Nicole Fisher, a 23-year old native of Mountain View, Cali., won the prize of a lifetime: a 2019 Subaru Ascent SUV, complete with REI Co-op’s camping equipment package. Announced by Subaru on February 22, this was the grand giveaway from last year’s experiential event series hosted by both the car manufacturer and REI Co-op, headquartered in Seattle, Wash.
As a self-proclaimed “adventure-seeker”, Fisher already has detailed plans for her new car, such as camping in the Sierra Nevada mountains and cultivating her new hobby, split boarding.
Fisher could hardly find a better Subaru vehicle for a journey in the great outdoors. With an eight passengers and more than 150 cubic feet of passenger space, the Ascent is the largest model Subaru ever manufactured. It certainly punches at its weight class: boasting a 5,000-pound towing capacity and a direct-injection turbocharged (DIT) engine, it delivers 260 horsepower and 277 lb.-ft of torque while claiming to have fuel efficiency of 27 MPG. This is certainly a vehicle to take off-roading, or to tow a camper on a wilderness drive.
The Ascent also integrates Big Brother-esque technologies to help the driver, the main one being the standard EyeSight Driver Assist Technology. Primarily by using two dual color cameras, EyeSight helps the driver with cruise control, lane swaying, pre-collision braking, and pre-collision throttle management. Although this technology has had dramatic success in increasing safety—the IIHS has found that EyeSight reduces rear-end crashes with injures up to 85%—some may be slow in accepting what they see as training wheels to their new Subaru.
Nonetheless, the Ascent is an impressive vehicle—most notably for those who win theirs in a national sweepstakes. Subaru has built a reputation for well-engineered, long-lived vehicles, and their latest SUV should serve enthusiasts for years to come.
Image credit: Subaru North America
