Bit of a conundrum here. The battery-powered Subaru in our driveway, the Solterra, debuted in 2023 as a 2024 model; there are essentially no changes from ’24 to 2025;  yet the 2026 will already be the second-generation Solterra, and it’s so close to delivery that it’s now front and center on Subaru’s media website. Subaru has had enough ‘issues’ with the first-gen Solterra and is eager to move on to version 2.0. 

Thus there’s little point in devoting gallons of ink (electrons?) to reviewing a car that’s now got one wheel in the grave, as it were. There were two primary issues with this Solterra: The first was that Subaru had to halt sales shortly after its debut because of a possibility that the wheels could come off, especially under hard braking. 

(On top of this was the shortage in semiconductors brought on by the pandemic and global supply-chain failures, a huge problem not just for Subaru but for all carmakers, at least those whose vehicles are crammed with electronic systems. Right, all carmakers.)

The possibility of self-detaching wheels was, clearly, not good. But it was a relatively easy fix, production eventually resumed and the stop-sale order was lifted. Then came issue No. 2, the Solterra’s mediocre range, which reportedly drops significantly in cold weather. This was compounded by a lackluster driving experience—with only 215 horsepower from two electric motors, a few unkind reviewers dubbed it the Subaru Snooze—and a high MSRP.

All Subaru could do was pull out a clean sheet of paper for Gen-2, the 2026 Solterra that’s now waiting in the wings, and in the meantime cut the present car’s price by as much as $7,000. That helped. In March, Subaru reported a sales record of 71,478 vehicles, a jump of 16.6% overall that included a whopping 158% sales increase for the Solterra. Encouraging, that—even if it amounted to only 1,154 units sold in the US. Subaristas want to like the Solterra.

So our expectations were not sky-high when this vehicle arrived—but, after such an Edsel-like rollout, our curiosity was. The Solterra turns out to be a likable and livable car, if not necessarily one to drive from Portland to Portland in February. It’s pleasant, comfortable, dead quiet and roomy enough for ferrying mooring equipment and boat bags to the harbor. As a Subie must, it has all-wheel drive and some off-road capability. It does not have the massive feel of some EVs, with their heavy battery packs. 

The Solterra is built at a Toyota plant in Japan, which complicates but does not completely erase the present $7,500 federal tax credit for electric vehicles (which may not survive the Trump ‘Administration’ anyway). Toyota holds a 20% stake in Subaru and the two companies have joint-ventured several vehicles; the Solterra is very like the Toyota bz4X EV, only much easier to say. 

In top-of-the-range Touring trim, our example was well equipped with convenience and safety features. The sticker price, as equipped and including $1,345 in destination fees, was $54,558. A base-model 2025 Solterra now lists for just about $40K, before any tax credits. 

We’ll conclude with the same observation we made about the soon-to-be-replaced Hyundai Palisade: If you can find a Subaru store with leftover ‘25s it needs to move to make room for the all-new 2026 Solterra—and if the present car meets your driving needs—get in there and haggle. 

Next week: Hyundai Ioniq 5