Why No One's Buying These // 2024 Subaru Solterra Review
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- Опубліковано 10 лют 2025
- Everyone loves a toaster than makes great toast.
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Somewhere out there is a hairy cardboard engineer screaming "IT'S NOT HAIRY CARDBOARD!!!"
Reply: What else can you call it?
And I have to agree with the engineers here. Clearly, a premium material with or without the 5 o'clock shadow.
I bet there’s a name for that stuff like “Fiberon” or “Fleeceboard” or something.
I can call a turd "pre-fertilizer", but it's still the same material as before.
I was wondering who Harry Cardboard was.
This car is proof of why the Chevy Bolt was such an amazing deal. New Bolts were $25k, same range and charging speed. If the Solterra was $25k it'd be a screaming deal, but for $45k or higher there are better options, gas or EV.
Wasn't the bolt like $50k when it came out?
$37.500
Bolt owner here. I got an awesome deal back in 21, tax credit and $5k on the hood. For what it is, it's a great little hatchback. Not the solution for everyone but charge at home and almost no maintenance in 50k miles.
Those bolts had nothing but problems and recalls and Gm couldn’t even sell them after the lease was up because you can buy a new one for cheaper 😂
And they still didnt survive !
Such a fun channel. I audibly laugh on a car review video. No one else does that for their viewers. From the fun lab coat to the foam finger beat downs to the jokes that are 🔥. Thank you for your content.
AWD system that is made to handle any slight rise in asphalt you might encounter at the local Whole Foods parking lot.
FWIW, that's definitely NOT the same AWD that normal (gas powered) Subarus have. Most models of Subaru could make it up those two hills, the Soltera is a poor example of what a Subaru can do in the dirt. Even the non-turbo 2024 Crosstrek Wilderness would have made short work of either hill, in it's OEM Geolanders.
@@SM-McKraken its an ev toy- my 04 outback handled snow ice rai mud and minor off roading fine- plus was incredibly reliable and comfortable
It's definitely not the same. My impreza rarely had to be shoveled our
@@Sinn3246 my outback better in snow than my suv
@@JustinOpinionChannel that just plain hurts, as I sit in my Chevy bolt in a whole foods parking lot 😁
We bought the Solterra because it’s a real SUV - high clearance and AWD. We live on a country road with mud and rocks and this is perfect for us. The front wheel drive ones aren’t real SUVs at all, and shouldn’t be allowed to call themselves so. The road tyres are a disadvantage, but we’ve had no trouble on our roads (and a few paddocks). We charge it on a granny charger which works fine for regular commutes.
HI from Estoinia. Had the car for 7 months and 11k km. It had -29c to +30c right now. It has had 40cm of wet snow and no problem. Every car has to be used properly;) By thaway... it can spin in the snow like a carowsell. btw... this is my 13th subaru. Most of them has been Imprezas.
Huh? Every car has to be used properly? And? Is there a point in there besides stating the obvious... and common sense? :)
What do you mean it spins like a carrousel? Like it “carves” and stays in track going in circles, or that it is spinning out of control? Can you please explain? I was considering trading in my Ascent for the electric Subaru but not if it sucks for snow and ice driving up to the ski slopes and Mt. Hood!?
I just leased a Touring in Washington state with 0 down for $188 per month. We love it.
Don't believe you.
That blue round Subaru badge on the front makes it looks suspiciously like a Mach E
I thought the same
I think cars have evolved to near End Stage ...a single best solution for shape.
Saw one on the road yesterday and couldn’t figure out what it was. Finally got close enough to see the Subaru badge and laughed at how fake Subaru it looks.
Yep, totally looks like the electric Mustang from the front.
I disagree but I see what you are saying.
100% agree with the idea that Subaru needs to go with a motor for each wheel, or something equally different. They have a real opportunity to stand out.
They better hurry up, because BMW already announced a motor per wheel for the Neue Klasse.
Rivian?
They're too small to do anything that proprietary. That's why this thing is a toyota. When Subaru is finally forced to change from ICE to EV, I'm sure we will see all sorts of unique takes on EVs.
The fabric on the dash is an opportunity for abstract art with coffee and other media of your choosing.
And dirt accumulation, I must add. Perhaps, artistically smeared.
Exactly. I’d have to protect it with some sort of fabric spray protection
Barf....fabric
i was able to drive this as a loaner car for two days. i loved driving it TBH, but i wouldn't buy one new.
i don't understand why on earth they considered 20" tires considering the already low range. fantastic video. many thanks. subscribed
coming as a wrx owner, if it doesn't sound like a tractor going down the road it's not a subaru. at least have the speaker on the bottom make sewing machine sounds instead of the weird ev hum.
Cuz fartz are taken
If they were to do anything like that, they'd likely save it for the potential STi version, and hopefully go full Ionic5 N with it...
Need an option to make that Jetson sky car, pug pug pug sound😂.
This is the best car review I have ever seen on UA-cam. EVER. So much attention to detail, so much information.... This should be the standard...... 10/10.
7:13 The powertrain packaging is adorable, shows how much they lean on the suppliers for this stuff.
I enjoyed the Angel Food Cake audio cameo after the first hill climb attempt!
And thanks for your assessment of character of this vehicle.
I love that Sarah is sooo... tactile. hahaha. If I were blind, I would know exactly what something looked and felt like.
The review was excellent, and it's true that the Subaru Solterra (Touring) is not selling well. But with that said I test drove one last week and absolutely loved it. So I bought it and I couldn't be happier that I did. It may not be great on extremely rough roads and steep dirt inclines, but as a driver I never need to tackle anything like that. I use it for driving around town where its 210 mile range is far more than adequate. I have not needed to charge it since I bought it last week, and my range reading is now just under 190 miles. Overall, I think it's one of the most fun-to-drive cars I have ever owned - and I'm 72 years old and have been owning various cars since I was 18. I think to test drive it is to love it, and before looking elsewhere for an all-electric car (no trips to the gas station!) I suggest you visit a Subaru dealership and take it for a test drive. Only then can you decide if it's a great car for you.
The future of driving...."come on robots figure it out!" Sarah, copyright that line and sell the T shirts to engineers.
My favorite moments are “lift up the giant RC car” and “Give it the E Beans”! 😂
"Come on robots, figure it out"
I admire your resolve of remaining enthusiastic about a vehicle as uninspiring as this. I look forward to more of your reviews.
Love the specifications heavy delivery of commentary. You do this like no one else! Very impressive!
I think it's cool that they made a black and white one to match your outfit👍
That bZ4X "falling wheels" punch was smooth af!
Enjoyed your subtle joke on the importance of correctly torquing the wheel nuts.
which is weird because it only affected toyota and only like 6 cars, and it was caught before they made it to customers (i think). Nice burn... not.
Had a 4x4 Justy I bought in 80's. Sold it was 380,000 miles. Girl drove it from NC to California. Prior to that a Subie Wagon; the front emblem flipped up as a fog light... heck yeah, keep Subaru funky.
Just for the hill climb test, I’m giving you an appreciation note of 11/10! 😂 Loved it!
The hill climb was like watching people try to run up the wall on the Ninja Warrior course 😂
for real LOL
And everybody would say to wear the appropriate shoes when doing it, not flip flops (like the car figuratively had on. Lol)
[Before watching review] I own multiple Subarus and love them, but have never been less interested in a vehicle than the Solterra. Let's see what Sarah has to say.
"Let's see if removing the boxer engine from a Toyota still makes it a Subaru" *that's why I subscribe*
The range on this thing is the killer. 220 miles? In the US this brand is sold as an adventure/wilderness vehicle you can take camping in the mountains. If you thought range anxiety is bad on the highway, it would be worse out in the woods.
Honestly, watching the video, I kept forgetting that it was a Subaru until I saw a badge. No Subaru quirkiness, so what's the point?
@@illegal_space_alien it's literally a Toyota bZ4 with a Subaru logo and the Eyesight system / AWD / X-mode
@@bridgecross Exactly. And I hate the Subaru Eyesight system. I got my Crosstrek and was glad the 6-speed manual didn't have it as an option.
Just bring a solar array with you. Easy peasy
@@pmscalisi Sure, just takes three days to fully charge 😁
“Character matters!”
Indeed indeed.
Not when you have to pay for it.
This is what I vall a technical overview,
quite deep indeed, not only gadgets and confort features about .
Love this channel ❤
2023's with barely any miles are going for ~$28k from Hertz. No need to pay $40-50k for a brand new one.
Its the same in almost every industry, dont buy the current year, buy the previous or even older. Usually they try to get rid of those as fast as possible and you should be able to get even better deals than originally offered
See, at that price, they might actually be worth it if it fits your needs. But at $40-50K, its just ridiculous.
The last CEO of Hertz had to resign over the fiasco of Hertz's heavy push into EV's.
Serves him right.
Go Woke, Go Broke.
@@berniemadoff7837EV is the future. There's no doubt about that. But pushing early ... ? That's a gamble for any company buying big piles of vehicles.
As a WRX owner, I personally love this car. It allowed Subaru to comply with CAFE standards enough to release one last ICE WRX and a bunch of torque monster turbo crossovers before they go HEV/EV for their entire lineup.
We lease a SOLTERRA and we are happy with it
That's what I am looking to do.
Us too. Best lease deal out there right now. Fantastically lowest out-of-pocket and operating cost way to have a 2nd or 3rd family car.
Sarah: "Brisk summer day in Canada" LMAO From Wasaga Beach Ontario, Canada. ;)
Great video! Appreciated the humor and I like the way you say ‘Aluminum’ and ‘button’.
Subaru referring to that as Symmetrical All Wheel Drive, is like how Audi still refers to the variety of different AWD systems in their lineup as Quattro. Both have now become merely marketing abstractions, which devalue the technical merit of their original drivetrain technologies.
Sure, like how the GM Oldsmobile "Rocket" engines devalued all of the hard work done by actual rocket engineers.
just like Ford calling a useless EV that's currently bankrupting the brand a Mustang fyi even at the very expensive price of the mustang mach-e they are losing money selling it to you but they don't have a choice they are blackmailed into making them
Like how its clearly marked where you can jack it from. Nice 😊
This is just a compliance car. It’s not really meant for mass sales. It only exists so Toyota and Subaru can sell cars in California.
Japanese car companies do not want to make EV's. I am very happy with my VW ID.4.
You nailed it! I KNEW that there was intelligent life in this message thread!
Many of these driving around the PNW. Wasn't expecting the frequent sightings.
Not realy, those kind of requirements are gone. That was the case a decade ago, now that EVs number go way beyond compliant needs. It has nothing to with CARB.
@@eskieman3948 Yet the statement is wrong, no such CARB requirements exist anymore. A few BEVs won't do much to contribute to corporate average.
i like this car, just saw one at the store and had to see a review, your review is nice, thank you, the motor at each wheel is exactly correct, and not having smart AWD control is exactly correct
Weight of batteries will always play a roll in the hill climbs, while I agree the tires are trash for that purpose - weight also plays a role and why all EVs will struggle.
I would say the average driver today is looking for an appliance. But this one was less range than a Chevy bolt Which can be had for almost half the price of this. If toyota put their mind to it properly they could blow away the industry but they're not in that.
I would say the average driver has always been looking for/treated their vehicle like an appliance. Enthusiasts are but a tiny sliver of the car buying market.
There is nothing inherently wrong with boring transportation appliances, especially when the goal is to get to work or buy groceries.
They are uninspiring though.
@@mikespangler98 Agreed. As we say on this side of the pond. "Dull as dishwater"!
It’s expensive because of US Tariffs
Josh from "Josh's Cars of Japan" YT Channel explains the currently insane prices of Toyotas as necessary to fund the electrified Lexus suite they are developing. If that logic holds true, the bad BZ4x will give way to more appealing choices in the future, fingers crossed!
In the uphill, I don't think it's the tires. If it's purely tires problem, all 4 wheels should be doing limited spinning alternately, trying to get a grip. But the car didn't do this. It just relied on the same wheel over and over, even though it's clearly not working. The "robot" is dumb.
A well-balanced, funny-made evaluation! 😃👍
Thanks for the review, I own one (an offer I could not refuse...) and it suits my type of usage. I charge it a couple of times per week to 80% at home. EV's are the future of private mobility vs public transport. And Subaru and Toyota should and will come up with better models. I will probably trade it in for a smaller model in a couple of years.
I find it nice to look at, nimble and comfortable to drive, safe as colision test and driving position are concerned. That said, I was hoping you got it up the hill....
All it needs is the right price
Nice review, and you included a number of details that I have not seen elsewhere.
However, do note that the unit you pointed to around 7:30 and identified as the front electric motor assembly is in fact the Electricity Supply Unit (built in onboard traction battery charger/DC-DC converter). The front motor is much deeper (to line up with the wheels).
Thanks for this unboxering video!
I see what you did there
I bought one. It goes 0-60 in 6 secs, has the best ride and comfort and is nimble and responsive. Much better than my Forester.
Ok this is my favorite UA-cam channel and Sarah is my favorite UA-camr. Will join Pantheon soon
When you suggested that Subaru do something meaningful and EV unique (like a four engine solution)- I loved that. It was like you were truly hoping that Subaru might hear your sincerity and let's hope they do!
Electric cars like this one are the 8-track tape player of the automotive world.
That is an insult to the 8 track.
People who think EV's are real cars probably also prefer doing it with sex bots as opposed to having real sex.
@@shaunm8692hahaha spoken like a true mechanic
@@shaunm8692 Oh, bless your heart. Are you okay?
I'm switching to a lease and think I'll just enjoy this for what it is. hopefully Subaru hits all the marks in their next version on an EV by the time my 3 year lease is up. thanks for the honest review!
watching that car trying to climb the hill is like watching a turtle trying roll back up right.
Was a stupid test. The turtle had the wrong flippers on.
That outside sound speaker puts out a vibe of a Christmas song stuck on one note. Like bells tolling...
A future Jetson's tone... That original tone sounded like an early Volkswagen Beetle exhaust. haha
Thanks for another cool review!🌻🐧
Thank you for doing an honest and more technical review. Most reviewers drive one of these around a city, gush over them, and would never take it off pavement. Sounds like that it has mediocre range, poor ride quality, expensive tires, and little traction in less than ideal conditions; way to go Toyoru.
And shitty brakes.
It's easy to see why your foam hands keep breaking 😂 You're going to deform that chassis by tapping so hard on the batteries 🤣
Something that I haven't seen any testers do is showing the rearseats-down capacity. I can car camp in my 2020 VW Tiguan. One thing I checked when shopping for a new SUV was whether I can sleep fully stretched out. How about a 6 ft tall mannequin in the back to give a comparison? I know not all SUVs have that space allowance, but it could be a factor when looking for something new that people may be interested in. Thanks for a great channel!
"Removing a boxer engine from a Toyota, still makes it a Subaru." ZING!
That's what this abomination is, a de-boxered Toyota. And then, they committed stolen valor by putting the Symmetrical All Wheel badge on it. Less off-road capability than a 4banger Legacy.
Best video I have seen on the Solterra ,Extremelly detailed
The ioniq 5n is making waves as a fantastic enthusiast EV. Can't wait for your review on it
Doubt I’ll get one to review, Hyundai seems to be relying on using influencers for advertising.
@@SarahnTuned 😔 I'm sorry we're sucking so bad at not making Hyundai and Porsche deliver you some cars.
@@herlegz6969 I take full responsibility. Newb to the channel.
@@SarahnTuned That probably means there's something wrong with it. Otherwise, they wouldn't have to be peddling their wares with paid influencers rather than honest reviewers.
I wonder what would happen if you put geolandar tires on, if it might improve the off road
-22F is a nice spring day. Might not be able to wear shorts and flip-flops. 😂
I test drove one a while ago and also thought that it had no interesting characteristics - just an appliance. Thanks for the great review.
Sarah - As far as 'Paddle shifters' in an Electric car goes.. You wanna try get your tidy tush in a Hyundai Ioniq 5 N... From what I've seen (Hagarty & Throttle House etc), you'll have A LOT OF FUN! - Proper feeling gear changes, 'Lugs' in 5th/6th in lower gears, bouncin' off 'Red line', 'proper 'Shoves' when changing gears etc, turns out Hyundai have REALLY done some excellent stuff making that car (when you set in the right mode) like a proper ICE car... 🤔😏👍
😎🇬🇧
OK I found out your "Secret" didn't exactly know how to deal with it for a day or so but then I saw this video and thought it won't hurt to watch it. Turns out I was right your clips are as enjoyable as always Thanks for doing what you do now all you have to do is talk Subaru into making the STI version
You can lease these toasters for $169 a month now. However, even at that absurdly low rate, I can't find any reason to
We did it to get through the stay-at-home college years our family has left while minimizing out-of-pocket ($0 down) and cost-of-operation (free charging at one workplace; $0 “gas” bill) for the duration.
Interesting result: Everyone preferentially chooses to drive the EV over our two ICE if all three are available at a given time! That was unexpected.
I was interested at first when they released. But, then I saw the range and price. That killed it immediately.
I remember the Justy hatchback, what a great little car that was. With its 4WD and skinny tires, it would have climbed up your off-road hill easily.
I had a Justy as a work car for 8 years and loved that thing, it would go anywhere I was the only one that made it out of Dayton Ohio during the worst blizzard they have ever had.
My fiancé in 2001 had a Subaru Impreza 2dr back when they were tiny. It was basically unstoppable in the snow.
Justy. Vermont winters. "Straight up" snow and ice-covered dirt roads. No issues whatsoever.😊
'That's my tripod, not an Enderman'. You're awesome!
Another super professional and excellent review
The hatch opening sounds like a spaceship, I mean that was pretty cool 😂
boxerless? i call that going commando
These are great reviews! You always find the best weird details and design choices
Subaru should put some broken piston rings in the glovebox for that boxer nostalgia...
It’s also missing the constant oil leaks. Lol
The shattered remains of a graphite head gasket
They can't, there is no glovebox....lol
@@JPJCH1 Wait where the heck am I going to store my driving gloves...?
As a Subaru owner, I agree with this statement.
Been a while since I've watched your channel. Forgot how much I super enjoy your reviews. Cheers!
I hope the divorced spring finds a soul mate.
Great and fun review and rundown. I'm holding off for my first EV to be the APTERA.
Heartbreaking not seeing a Subaru make that hill!
0:48 that's a dealbreaker for sure 😅 appreciate the detail you did for this review!
Over priced and looks like a Chevy bolt
Too many gadgets to go .... wrong
Great review! I suspect I know why I still have yet to see one of these. Love your channel
Everyone thought digital watches were g oing to take over the world, cd, mp3 players, all supposed to be superior. Well, Im still wearing a mechanical watch and would rather listen to LPs than silly CDs. By the looks of record sales, I'm not alone. People are, like you said, slowly realizing " character" matters.
Although I agree, let's not pretend a gas Chevy Traverse or something has any more character than this heap of junk
I'm wearing a digital watch with a supercomputer and the entire internet inside. I don't hate it.
Nah. The rest of us find your collection and LP ceremony …quaint. The days of vast displays of alphabetically sorted albums in bargain stores and palaces of music are gone. That’s the evidence. Just like cameras. The smartphone’s supplanted both solutions. You can be a character if you want, but I like the 80 million songs in my pocket.
But then again, if you look at music streaming numbers and smartwatch sales… they were right! The technology just evolved with its popularity. I should say myself, I collect vinyl and appreciate character like you do. But EVs are a great fit for many people, who don’t need “character” in a car which just needs to commute. There’s some impressive engineering going on in this field and it would be a shame to miss it.
Not everybody can wear a $6000 mechanical watch, not even a cheap $600 one. You may be wearing a mechanical watch with character, but it "survived" because it went upmarket as a luxury item. "Character" in this example just means you're rich.
The best part about this car is...the yellow pointer you were using was perfect.
if there are no head gaskets or ringlands to fail, is it really a subaru
i find your pronunciation of ‘aluminium’ adorable.
and your show rocks!
Sara the best looking automotive reviewer. Nice!
The kei cars in Japan use little inlines like the Justy still; but, the Justy was definitely the last one in the US that didn't have a boxer.
Unlike most modern cars, I actually like how the front end looks!
Love your humor and wit!
RC Car - I love it
Luv the reviews. Needs the nerdy glaases
Thank you , Sarah!!
Sarah the thing I noticed most about the Solterra is how pretty your eyes are 😍
Battery drain at high speed is due to air resistance. The air resistance is not linear with increased speed, it is squared.
Thank you Sarah, for adding the Mi/kWh graphic for economy. It's the gold standard for comparing fuel economy on ev vehicles (in the USA at least).
Agreed. Around town I regularly get 4.0-4.5 mi/kWh in mine, but 2.5 kWh on the highway (it happily goes 100 mph before you realize it). When people ask, I always say Subaru made it drive fantastic, but Toyota made it horribly annoying inside and out (especially the software).
@@default7950 I see between 3.3 and 3.6 on my highway warm season trips. Cold temperatures and extreme high speed will drop it lower though.
I like how technical you get and the attention you give to details other reviewers never mention. really speaks to my autistic brain :p
also a little tired of always seeing men talk about cars on youtube. so im even more happy to have found this channel
One side effect of how poorly received this car is: in Vancouver we have the highest gas prices in Canada, but cheap electricity and a lot of rich people... so a pretty high EV uptake rate in general. The Subaru dealers have PLENTY of Solterras, and I can only imagine is that corporate allocation is stuffing them here because they have the a higher chance of selling here.
They have to be trying to pawn these off at way lower than stickdr. Who would want one.
lively yet succinct review with information takeaways. Great job - and I agree with your assessments. this hybrid mishmash does not make it a Subaru.
"Toyobaru." LOL!!!
I love that this comment has the link to "Translate to English" on it. hahahaha
Or Subayota
I am reviewing one of these tomorrow, in the UK the base Solterra is over £52k and the Touring is over £55,000 before options.
Its such a shame to see Subaru reduced to selling appliances. I hope they can come up with a unique design concept, if not, I fear they may disappear forever.
Toyota is destroying them. They have too much control over the company.
They’re broke with the current state of the Japanese currency. Reduced to begging from Toyota to survive and focused on their very meh infotainment system.
@@NatesRandomVideo Toyota has them exactly were they want them.
Spot-on, and wonderful review. Love the channel!!!!
Long-time and current subaru owner here. Had a chance to test drive a Solterra at an event not too long ago. It's a reasonably nice car. I like where Subaru is going with the design aspect for the driver experience. The dashboard makes sense going forward for all vehicles. Forward-mounted guages are really nice and gives you a sense of more driver space. The ride was nothing to write home about outside of it felt like a regular Subaru just missing the torquey boxer engine. Accelleration was snappy enough for a regular SUV/crossover for it's class. I do agree with the general consensis about the price. If it were offered starting at 25K minimal options, no doubt EV adopters would beat a path to any Subaru dealership. +40K for a car that's just Par is not what we're really after. Par should start at 20K and move up the scale. With Chinese EVs hitting the market just a hair over 10K, no doubt we'll see some hopefully healthy competition in the coming years with lower prices, and better offerings per dollar.
You touch on one reason we chose to lease this over other EV’s: It has actual instrument cluster behind steering wheel where it belongs and buttons for things like HVAC, defoggers, etc.
The way many (most?) EV’s - and even some ICE - put everything through center mounted touchscreen is abhorrent!