Compare the2025 Genesis GV80VS 2024 Subaru Ascent

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Recommendations

Safety

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The GV80’s optional pre-crash front seatbelts will tighten automatically in the event the vehicle detects an impending crash, improving protection against injury significantly. The Ascent doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

Both the GV80 and Ascent have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The GV80 has power child safety locks, allowing the driver to activate and deactivate them from the driver's seat and to know when they're engaged. The Ascent’s child locks have to be individually engaged at each rear door with a manual switch. The driver can’t know the status of the locks without opening the doors and checking them.

The GV80 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 GV80 offers an optional Multi-Collision Brake, which automatically applies the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The Ascent doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

The GV80 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 and moves the vehicle back into its lane. Only the Ascent Premium/Onyx/Limited/Touring offers a blind spot warning system.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the GV80 has standard Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist and automatically engage the brakes. Only the Ascent Premium/Onyx/Limited/Touring offers Rear Cross Traffic Alert and the Ascent’s Rear Cross Traffic Alert does not include automatic braking.

Both the GV80 and the Ascent 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 around view monitors.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety does 40 MPH moderate front offset crash tests on new cars. In this updated test, results indicate that the GV80 is safer than the Ascent:

	GV80	Ascent
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Structure	GOOD	GOOD
	Driver Injury Measures
Head/Neck Rating	GOOD	GOOD
Chest Rating	GOOD	GOOD
Thigh/hip Rating	GOOD	GOOD
Leg/foot Rating	GOOD	GOOD
Restraints	GOOD	GOOD
	Rear Passenger Injury Measures
Head/Neck Rating	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Chest Rating	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Thigh Rating	GOOD	GOOD
Restraints	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE

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 Genesis GV80 is safer than the Subaru Ascent:

	GV80	Ascent
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	29	37
Chest Movement	.5 inches	.5 inches
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	70	81
Spine Acceleration	26 G’s	27 G’s
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	14 inches	18 inches
Spine Acceleration	41 G’s	52 G’s

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

Side impacts caused 23% of all road fatalities in 2018, down from 29% in 2003, when the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety introduced its side barrier test. In order to continue improving vehicle safety, the IIHS has started using a more severe side impact test: 37 MPH (up from 31 MPH), with a 4180-pound barrier (up from 3300 pounds). The results of this newly developed test demonstrates that the Genesis GV80 is safer than the Ascent:

	GV80	Ascent
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	GOOD
Structure	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
	Driver Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Head Injury Criterion	67	82
Neck Compression	-45 lbs.	89 lbs.
Torso	GOOD	GOOD
Shoulder Deflection	.39 in	.83 in
Torso Max Deflection	.75 in	.98 in
Pelvis	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Pelvis Force	669 lbs.	915 lbs.
Head Protection	GOOD	GOOD
	Passenger Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Head Injury Criterion	49	211
Neck Compression	-22 lbs.	134 lbs.
Torso	GOOD	GOOD
Shoulder Deflection	.55 in	1.26 in
Shoulder Force	268 lbs.	357 lbs.
Torso Max Deflection	.67 in	1.18 in
Torso Deflection Rate	3 MPH	9 MPH
Head Protection	GOOD	GOOD

Warranty

The GV80 comes with a full 5-year/60,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes free 24-hour roadside assistance. The Ascent’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 2 years or 24,000 miles sooner.

Genesis’ powertrain warranty covers the GV80 5 years and 40,000 miles longer than Subaru covers the Ascent. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the Ascent ends after only 5 years or 60,000 miles.

The GV80’s corrosion warranty is 2 years longer than the Ascent’s (7 vs. 5 years).

Genesis pays for scheduled maintenance on the GV80 for 3 years and 36,000 miles. Genesis will pay for oil changes, tire rotations, air filter replacements, cabin filter replacement, brake fluid replacement, inspections, and any other required maintenance. Subaru doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the Ascent.

Reliability

J.D. Power and Associates rated the GV80 third among upper midsize premium suvs in their 2024 Initial Quality Study. The Ascent isn’t in the top three in its category.

Engine

The GV80 2.5T’s standard 2.5 turbo 4-cylinder produces 40 more horsepower (300 vs. 260) and 34 lbs.-ft. more torque (311 vs. 277) than the Ascent’s 2.4 turbo 4-cylinder. The GV80 3.5T’s standard 3.5 turbo V6 produces 115 more horsepower (375 vs. 260) and 114 lbs.-ft. more torque (391 vs. 277) than the Ascent’s 2.4 turbo 4-cylinder.

As tested in Motor Trend the Genesis GV80 is faster than the Subaru Ascent:

	GV80 2.5T	GV80 3.5T	Ascent
Zero to 60 MPH	6.4 sec	6 sec	7.5 sec
Quarter Mile	14.9 sec	14.4 sec	16 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	94.3 MPH	98.8 MPH	88.6 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

In heavy traffic or at stoplights the GV80’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 GV80 has 1.8 gallons more fuel capacity than the Ascent (21.1 vs. 19.3 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the GV80’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Ascent:

	GV80 2.5T	GV80 3.5T	Ascent
Front Rotors	14.2 inches	14.9 inches	13.1 inches
Rear Rotors	14.2 inches	14.2 inches	13 inches

The GV80 stops much shorter than the Ascent:

	GV80	Ascent
70 to 0 MPH	163 feet	179 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	112 feet	125 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the GV80 has larger tires than the Ascent (265/40R22 vs. 245/60R18).

The GV80’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 55 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Ascent’s standard 60 series tires. The GV80’s optional tires have a lower 40 series profile than the Ascent Onyx/Limited/Touring’s 50 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the GV80 has standard 19-inch wheels. Smaller 18-inch wheels are standard on the Ascent. The GV80’s optional 22-inch wheels are larger than the 20-inch wheels on the Ascent Onyx/Limited/Touring.

Suspension and Handling

The GV80 has standard front and rear gas-charged shocks for better control over choppy roads. The Ascent’s suspension doesn’t offer gas-charged shocks.

The GV80 offers an optional 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 GV80 offers an optional automatic rear load leveling suspension to keep ride height level with a heavy load or when towing. The Ascent doesn’t offer a load leveling suspension.

The GV80 has vehicle speed sensitive 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.

The GV80’s optional drift compensation steering can automatically compensate for road conditions which would cause the vehicle to drift from side to side, helping the driver to keep the vehicle straight more easily. The Ascent doesn’t offer drift compensation steering.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the GV80’s wheelbase is 2.5 inches longer than on the Ascent (116.3 inches vs. 113.8 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the GV80 is 1.5 inches wider in the front and 2.3 inches wider in the rear than on the Ascent.

The GV80’s front to rear weight distribution is more even (51% to 49%) than the Ascent’s (54.2% to 45.8%). This gives the GV80 more stable handling and braking.

The GV80 Prestige handles at .86 G’s, while the Ascent Limited pulls only .79 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The GV80 Prestige executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the Ascent Touring (26.9 seconds @ .65 average G’s vs. 27.4 seconds @ .63 average G’s).

Chassis

The front grille of the GV80 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 GV80 Prestige 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.

Cargo Capacity

Pressing a button automatically lowers the GV80’s second row seats and pressing a button automatically lowers or raises the third row seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The Ascent doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

To make loading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the GV80’s liftgate can be opened just by waiting momentarily behind 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.

Towing

The GV80’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Ascent’s (6000 vs. 2000 pounds).

Servicing Ease

The GV80 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.

Ergonomics

The GV80’s standard easy entry system raises the steering wheel and glides the driver’s seat back, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. The Ascent doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

The GV80 Prestige/3.5T has a standard heads-up display that projects speed and navigation instruction 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 GV80 and the Ascent have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the GV80 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 GV80’s front and rear power windows all open or close fully with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The Ascent’s rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to open or close them fully.

If the windows are left open on the GV80 the driver can close them all at the outside door handle. 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.

The GV80 has a standard Proximity Key that allows you to unlock the doors from either front door handle, open the cargo door, and start the engine, all without removing the key from the pocket or purse. Keyless Access and Start costs extra on the Ascent and isn’t available on the Ascent Base.

The GV80’s rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The Ascent’s standard manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

The GV80’s standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. Subaru only offers heated mirrors on the Ascent Premium/Onyx/Limited/Touring.

When the GV80 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 GV80 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 GV80 Prestige/3.5T 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 Genesis GV80 has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Wireless charging costs extra on the Ascent. The GV80 also offers Qi charging in the second row seat. The Ascent doesn’t offer wireless charging in its second row seat.

The GV80 Advanced/Prestige’s Smart Parking Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. Remote Smart Parking Assist will park and retrieve your car remotely: press a button and watch it park itself. This is ideal for tight locations. The Ascent doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

Recommendations

The GV80 was chosen as a Car and Driver’s “Top Ten” for 2021. The Ascent has never been chosen by Car and Driver in their “10Best” issue.