Compare the2023 Subaru SolterraVS 2023 Audi e-tron Sportback

In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the Solterra are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The e-tron Sportback doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Solterra has a standard Parking Support Brake that uses rear sensors to monitor for objects to the rear and automatically applies the brakes to prevent a collision. The e-tron Sportback doesn’t offer automatic braking for stationary objects directly to the rear.

The Solterra’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The e-tron Sportback doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Solterra and the e-tron Sportback have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, all wheel drive, 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 and available around view monitors.

For its performance in IIHS driver-side and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, updated side impact, headlight, daytime pedestrian crash prevention, and nighttime pedestrian crash prevention testing, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Solterra its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2023, a rating granted to only 29 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The e-tron Sportback has not been fully tested, yet.

Subaru’s powertrain warranty covers the Solterra 1 year and 10,000 miles longer than Audi covers the e-tron Sportback. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 5 years or 60,000 miles. Coverage on the e-tron Sportback ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

There are over 2 times as many Subaru dealers as there are Audi dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Solterra’s warranty.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Subaru vehicles are better in initial quality than Audi vehicles. With 48 fewer problems per 100 vehicles, JD Power ranks Subaru higher than Audi.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Subaru vehicles are more reliable than Audi With 6 fewer problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, J.D. Power ranks Subaru higher than Audi.

On the EPA test cycle the Solterra gets better mileage than the e-tron Sportback:

The Solterra can travel longer on a full charge than the e-tron Sportback on a full charge:

For better maneuverability, the Solterra’s turning circle is 3.3 feet tighter than the e-tron Sportback’s (36.7 feet vs. 40 feet).

The Subaru Solterra may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 1250 to 1400 pounds less than the Audi e-tron Sportback.

The Solterra is 8.4 inches shorter than the e-tron Sportback, making the Solterra easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The Solterra has .7 inches more front headroom, 1.3 inches more front legroom and .1 inches more rear headroom than the e-tron Sportback.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the Solterra’s rear seats recline. The e-tron Sportback’s rear seats don’t recline.

The Solterra has a much larger cargo volume than the e-tron Sportback with its rear seat up (29 vs. 27.2 cubic feet).

To help drivers avoid possible obstacles, the Solterra Limited/Touring has standard cornering lights to illuminate around corners when the turn signals are activated. The e-tron Sportback doesn’t offer cornering lights.

The Solterra Limited/Touring’s Advanced Park can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. The e-tron Sportback doesn’t offer an automated parking system.