Subaru makes an EV apparently

[KrisZ]

Visiting CA this week and I’ve got an EV as a rental. Given that my hotel has free charging and I don’t do a lot of miles, it’s a logical choice. Plus I don’t have to fill it up at the end.

But I got a Subaru Solterra. I’ve never heard of it before.
From the outside it’s a pretty good looking vehicle IMO, but that’s pretty much it as far as I’m concerned.
The interior is a cheap mess of plastics and weird design choice that were only meant to look futuristic I guess, but living with it would be a no go.

First the steering wheel is super low and when you move it up, it blocks the front gauges. They obviously knew about this stupid design decision because they programmed the seat to move backwards when you shut off the car to help with the ingress and egress.

The center console while huge, has no storage under the armrest and only provides some storage underneath. And there is no glovebox!

The dashboard are is covered in some me type of heavily textured cloth material and there are lots of crevices for dust and dirt to accumulate. Cleaning it will be a challenge IMO.

The range is only 200 miles on a full charge and driving it 3 miles, it went down by 10. It was 59f in the morning so I guess the heater was eating up the battery.

Oh, and when you use the turn signals, they sound as if you were breaking a chicken bone, it brought back memories of my old Chevy Corsica

Not an impressive showing from Subaru IMO. But it does check the EV box for the investors I guess.

 

[Vercingetorix]

It’s a Toyota underneath.

 

[Leo99]

It’s a Toyota underneath.

Yes, it's a Toyota and not their best effort.

 

[Quattro Pete]

Subaru makes an EV apparently​

They have 3 EVs right now: Uncharted, Solterra, Trailseeker, and a fourth one on the way (Getaway). All are Toyota clones, I think.

 

[DemoFly]

It’s a Toyota underneath.

Pretty true for the bulk of Subarus for a decade.

 

[KrisZ]

Well that explains the cheap interior. Thanks Toyota!

 

[Finklejag]

Same cluster as the Prius. Yep, the steering wheel blocks the cluster. I don’t know who at Toyota approved this combo?

 

[The Critic]

Well that explains the cheap interior. Thanks Toyota!

It drives like an electric version of the Prius I used to own -- about 15 years outdated.

 

[Brons2]

I know someone considering the Lexus version of the same platform, think it's the RZ. Used not new.

She has one of those tiny BMWs with the range extender currently, I think it's the i3. The AC is broken and she doesn't want to fix it. Her kid will take the i3. So considering where she's coming from, I think the relatively slow charging and limited range should be ok with her.

 

[JeffKeryk]

I know someone considering the Lexus version of the same platform, think it's the RZ. Used not new.

She has one of those tiny BMWs with the range extender currently, I think it's the i3. The AC is broken and she doesn't want to fix it. Her kid will take the i3. So considering where she's coming from, I think the relatively slow charging and limited range should be ok with her.

My neighbors are probably turning in their leased Bolt and getting a used RZ. That's the smart way to buy. Not sure the RZ is a great EV, but it's a Lexus and they won't travel in it. Probably perfect for them, dunno.

 

[Brons2]

My neighbors are probably turning in their leased Bolt and getting a used RZ. That's the smart way to buy. Not sure the RZ is a great EV, but it's a Lexus and they won't travel in it. Probably perfect for them, dunno.

Yeah, for someone who's just commuting with it, the slow level 3 charging and limited range are not really an issue.

 

[Torrid]

Yes, it's a Toyota and not their best effort.

It's sad. Toyota kills it in the hybrid category, but I have no interest in a hybrid. They just don't seem to take EVs seriously though.

 

[Leo99]

It's sad. Toyota kills it in the hybrid category, but I have no interest in a hybrid. They just don't seem to take EVs seriously though.

The new version is supposed to be better. The new RAV4 is pretty sharp so the new EV better be a lot better than the old EV.

 

[bdc101]

It strikes me as the kind of car that was designed by a combination of focus groups and AI

 

[Finklejag]

 

[macarose]

The best owner for a Solterra/bZ4X is someone who does a lot of local driving.

The Toyota version that's sold in the EU has the strongest battery warranty in the entire industry. 10 years or 1,000,000 km. That actually protects you from any level of degradation that is under 70%.

I think it's actually a great choice for people who have a miserable commute... if they live in a temperate climate. The heater along with cold weather knocks out about a third of the range.

If you live where it's warm, drive tons of miles, and can deal with the ergonomics it's a good buy. Especially if you don't care about cars as anything other than a transportation appliance. The Subaru versions do go for less than the Toyotas. So few know about the Solterra. Even Subaru loyalists don't know they exist, and Toyota still gets a small premium thanks to their strong hybrid halo.