The 2026 Subaru Ascent is our top pick for Thanksgiving travel out of Birmingham. Full stop. If you're moving six or more people and their bags up I-65 toward Nashville or beyond, nothing else in our lineup comes close. But the right answer for your trip depends on how many seats you're actually filling and how many stops you're willing to make, and that's where families get stuck between three very good options.
Here's how we'd rank them, and why.
The 2026 Subaru Thanksgiving Road-Trip Rankings
| Rank | Model | Best For | Standout Spec |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ascent | Big families (6-8 passengers) | 75.6 cu ft max cargo, 5,000 lb towing (properly equipped) |
| 2 | Outback | Couples and small families (up to 5) | 31 mpg highway, 80.5 cu ft max cargo (seats folded) |
| 3 | Forester | Two adults plus gear-heavy loads | 33 mpg highway, 74.4 cu ft max cargo, low lift-over height |
| 4 | Crosstrek | Solo or duo, shorter hops | Compact footprint, standard AWD, easiest to park |
1. Ascent: The Only Three-Row Answer for a Full-Family Holiday Run
When you actually need that third row, the Ascent is your only three-row option in our lineup, and Subaru lists the 2026 model at up to 75.6 cubic feet of maximum cargo space plus seating for seven or eight passengers, with 17.8 cubic feet still open behind the third row with every seat filled. Memorize that behind-the-third-row figure. It's the real-world measurement for a fully loaded Thanksgiving departure, not the seats-folded number.
The 2026 Ascent's turbocharged 2.4-liter Boxer engine makes 260 horsepower and 277 pound-feet of torque. On a loaded I-65 run with five adults and a third row of kids, what that means in practice is you won't feel the weight at highway merge speeds. Standard Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive comes on every trim. EyeSight driver assist technology is standard too, and on a Thanksgiving Wednesday when I-65 through Alabama runs well above its normal traffic volume, lane-keeping assist and adaptive cruise cut fatigue over a four-plus hour haul.
There's an honest trade-off, and it's size. The Ascent is a large vehicle, and it parks like one, so a tight urban lot or a narrow driveway will have you feeling every inch of it. At Subaru's listed 19 city / 26 highway fuel economy (EPA), it's also the thirstiest option in this group. For a long highway run that's manageable, though it's worth knowing before you leave.
2. Outback: The Highway Workhorse for Couples and Small Families
For couples and small families, the redesigned 2026 Outback is a stronger Thanksgiving traveler than the model it replaced, since the taller 2026 body added both headroom and cargo room, with the obvious catch that you give up the third row. The EPA rates the standard 2.5-liter Outback at 25 city and 31 highway mpg, with standard AWD baked into that number. Paired with an 18-gallon tank, you're looking at roughly 486 miles of EPA-estimated highway range. Birmingham to Nashville is under 200 miles. You can cover that run without stopping at all, which matters when holiday traffic on I-65 turns every exit into a gamble on how long re-entry takes.
The 2026 Outback carries 34.6 cubic feet behind the rear seats and opens to 80.5 cubic feet maximum once you fold them. That's more maximum cargo than the Ascent in the same configuration, which catches people off guard.
You've traded the third row, so five seats is what you're working with. For two adults plus kids in car seats, or a couple making a holiday run with a dog and real luggage, the Outback feels roomier in practice than the Ascent does with everyone onboard.
Ground clearance on standard Outback trims measures 8.7 inches, and the Wilderness trim steps that up to 9.5 inches. For Alabama and Tennessee roads that's more than you need on I-65, but it's good to have if someone turns a Thanksgiving trip into a detour through the foothills.
Browse the 2026 Outback lineup
3. Forester: The Efficient Hauler for Adults Who Pack Seriously
For two adults with gear-heavy loads, the 2026 Forester seats five and opens to 74.4 cubic feet of cargo with the rear seats folded, and a wide rear gate plus a low lift-over height makes loading easier than it looks on paper, with no third row as the trade-off. The low lift-over height matters when you're loading at the end of a driveway in the dark on a November morning. The EPA rates the standard 2026 Forester at 26 city and 33 highway mpg. That 33 highway figure beats everything else in this group by two miles per gallon, and it's earned on every tank.
The Forester is also the most visibility-forward Subaru in the lineup. A high seating position and large glass area make lane changes and merges on a crowded I-65 easier to manage than in a lower-slung vehicle. Our team notices this when buyers compare the Forester and the Outback side by side on our lot. The Forester feels more open, which is either a feature or not depending on your taste for a tighter, more car-like cockpit.
No third row and a shorter wheelbase than the Outback cap the Forester at five seats, so with more than four adults plus bags it'll feel cramped before you hit the state line.
Buying caution before you book the trip: Cargo volume specs for all three of these models list "maximum" figures measured with the seats folded. For Thanksgiving travel, the number that tells the truth is cargo-with-seats-up. Count on 17.8 cubic feet for the Ascent (behind row three), 34.6 cubic feet for the Outback, and about 27.5 cubic feet for the Forester. Match that figure to your actual headcount, then decide.
The EPA rates the standard 2026 Outback at 31 mpg highway with AWD included, giving it roughly 486 miles of highway range on an 18-gallon tank. Enough to cover the Birmingham-to-Nashville run without a fuel stop.
4. Crosstrek: The Right Call When You're Not Filling Seats
The Crosstrek isn't a Thanksgiving people-mover for a family of six, but for two people heading to see family in Huntsville or Chattanooga without footlocker-sized bags, it earns its spot here with standard Symmetrical AWD, a comfortable two-adult interior, and a compact footprint that parks at the destination better than anything larger in the Subaru lineup.
We'd point a couple or a solo driver toward the Crosstrek when the Outback feels like too much vehicle for the load. The Crosstrek also tends to be the easiest to load and unload quickly, which matters at the destination when everyone's tired.
See Current November Offers on the Subaru Lineup
Our Recommendation: The Ascent for Big Families, the Outback for Everyone Else
If you're filling six or more seats on Thanksgiving morning and need cargo on top of that, the Ascent is the only Subaru built for the load, though it's larger than it looks at the curb and the EPA fuel economy is the price you pay for that third row. Worth it, if you need it.
For a four-or-five-person I-65 run, the Outback is the stronger choice. Better highway fuel economy, a highway range that clears the Nashville run on a single tank, and more maximum cargo space than a two-row vehicle seems to promise. The 2026 redesign added headroom and cargo volume in meaningful ways, and it shows.
Whatever you're driving this holiday season, make sure it's ready before you leave. A pre-trip service check matters more on a high-traffic holiday run than on any regular commute.
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