2023 Subaru Solterra vs. 2022 Volkswagen ID.4

2023 Subaru Solterra ・ Photo by Subaru

The 2022 Volkswagen ID.4 is an all-electric crossover that offers a choice of rear-wheel or all-wheel drive and a newly extended range of up to 280 miles per charge. It’s available in a choice of three trims with plenty of room for cargo and good standard safety and technology features.

The 2023 Subaru Solterra is an all-new all-electric crossover that makes its debut this model year. It is available only with all-wheel drive and a range of up to 228 miles per charge. It too comes in three trims with a good set of standard features. Let’s take a closer look at these two EVs to see which is the better of the two.

Three Trims for Each

The Volkswagen ID.4 is available in three trims. The base price is $40,760 with the top trim in the lineup coming in at $47,670. Standard features include a 10.0-inch infotainment touchscreen, 6-way power adjustable front seats. and wireless smartphone charging to eliminate cord clutter.

The Subaru Solterra is also available in three trims with a starting price of $44,995 for the base Premium. The Touring, which sits at the top of the lineup, is $51,995. Standard features include all-wheel drive, X-Mode with Grip Control, and an 8.0-inch infotainment touchscreen. The ID.4 wins for its more affordable pricing across the lineup.

: Volkswagen ID.4

Photo by Volkswagen

A Clear Leader When It Comes to Performance

The Solterra is available with all-wheel drive only and a total of 215 net system horsepower. It delivers strong acceleration with ample power for passing at highway speeds.

The ID.4 delivers 201 horsepower in rear-wheel drive models, which falls short of the Solterra, but there’s also the option for all-wheel drive. Choosing all-wheel drive increases performance significantly to 295 horsepower. This makes the ID.4 a more responsive option and one that is more fun to drive.

: Volkswagen ID.4

Photo by Volkswagen

Only One Is Ready to Off Road

There’s a choice of rear-wheel or all-wheel drive in the ID.4 for those who want improved handling on bad roads. Whether you’re managing rain-slicked highways or winter’s worst, choosing all-wheel drive improves the driving experience. This EV is not, however, designed to manage off-roading.

The Solterra, with its standard all-wheel drive, does offer off-road capability. There’s 8.3 inches of ground clearance for navigating uneven terrain and the full lineup includes X-Mode with Grip Control. This improves off-road handling and makes it possible to tackle steep hills with confidence It also has hill descent control to make the trip back down just as easy.

: Subaru Solterra

Photo by Subaru

Which Has the Longest Range?

There’s a range of 222 miles per charge in the top two trims of the Solterra, but the base trim gives you a bit more with 228 miles per charge. It’s a solid range that is easily capable of handling a day’s driving for most people. Only on longer trips will that short range prove a challenge with more frequent stops required to charge-up and continue on your way.

The Volkswagen ID.4 delivers 251 miles per charge with all-wheel drive. It does even better with rear-wheel drive delivering up to 280 miles per charge. Especially if your plans often call for road trips, the ID.4 will let your go further before you have to stop to replenish the battery.

: Volkswagen ID.4

Photo by Volkswagen

Charged Up and Ready to Go

Both EVs can use Level 1, Level 2, and DC fast charging to top off the battery. That makes it easier to find someplace to charge, but charging times are quite different for each vehicle. The Solterra takes about 56 minutes to charge from 10 to 80 percent at a DC fast charger or 9 hours at a Level 2 charger.

The ID.4 can add 62 miles of range at a fast charger in just 10 minutes with a time of 38 minutes to go from 5 to 80 percent. It’s also faster at a Level 2 charger where it takes only 7.5 hours to fully charge. The ID.4 lets you get back on your way more quickly, which makes a big difference on longer drives.

: Volkswagen ID.4

Photo by Ron Sessions

Room for Everyone

There’s seating for five people in the Solterra with comfortable, supportive seats and plenty of room to spread out. The rear seats accommodate three but are best with just two on longer road trips. There’s good legroom, but headroom is only 35.3 inches, which may be too low for taller passengers.

The ID.4 also seats five people with an open and airy interior. It doesn’t have as sloped a roofline as the Solterra, so it has more rear seat headroom with 37.9 inches. That makes the ID.4 a better choice if you plan to frequently make use of those rear seats.

: Volkswagen ID.4

Photo by Volkswagen

Room to Stow Your Stuff

There’s up to 29.0 cubic feet for cargo behind the rear seats of the Subaru Solterra. Those seats also split-fold 60/40 for more versatility when you have longer cargo or want to make use of the rear seat for passengers at the same time.

The Volkswagen ID.4 has 30.3 cubic feet for cargo behind its rear seats, which lets you carry a bit more. The less sloped roofline of the ID.4 also makes it easier to stow bulky items where the roofline of the Solterra, with its stronger slope, can make that a challenge.

: Volkswagen ID.4

Photo by Volkswagen

Infotainment That’s Easy to Use

The base Volkswagen ID.4 has a standard 10.0-inch infotainment touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, navigation, and wireless smartphone charging with a 6-speaker audio system. A 12.0-inch touchscreen is standard on the rest of the lineup.

The Subaru Solterra has only an 8.0-inch touchscreen for its base trim along with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto while the rest of the lineup gets a 12.3-inch touchscreen. Although that base screen size is smaller, the system itself is much easier to use. It also offers fantastic voice control that’s easily activated by saying, “Hey, Subaru.” The ease of use offered by the Subaru system gives it the win.

: Subaru Solterra

Photo by Subaru

Extensive Standard Safety for Both

There’s no shortage of safety features on either of these vehicles. The ID.4 includes standard automatic emergency braking, blind-spot alert, rear cross-traffic alert, full-speed adaptive cruise control, lane-departure alert, lane-keeping assist, and forward collision and pedestrian warning.

The Solterra also delivers a strong suite of standard safety features that includes emergency steering assist, lane departure prevention, dynamic radar cruise control with steering assist, blind-spot monitoring, safe exit assist, rear cross-traffic alert with brake support, and intersection collision avoidance. It’s close, but we give this one to Subaru for its new safe exit assist, which helps keeps passengers from exiting the car in front of an oncoming vehicle.

: Subaru Solterra

Photo by Subaru

And the Winner Is…

These are two well-matched vehicles for those looking to make the move to electric, but the Volkswagen ID.4 comes out ahead. It charges more quickly, has a longer range, and is more affordably priced for tight budgets.

The Subaru Solterra has a superior infotainment system, unique safety features, and is more off-road capable. Standard all-wheel drive with X-Mode lets you take this SUV over terrain the Volkswagen simply cannot manage, but overall, the ID.4 comes out ahead.

: Volkswagen ID.4

Photo by Volkswagen