Compare the2023 Subaru SolterraVS 2023 Volvo XC40 Recharge

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 XC40 Recharge doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Subaru Solterra has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags helps prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The XC40 Recharge doesn’t offer a front passenger side knee airbag.

Both the Solterra and the XC40 Recharge have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear 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, driver alert monitors and available around view monitors.

Side impacts caused 23% of all road fatalities in 2018, down from 29% in 2003, when the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety introduced its side barrier test. In order to continue improving vehicle safety, the IIHS has started using a more severe side impact test: 37 MPH (up from 31 MPH), with a 4180-pound barrier (up from 3300 pounds). The results of this newly developed test demonstrates that the Subaru Solterra is safer than the XC40 Recharge:

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 XC40 Recharge has not been fully tested, yet.

Subaru’s powertrain warranty covers the Solterra 1 year and 10,000 miles longer than Volvo covers the XC40 Recharge. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 5 years or 60,000 miles. Coverage on the XC40 Recharge ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

There are over 2 times as many Subaru dealers as there are Volvo 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 Volvo vehicles. With 65 fewer problems per 100 vehicles, JD Power ranks Subaru higher than Volvo.

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 Volvo With 30 fewer problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, J.D. Power ranks Subaru higher than Volvo.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2023 Auto Issue reports that Subaru vehicles are more reliable than Volvo vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Subaru 7 places higher in reliability than Volvo.

On the EPA test cycle the Solterra gets better mileage than the XC40 Recharge:

The Solterra Premium can travel longer on a full charge than the XC40 Recharge (228 miles vs. 223 miles).

The Solterra’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the XC40 Recharge are solid, not vented.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Solterra’s wheelbase is 5.8 inches longer than on the XC40 Recharge (112.2 inches vs. 106.4 inches).

For better maneuverability, the Solterra’s turning circle is .7 feet tighter than the XC40 Recharge’s (36.7 feet vs. 37.4 feet).

The Subaru Solterra may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 250 to 400 pounds less than the Volvo XC40 Recharge.

The front grille of the Solterra uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The XC40 Recharge doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

The Solterra has 1.2 inches more front headroom, 1.2 inches more front legroom and 1.1 inches more front shoulder room than the XC40 Recharge.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the Solterra’s rear seats recline. The XC40 Recharge’s rear seats don’t recline.

The Solterra has a much larger cargo volume than the XC40 Recharge with its rear seat up (29 vs. 16 cubic feet).

A low lift-over cargo hatch design makes loading and unloading the Solterra easier. The Solterra’s cargo hatch lift-over height is 28 inches, while the XC40 Recharge’s liftover is 29.7 inches.

The Solterra’s cargo area is larger than the XC40 Recharge’s in almost every dimension:

The Solterra has a higher standard payload capacity than the XC40 Recharge (1045 vs. 960 lbs.).

The Solterra has a standard remote vehicle starting system, so the vehicle can be started from inside the driver's house. This allows the driver to comfortably warm up the engine before going out to the vehicle. The climate system will also automatically heat or cool the interior. The XC40 Recharge doesn’t offer a remote starting system.

The Solterra Limited/Touring’s standard easy entry system glides the driver’s seat back when the door is unlocked or the ignition is switched off, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. The XC40 Recharge doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

To shield the driver and front passenger’s vision over a larger portion of the windshield and side windows, the Solterra has standard extendable sun visors. The XC40 Recharge doesn’t offer extendable visors.

Standard air-conditioned seats in the Solterra Touring keep the driver and front passenger comfortable and take the sting out of hot seats in Summer. The XC40 Recharge doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

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 XC40 Recharge doesn’t offer an automated parking system.