Add Yours: Subaru Solterra Owner's Registry

My Solterra Dilemma

1606 Views 30 Replies 20 Participants Last post by R P, 21 d ago

robingrg

Discussion Starter · 26 d ago

Hi Solterra owners, I am curious to know if any of you regret buying your solterra. I am about to reserve mine next week and all the negative comments and issues posted by users online are discouraging and concerning. Does the car give the range as per spec? Are you able to use ABRP or similar trip planner and get to destination as per ETA? Do you think the issues with DC fast charging can fixed with a software update.? Your advise will be much appreciated!.
PS: I test drove a bunch of EVs -solterra was my fav among them.

1 - 20 of 31 Posts

R P

· #2 · 26 d ago

I certainly don't regret buying my Solterra. I was well aware of its lower range and slower fast charging long before. I chose it because of its superior off-road/snow capabilities with its high clearance and AWD X-Modes. I haven't tested it yet off-road as I am waiting to get new wheels to mount AT tires. But in the winter I went skiing and a couple times encountered very deep snow (front bumper pushing snow) and it was a beast. And just had the OEM tires. The AWD also worked well on snow covered highways going up the mountains. So in that respect it met and exceeded my expectations.

The bonus, though, was the smooth and comfortable ride, more like a luxury car. Lots of room, too. ECO drive mode and ECO climate work very well. I like how the steering wheel and seat heaters come on automatically when it is cold and then shut down when it warmed up. Ventilated seats also come on automatically when it is hot. Was driving today in 33C heat, so A/C got a good test.

So if you can live with lower range and slower fast charging you will like your Solterra. I think the people complaining may have chosen the wrong car. It is not a trip car. There are better choices for that out there. Myself, I am waiting to get an Ioniq 6, and that will be our trip car. We need two cars anyway, and they will be very complementary with their very different capabilities.

That's not to say, the Solterra can't be used for any trips. If you plan ahead, and have realistic expectations it can work. Read this recent thread.

www.solterraforum.com

450 range road trip

Hi all, I wonder if anyone had tried to take the Solterra for a long-range road trip. We are planning one in summer, that is 450 miles one-way. Wonder how bad was the charging stops? Any advise and tips are much welcome.

www.solterraforum.com

www.solterraforum.com

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Reactions: 2

davidsmartin

· #3 · 26 d ago

I have only had my Solterra for two weeks, but I am very happy with it and concur with RP's comments. My longest trip was 165 miles. The temperature was around 70 that day so I did not need heat or AC and my route across northern New England had few interstates so most of my driving was between 45 and 55 mph. The result was that I arrived with 120 miles remaining on the guess o meter. The trip home had more uphill and I finished with 75 extra miles. But if I frequently went on trips of 300 miles or more then it probably would not be the right car.

Reactions: 1

YWG_YYZ

· #4 · 26 d ago

I'm on the fence how I feel about the Solterra.
I think it is a great car, but it is a terrible EV.
If you are driving it locally with less than 75 miles radius each way, and have access to a level 2 charger, it is a great car.
If it is your only car, and you are planning on taking road trips more than a couple times a year, it is a terrible car.
I will not bank on any future update. Subaru/Toyota USA/Canada have not publicly acknowledge that either charging speed or range is an issue. As we have a different battery pack, whatever happens in Europe/Asia may not apply to us even though our battery has less range and worse charging speed.

R P

· #5 · 26 d ago

YWG_YYZ said:
I'm on the fence how I feel about the Solterra.
I think it is a great car, but it is a terrible EV.

Depends what you are looking for in an EV. As I mentioned in my previous post. The Solterra may be a great off-road EV, but I agree it is not a great trip EV. However it can be used for occasional trips with a little planning and patience. On the other hand an Ioniq 6 may be a great trip EV, but I guarantee you it is not a good off-road EV, even if so used occasionally.

jmwk

· #6 · 26 d ago

If it were my only car, I'd be unhappy. It's fine for road trips where we're not rushing. We don't take it on road trips with a tight schedule. (And we do a lot of road trips!)

With that perspective, I absolutely love it. I have an L2 at my house so have no issue with local driving. It's great at getting down rough roads to trailheads. Haven't taken it offroad yet, but might over Memorial Day weekend.

Reactions: 1

cocoskyern

· #7 · 26 d ago

No regrets. Love it, charge it at home with a level 2, and drive everywhere I need to with zero issues. It's amazingly comfortable and fun to drive. I haven't experienced snow with it yet though I'm sure it will be as capable (probably more) than my outback!

Tucson John

· #8 · 26 d ago

We've had our Touring since end of April 2023. For us, it is a fabulous vehicle and it more than fulfills our needs. Our major requirements were that is operates and behaves like a normal car -- physical switches & ease of operation -- and solid reputation. Road tripping was not a big deal since we have other new ICE cars and we have never had an issue with not enough range with the short trips we take. As a huge plus, the smoothness, effortless power, and quite interior is far better than any ICE and EV I've ever driven.

If range is your major buying requirement, then look elsewhere. Just like with ICE vehicles, pick the one that best suits your desires and requirements. It seems that many EV buyers (not so much on the Solterra forum) are extremely critical of the littlest things.

Reactions: 2

Whoabear

· #9 · 26 d ago (Edited)

I really love the car. I do most of my driving in a 75 mile radius and have a work commute of 60 miles round trip. The Solterra works great for this. I've done one longer road trip 550 miles round trip in one day to pick up the dog I adopted. I planned in plenty of time for charging and it worked fine - tried to time charging stops for meals and breaks. It was a bit more frustrating on the return trip when I just wanted to be home, and the car, the dog, and myself all needed breaks at different times.

If you have consistent trips where you can't plan in some extra time for charging - the Solterra might not be for you. If you have consistent trips you do, the charging infrastructure is there, and you don't mind taking it easy on the drives - It's an awesome car.

The only down side for me is interior flexibility - it's good but not what I am used to. I am coming from a 2007 Honda Element, and there really isn't much that can hold a candle to what that car could pack in there. The Solterra is a giant leap in technology, performance, and comfort.

If I could change anything, it would honestly be the piano black interior. I would prefer just about anything else. I do still hope that we will get a software update that helps the charging speed - as a it would just be nice and it would give a little more confidence to tripping.

One more thing I would change would be to have the tax credit that I was counting on when I ordered the car. I ended up going through with the purchase, but that has made it a lot more of a financial impact on me than I was planning.

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Reactions: 1

cpmalloy6

· #10 · 26 d ago

We have had our premium since December and no issues. We will be taking road trips up north come summer and I can give results on that when it comes.

The car is super comfy, lots of passenger room, zippy enough, and L2 charging at home gives us ~180 miles per charge.

The weather just got to the 60-70s more frequently here and have been driving it around more. Each trip is roughly 4.2-5.2 miles per kWh with no A/C, no heated seats.

If I were going 600+ miles I would just take the truck.

Reactions: 1

robingrg

Discussion Starter · #11 · 25 d ago

Thank you R P and others for your valuable comments. I appreciate it very much!. After test driving a model Y today I have decided to proceed with purchasing a Solterra! I may regret this decision in future when I end up waiting hours at a fast DC charger in freezing Canadian weather!! Honestly no other EV I tested so far was as fun to drive as a solterra. (ID4 may be the closest-subjectively- but the wait time for ID4s in Canada is ridiculous) . Thanks again. I will keep you posted with my experience with solterra when I get mine.

Reactions: 5

Islander

· #12 · 25 d ago

I've had mine about 7 months and I love it and have no regrets. I finally got a roof rack and 18" wheels w/ all terrain tires - something that took months - and now it really is a dream car for me. The range is actually better than I expected, but the DC charging is worse (AC is fine). I will very rarely have a need for DC so it's not a big issue for me personally but none the less that was a disappointment.

As others have said, if you need a car for a lot of long road trips (especially on higher speed highways) it's not the right option. If I were buying for that use I'd probably get an extended range Ioniq5/EV6 or a Tesla Y. For modest distance trips it is the most enjoyable car to drive I have ever driven (I much preferred it to the Tesla, ID4, Leaf, etc.) and for light offloading it is awesome (and the only option in it's class).

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Reactions: 3

robingrg

Discussion Starter · #13 · 25 d ago

Islander said:
For modest distance trips it is the most enjoyable car to drive I have ever driven (I much preferred it to the Tesla, ID4, Leaf, etc.) and for light offloading it is awesome (and the only option in it's class).

I am completely in agreement with this. Solterra is the most fun EV among the ones I test drov including aTesla Y, Ioniq5 and ID4. None compares to solterra. I did like the ID4 for its built quality and reasonable range. Model Y gave me motion sicknes!! I am booking my solterra today knowing its strength and limitations. I see value in the engineering of it.

Reactions: 2

jmwk

· #14 · 25 d ago

robingrg said:
I am completely in agreement with this. Solterra is the most fun EV among the ones I test drov including aTesla Y, Ioniq5 and ID4. None compares to solterra. I did like the ID4 for its built quality and reasonable range. Model Y gave me motion sicknes!! I am booking my solterra today knowing its strength and limitations. I see value in the engineering of it.

Going in fully aware is the important thing.

Reactions: 4

Tucson John

· #15 · 25 d ago

I think Tesla goes for the sporty European, tech-savvy crowd. There is nothing wrong with that and certainly Tesla hit the right target for the EV first adopters. The Kias are for the stylish/performance types and VWs are between the Teslas and Toyota/Subaru. Again, nothing wrong with the individual companies' marketing choices.

I think the Solterra/BZ4X hits the mark on a well-rounded EV and normal ICE-like car. If I did not know what it was, I would think it was a very, very smooth and quiet Lexus. It's nearly perfect for the wife and me.

Reactions: 3

danaten

· #16 · 24 d ago

robingrg said:
Hi Solterra owners, I am curious to know if any of you regret buying your solterra. I am about to reserve mine next week and all the negative comments and issues posted by users online are discouraging and concerning. Does the car give the range as per spec? Are you able to use ABRP or similar trip planner and get to destination as per ETA? Do you think the issues with DC fast charging can fixed with a software update.? Your advise will be much appreciated!.
PS: I test drove a bunch of EVs -solterra was my fav among them.

I really like my Solterra. I BOUGHT IT KNOWING WE HAVE ANOTHER SUBARU FOR ROAD TRIPS, I LOVE DRIVING MY SOLTERRA. Dan in Des Moines, Iowa

Reactions: 2

urigoren1

· #17 · 24 d ago

R P said:
I certainly don't regret buying my Solterra. I was well aware of its lower range and slower fast charging long before. I chose it because of its superior off-road/snow capabilities with its high clearance and AWD X-Modes. I haven't tested it yet off-road as I am waiting to get new wheels to mount AT tires. But in the winter I went skiing and a couple times encountered very deep snow (front bumper pushing snow) and it was a beast. And just had the OEM tires. The AWD also worked well on snow covered highways going up the mountains. So in that respect it met and exceeded my expectations.

The bonus, though, was the smooth and comfortable ride, more like a luxury car. Lots of room, too. ECO drive mode and ECO climate work very well. I like how the steering wheel and seat heaters come on automatically when it is cold and then shut down when it warmed up. Ventilated seats also come on automatically when it is hot. Was driving today in 33C heat, so A/C got a good test.

So if you can live with lower range and slower fast charging you will like your Solterra. I think the people complaining may have chosen the wrong car. It is not a trip car. There are better choices for that out there. Myself, I am waiting to get an Ioniq 6, and that will be our trip car. We need two cars anyway, and they will be very complementary with their very different capabilities.

That's not to say, the Solterra can't be used for any trips. If you plan ahead, and have realistic expectations it can work. Read this recent thread.

450 range road trip

Hi all, I wonder if anyone had tried to take the Solterra for a long-range road trip. We are planning one in summer, that is 450 miles one-way. Wonder how bad was the charging stops? Any advise and tips are much welcome.

www.solterraforum.com

No regrets!!! I really like it.

Reactions: 2

Anhtruong

· #18 · 24 d ago

robingrg said:
Hi Solterra owners, I am curious to know if any of you regret buying your solterra. I am about to reserve mine next week and all the negative comments and issues posted by users online are discouraging and concerning. Does the car give the range as per spec? Are you able to use ABRP or similar trip planner and get to destination as per ETA? Do you think the issues with DC fast charging can fixed with a software update.? Your advise will be much appreciated!.
PS: I test drove a bunch of EVs -solterra was my fav among them.

I got 90% charged at 271 miles.

Reactions: 1

Fire734

· #19 · 24 d ago

Not one bit. I am in love with my Solterra (Solie). I owned an i3 prior to this, and test drove the Nissan Ariya, ID4, and Kias. None held a candle to the Solterra. As the others have said, I walked into the experience knowing the slower charging and what not, but the benefits outweigh that. This is just a normal car, I wanted a normal cluster and controls. I didn't want a spaceship.
I live in Northern California (Silicon Valley) and didn't want to join the mindless drones in the Tesla club, and the Solterra gave me that, something different in the sea of Teslas driving around.

Reactions: 1

robingrg

Discussion Starter · #20 · 24 d ago (Edited)

Fire734 said:
I didn't want a spaceship.I live in Northern California (Silicon Valley) and didn't want to join the mindless drones in the Tesla club, and the Solterra gave me that, something different in the sea of Teslas driving around.

Exactly my thoughts after driving a few other 'space age' EVs. Why a 'Y' is so popular is beyond my logic, even with its awesome range and clean interiors, - the drive is inferior compared to a solterra or even an ID4!

Reactions: 1

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