Video: What I Learned Driving the Updated 2026 Subaru Solterra

I've leased one for over a year, and I just spent a week in the 2026 Solterra to see how does it compare to the Ioniq 5? So let's dig in and go through the big differences to help you choose, should you buy the Ioniq 5 or a Solterra? What I'm driving now is the Solterra Touring XT. And that's important because XT is new for 2026 and means 100 extra horsepower. And the 100 extra per horsepower doesn't come at the sacrifice of range, because you're only losing 10 miles of range compared to the base version. EVs are great when it comes to power. You can make a ton of power and not lose a lot of range. But what you do have to know is that there is an all-wheel drive base version with lower horsepower and then the XT is all-wheel drive but with more power. And the XT is what most closely compares to the Ioniq 5 with all wheel drive, and the experience is very, very similar. I'd still give an edge to the Ioniq 5, just with its sharpness of power and how power is delivered just a little bit more cleanly. But overall, the Solterra now very, very close to the Ioniq 5. Where the Ioniq 5 gets the definite advantage, however, is in ride quality. The Ioniq rides very smoothly. It has a much longer wheel base than the Solterra, which still feels a little bumpy. So if you live in an area with rough roads, look around us, we're driving through Chicago right now. I'd say the Ioniq 5 would be the better bet. Now, specifications can be misleading, and on paper, the Ioniq 5 looks like it has a lot more backseat room. But let me tell you, sitting back here, they're very similar. I'm about six feet tall. I'm very comfortable. The seat is positioned where I would drive, and I have a lot of leg room, a lot of knee room. Head room is good too. I'm comfortable back here. And you might see these footprints here. These little footprints, they're not mine. So let's talk about how car seats fit back here too. Right now, the bulkiest car seat that I'm using is a forward-facing convertible for my almost five-year-old, and it fits just as well in the backseat of the Solterra as it does in the Ioniq 5. And not enough room to mitigate some dirty footprints on the seat back, but that's what minivans are for. The front seats are where you're gonna feel the biggest difference between the Ioniq 5 and the Solterra because the Solterra has a very forward-looking, spaceman-like interior, where you have this square steering wheel. You know, it's squircle shape. There's a little bit of curve to it, and that is because the instrument panel with your speedometer and all your important range and efficiency information, it's way up on the dashboard. And I like that because you don't need a higher trim level or an optional head up display like you do on the Ioniq 5 to get that information in your line of sight. Big fan of that. Unfortunately, it comes with the squircle shape of the steering wheel, which gets awkward when you're starting to do hand over hand cornering or just turning. Now, the other part of the interior that doesn't do great things for the Solterra is this massive center console, because it really only has two phone chargers and a gear selector. It doesn't do much else. There's not storage here, and it makes the interior feel smaller than it actually is. It's somewhat claustrophobic in here. You would think that being this cramped would be in a much smaller vehicle, but Subaru Solterra's actually a pretty large vehicle as far as interior space. So that is definitely gonna be a personal preference. Do you want a more futuristic driving experience like you get in the Solterra, or do you just want a normal car that happens to be an EV and you get that in the Ioniq 5. The Solterra has made great improvements to its range and efficiency for 2026. In fact, it's gone from non-competitive at all to having more rated range than the Ioniq 5 in the top trim level and better efficiency, which means it can travel just as far using less energy, and that's impressive for something that hasn't really changed its overall battery architecture. Now, where the Ioniq 5 has a distinct advantage is on the road DC fast charging. Now, both of these cars use a NACS-style Tesla plug, but the Ioniq 5 can charge much faster, and that's gonna be an advantage if you plan to do a road trip. If you need to drive a lot of miles and can't charge at home, it's really a no-brainer when it comes to the Ioniq 5, because we have observed extremely fast charging out in the wild in our testing that match its claims. So Solterra, great if you just want some around town driving. Ioniq 5, still the choice for road trippers. The 2026 Solterra is in a much better position to compete with the Ioniq 5. And if you can get a deal on one, which you may be able to because it's less expensive than the Ioniq 5 in the top trim level, then yeah, I think it's a good alternative to the Hyundai EV. Although there are a couple quirks that you have to watch out for. One, the Ioniq 5 made this mistake in its first couple production years. There's no rear wiper blade on the Solterra, and that becomes an issue when you're driving in rain or snow. It really is an issue, and Hyundai corrected it, but Solterra, still no rear wiper. The other is there's no glove box, like there's no place to store your insurance card or registration information. You have to put everything in the center console storage and it's not that big of a bin. And there are some other things that you need to consider when looking at the Solterra. And if you want to learn more about the Solterra, be sure to check out cars.com/news. (upbeat music)