One year. That’s all you get. Certain features in the 2023 Subaru Solterra deactivate after a year because they’re part of the SubaruConnect services. Most Solterras only receive a one-year trial, meaning owners have access to the feature for only that period. The only way to re-access them? A paid subscription. This remains one of our big quibbles with the Solterra since it essentially locks out features that are otherwise standard on some competitors and don’t demand a monthly fee.
So, what causes the Solterra to lose features? It’s the Connected Services. Since it uses a re-skinned version of Toyota’s infotainment system, certain functions require specific subscriptions. These include Digital Key, which needs a Remote Connect trial or subscription. This also prevents you from scheduling a charge via your smartphone or using the Remote Start feature via your smartphone.
On the other hand, features like the virtual assistant and cloud navigation require a different Connect Service. These require a Drive Connect subscription, which is also needed to use the Traffic Jam Assist feature found on 2024 and newer models. Plus, certain functions have limited functionality without a Wi-Fi Connect trial or subscription. That makes certain features less consistent since some require an internet connection. These include the Digital Key, Cloud Navigation, and the virtual assistant.
2023 Subaru Solterra: Worth the Cost to Subscribe?
How much do the subscriptions cost? Remote Connect with Digital Key starts at $8 per month, while Drive Connect costs $16 per month. Steep for sure. On the other hand, Wi-Fi Connect costs $20 to $25 per month, depending on the plan. Once again, it’s expensive. Subscribe to all three, and you’re looking at around $50 per month. For our needs, that’s not worth it, especially when Apple CarPlay and Android Auto come standard. Using either of those gives you real-time traffic through Apple Maps, Google Maps, or Waze, and allows you to use Gemini/Google Assistant or Siri.
The only outlier is Traffic Jam Assist on 2024 and newer vehicles, which requires an active Drive Connect trial or subscription to use. To sum it up, the system allows you to take your hands off when driving in congested traffic under 25 mph. The car accelerates, slows down, and takes curves on the road as long as you remain attentive. To justify the cost, you’ll need to ask whether the amount of time you spend in traffic is worth subscribing. For those who commute through traffic-prone areas like Downtown Los Angeles, it may bring added convenience. However, for drivers working remotely or who don’t commute through congested areas, that may not be worth it all.
Ultimately, it’s up to you to pay for these Connected Services after their trial ends. In the case of our 2023 Subaru Solterra, we skipped on them because of cost, and they didn’t justify our use case for the vehicle. Instead, we use Apple CarPlay and Android Auto extensively, which remain leagues ahead of most navigation and infotainment platforms developed in-house by a legacy automaker.
Check out more on the SubaruConnect services here.
