Video Summary
The Subaru Solterra is a pure electric vehicle sharing a mechanical twin with the Toyota bZ4X, which received an award for worst vehicle of 2023. The Solterra exists mainly to obtain a good lease deal, offering decent interior packaging compared to some commodity cars. It prominently features the Toyota Connected infotainment system, including drive functions and UI interfaces. Subaru-specific features include a rebranded safety suite and a Harman Kardon audio system. The Interior space is well laid out but not better than competitors like the Ioniq 5. Seating surfaces are comfortable and rattle-free, and rear seat room is good. There is no Frunk, a major drawback. The sunroof does not open. As for power, the AWD system delivers 215 horsepower and 249 lb-ft of torque; with that the vehicle weights around 4300 lbs. An effective range in the real world of under 200 miles is reported. Despite the range, 10% to 80% charging can be done in approximately 35 minutes. The Solterra features a lift for more ground clearance than the BZ4X, along with recalibrated all-wheel-drive controls, X-mode and extreme off-road mode. It also includes power and eco functions. A better solution may be to simply look at a non-EV four cylinder, to obtain a better car that is actually made by Subaru. All together as a lease, with available incentives, one might expect to be into the mid 300 per month range.The reviewers are not terribly optimistic. Instead, it would be a better strategy for an EV interested buyer, to look to Toyota, and just buy an equivalent Rav4 to avoid the issues. And if one likes it, but understands the issues, the car is still well into a sub 300 cost. It has bad battery tech and has some poor performance.
