Compare the2025 Subaru AscentVS 2025 Chevrolet Tahoe

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 Chevrolet Tahoe doesn’t offer pretensioners for its second-row seat belts.

The Subaru Ascent has a standard driver’s side knee airbag mounted low on the dashboard. The knee airbag helps prevent the driver from sliding under the seatbelts or the main frontal airbag; this keeps the driver better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. A knee airbag also helps keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Tahoe doesn’t offer knee airbags.

The Ascent has standard Whiplash-Reducing Front Seats, which use a specially designed seat to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the Whiplash-Reducing Front Seats system allows the backrest to travel backwards to cushion the occupants and the headrests move forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. The Tahoe doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

With its standard EyeSight, the Subaru Ascent is better at preventing collisions with pedestrians than the Chevrolet Tahoe, according to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety:

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

The Ascent Limited/Touring/Bronze’s 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 Tahoe doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

For better protection of the passenger compartment, the Ascent uses safety cell construction with a three-dimensional high-strength frame that surrounds the passenger compartment. It provides extra impact protection and a sturdy mounting location for door hardware and side impact beams. The Tahoe uses a body-on-frame design, which has no frame members above the floor of the vehicle.

Both the Ascent and the Tahoe have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact 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, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning and available 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 Subaru Ascent is safer than the Chevrolet Tahoe:

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

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 Ascent is much safer than the Tahoe:

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 Chevrolet Tahoe:

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, with its four-star roll-over rating, is 4.2% to 4.9% less likely to roll over than the Tahoe, which received a three-star rating.

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 Tahoe is not even a standard “Top Safety Pick” for 2024.

The Ascent’s corrosion warranty is unlimited miles longer than the Tahoe’s (unlimited vs. 100,000 miles).

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

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the Ascent’s reliability 20 points higher than the Tahoe.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2024 Auto Issue reports that Subaru vehicles are more reliable than Chevrolet vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Subaru 14 places higher in reliability than Chevrolet.

As tested in Car and Driver the Subaru Ascent is faster than the Chevrolet Tahoe 5.3 V8:

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

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

The Ascent has a standard locking fuel door which locks and unlocks with the power locks. The fuel filler door is not lockable on the Tahoe. A locking fuel door helps prevent fuel theft and vandalism, such as sugar in the tank.

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 Tahoe doesn’t offer a CVT.

The Ascent stops much shorter than the Tahoe:

The Ascent Premium’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 Tahoe’s standard 65 series tires.

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

The Ascent Touring handles at .80 G’s, while the Tahoe Z71 4x4 pulls only .63 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Ascent Touring executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 2.2 seconds quicker than the Tahoe LT 4x4 (27.2 seconds @ .64 average G’s vs. 29.4 seconds @ .54 average G’s).

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

The Subaru Ascent may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 1100 to 1300 pounds less than the Chevrolet Tahoe.

The Ascent is 1 foot, 2.5 inches shorter than the Tahoe, making the Ascent easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The Ascent is 5.1 inches narrower than the Tahoe, making the Ascent easier to handle and maneuver in traffic.

Unibody construction lowers the Ascent’s center of gravity significantly without reducing ground clearance. This contributes to better on the road handling and better off-road performance and stability. In addition, unibody construction makes the chassis stiffer, improving handling and reducing squeaks and rattles. The Tahoe doesn’t use unibody construction, but a body-on-frame design.

As tested by Car and Driver while cruising at 70 MPH, the interior of the Ascent Limited is quieter than the Tahoe Z71 4x4 (64 vs. 66 dB).

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

A low lift-over cargo hatch design makes loading and unloading the Ascent easier. The Ascent’s cargo hatch lift-over height is 32 inches, while the Tahoe’s liftover is 37 inches.

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Subaru service is better than Chevrolet. J.D. Power ranks Subaru 7th in service department satisfaction (above the industry average). With a 16% lower rating, Chevrolet is ranked 14th.

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 Tahoe’s headlights are rated “Poor.”

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 Tahoe 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 Tahoe doesn’t offer rear side window sunshades.

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

Insurance will cost less for the Ascent owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the Ascent will cost $610 less than the Tahoe over a five-year period.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Ascent is less expensive to operate than the Tahoe because it costs $218 less to do the manufacturer’s suggested maintenance for 50,000 miles. Typical repairs cost much less on the Ascent than the Tahoe, including $55 less for a water pump, $803 less for a muffler, $21 less for front brake pads, $148 less for fuel injection, $199 less for a fuel pump, $957 less for a timing belt/chain and $162 less for a power steering pump.

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