What do you love most about living in Colonie? Do you appreciate its proximity to Albany and Schenectady? Do you value its vibrant culture and dynamic landscape, both integral to your family's life and well-being? As you think about your answer, we also encourage you to consider how your current vehicle plays a role in your family's experience in and around Colonie. Does your car, truck, or SUV meet your family's needs and live up to your expectations?As the premier Colonie, NY, Subaru dealership, Carbone Subaru of Troy is here to help you find the best Subaru for your family. Fortunately, you don't have to venture to our dealership just yet. Instead, you can kick back and relax as your search, and our work, start now. Here's our list of the best family-friendly SUVs for navigating Colonie and beyond.Best for Large or Growing Families: Meet the AscentThe Ascent is the largest SUV in the Subaru lineup, offering three rows of seats that make it ideal for large or growing families. Praised as the most versatile Subaru ever built, the 2023 Ascent can be outfitted with captain's chairs in the second row to accommodate seven people or with a traditional second row that takes the SUV's seating capacity to eight. With either layout, the expansive cabin optimizes passenger comfort across every row, courtesy of 60-40 split-flat folding seats that also maximize the rear cargo area, which offers up to 86.5 cubic feet of cargo space.The Ascent's versatile cabin complements its rugged capability and impressive handling. It's one of the few SUVs in the segment to come standard with all-wheel drive, making it the ultimate adventurer even when conditions are tough, touchy, or slippery. Subaru adds to the Ascent's capability by outfitting the SUV with its standard 2.4L Boxer engine and continuously variable transmission, which gives the SUV the power to pull up to 5,000 pounds.As a family-oriented SUV, it's no surprise that the 2023 Ascent offers an expansive suite of standard features and technology. These features run the gamut from the tri-zone front and rear automatic climate control system to a standard rearview camera with a washer that optimizes visibility. Depending on the trim, you'll also find several other features like Keyless Access with Push-Button Start, a Power Rear Gate, Power Moonroof, and Reverse Automatic Braking.Best for Families on the Go: Meet the Crosstrek HybridHow much time do you spend in your vehicle every day? The average commute for Colonie drivers is 21.3 minutes, but this doesn't account for school drop-offs and pick-ups, errands, and other activities. So, realistically, we spend a lot more time in our vehicles than we realize, which can be costly if you're driving a gas-guzzling SUV.The Crosstrek Hybrid is our top pick for families that spend a lot of time on the road. The SUV can easily accommodate your commute into Albany and your weekend adventures, whether you're taking your dog to Schuyler Flatts Cultural Park, playing 18 holes at the Town of Colonie Golf Course, or enjoying the scenic views at Crossings Park. So, how does it accomplish this without guzzling fuel?The 2022 Crosstrek Hybrid builds on the best-selling Crosstrek with its hybrid powertrain that promises an EPA-estimated 90 MPGe. Its fuel-sipping characteristics don't diminish its handling or capability, courtesy of Subaru's standard all-wheel drive system. Moreover, you'll reap the benefits of Subaru's award-winning safety suite, known as EyeSight Driver Assist Technology. The suite outfits the SUV with tools like Advanced Adaptive Cruise Control with Lane Centering, Automatic Pre-Collision Braking, and Pre-Collision Throttle Management.Best for Smaller Families With Cargo-Hauling Needs: Meet the ForesterThe two-row Forester is among Subaru's top sellers because of its versatility, rugged capability, and overall value. It's also one of the most awarded models in the fleet, earning numerous honors from Kelley Blue Book and U.S. News & World Report. Coincidentally, many of its accolades are top safety ratings, including 16 consecutive Top Safety Pick awards from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. The Forester is the only small SUV to accomplish such a feat.What else makes the Forester ideal for Colonie families? The two-row Forester offers 74.2 cubic feet of cargo space and exceptional capability. This capability stretches from its 8.7-inch ground clearance to its standard 2.5L Boxer engine and Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive system. The combination gives the Forester an edge over the competition, making the 2023 model more capable than most without sacrificing efficiency. This efficiency speaks for itself, with an average of 33 MPG on the highway that can make your 20-minute commute into Albany or Schenectady via NY-5 more affordable than ever.Perhaps even more impressive is that the Forester offers exceptional value. The 2023 model comes standard with a long list of features and technology, like remote keyless entry and the Subaru Starlink 6.5-inch Multimedia Plus system via a high-resolution touchscreen display. Along with syncing your smartphone, the system gives you access to SiriusXM and Travel Link, a four-month subscription that adds value to the Forester and can easily entertain you and your family wherever the road takes you.Best Family-Friendly Sedan: Meet the LegacyDealerships often assume that families are always looking for SUVs, but we know that isn't the case. Instead, many smaller families prefer the luxury and efficiency of a sedan, which Subaru delivers with the Legacy. The 2023 Legacy offers more than what meets the eye, with a spacious interior that can easily accommodate everything from groceries and luggage to your kid's soccer gear for those weekend games at Mohawk River Park and Pool.Although the Legacy is easy to miss in the Subaru lineup, it's a family sedan that exudes luxury and capability. Newly updated for 2023, the latest iteration of the Legacy offers more features than ever, starting with the newest edition of Subaru's renowned EyeSight Driver Assist Technology. The sedan also offers wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration via an 11.6-inch touchscreen display, which levels the score between the sedan and the rest of the Subaru lineup.As is custom with a Subaru, the Legacy is powered by a Boxer engine, with trims like the Sport boosting its power output courtesy of a 2.4L turbocharged Boxer engine that delivers 260 horsepower for a more engaging experience behind the wheel. The Legacy also comes standard with Subaru's Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive, Active Torque Vectoring, and Vehicle Dynamics Control, adding to its composure on the road. More importantly, these features also ensure the Legacy maintains its fuel-sipping status, with even the 2.4L turbocharged powerplant averaging 32 MPG on the highway.The Perfect Subaru: It Does ExistIs there a perfect vehicle for your family? We like to think so, thanks to models like the Forester, Ascent, Crosstrek, and Legacy. These family-friendly SUVs and sedans give Colonie drivers plenty of options to find the ideal vehicle for their needs. Whether you want to upgrade your commute and ensure your kids' comfort as you navigate school drop-offs and pick-ups, or you need a capable adventurer that can haul plenty of cargo, Subaru delivers and promises affordability, versatility, and style. That's hard to beat in a family vehicle that comes with Subaru's dependability guarantee.
