Compare the2025 GMC YukonVS 2024 Subaru Ascent

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

Safety

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Both the Yukon and Ascent have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The Yukon 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 Yukon 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.

A passive infrared night vision system optional on the Yukon Ultimate helps the driver to more easily detect people, animals or other objects in front of the vehicle at night. Using an infrared camera to detect heat, the system then displays the image on a monitor in the dashboard. The Ascent doesn’t offer a night vision system.

The Yukon 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 Yukon has standard Rear Cross Traffic Alert and Rear Cross Traffic Braking automatically engages the brakes to help avoid a collision. 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 Yukon and the Ascent have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front 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 all wheel drive and driver alert monitors.

The GMC Yukon weighs 1012 to 1523 pounds more than the Subaru Ascent. The NHTSA advises that heavier vehicles are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.

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

	Yukon	Ascent
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	146	190
Leg Forces (l/r)	152/161 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 GMC Yukon is safer than the Subaru Ascent:

	Yukon	Ascent
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	25	37
Hip Force	118 lbs.	274 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Spine Acceleration	24 G’s	27 G’s
Hip Force	248 lbs.	346 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	14 inches	18 inches
Spine Acceleration	38 G’s	52 G’s

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

Warranty

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

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

Reliability

To reliably power the ignition and other systems and to recharge the battery, the Yukon has a standard 220-amp alternator (250-amp - Yukon Diesel). The Ascent’s 190-amp alternator isn’t as powerful.

To reliably start during all conditions and help handle large electrical loads, the Yukon has a standard 730-amp battery (850 Diesel). The Ascent’s 530-amp battery isn’t as powerful.

Engine

The Yukon’s standard 5.3 V8 produces 95 more horsepower (355 vs. 260) and 106 lbs.-ft. more torque (383 vs. 277) than the Ascent’s 2.4 turbo 4-cylinder. The Yukon’s optional 6.2 V8 produces 160 more horsepower (420 vs. 260) and 183 lbs.-ft. more torque (460 vs. 277) than the Ascent’s 2.4 turbo 4-cylinder.

The Yukon’s 3.0 turbo diesel produces 45 more horsepower (305 vs. 260) and 218 lbs.-ft. more torque (495 vs. 277) than the Ascent’s 2.4 turbo 4-cylinder.

As tested in Motor Trend the GMC Yukon 5.3 V8 is faster than the Subaru Ascent:

	Yukon	Ascent
Zero to 60 MPH	7.2 sec	7.5 sec
Quarter Mile	15.5 sec	16 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	90.6 MPH	88.6 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

An engine control system that can shut down some of the engine’s cylinders helps improve the Yukon V8’s fuel efficiency. The Ascent doesn’t offer a system that can shut down part of the engine.

In heavy traffic or at stoplights the Yukon’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 Yukon has 4.7 gallons more fuel capacity than the Ascent (24 vs. 19.3 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

The Yukon 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.

Brakes and Stopping

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

	Yukon	Yukon	Ascent
Front Rotors	13.5 inches	16.1 inches	13.1 inches
Rear Rotors	13.6 inches	13.6 inches	13 inches

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Yukon has larger standard tires than the Ascent (275/60R20 vs. 245/60R18). The Yukon Denali’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Ascent (285/40R24 vs. 245/60R18).

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

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Yukon has standard 20-inch wheels. Smaller 18-inch wheels are standard on the Ascent. The Yukon Denali’s optional 24-inch wheels are larger than the 20-inch wheels on the Ascent Onyx/Limited/Touring.

The GMC Yukon’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 Yukon 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.

The Yukon has a standard full size spare tire so a flat doesn’t interrupt your trip. A full size spare isn’t available on the Ascent; it requires you to depend on a temporary spare, which limits mileage and speed before replacement.

Suspension and Handling

The Yukon 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 Yukon AT4/Denali has a standard automatic load leveling suspension to keep ride height level with a heavy load or when towing. The Ascent doesn’t offer a load leveling suspension.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Yukon’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 Yukon is 4 inches wider in the front and 3.9 inches wider in the rear than on the Ascent.

For greater off-road capability the Yukon AT4 Ultimate Air Ride has a 1.3 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the Ascent (10 vs. 8.7 inches), allowing the Yukon to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

Chassis

The front grille of the Yukon 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.

Passenger Space

The Yukon has 15.1 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Ascent (168.3 vs. 153.2).

The Yukon has 1.1 inches more front headroom, 2.3 inches more front legroom, 3.7 inches more front hip room, 4.4 inches more front shoulder room, 3.4 inches more rear legroom, 4.1 inches more rear hip room, 4.4 inches more rear shoulder room, 2 inches more third row headroom, 3.2 inches more third row legroom, 3.5 inches more third row hip room and 5.5 inches more third row shoulder room than the Ascent.

Cargo Capacity

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

	Yukon	Ascent
Behind Third Seat	25.5 cubic feet	17.8 cubic feet
Third Seat Folded	72.5 cubic feet	43.5 cubic feet
Second Seat Folded	121.7 cubic feet	75.6 cubic feet

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

	Yukon	Ascent
Length to seat (3rd/2nd/1st)	24”/54”/89.5”	20.3”/48”/82.9”
Max Width	49.5”	50.5”
Min Width	49.4”	45.9”
Height	36.5”	34”

Pressing a switch automatically lowers the Yukon’s second row seats and pressing a switch 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 Yukon AT4/Denali’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 Yukon’s minimum standard towing capacity is much higher than the Ascent’s (7500 vs. 2000 pounds). Maximum trailer towing in the Subaru Ascent is only 5000 pounds. The Yukon offers up to a 8200 lbs. towing capacity.

The Yukon 4WD with optional equipment can be flat towed on all four wheels (dinghy towed), allowing recreational vehicle owners to bring it with them on the road. When they reach their destination, the Yukon can be unhitched and driven around locally. The Ascent can’t be towed flat on the ground.

Servicing Ease

The Yukon 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 Yukon’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 Yukon’s instruments include an oil pressure gauge and a temperature gauge - which could save your engine! Often ‘idiot lights’ don’t warn you until damage has been done. The Ascent does not have an oil pressure gauge.

The Yukon offers an optional heads-up display that projects speed, warning, navigation instruction, infotainment and driver assistance information 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 Yukon and the Ascent have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the Yukon 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 Yukon’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.

On a hot day the Yukon’s driver can lower all the windows from a distance using the keyless remote. The driver of the Ascent can only operate the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

The Yukon’s standard Keyless Access allow you to unlock the doors from any outside door handle, open the cargo door, and start the engine, all without removing the key from the pocket or purse. Keyless Access and Start is an extra cost option on the Ascent and doesn’t offer a sensor on the rear doors, so you’ll have to reach a front handle to unlock the rear door. Keyless Access and Start is not available on the Ascent Base.

The Yukon’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 Yukon’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 Yukon 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 GMC Yukon has power folding mirrors that offer unparalleled convenience while maneuvering in tight places or parked. With the mirrors folded it’s easier to walk past and help prevent parking damage. The mirrors can be quickly unfolded when the driver is ready to leave. Power folding mirrors costs extra on the Ascent and aren't offered on the Base/Premium.

Optional air conditioned front and second row seats keep the Yukon’s passengers comfortable and take the sting out of hot leather in summer. The Ascent doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats for the second row.

The Yukon 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 Yukon Ultimate has standard massaging front and rear seats (rear massaging seats optional on Denali Ultimate). Massaging seats aren’t available in the Ascent.

The GMC Yukon has a standard Homelink wireless remote control system for garage door operation and device management, conveniently located on the infotainment. Homelink® eliminates the need for separate garage door openers and associated risks of losing, breaking, or having dead batteries. Subaru charges extra for Homelink® on the Ascent.

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

The Yukon’s Enhanced Automatic Parking Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. The Ascent doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

Model Availability

The Yukon is available in both rear-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 Yukon is less expensive to operate than the Ascent because typical repairs cost much less on the Yukon than the Ascent, including $251 less for a starter and $345 less for front struts.

Recommendations

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Yukon second among large suvs in owner reported satisfaction. This includes how well the vehicle performs and satisfies its owner’s expectations. The Ascent isn’t in the top three.

The GMC Yukon/Yukon XL outsold the Subaru Ascent by 36% during 2023.

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