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2019 Subaru Ascent vs. 2018 Mazda CX-9: Driving two class leaders side-by-side

As the de facto replacement for the family sedan, we expect a lot out of modern crossovers. They need to excel at family-hauling duties while delivering reasonable performance and fuel economy. They have to offer all-wheel drive and the latest safety technology. They ought to be ruggedly handsome, and they can't be so prohibitively expensive that the families they are targeting can't afford them. It's a tall order, and some automakers have hit closer to the proverbial bullseye than others. By some stroke of luck, we managed to snag a 2018 Mazda CX-9 Grand Touring as our chariot to take the four-hour drive from Seattle to McMinnville, Ore., where we got our first drive of the 2019 Subaru Ascent. As one of our favorite vehicles in this class, the CX-9 would serve as a good comparison to the Ascent. And, on paper, the similarities are abundant: Both come from automakers with a clear, go-your-own-way approach to vehicle engineering, are powered by turbocharged four-cylinder engines, and offer three rows of seating in a relatively compact package. Put simply, we expect the Ascent and CX-9 to be cross-shopped by a lot of new-car buyers looking for a new family car. What we found is that the CX-9 is the better choice for the buyer who values a sporty driving experience above all else, while the Ascent is probably better for families looking for a healthier dose of practicality. Either option will ably serve the suburban American family they are targeting, but the ways they go about that life of servitude are quite different. It's worth noting that pretty much every automaker in America is selling a vehicle in this class, which means there are a heck of a lot of vehicles from which to choose. For a few other options, check out this spec-sheet comparison here, and for anything else, be sure to visit the handy Autoblog compare tool. With that out of the way, let's break it down a bit more granularly. Styling: View 36 Photos Looks-wise, we prefer the Mazda. A crossover is going to be generally box-shaped, but that doesn't mean it has to be boring. The CX-9's bodywork flows gracefully from nose to tail, with just the right amount of flashiness in the form of headlights that take the form of cat-like eyes, a five-point grille surrounded in chrome, and gently arcing bodyside lines. It all works to form what we think is the most attractive midsize crossover overall. We don't hate the Subaru Ascent's looks, but it's definitely more boring than the CX-9.

2015 Subaru WRX teased ahead of LA debut

After bringing a seriously hot concept to the New York Auto Show earlier this year, Subaru will finally reveal the production 2015 WRX at the Los Angeles Auto Show later this month. And while we've seen spy shots of the hotter Impreza (including the winged STI variant), Subaru has now released this teaser image, showing the bulging, scooped 'Rex that's nearly ready for its world debut.
What we can see is a car that's clearly been toned down from the conceptual version - we aren't surprised, really. But it appears that the added aggressiveness over the standard Impreza will make for a pretty hot-looking little sedan. Of course, WRX models have never exactly been pretty cars, and we don't expect this one to be, either. No matter - assuming this car follows in the footsteps of WRXes past, it should still be plenty good.
Subaru hasn't released any details about the WRX as of this writing, but again, we don't expect it to stray too much from the formula we know. Expect a turbocharged boxer engine underhood, all-wheel drive, and - hopefully - a manual transmission. Rumor has it the WRX and STI will lose their hatchback variants and go sedan-only for the 2015 model year, but we'll have to wait until the official LA debut to know that for certain. Stay tuned.

2020 Subaru Legacy Luggage Test | Who needs an SUV?

As previewed in our recent 2020 Subaru Legacy review, the redesigned midsize sedan has a very large trunk. Whereas you have to creatively Tetris bags into the back of various pricier SUVs, you can pretty much just carelessly chuck them into the Legacy. How many bags? Well, let's take a look.  As a refresher, I use two midsize roller suitcases that would need to be checked in at the airport (26 inches long, 16 wide, 11 deep), two roll-aboard suitcases that just barely fit in the overhead (24L x 15W x 10D), and one smaller roll-aboard that fits easily (23L x 15W x 10D). I also include my wife's fancy overnight bag just to spruce things up a bit (21L x 12W x 12D).  The numbers say this is a 15.1-cubic-foot trunk. That's quite large, but besides the Mazda6, it's actually small for the segment. It has less than the 16.7-cubic-foot Honda Accord, 15.7-cubic-foot Chevy Malibu and 15.4-cubic-foot Nissan Altima. It's exactly the same as the Toyota Camry. However, such numbers don't tell the whole story as we discovered last week with the Lexus LC. The Camry may be the same on paper, but in practice, the Subaru is better. There, all the luggage fit with ease. Specifically, my four biggest bags were able to easily fit side-by-side in the trunk's aft-most portion between the wheels. That's the case in the Camry, which you can see below (test done during our midsize sedan comparison test). However, look at the difference in space between the bags and the trunk lip. The Subaru has more. Note how I could lay the smaller roller on its belly. No way that's happening in the Camry.  In fact, the Legacy trunk is more similar to the Honda Accord in this respect. The Accord, it seems, is bigger in the area just aft of its wheel wells. However, it also has "egg-crushers," trunk hinges that swing down into the trunk below. They technically free up space, but how useful is that space if what's filling it is going to be crushed? The Legacy puts its hinges in channels.  OK, back to the Legacy. Now let's fill it up using three duffle bags (any more, and I would've had to get creative raiding my garage).  So here you have it, the 15.1-cubic-foot 2020 Subaru Legacy trunk can hold five suitcases, one fancy bag and three duffles.