Compare the2023 Volkswagen ID.4VS 2023 Subaru Solterra

The ID.4’s pre-crash front seatbelts will tighten automatically in the event the vehicle detects an impending crash, improving protection against injury significantly. The Solterra doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

Both the ID.4 and Solterra have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The ID.4 has power child safety locks, allowing the driver to activate and deactivate them from the driver's seat and to know when they're engaged. The Solterra’s child locks have to be individually engaged at each rear door with a manual switch. The driver can’t know the status of the locks without opening the doors and checking them.

Both the ID.4 and the Solterra have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, post-collision automatic braking systems, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, driver alert monitors and available around view monitors.

For its top level performance in IIHS driver and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, side impact, roof strength and head restraint tests, its standard vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention system, its standard vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention system, and its standard headlight’s “Good” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the ID.4 its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2022, a rating granted to only 126 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Solterra has not been fully tested, yet.

The ID.4 comes with a full 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck. The Solterra’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 14,000 miles sooner.

Volkswagen’s powertrain warranty covers the ID.4 3 years and 40,000 miles longer than Subaru covers the Solterra. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 8 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the Solterra ends after only 5 years or 60,000 miles.

The ID.4’s corrosion warranty is 2 years longer than the Solterra’s (7 vs. 5 years).

Volkswagen pays for scheduled maintenance on the ID.4 for 2 years and 20,000 miles. Volkswagen will pay for oil changes, lubrication and any other required maintenance. Subaru doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the Solterra.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Volkswagen vehicles are more reliable than Subaru With 9 fewer problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, J.D. Power ranks Volkswagen higher than Subaru.

The ID.4’s optional electric motors produces 80 more horsepower (295 vs. 215) and 90 lbs.-ft. more torque (339 vs. 249) than the Solterra’s electric motors.

The ID.4 can travel longer on a full charge than the Solterra on a full charge:

For better stopping power the ID.4’s front brake rotors are larger than those on the Solterra:

For better traction and acceleration, the ID.4 has larger rear tires than the Solterra (255/50R19 vs. 235/60R18).

The ID.4’s standard 235/55R19 front and 255/50R19 rear tires provide better handling because they have a lower 55 series front and 50 series rear profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Solterra Premium’s standard 60 series tires. The ID.4 S’ 255/45R20 rear tires have a lower 45 series profile than the Solterra Limited/Touring’s 50 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the ID.4 has standard 19-inch wheels. Smaller 18-inch wheels are standard on the Solterra Premium.

For better maneuverability, the ID.4’s turning circle is 5.2 feet tighter than the Solterra’s (31.5 feet vs. 36.7 feet). The ID.4 AWD’s turning circle is .3 feet tighter than the Solterra’s (36.42 feet vs. 36.7 feet).

The ID.4 is 4.1 inches shorter than the Solterra, making the ID.4 easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The ID.4 has 4.2 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Solterra (99.9 vs. 95.7).

The ID.4 has 1.8 inches more front headroom, 2.3 inches more rear legroom and 1.9 inches more rear hip room than the Solterra.

The ID.4 has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Solterra (30.3 vs. 29 cubic feet).

To make loading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the ID.4’s liftgate can be opened and closed just by kicking your foot under the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The Solterra doesn’t offer a hands-free gesture to open its liftgate, forcing you to put cargo down if your hands are full.

The ID.4 has a 2200 lbs. towing capacity. The Solterra has no towing capacity.

The ID.4’s power window, power lock, power mirror and cruise control switches are lit from behind, making them plainly visible and easier to operate at night. The Solterra’s power window (except driver window) and power lock switches are unlit, making them difficult to find at night and operate safely.

The ID.4’s rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The Solterra Premium’s standard manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

Heated windshield washer nozzles are standard on the ID.4 to prevent washer fluid and nozzles from freezing and help continue to keep the windshield clear in sub-freezing temperatures. The Solterra doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the ID.4 has a standard rear wiper. The Solterra doesn’t offer a rear wiper.

The Solterra Limited/Touring’s cornering lamps activate a lamp on the front corner when the turn signal is activated. The ID.4 S/Pro S’ standard adaptive cornering lights turn the actual headlight unit up to several degrees, depending on steering wheel angle and vehicle speed. This lights a significant distance into corners at any speed.

The ID.4 S/Pro S/Pro S Plus has standard massaging front seats in order to maximize comfort and eliminate fatigue on long trips. Massaging seats aren’t available in the Solterra.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Volkswagen ID.4 has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Wireless charging costs extra on the Solterra.

The ID.4 is available in both rear-wheel drive and four-wheel drive configurations. The Solterra doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.

The Volkswagen ID.4 outsold the Subaru Solterra by over 22 to one during 2022.