent Touring handles at .80 G’s, while the Durango GT pulls only .75 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Ascent Touring executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.6 seconds quicker than the Durango GT 4x4 (27.2 seconds @ .64 average G’s vs. 28.8 seconds @ .58 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the Ascent’s turning circle is 3 feet tighter than the Durango’s (38 feet vs. 41 feet).

For greater off-road capability the Ascent has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Durango (8.7 vs. 8.1 inches), allowing the Ascent to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

Chassis

The Subaru Ascent may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 350 to 800 pounds less than the Dodge Durango.

The Ascent is 4 inches shorter than the Durango, making the Ascent easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

As tested by Car and Driver, the interior of the Ascent Limited is quieter than the Durango GT 4x4:

	Ascent	Durango
Full-Throttle	70 dB	76 dB
70 MPH Cruising	64 dB	67 dB

Passenger Space

The Ascent has standard seating for 8 passengers; the Durango can only carry 7.

The Ascent has 11.8 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Durango (153.2 vs. 141.4).

The Ascent has 1.3 inches more front headroom, 1.9 inches more front legroom, .8 inches more front hip room, 2.6 inches more front shoulder room, .2 inches more rear headroom, 1.7 inches more rear hip room, 2.6 inches more rear shoulder room, 3.5 inches more third row hip room and 6.8 inches more third row shoulder room than the Durango.

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

The front step up height for the Ascent is 2 inches lower than the Durango (17.7” vs. 19.7”). The Ascent’s rear step up height is 1.6 inches lower than the Durango’s (18.1” vs. 19.7”).

Cargo Capacity

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

	Ascent	Durango
Behind Third Seat	17.8 cubic feet	17.2 cubic feet
Third Seat Folded	43.5 cubic feet	43.3 cubic feet

Ergonomics

The Ascent’s power parking brake sets with one touch and releases with one touch or automatically. The Durango’s parking brake has to be released manually.

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 Durango doesn’t offer an exterior PIN entry system.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) conducts detailed tests on headlights for their range both straight ahead and in curves and to be certain they don’t exceed acceptable amounts of glare to oncoming drivers. The Ascent’s headlights were rated “Good” by the IIHS, while the Durango’s headlights are rated “Marginal.”

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 Durango doesn’t offer cornering lights.

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

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Subaru Ascent offers an optional wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. The Durango doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

Economic Advantages

Insurance will cost less for the Ascent owner. The Car Book by Jack Gillis rates the Ascent with a number “5” insurance rate while the Durango is rated higher at a number “10” rate.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Ascent is less expensive to operate than the Durango because typical repairs cost much less on the Ascent than the Durango, including $221 less for a muffler, $44 less for front brake pads, $6 less for fuel injection, $69 less for a fuel pump, $660 less for a timing belt/chain and $404 less for a power steering pump.

Recommendations

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

The Subaru Ascent outsold the Dodge Durango by 15% during 2022.