So I tried to read through most of these post but I didn't really see anyone bring this up.
Aspire:
14x on Hilton
7X Airline, Car and Restaurants
3X Everything else
Ascend:
12X Hilton
6X Restaurants, Supermarkets, Gas
3X Everything else
Now not taking any other perks of the cards into account and for someone who doesn't constantly stay at hotels and has another "premium card". I can't see any reason to get the Aspire over the Ascend. In my case I have a chase sapphire reserve which I use for Food and Travel, I had a Amex Blue cash I was using for Gas, Supermarkets and Dept Stores and A Chase Freedom Unlimited for everything else. My goal was to replace the Blue Cash with the Hilton Honors. This if I need to book a Hotel I'll have Hilton Honor Points from the bonus, Groceries and Gas, and I still have the Chase Sapphire Reserve for airfare etc.
Anyways maybe you won't agree but I sort of feel like Amex should have included the 6x (or 7x) points on gas and supermarkets also on the Aspire The average person probably spends around $3600 on groceries a year, so thats 21,600 points plus another 7,200 points for gas.