[newGuy1]

My sales rep friend is at the solterra live training in Austin today. What questions would you like me to ask him?

 

[Ducatista]

hmm they must not be test driving them though since the recall hasn't been resolved?

already got all my questions answered here in Canada except the most important part, the price!!!

 

[newGuy1]

That's correct, they're not being allowed to test drive it. However, they do have an employee from corporate, I'm assuming, that is driving it and giving demos of certain functionality like the auto park

 

[jg.]

I think a lot of us are kind of disgusted by now with the major omissions that would make this a competitive vehicle in the marketplace. The specific questions at the top of my list are:

• Why are there no cargo area tie downs (in the forward area of the back) like every other Subaru has?
• Is there any chance of Subaru upgrading the built-in charging hardware to allow a better charging rate?
• Why are there no brown leather seats available in the US?
• Why is Dark Blue Mica not available in the US?
• Why are customers ordering Touring models being forced to get a black roof AND being charged for both the paint color AND the black roof?

Basically all the issues I noted in this thread:

[thread] If only it was a Subaru

 

[Peterd15]

I definitely think we need to keep asking for a better DCFC curve to decrease fast charge time. I don’t think it needs to be faster, just don’t drop off so early.

 

[newGuy1]

I think a lot of us are kind of disgusted by now with the major omissions that would make this a competitive vehicle in the marketplace. The specific questions at the top of my list are:

• Why are there no cargo area tie downs (in the forward area of the back) like every other Subaru has?
• Is there any chance of Subaru upgrading the built-in charging hardware to allow a better charging rate?
• Why are there no brown leather seats available in the US?
• Why is Dark Blue Mica not available in the US?
• Why are customers ordering Touring models being forced to get a black roof AND being charged for both the paint color AND the black roof?

Basically all the issues I noted in this thread:

[thread] If only it was a Subaru

I'm not going to ask my buddy a bunch of snarky questions that obviously no one there is going to have an answer to anyway. But I will ask if Subaru is going to consider increasing the charging speed after getting data back on the performance of the CATL batteries.

 

[newGuy1]

He said that the auto parking works extremely well at both perpendicular and parallel parking. He was impressed.

As for the potential improvement of the charging curve, he asked three different people from SOA, and they had no idea.

 

[ShoogieBoogie]

Confirmation of V2L (Vehicle to Load)? I saw it mentioned with the BZ4X but not a confirmation as a feature for either, and the US-spec Solterra's don't get an outlet in the back either. (though V2L\V2G would likely be done with a HV outlet and\or adapter).

 

[jg.]

I'm not going to ask my buddy a bunch of snarky questions that obviously no one there is going to have an answer to anyway. But I will ask if Subaru is going to consider increasing the charging speed after getting data back on the performance of the CATL batteries.

I’m not sure how you determine what “snarky“ is (I’ve never used that word), but having known many engineers and marketing people in the automotive industry, these events are where they get the customer desires and feedback that drive product plans.

 

[Minimal talking]

Will there be SoC % display and battery heating before DC-charging available in the future OTA?

 

[Jenovalente]

I’m not sure how you determine what “snarky“ is (I’ve never used that word), but having known many engineers and marketing people in the automotive industry, these events are where they get the customer desires and feedback that drive product plans.

@jg.
Just a thought that a customer focus group should have been done before the car went into production.

I would agree with the OP about snarky, but as long as your major concern is a lack of tie downs in the trunk, things seem to be good.

 

[Jenovalente]

My sales rep friend is at the solterra live training in Austin today. What questions would you like me to ask him?

Any word on what the issue with the wheels falling off is?

 

[Ducatista]

I think a lot of us are kind of disgusted by now with the major omissions that would make this a competitive vehicle in the marketplace. The specific questions at the top of my list are:

• Why are there no cargo area tie downs (in the forward area of the back) like every other Subaru has?
• Is there any chance of Subaru upgrading the built-in charging hardware to allow a better charging rate?
• Why are there no brown leather seats available in the US?
• Why is Dark Blue Mica not available in the US?
• Why are customers ordering Touring models being forced to get a black roof AND being charged for both the paint color AND the black roof?

Basically all the issues I noted in this thread:

[thread] If only it was a Subaru

Call me crazy, but I don't think any of these issues you mentioned are of any concern to majority of people other than charging speed. Disgusted is not a word I would use to describe my feelings with this car. I think its excellent other than the DC charging speed. I guess Level 2 charging speed could be a bit better also but realistically, its overnight charging so I don't care that much.

• colors are not an issue for the majority of people. Ask any company, majority of the cars they sell are black, white and grey/silver. So for a first year offering, its fine. Sure would I have liked a dark blue, absolutely. But color is not a reason to get disgusted. In Canada you can only get the harbour mist grey with the grey/blue interior which I don't like so unfortunately I couldn't get my first choice of exterior colour. But I am just as happy with the two-tone platinum white I ordered (storm trooper!)
• Brown leather seats - same thoughts as the outside colors. Definitely not disgusted. Nice to have the options, but that's it.
• Cargo area tie downs - meh, who cares (for me and majority of people I think)
• The cost for the two-tone paint you can thank Toyota for. They charge for a lot of their paint options on various models (both Toyota and Lexus). In Canada, we are only get charged extra for the two-tone options, not the solid colors. Definitely not disgusted.

A 'disappointment' for me is the lack of AC outlet in the cargo area like the Japanese market. This is a missed opportunity I think. They should have at least added it as a dealer installed accessory. I would have paid an extra few hundred for this and its a way for Subaru to make the dealer money. So missed opportunity. The activity mount is another disappointment. A hitch that could tow even something as little as 1000lbs should have been the engineering goal, not a 100lb mount. Not sure why there is a different between Europe and North America. Their mount can tow.

 

[poodlemaster]

We should get our tester in a few weeks, a month. I am pleased so many people have let their reservations go as I am firmly on our Subaru Nanaimo list now. For me its pretty well perfect. I will slowly put miles on it and charge it almost exclusively at level 1 as that easily does my daily. I often stay home for a couple of days without going anywhere, so charging it is not a problem. I can just go to town, to one of the usually empty free level 2 charge places. Plug it in and walk around the town getting crap.

As I will only ever charge it gently, I expect to have good results with battery life and with a little care, have it outlast me.

I am going to take it up the hill though. I have extensive logging roads that I have been playing around on for decades and I can get to most places with the Solterra. Biggest problem there is how heavy it is, my Suzuki Samurai weighs under 2000 lbs and I can use Quad work-arounds. Still the logging roads are made for heavy stuff.

I'll get a Base Model if I can, the 18" wheels are just better up the hill and I can put bigger tires with less pressure, on it. We have a set of cars assigned to us, so whether I can get a Base depends on that, there are apparently only two in our allocation. Still at this point, none of the local dealer guys have any faith in anything now.

 

[n6nl]

I would really like to be able to order the 18" wheels on the Touring trim, in the US. I want everything else, but I would prefer higher profile tires.

 

[teknickal]

The activity mount is another disappointment. A hitch that could tow even something as little as 1000lbs should have been the engineering goal, not a 100lb mount. Not sure why there is a different between Europe and North America. Their mount can tow.

Certainly agree that this is a huge disappointment, I'm truly baffled that there is simply no towing capacity at all for NA and that "activity mount" weight limit is a joke. I had no idea until reading your comment and doing a quick search that the Euro model supports up to 750KG (~1600lbs) towing so it's seemingly capable but for no apparent reason decided to just not support it. I'm sure some brave soul will slap a trailer on theirs and demonstrate it works just fine, but you risk losing your warranty if something goes wrong so it's a risk.

 

[Ducatista]

I would really like to be able to order the 18" wheels on the Touring trim, in the US. I want everything else, but I would prefer higher profile tires.

Just buy some aftermarket after I guess. Even 19” would be better than the 20”
I get the 20” looks better. But it hurts range

 

[poodlemaster]

"A 'disappointment' for me is the lack of AC outlet in the cargo area like the Japanese market."

Seeing there is one for the Japanese, it probably means the level 1 AC charger is actually an inverter/charger. So it may be possible to just hook that up to a plug. It is on top in the front, so its accessible.

 

[bob E]

I think a lot of us are kind of disgusted by now with the major omissions that would make this a competitive vehicle in the marketplace. The specific questions at the top of my list are:

• Why are there no cargo area tie downs (in the forward area of the back) like every other Subaru has?
• Is there any chance of Subaru upgrading the built-in charging hardware to allow a better charging rate?
• Why are there no brown leather seats available in the US?
• Why is Dark Blue Mica not available in the US?
• Why are customers ordering Touring models being forced to get a black roof AND being charged for both the paint color AND the black roof?

Basically all the issues I noted in this thread:

[thread] If only it was a Subaru

I agree that the Solterra appears to be a lackluster vehicle. It seems most appropriate for old fogies smoking their stogies. (Eg, retired boomers with time on their hands who don't care about DC fast charging speeds.) For the last few years Consumer Reports has been advocating the Outback as the perfect car for seniors, given the wide opening doors and high seats. The Solterra is simply the perfect car for retired boomers with no care in the world. Millennials: seek elsewhere for a car to take into the hinterlands.

 

[R P]

I agree that the Solterra appears to be a lackluster vehicle. It seems most appropriate for old fogies smoking their stogies. (Eg, retired boomers with time on their hands who don't care about DC fast charging speeds.) For the last few years Consumer Reports has been advocating the Outback as the perfect car for seniors, given the wide opening doors and high seats. The Solterra is simply the perfect car for retired boomers with no care in the world. Millennials: seek elsewhere for a car to take into the hinterlands.

So, are you a confirmed no buyer of the Solterra?