Compare the2026 Chrysler VoyagerVS 2025 Subaru Ascent

For enhanced safety, the front and middle seat shoulder belts of the Chrysler Voyager are height-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The Subaru Ascent doesn’t offer height-adjustable middle seat belts.

The Chrysler Voyager has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags help prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Ascent doesn’t offer a front passenger side knee airbag.

Both the Voyager and the Ascent have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, 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 all wheel drive.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Chrysler Voyager is safer than the Subaru Ascent:

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

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 Chrysler Voyager is safer than the Subaru Ascent:

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 Voyager is 5.4% less likely to roll over than the Ascent.

There are almost 4 times as many Chrysler dealers as there are Subaru dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Voyager’s warranty.

To reliably start during all conditions and help handle large electrical loads, the Voyager has a standard 730-amp battery. The Ascent’s 530-amp battery isn’t as powerful.

The Voyager’s 3.6 DOHC V6 produces 27 more horsepower (287 vs. 260) than the Ascent’s 2.4 turbo 4-cylinder.

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

In heavy traffic or at stoplights the Voyager’s engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. The engine is automatically restarted when the driver gets ready to move again. If the conditions warrant or the driver wishes, the system can be manually disabled at any time for the duration of a trip. The Ascent doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Chrysler Voyager uses regular unleaded gasoline. The Ascent requires premium for maximum efficiency, which can cost on average about 84.9 cents more per gallon.

The Voyager has a standard cap-less fueling system. The fuel filler is automatically opened when the fuel nozzle is inserted and automatically closed when it’s removed. This eliminates the need to unscrew and replace the cap and it reduces fuel evaporation, which causes pollution. The Ascent doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Chrysler Voyager higher (5 out of 10) than the Subaru Ascent (4). This means the Voyager produces up to 5.2 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Ascent every 15,000 miles.

The Voyager has standard front and rear gas-charged shocks for better control over choppy roads. The Ascent’s suspension doesn’t offer gas-charged shocks.

The Voyager has variable-assist power steering, for low-effort parking, better control at highway speeds and during hard cornering, and a better feel of the road. The Ascent doesn’t offer variable-assist power steering.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Voyager’s wheelbase is 7.8 inches longer than on the Ascent (121.6 inches vs. 113.8 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Voyager is 3.9 inches wider in the front and 4.1 inches wider in the rear than on the Ascent.

The front grille of the Voyager uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The Ascent doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

The Voyager has 11.9 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Ascent (165.1 vs. 153.2).

The Voyager has 1.2 inches more front hip room, 2.7 inches more front shoulder room, .4 inches more rear legroom, 7.6 inches more rear hip room, 2.7 inches more rear shoulder room, 2.5 inches more third row headroom, 4.8 inches more third row legroom, 3.6 inches more third row hip room and 4.2 inches more third row shoulder room than the Ascent.

The front step up height for the Voyager is 1.4 inches lower than the Ascent (16.3” vs. 17.7”).

The Voyager’s cargo area provides more volume than the Ascent.

A low lift-over cargo hatch design makes loading and unloading the Voyager easier. The Voyager’s cargo hatch lift-over height is 24.3 inches, while the Ascent’s liftover is 32 inches.

The Voyager’s cargo area is larger than the Ascent’s in almost every dimension:

The Voyager has standard Stow ’n Go second and third row seats, which fold flat into the floor. This completely clears a very large cargo area quickly. The Ascent doesn’t offer seats that fold into the floor.

The Voyager’s instruments include an oil pressure gauge and a temperature gauge - which could save your engine! Often ‘idiot lights’ don’t warn you until damage has been done. The Ascent does not have an oil pressure gauge.

The power windows standard on both the Voyager and the Ascent have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the Voyager is engaged the driver can still operate all of the windows, for instance to close one opened by a child. The Ascent prevents the driver from operating the other windows just as it does the other passengers.

The Voyager’s front and rear power windows all open or close fully with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The Ascent’s rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to open or close them fully.

The Voyager’s standard Keyless-Enter-N-Go allow you to unlock the doors from any outside door handle, open the cargo door, and start the engine, all without removing the key from the pocket or purse. Keyless Access and Start standard on the Ascent doesn’t offer a sensor on the rear doors, so you’ll have to reach a front handle to unlock the rear door.

The Voyager’s standard sliding doors can be opened with less than three inches side clearance. The Ascent’s standard rear swing-out doors are bulky and make loading in tight spots difficult.

The Voyager’s power side sliding doors make it much easier to load and unload kids and cargo. One touch opens the door, before you even get to the van. The Ascent doesn’t offer a power rear door.

The Voyager’s rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The Ascent’s standard manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

The Voyager has a standard heated steering wheel to take the chill out of steering on extremely cold winter days before the vehicle heater warms up. A heated steering wheel is only available on the Ascent Onyx/Limited/Touring/Bronze.

The Voyager is available in both front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive configurations. The Ascent doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Chrysler Voyager and the Subaru Ascent, based on reliability, safety and performance.

A group of representative automotive journalists from North America selected the Voyager as the 2017 North American Utility Vehicle of the Year. The Ascent has never been chosen.