Compare the2024 Subaru AscentVS 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander

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 Grand Highlander doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

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

Both the Ascent and the Grand Highlander 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, 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 blind spot warning systems, around view monitors, rear cross-path warning and driver alert monitors.

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 Grand Highlander:

The Subaru Ascent has achieved the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s (IIHS) highest rating of “Top Safety Pick Plus” for the 2024 model year. This distinction is based on its exceptional performance in IIHS’ rigorous battery of safety tests. Specifically, it earned an “Acceptable” rating in the latest, more stringent moderate overlap front crash test, a “Good” result in the updated side impact test, and a “Good” score in the revised pedestrian crash prevention test. The Grand Highlander is not even a standard “Top Safety Pick” for 2024.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2023 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Subaru vehicles are better in initial quality than Toyota vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Subaru above average in initial quality. With 9 more problems per 100 vehicles, Toyota is rated below average.

As tested in Motor Trend the Subaru Ascent is faster than the Toyota Grand Highlander:

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

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Subaru Ascent uses regular unleaded gasoline. The Grand Highlander Hybrid Max requires premium, which can cost on average about 82.8 cents more per gallon.

The Ascent has 2.1 gallons more fuel capacity than the Grand Highlander Hybrid’s standard fuel tank (19.3 vs. 17.2 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups. The Ascent has 1.5 gallons more fuel capacity than the Grand Highlander’s standard fuel tank (19.3 vs. 17.8 gallons).

The Ascent’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the Grand Highlander are solid, not vented.

The Ascent stops much shorter than the Grand Highlander:

The Ascent’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 60 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Grand Highlander XLE’s 65 series tires. The Ascent Onyx/Limited/Touring’s tires have a lower 50 series profile than the Grand Highlander Limited/Platinum’s 55 series tires.

The Ascent Touring handles at .80 G’s, while the Grand Highlander XLE AWD pulls only .77 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Ascent Touring executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.4 seconds quicker than the Grand Highlander XLE AWD (27.2 seconds @ .64 average G’s vs. 28.6 seconds @ .58 average G’s).

For greater off-road capability the Ascent has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Grand Highlander (8.7 vs. 8 inches), allowing the Ascent to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The Ascent is 4.6 inches shorter than the Grand Highlander, making the Ascent easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

As tested by Car and Driver while under full throttle, the interior of the Ascent Limited is quieter than the Grand Highlander Platinum AWD (70 vs. 73 dB).

The Ascent has .5 inches more front legroom, 1.3 inches more front hip room, .9 inches more front shoulder room, .2 inches more rear hip room, 1.5 inches more rear shoulder room and .2 inches more third row hip room than the Grand Highlander.

The engine in the Ascent is mounted longitudinally (North-South), instead of sideways, as in the Grand Highlander. This makes it easier to service and maintain, because the accessory belts are in front.

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 Grand Highlander 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 Grand Highlander’s headlights are rated “Acceptable.”

The Ascent’s optional rear and side view mirrors have an automatic dimming feature. These mirrors can be set to automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on them, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The Grand Highlander has an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Subaru Ascent and the Toyota Grand Highlander, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The Subaru Ascent outsold the Toyota Grand Highlander by 26% during 2023.