The Subaru Ascent is the biggest member of the Subaru lineup and offers more room for people and cargo than the Forester. But that extra large size also comes with a larger sticker price.

Love is what’s in a Subaru, and both the Forester and Ascent hit all the notes that Subarus are beloved for: crunchy practicality, top-of-the-industry safety ratings, and a friendly, let’s-go-explore vibe. Determining how many people you’ll need to accommodate and what kind of activities you want to do will help decide which size of Subaru SUV is right for you.

Here to help with the decision-making process is

Jerry

, the trustworthy super app that saves you time and money when it comes to shopping for

car insurance

. We’ll take an in-depth look at what the differences between these two are, and then we’ll help you save big on your

Subaru insurance costs

—no matter what model you choose.

Forester vs. Ascent: which is more expensive?

Let's start with the basics. Which one is more expensive? The Forester is available in six trim levels, while the Ascent has four to choose from.

Model	Starting MSRP	Model	Starting MSRP
Forester Base	$27,070	Ascent Base	$33,970
Forester Premium	$29,320	Ascent Premium	$35,920
Forester Sport	$30,890	Ascent Limited	$40,720
Forester Limited	$33,000	Ascent Touring	$46,570
Forester Wilderness	$33,945
Forester Touring	$36,420

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There’s no contest here—depending on the trim level, the Ascent will be anywhere from $6,900 to $10,150 more than the Forester. This isn’t surprising given the fact that the Ascent is classed as a full-size SUV, while the Forester is in the compact crossover SUV category. More size equals more money—at least regarding trucks and SUVs.

Ownership costs

But of course, the cost of owning a car involves much more than just the sticker price. Repairs, insurance, fuel—these all contribute to the long-term costs of car ownership. Let’s take a look at what Edmunds calculates for the five-year true costs to own for each model to be.

For the 2022 base level Subaru Forester, Edmunds estimates that the five-year cost to own is around $35,071, which is $6,684 more than their total cash price of $28,387. The five-year cost for the 2022 base level Ascent comes in at $41,378, which is $6,138 more than the cash price.

What does this tell us? The Ascent is more expensive overall and long-term as it’s a larger vehicle and will use more fuel, for starters. While the Forester’s five-year increase is a little bit more than the Ascent, it’s not a huge difference.

Long story short? Broadly speaking, neither one of these is particularly better or worse when it comes to long-term ownership costs, besides the fact that the Ascent is simply more expensive.

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Subaru tune-up cost

Insurance costs

Now let’s take a peek at how

Subaru Forester insurance costs

compare with

Subaru Ascent insurance costs

Generally, an Ascent will cost $1,173 per year to insure, while a Forester will be around $1,067 a year. It’s important to note that these numbers may vary widely depending on your location.

The Ascent’s larger size and higher sticker price will lead to a slightly higher cost of insurance. No matter where you are, you’ll get the best deal for either model when you shop with

Jerry

Winner: Subaru Forester

While the Subaru Forester is less expensive, it’s important to point out that we’re kind of comparing apples to oranges here. If you just want a Subaru SUV, then the Forester is the cheaper option by far. But the extra cost of an Ascent brings extra features and capability—for some buyers, it just might be worth it. Let’s take a closer look at the difference between these two!

Subaru Forester vs. Ascent: In-depth comparison

Body style and size

Side by side, there’s no mistaking the two. The Forester is a compact crossover with boxy exterior styling that’s reminiscent of a pickup truck. The Ascent is a straight-up midsize SUV and has the size and styling to match. It’s also the biggest vehicle in Subaru's lineup right now.

One very important distinction is that while the Forester has two rows and can seat five, the Ascent has three rows and can seat seven or eight, depending on how the second row is configured.

So the Ascent can fit more people, but the third row will be a little cramped for teens and adults—especially for a long trip. The second row on either model will be nice and comfy. There’s more cargo space in the Forester than the Ascent when all the seats are up, but overall cargo room is much higher in the Ascent. If you don’t need seating for more than five, folding the third row in the Ascent will get you a nice 47.5 cubic feet of cargo space.

Dimensions	2022 Subaru Forester	2022 Subaru Ascent
Length	182.7 inches	196.8 inches
Wheelbase	105.1 inches	113.8 inches
Passenger volume	111.6 cubic feet	153.5 cubic feet
Headroom (front/second/third)	41.2/39.6/N/A inches	41.3/40/36.3 inches
Legroom (front/second/rear)	43.3/39.4/N/A inches	42.2/38.6/31.7 inches
Cargo volume w/ all seats up	28.9 cubic feet	17.8 cubic feet
Cargo volume w/ all seats down	74.2 cubic feet	86.5 cubic feet
Ground clearance	8.7 to 9.2 inches	8.7 inches
Base curb weight	3,454 lbs	4,430 lbs

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Engine and performance

Both the Forester and the Ascent come with a standard automatic transmission, and they’ll both have Subaru’s standard symmetrical all-wheel drive (AWD) for your outdoor adventures.

Both of these models only come with one engine option. The Forester has a 2.5-liter, flat four-cylinder setup that provides 182 horsepower and 176 lb/ft of torque. While serviceable enough, it’s nothing terribly exciting, and some reviewers found the acceleration to be rather sluggish. Most trims of the Forester have a max towing capacity of 1,500 pounds, but the more rugged Wilderness trim will up that figure to 3,000.

As would be expected, the larger Ascent has a more powerful engine: a 2.4-liter, flat four-cylinder that provides 260 horsepower and 277 lb/ft of torque. The Ascent’s engine doesn’t win any gold stars for get-up-and-go either, but it will get you a much higher towing capacity of 5,000 pounds.

MORE:

Should you take the Subaru Ascent off road?

Fuel economy

The smaller Forester gets better fuel economy, with an EPA rating of 26 city/33 highway/29 combined mpg. Opting for the Wilderness trim in the Forester will bring a slight dip in those numbers across the board.

The Ascent’s larger size and more powerful engine are reflected in a lower fuel economy rating of 21 city/27 highway/23 combined mpg, which isn’t surprising. Neither one of these is currently offered in a hybrid version, but Subaru says that will change in the next three years or so.

Safety

Subaru safety ratings

do not mess around, and both of these models rate highly in crash testing. Both the 2022 Ascent and the 2022 Forester get an overall perfect five-star rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), and both were selected as a Top Safety Pick Plus by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).

Differences in the details are negligible: both of them got four stars out of five from the NHTSA for rollover accidents, and the Ascent was rated at a 17% risk of rollover while the Forester came in at 16.9%. The IIHS gives the Ascent a score of “Good” ratings across the board, while the Forester picks up one “Acceptable” for the updated side impact testing.

The good news: they're both extremely safe vehicles.

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Tech

The tech on both of these is quite similar—they are family, after all.

Both models have a 6.5-inch touchscreen and an intuitive infotainment interface. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard in both, and both have options for multiple USB ports, a WiFi hotspot, and navigation. A healthy assortment of driver assistance tech comes courtesy of Subaru’s EyeSight suite of safety features, including lane keeping assist, forward collision warnings and mitigation, and adaptive cruise control.

If there is a hair to split, it’s not between the Forester and the Ascent—it’s between the Ascent and comparable vehicles by other makers. When compared with similar rivals, the Ascent doesn’t quite have the abundance of tech options and upgrades that one might expect at the price point, but that’s a topic for another article.

Interior and comfort

Both the Forester and the Ascent have cabins that are functional, comfortable, and offer good visibility at all trims.

Things get increasingly fancier as you move up the trim levels, with additions like heated front seats, an upgraded sound system, and leather upholstery. One of the critiques of the Ascent was that luxe touches like heated rear seats, a memory driver’s seat, and power back seats were only available in the top two trim levels.

The Ascent has more room for people and cargo by default, as it’s in a larger class. But the Forester offers great passenger and cargo room for a compact SUV. If you only need to seat five, it can accommodate all of your passengers comfortably.

Winner: you make the call

This may seem like a cop-out, but choosing the best option between these two comes down to what you need and want out of your Subie.

If you don’t have a ton of people and cargo to haul, the Forester would be the more sensible choice, and going with the Wilderness trim will optimize your off-road capacity.

On the other hand, the Ascent is the way to go if you want a Subaru SUV that can accommodate a large group and tow a small camper or boat with its seating for up to eight and a towing capacity of up to 5,000 pounds.

But no matter what you choose, both of them will offer good value and an outstanding safety record, making them a great choice for families of all shapes and sizes.

MORE: Subaru Forester Limited bs. Touring: which trim is better?

How to save on Subaru insurance costs

Another thing to love about a Subaru? Its outstanding records for safety and reliability make it one of the more affordable makes of vehicle to insure. And if you shop with super app

Jerry

, you’ll score an even better deal!

Simply download the app, answer a few questions, and let Jerry do the work of comparing policies from over 50 top car insurance providers. Sign-up takes less than a minute, and the average Jerry shopper saves over $800 a year on car insurance!

“After signing up with
Jerry
, I went from $199/month to $97/month for my car insurance. My 2019 Subaru Forester now has full coverage for a great price!” —Rhonda H.

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