Opinion: is there such a thing as too many cupholders?

Subaru Ascent
The Subaru Ascent SUV contains 19 cup and bottle holders
The new Subaru Ascent SUV features a whopping 19 cupholders. But what do you do with so many drink receptacles?

The new Subaru Ascent, revealed at the Los Angeles motor show, is a very American sort of SUV. Which is to say it’s big (it’s the largest Subaru ever), practical, comfortable, can house up to nine people and can tow big things. There are vast chunks of America where such things matter.

Los Angeles motor show - full report and gallery

As car firms do when launching most new large, practical SUVs, Subaru made much of the Ascent’s practicality, highlighting the multiple seating configurations, safety features and plentiful storage space. And descriptions of that storage space included one stat that really stood out to me: the Ascent has 19 cup and bottle holders. Nineteen. Nineteen!

Subaru Ascent SUV launched at LA motor show

That’s a lot of cupholders. Enough, according to my rudimentary maths, to hold 19 cups. Which is, I’m sure you’ll agree, rather a lot of cups. In fact, even if you’ve got your Ascent configured to house nine people, that’s two mugs or bottles per person – with a cupholder still to spare.

Certainly, the Ascent’s 19 cupholders helped it steal a march on the new Lexus RX-L large SUV, which only featured six (I demanded news editor Rachel Burgess went and counted them). That’s basically like bringing a knife to a cupholder-shaped gun fight.

American roads feature numerous opportunities to utilise cupholders, as you’ll know if you’ve seen the queues of large, practical SUVs that snake around most drive-through Starbucks in the States (other drive-through frothy-coffee shops are available). And that drive-through culture has grown in the UK in recent years. But still, surely there are only so many grande skinny soy milk toffee nut latte macchiatos that one carload of people can drink? 

You could argue having so many cupholders is good for practicality, since it reduces the need to stop for refreshments - but would likely be offset by the increased need to use the toilet after all those drinks…

The fact the Subaru Ascent has 19 cupholders – nineteen! – is undoubtedly impressive, and I can see it being a real sales point to buyers looking for a large, practical SUV. Heck, I’m impressed, and I absolutely don’t need a large, practical SUV. 

And yet, while impressed, I also found myself pondering how many cupholders a car really needs. So here’s the question: is there such a thing as too many cupholders?

Read more

Los Angeles motor show - full report and gallery

Subaru Ascent SUV launched at LA motor show

Subaru reviews on Autocar

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

BTCC 2018: Neal wins Diamond Double at Snetterton

Image
Neal clinched victory in the extended Diamond Double race Jack Goff stars in qualifying and race one, while veteran Neal clinches glory in double-length finale Triple British Touring Car champion Matt Neal clinched victory in the special extended Diamond Double race at Snetterton, held to mark the 60th anniversary of the series in his Honda Civic Type R . Rising stars Jack Goff and Ashley Sutton also took race wins at the Norfolk track. Instead of the usual reverse-grid finale, the third race at Snetterton was extended from 12 laps to 20, with double championship points on offer and no success ballast. The race also featured its own separate qualifying session. Picture special: 60 years of the BTCC That was good news for Eurotech driver Goff, who went fastest in both qualifying sessions to claim two pole positions in his Civic Type R. He made the first one count, pulling out a big lead in treacherous wet conditions.  The young guns of the BTCC Behind Goff, reigning champion
Read more

Japan's micro sports cars – Honda and Daihatsu kei cars driven

Image
S660 and Copen are the only kei sports cars in production Kei cars are big in Japan, but do they deliver driving thrills? We sample a pair in Tokyo to find out When the American style of christening storms came to Britain a couple of years ago, it was inevitable that some wag in the Met Office would find a way to undermine the whole concept with an underwhelming name to snigger about.  Storm Brian was the result. It’s a fine English name but perhaps lacking the gravitas of many of those coined overseas. “In terms of impact, we’ve had spray overtopping quaysides,” someone from the Environment Agency told the BBC of Brian’s pummelling of Cornwall. Top marks for not trying, Brian.  While Brian was doing his thing on the other side of the world, Typhoon Lan – now there’s a name – was homing in on southern Japan, bringing with it 140mph winds and a storm that made photographer Stan Papior wish he’d invested in a waterproof camera and jacket.  Look really closely at some of his pictur
Read more