The Car Connection Expert Review
Likes
- Serene ride
- Peppy acceleration
- Standard all-wheel drive
- Off-road capability
- Distinctive looks
Dislikes
- Toyota-like cabin
- Awkward instrument cluster
- Short range
Buying tip
features & specs
The Solterra combines Subaru’s all-wheel-drive soul with Toyota design and engineering.
What kind of vehicle is the 2024 Subaru Solterra? What does it compare to?
The Subaru Solterra is an electric crossover SUV, designed and manufactured in a partnership with Toyota. It’s related to the Toyota BZ4X and faces competitors such as the Tesla Model Y, Ford Mustang Mach-E, Volkswagen ID.4, Kia EV6, and Hyundai Ioniq 5.
Is the 2024 Subaru Solterra a good SUV?
It’s decent, with a range that falls short of rivals andstyling that’s nearly all Toyota, but off-road capability and standard all-wheel drive that stays true to the Subaru brand. The Solterra earns a 7.8 out of 10 TCC Rating thanks to its good driving manners on- and off-road, good standard features, and great crash-test scores, which help offset the snug cabin, mediocre range, and awkward instrument cluster. (Read more about how we rate cars.)
What's new for the 2024 Subaru Solterra?
We expect the Subaru Solterra to carry into its second year unchanged. This EV is a necessary step for the brand to keep pace with the industry’s push toward electrification, but it’s not groundbreaking or even particularly exciting. The Solterra shares a platform, body design, and cabin materials with the Toyota BZ4X, with more similarities in terms of look and feel than the brands’ other related vehicles, the Subaru BRZ and the Toyota 86.
Similar in size to the Forester and with familiar black cladding, the Solterra’s design is otherwise more aerodynamic than the rest of its stablemates, with a steep rear windshield and twin spoilers. The cabin is all Toyota, from the recessed instrument cluster to the wide console to the infotainment system.
A 72.8-kwh battery pack feeds a dual-motor all-wheel-drive configuration, enabling a sub-seven-second 0-60-mph run. Base models are EPA-rated for 228 miles of range, and it’ll take about nine hours to replenish to full with a Level 2 charger. The ride is nearly silent, and the independent suspension system provides smooth travels but tends to lean through curves. The Solterra boasts good off-road capability with its three terrain settings and 8.3 inches of ground clearance, but is not capable of towing.
The Solterra’s roof can bear a 700-pound load when parked, and roof rails are optional. Though the raked rear window cuts into the cargo area, it can still hold 30 cubic feet of gear and offers a two-tiered floor for versatility. Rear passengers get more legroom than the driver and front passenger, thanks to the wide center console.
The Solterra aces crash tests, with a five-star overall rating from the NHTSA and a Top Safety Pick+ rating from the IIHS. Subaru supplies automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitors, and active lane control among the list of standard tech.
How much does the 2024 Subaru Solterra cost?
The 2024 Subaru Solterra starts at around $46,000 for the base Premium trim. That gets heated front seats, a 7.0-inch digital instrument cluster, an 8.0-inch touchscreen, and wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. The Limited starts at around $49,000 and upgrades to a 12.3-inch touchscreen and heated rear seats. For about $53,000, the Touring gets a panoramic roof and cooled front seats.
Where is the 2024 Subaru Solterra made?
It’s built in Japan, at Toyota’s Motomachi production facility.
2024 Subaru Solterra Styling
You’ll find a lot more Toyota than Subaru in the Solterra.
Is the Subaru Solterra a good-looking car?
Though the Solterra and the Toyota BZ4X are nearly identical, the Solterra is distinctive enough from other rivals to earn a point for the exterior. The cabin, though, is too reliant on Toyota to earn another point. That’s a 6.
The Solterra wears Subaru’s typical black cladding and then some, thanks to Toyota’s influence, and the roofline and body cladding scream RAV4. That’s not a bad thing, but it’s not why people buy Subarus, generally speaking. The front’s surplus black cladding gives the LED headlights a raccoon-like look, and that extends down to wrap the lip spoiler and fog lights. The front fascia wraps to the wheels with the help of aerodynamic side curtains, and the hood hides the front motor and HVAC system rather than a frunk.
Near the driver’s door, the charge port nestles into the cladding, which then runs along the arches and wheel arches. It’s here the shape most closely echoes the Toyota RAV4 and Corolla Cross. The cladding protects the tailgate opening from damage from luggage or dogs’ claws, well in line with Subaru’s objectives.
The cabin comes dressed in Subaru’s familiar waterproof faux leather upholstery, though the cockpit is all Toyota, with a wide, gloss-black center console supporting an 8.0 or 12.3-inch touchscreen. The instrument cluster sits deep in the dash and calls the whole cabin’s ergonomics into question.
2024 Subaru Solterra Performance
Standard all-wheel drive and instant EV torque give the Solterra plenty of appeal.
The Subaru Solterra boasts the brand’s go-to all-wheel-drive capability, which necessitates a motor for each axle. Unlike a typical Subaru, though, torque delivery rides a flawless curve and the ride is whisper quiet. The Solterra’s 8.3-inch ground clearance and off-road drive modes set it apart from rivals. Points here add up to a 7.
How fast is the Subaru Solterra?
The Subaru Solterra’s dual-motor system is capable of a mid-six-second hustle to 60 mph from a stop, and though it feels quick, and certainly out hustles gas-only Subarus, it does fall somewhat short of some EV rivals. The dual motors generate 218 hp and an instant 249 lb-ft of torque. It feels about the same in Normal, Eco, and Power selectable drive modes.
The Solterra has a composed ride, but even its MacPherson front struts and independent rear suspension with adaptive dampers lead to flabby response on less-than-smooth roads.
Is the Solterra 4WD?
Yes.The Solterra boasts Subaru’s standard all-wheel drive, which is its most distinguishing characteristic. It features a 40/60 front/rear variable torque split under acceleration, and a 70/30 torque split under braking.
The Subaru capability comes into full force with the X-Mode control standard across the brand’s Wilderness line, with settings for Snow/Dirt and Deep Snow/Mud to adjust traction control and throttle response to optimize the variable torque. The Solterra also gets an exclusive hill descent control setting called Grip Control that functions like a cruise control system for off-roading, at speeds from 3 to 5 mph.
With ground clearance of 8.3 inches, the Solterra boasts best-in-class off-roading capability, as well as good wading depth and approach and departure angles.
Regen braking
Many rival EVs have a one-pedal driving system, though the Solterra comes to the table with five regenerative brake settings, four of which are controlled through the paddle shifters. For something similar to one-pedal, the S-Pedal function, it’s activated through a console button and reduces speed without braking to 3 mph or so but doesn’t fully stop. Until the automatic hold setting is enabled, the Solterra crawls to stops.
2024 Subaru Solterra Comfort & Quality
Other EVs provide more space, but the Solterra is still roomy.
The Solterra officially provides five-passenger seating, but logistics make space for only four. It’s on par with other EV crossovers and earns points for its good rear legroom and cargo capacity, for a 7.
Synthetic leather upholstery, made in part from recycled plastic, drapes well-padded seats. Yet there are some idiosyncrasies, like the tiered center console replacing a glove compartment, and a wide center console that encroaches on front hip- and legroom. The dash gets corduroy finish and other cabin surfaces get glossy black plastic.
The rear row offers ample legroom, and there’s 30 cubic feet of cargo capacity behind those seats.
Available crossbars enable a 700-pound load on the roof when parked, enough for aftermarket roof tents.
2024 Subaru Solterra Safety
The 2024 Subaru Solterra nails crash tests and comes with good standard tech.
How safe is the Subaru Solterra?
The Subaru Solterra earns a Top Safety Pick+ award from the IIHS and a five-star overall rating from the NHTSA, with four stars in the rollover test. Good standard and optional features rack up more points, for a 9.
Instead of Subaru’s usual dual-camera safety system, the Solterra uses one camera with radar, but still bears Subaru’s EyeSight branding for the standard features package. It includes front and rear automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, active lane control, blind-spot monitors, and the Safe Exit Assist system, which warns exiting passengers of approaching obstacles in the doors’ paths. A split-view surround-view camera system comes on Limited and Touring trims.
Rearward vision isn’t the greatest in the Solterra, which costs it a possible point here.
2024 Subaru Solterra Features
Go for the Solterra in mid-tier Limited trim for the best value.
The 2024 Subaru Solterra earns points for its standard features, good infotainment system, and all-wheel-drive value, for an 8.
The Solterra is backed by a 3-year/36,000-mile warranty that’s just average, though the powertrain is covered for 8 years or 100,000 miles, plus a 70% battery retention rate.
Which Subaru Solterra should I buy?
Skip the entry-level Premium model and go right for the Limited. For about $49,000, the touchscreen gets upgraded from 8.0 to 12.3 inches, there’s a 10-way power-adjustable driver’s seat, and heated rear outboard seats join the standard heated front seats. The infotainment system is user-friendly, with good voice commands, and there are physical controls for climate control and drive modes. However, many rival EVs have a feature that auto-populates directions to recommended charging stations, which is lacking here.
The Solterra Limited also gets a Harman Kardon audio system, 20-inch wheels instead of the standard 18-inchers, a power tailgate, roof rails, wireless charging, and the Digital Key app.
How much is a fully loaded Subaru Solterra?
The Touring trim, about $53,000, adds memory function to the driver’s seat, cooled front seats, ambient lighting, a panoramic roof, cloud-based navigation, a rearview mirror camera, and power-folding side mirrors.
2024 Subaru Solterra Fuel Economy
The Subaru Solterra falls short in range, but nails efficiency.
The 2024 Subaru Solterra’s 72.8-kwh lithium-ion battery is capable of up to 228 miles of range in base configuration, while Limited and Touring trims drop to 220 miles. According to the EPA, the Solterra’s efficiency is rated for 104 MPGe combined based on 3.1 miles per kilowatt-hour (102 MPGe for the Limited and Touring). That’s a 10.
The Solterra comes equipped with a heat pump, an energy-efficient Eco setting to optimize climate control, and a feature that uses the occupant detection safety system to direct climate control to passengers rather than empty seats.
The range meter is one of the Solterra’s notable drawbacks, as it somewhat inexplicably doesn’t show the battery’s remaining percentage.
The Solterra can charge up to 80% in about 56 minutes with DC fast-charging, topping out at 100 kw. A 32-amp, 240-volt Level 2 charger will take about nine hours, though with 8 amps, that charge time increases to 35 hours. With a Level 1 home charger, it’ll take between 50 and 77 hours.
