We’ve come to the end of our time with the 2023 Subaru Solterra. We initially acquired this to allow my mom to experience a battery-electric vehicle and see if it fits her needs. Coming from a 2020 Forester, the similarly-sized Solterra wasn’t a big change, save for a couple of factors like the power and driving dynamics. It also helped that it leased so well. Now, we’ve arrived at the end of this trial period of sorts. Did we like living with this all-electric Toyobaru SUV? Heck yes.
2023 Subaru Solterra: Car-Like Drive
The biggest change going from gas to an EV is the power. Although the 2023 Solterra only has 214 hp and 249 lb-ft of torque, it delivers it instantly. Don’t let the output fool you. It gets out of the way, passes slower traffic, and gets up grades with ease. Our old Forester with a naturally aspirated 2.5-liter boxer-four couldn’t do those things as effortlessly as the Solterra. Best of all, the efficiency was higher than we expected. We consistently got 4 miles per kWh or higher in our Solterra, allowing is to beat the EPA’s 222-mile estimate and go 250 miles per charge.
Its ride and handling balance became one of our favorite aspects, too. Good body control and agility gave everyone who drove the Solterra confidence in emergency maneuvers. The accurate steering also helped, especially in city driving or maneuvering in tight spaces. Mom appreciated the Solterra’s car-like road manners, particularly on the freeway. She enjoyed the elevated seating position mixed with the accessible power, as did everyone else who got behind the wheel. On the other hand, the comfortable ride made the Solterra a great companion no matter the length of the drive.
Charge At Home
When it came time to charge, we plugged in at home. However, when we did juice up in public, we timed it with our lunch breaks. Unfortunately, the 2023 Solterra doesn’t have the best DC charging performance. Its peak rate tops out at 100 kW and the 10 to 80 percent recharge took an hour or so under ideal conditions. During our time with it, we never saw it hit 100 kW, with the highest rate being 86 kW. On the bright side, the Solterra can charge at select V3 and V4 Tesla Superchargers with an adapter or the built-in Magic Dock, giving you more accessible public charging points.
Because it has the 72.8-kWh CATL battery, it did not receive the same improvements as the Panasonic pack in examples found in other markets, as well as the front-drive Toyota bZ4X and Lexus RZ 450e. As a result, it was limited to two DC charging sessions per day. The cars with the Panasonic battery received an upgrade that increased that limit to three. Thankfully, all cars received major improvements that made it easier to help improve charging speeds plus several other key changes. Still, the 2023 model lagged behind the 2024 and newer models when it came DC charging.
2023 Subaru Solterra: Did We Dislike Anything?
Although we like the Solterra a lot, that doesn’t mean we liked everything. Yep, we have quibbles! The first one is the lack of EV route planning. Even with a Drive Connect subscription, which enables Cloud Navigation, the interface won’t add the necessary charging stops to get to your destination. You must add it yourself or use a third party app like a A Better Route Planner. We think adding this would greatly enhance the overall ownership experience.
Additionally, the 2023 to 2025 Solterra does not include battery preconditioning, which brings the battery to the ideal temperature for DC charging. This is another helpful that should’ve been included with the car from the start and may have negated the needed for these daily DC charging limits. Thankfully, the 2026 and new models, along with the rest of Subaru’s EV lineup, have battery preconditioning, which you can activate manually or automatically by putting in a DC charging station as a destination. No add that EV route planning will ya?!
As for other quibbles, the infotainment system had a tendency to forget devices paired via Bluetooth. This means reconnecting every so often to use wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Additionally, the interface was slow to respond, making it more distracting to use, especially with all of the touch-sensitive controls. Subaru and Toyota solved this somewhat on the 2026 models by making the 14-inch touchscreen from the Lexus RZ standard. Although that has knobs for certain functions, other controls now reside within that display.
Finally, we have Proactive Driving Assist, a component on the Solterra’s version of EyeSight. Simply put, it needs better tuning for EVs and hybrids. The system must use regenerative braking to slow down to help improve efficiency. Using the mechanical brakes wastes energy that the car can recuperate.
A Great Test of the Waters
We added the 2023 Subaru Solterra to our garage to see if my mom would like driving an EV. Turns out, she loves it. At the end of our three-year lease, she wants another one and this time for keeps. In fact, everyone in our house loves the Solterra. It has a nice blend of versatility, size, and flexibility, as well as the comfort of a compact SUV. No, it’s not the most exciting thing to drive, nor is it the most technologically advanced. What is it? The most approachable EV on the market because it feels so normal. That’s why we love it.
Now, you may ask, what’s replacing it? Well, you’ll need to wait and see. We will provide a hint: it’s another Subaru.
