[KSchneider]

First things noticed. The smooth ride is distinctly enjoyable and a step up from the preceding 5 Outbacks. It is quiet. The absence of fossil fuel smells is most welcome. The passenger seat is a bit higher and preferred. The Harmon Kardon sound system makes classical music a lot better for listening.

 

[SyracuseSubEru]

I have now over 4200 Miles on my Solterra. It is my daily work driver where I put on about 110 miles a day. My 8th Subaru and my Solterra replaced my 2015 Outback Limited.

• I love the drive, It's smooth and handles really well for a heavy car... not too stiff, not bouncy. And the electric motor torque is fun to drive even for me that never leaves "Eco" mode.
• I love having not stopped at a gas station in 3 months!
• I am really liking the look and style. It's like a squatted sedan version of the RAV4, and yet looks generally different than the BZ4x (I was in a car wash line next to one and it was cool to compare them side by side in real life).
• I swore I would miss the rear wiper and really only once have I wished I had one.
• I am digging "paddle" driving with the re-gen braking. It's not quite like paddle shifting on an automatic .... but it has elements of that, plus reminds me of using engine braking with a manual clutch.
• With a home charger (took about 8 weeks to get one and get it installed) -- I using it just like the Subaru website/literature/ads... I drive it all day and charge it all night.

 

[jai2060]

I bought my Subaru Solterra, Jan 25,2023. I have driven almost 4200 km on it. i use for my work daily . Run almost 130 km daily. I can tell you its very fun to drive my subaru Solterra. smooth, strong and runs quietly on road. Use Eco mode always . I Average about 21-23 kwh/100 km on daily route consisting of highway, city drive mix . Speed ranges from 30km-100 km . I would expect my car to average around 270 km-280 km per charge during temp ranging in Ontario from -7 to +3 , which i figured pretty decent one for 64 kwh gross usable battery . Summers numbers still waiting once temp rises. S-pedal driving is not so effective compared to the paddle shifters. But still not bad. Winter drive on Subaru are always nice. Have driven in deep ice with normal tires. But no issues as of now . Great car. i hope some refinement will come as time goes.

 

[JK Smith]

Auto mirror memory when backing! I discovered that if you are parallel parking or trying to hug a curb while backing, you can enter reverse and then turn to left/right mirror control to a lower view to see the rear tires. When shifting out of reverse, the mirrors return to the setting prior to the adjustment while in reverse. Now, if the mirror adjustment control is centered, and you shift to reverse later, nothing happens. But, if you select left or right mirror adjustment and shift to reverse, the mirrors go to where you last had them to view the rear tires. Probably not a new feature, but I’m transitioning from a 2006 Outback LL Bean, so got the “wow” factor on this one.

 

[MartinDower]

I love that a) I finally worked out how to get the battery pre-conditioned before I drive (leave it plugged in, and b) I then averaged 4 miles per kWh on a short drive vs maybe half that previously.

Not so sure about the "software update" I was told about on the screen once I returned home, but crossed my fingers

 

[R P]

I made good use of the digital mirror again yesterday on a ski trip. I charged in snowy conditions, and it covered and froze on the back window. Instead of scraping, I just used the digital mirror when driving out again. I had to use the washer a couple times, and it worked great making for a nice clear view in the mirror.

 

[R P]

I also enjoyed blasting by all the slow cars and trucks on the hwy on my way up to the ski hill. It was snowing so hard that the snowplows couldn't keep up, and most of the way had at least a couple of inches on the road. But the Solterra acted like a true Subaru AWD and was completely stable when I had to leave the travelled lane to pass the slow vehicles.

The semis had their chains on and were crawling along, but a lot of regular cars, incl SUVs and trucks, were really struggling in the snow, some slid off on the side and got stuck. Not so the Solterra, as even with the OEM tires, it had excellent traction.

 

[ausmjo]

I picked up my Solterra Touring January 18, and I am currently at 3900 miles. My daily commute is approximately 110 miles, three days per week and includes a trip to the coast every other weekend.

The seat is incredibly comfortable and I use the seat heater every moment it is driven (until summer anyway). The step-out height is fantastic for us (cough cough) older drivers.

I am most excited to have the 360 cameras, as that was one feature I regretted losing when moving back to Subaru from Toyota.

It’s such a pretty car, that I find myself staring at it when I return to it in a parking lot. Even with a pretty good layer of dirt and mud on it at this time of year, I’m like a driving billboard for a ‘real off-road EV’.

My biggest concern was having enough charge to drive to the coast without stopping, so I elected for the largest battery. For daily commute, I charge to 80%, and I’m usually around 40% when I drive straight home. This leaves me enough battery to run errands after work and drive home comfortably. Because I live in the hills, my drive home takes the most energy and my drive downhill to work regenerates approximately 10 to 15 miles (which compensates for the drive uphill to get home).

I love having a 220 charger, but now know it would not have been required to charge overnight. It is a little peace of mind in case I don’t have all night to charge. If you still have a backup gas vehicle, that is one expense you may be able to delay.

 

[JayEM]

Yesterday, I was able to take a 140-mile round-trip at highway speeds that I couldn't do in either of my first 2 EVs (without charging mid-trip).

My first EV, a 2014 i3, could not make the one-way trip at highway speeds (which I discovered as I was driving it home the day I bought it - so I had to get off onto the parallel "non-highway" (old route 66) and slow down).

My second EV, a 2019 i3S, could easily make the one-way trip at highway speeds, but I always needed to fast-charge a bit before heading back home.

Yesterday, the Solterra made it both ways at highway speeds (and strong winds) without batting an eyelid. I arrived home with 10% SOC/20 miles left which was no problem. This was the first time the "energy gauge" turned orange - I'm guessing it does that at around 15% SOC???

Next week I'll be taking a longer round-trip (approx. 250 miles, including an overnight stay). It is a lot of fun to drive, very comfortable, very stable. Really liking it a lot.

PS - I really like using the digital rear-view mirror while driving on the highway, makes it easy to tell when it's OK to pull back over to the right after passing a slower-moving vehicle.

 

[KSchneider]

Did you start out at 80% or higher?

 

[JayEM]

Did you start out at 80% or higher?

100%. I didn't want to stop and charge. So, it took from 100 to 10%.

When it's warmer I might be able to make the same trip starting from 90 or 80%.

 

[BinPNW]

I had to do a group call while driving, using wireless CarPlay and WebEx. The speakerphone / microphone system in the cabin is AWESOME. When I asked my co-workers how my voice quality was, someone remarked it was amazingly clear.

On a separate call to my spouse (wireless CarPlay to her iPhone), she was also surprised at how clear the sound was.

Another reason I'm really liking the car (never mind the lower charging speeds and range)

 

[ajpascucci]

Me as well and I hope 🤞 warmer weather brings back the range I have yet to see since delivery of car. 5,500 miles with same ownership time period.