2018 Subaru Ascent VS Mazda CX-5

Subaru Ascent VS Mazda CX-5
Subaru Ascent 2018 VS Mazda CX-5 2018
2018 Subaru Ascent VS 2018 Mazda CX-5

2018 Subaru Ascent:
In terms of sales momentum, Subaru continues to ascend, a huge cartoon snowball somehow barreling uphill, picking up skiers, snowmobiles, and the odd yeti. It started with a U.S. sales record in 2009, when 216,652 Americans bought Subarus. Seven consecu­tive record years later, the brand came close to tripling that total, with 615,132 sales in 2016. Its industry-leading customer-retention rate means that more people come back to buy another Subaru than do the buyers of any other brand in the U.S. But there’s a limit to this momentum: Subaru customers regularly outgrow the brand’s lineup as they look for larger vehicles. In its portfolio of family-­friendly hatchbacks and wagons, it has nothing that seats more than five. The Ascent will change that. Subaru learned a hard lesson with its last attempt at a seven-seater, the B9 Tribeca (later called simply the Tribeca) that it introduced in 2005 and gave up on about a decade later. Aside from its odd looks, the biggest problem with the Tribeca was that it wasn’t big enough. There are smaller three-row SUVs out there still, but not in the indispensable this-or-a-minivan class. That won’t be a problem this time around. The Viziv-7 concept that first previewed the Ascent was longer than a Chevrolet Traverse and as wide as a Ford F-150....
http://www.caranddriver.com/features/the-2018-subaru-ascent-is-a-car-worth-waiting-for-feature

2018 Mazda CX-5:
What It Is: A compression-ignition middle finger to the masses of virtually identical life-ends-with-children mobiles. Should also come with the bonus of meaningful steering feel and impressive road manners. Why It Matters: If the CX-5 diesel works as it should, it could offer segment-leading fuel economy and performance. According to a Mazda representative, the company’s most recent attempt at bringing a diesel stateside in the Mazda 6 ended with a tough decision. “It could be made to drive the way we wanted or it could meet U.S. emissions, but not both,” he said. “We wouldn’t accept that.” Mazda says it has solved that problem here. And so, with VW out of the TDI game, if you’re looking for a fun-to-drive diesel, it’ll likely be this one. Platform: Mazda mildly altered the CX-5’s platform for the 2017 model year, providing a marginally lower center of gravity. An additional 0.4 inch of track width increases stability. Competition: With VW’s presumably permanent diesel stop sale, Mazda could win buyers who can’t resist a modern oil burner. Kia’s Niro hybrid will offer similar or greater efficiency at the cost of slightly reduced cargo space and far less driver involvement. The rest of the crossover sea roils with choices lacking this CX-5’s efficiency, driving character, or both...
http://www.caranddriver.com/features/2018-mazda-cx-5-diesel-is-a-car-worth-waiting-for-feature