Subaru Ascent?!

[ncnmra]

Came across this video of a 2019 Subaru Ascent towing what looks like a new-ish AR240. Correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't those rated at 5000lbs on the trailer when DRY? Not to mention passengers, etc?

Seems like bad advise by these "Car Question" folks.

Would you tow with a 4-banger CVT?

 

[props2you]

Still don't understand why some folks promote the "towing power" of vehicles not equipped to tow beyond their means. A John Deere Lawn Tractor could do what it just did?!?! (not to mention the brakes were screaming for mercy backing it in)

Hey @Subaru... Stick to bike racks, luggage racks and tree hugger holders, towing is not your game!

 

[Luc Lafreniere]

OK, I'll bite. I've had this dilemma. I don't want to argue with people, I've made my choices. But here's my example:

2014 Subaru Forester. Tow rating is 1000lbs, 1500lbs if trailer is braked. The exact same car, same transmission, same everything (no, there is no special cooler in Australia, I checked) is rated for 1500kg (braked). So 3306lbs (braked). So why can the Australian version tow more than double what the north american version can?

After LOTS of research, I discovered that north america started using a new rating system around 2014. Known as the SAE J2807. Yeah, super clear. Took me a long time to find this at the time. http://www.trucktrend.com/how-to/towing/1502-sae-j2807-tow-tests-the-standard/

This new rating is based on a more vigorous course that better represents the types of hills/temperatures, etc. that we experience in north america. Apparently.

So "overnight", at the time, Subarus "lost" towing capacity... significantly and so did most trucks, etc.

Is this the right thing to do? Probably. Does it apply to everyone? No. I don't live in the rockies, I live in Ottawa, Ontario where there are no crazy hills. I tow my Scarab 165, rated at 2100lbs (trailer included) with my 2014 Subaru Forester rated for 1000lbs (NOT braked, because I have no brakes on the trailer). So technically, I'm towing a little over double the rated capacity. Using a CVT, with people and gear. I've towed it 450km from Ottawa, to the North Bay, Ontario area. Some hills, nothing crazy. As any driver should do, pay attention to RPMs as I go over the hill and keep it smooth.

If the Australian rating says you can tow about (1274kg or 2808lbs) unbraked........... do what you will. Point is, the rating system in North America is quite conservative relative to the rest of the world, and in many cases, that is warranted. I decided it wasn't an issue for my particular towing case. Put some good brakes on it and keep your distance.

With all that being said, my next vehicle would be able to tow the amount I need by the new rating because that's the right time to chose that vehicle. But I'm not selling my current car to accommodate this. I can tow my boat without breaking my transmission, I can brake very quickly (yes, I could brake faster if I had bigger brakes, brakes on the trailer, etc.) and I keep my distance and drive very defensively while towing to anticipate any upcoming issues.

And yes, I've talked to my insurance company about this. I'm insured. Confirmed. Their logic was "well, if your car can carry say 800lbs of people, and you put fat people in your car and it ends up weighing 1500lbs, would you suddenly not be insured?"... good point. So you're insured regardless. The only issue is if you end up causing an accident.

Now, as for the commercial... lol yeah, showing such towing capability when it's not officially rated for that... I could see a lawsuit happening. lol

 

[Bluewater272]

For what it is, I thought it performed pretty admirably. I probably wouldn't even back down that ramp with my F-150. Of course, that's not the real test of towing, I'd like to see how it handled that on a highway or trying to get up some hills at speed.

 

[swatski]

Yeah, good looking boat!

I call bs on the video. This is not a real river or lake bank or mud ramp, looks imore like it's been graveled and then just covered with some sand.
The whole thing is still impressive, but this is not a real world situation.
Too many things are amiss.
The ramp is very shallow, it must be - as he is way out, fenders under water - but even with his tie downs off the boat is still not moving or floating off of the trailer, that just does not look right.

Amazing traction control, but comparing this to a real beach or bank landing is bs.

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[MidnightRider]

Yeah, good looking boat!

I call bs on the video. This is not a real river or lake bank or mud ramp, looks imore like it's been graveled and then just covered with some sand.
The whole thing is still impressive, but this is not a real world situation.
Too many things are amiss.
The ramp is very shallow, it must be - as he is way out, fenders under water - but even with his tie downs off the boat is still not moving or floating off of the trailer, that just does not look right.

Amazing traction control, but comparing this to a real beach or bank landing is bs.

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Agreed - I'd take that hard pack over some of the slick concrete ramps I've dealt with in the past. Like some one above said, some lawn tractors could probably do this - the real test is 65 mph down the freeway and someone cuts you off.

 

[ncnmra]

I was impressed by the apparent lack of sag on the rear wheels. Those things have a good amount of tongue weight. Doesn't look like they are using a weight distribution hitch.

My Ford Explorer Sport with 365hp does a decent job with my 212X but I wouldn't imagine towing a 24' with family and gear. Highway especially, never mind hills.

 

[BlkGS]

I feel for Subaru. They're such a small player that they cant spend what it takes to really be competitive. They cant really afford to develop hardware up to the job, and if they had used their H6 the press would have slaughtered them.

The CVT was a mistake, they should have licensed the ZF 8 speed like everyone else.

 

[ncnmra]

They make great vehicles but unless the CVT has made huge strides, it is terrible. Also, I think it would be pretty underpowered at real speeds for towing.

The ZF is an amazing transmission. Should be standard equipment on every vehicle

 

[Beachbummer]

I'm not so convinced...It was a mess on the latest Honda Pilot.

 

[Dixie Highway]

Idk guys, as mentioned the load is WAAAAAAY beyond GVWR for that vehicle. I don’t think I’d tow a trailer that weighs 6500 (give or take) with anything smaller than a 1/2 ton pickup or a nice heavy SUV. Strong crosswind gets that thing swaying, and you get the tail wagging the dog so to speak. You can’t engineer physics out of any equation, so I’ll keep buying more tow vehicle than I need.

 

[ncnmra]

I'm not so convinced...It was a mess on the latest Honda Pilot.

I do like the ZF 8-speed, I've driven in the SQ5 and various Durangos. I think a lot depends on the car manufacturer's implementation and tuning. Perhaps the 9-speed is a different beast all together. I have heard complaints about the MDX 9-speed, I didn't realize it was a ZF.

 

[swatski]

Or Aisin8.

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[Scott1k]

My wife just got an Ascent. I was not a fan of the CVT but the rest of the vehicle is amazing. There is zero chance I will ever use it to tow our AR230. That is what my Ram with the ZF 8 speed is for.