Compare the2023 Subaru SolterraVS 2022 Mercedes EQB

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 EQB 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 EQB doesn’t offer a front passenger side knee airbag.

The Solterra has a standard Secondary Collision Brake, which automatically applies the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The EQB doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

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 EQB doesn’t offer automatic braking for stationary objects directly to the rear.

The Solterra’s standard lane departure warning system alerts a temporarily inattentive driver when the vehicle begins to leave its lane and gently nudges the vehicle back towards its lane. A lane departure warning system costs extra on the EQB.

Both the Solterra and the EQB 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, daytime running lights, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, driver alert monitors 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 EQB has not been tested, yet.

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

There are over 65 percent more Subaru dealers than there are Mercedes dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Solterra’s warranty.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2023 Auto Issue reports that Subaru vehicles are more reliable than Mercedes vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Subaru 17 places higher in reliability than Mercedes.

On the EPA test cycle the Solterra gets better mileage than the EQB:

The Solterra Premium can travel longer on a full charge than the EQB 350 (228 miles vs. 227 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 EQB are solid, not vented.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Solterra Limited/Touring has standard 20-inch wheels. The EQB’s largest wheels are only 19-inches.

For better maneuverability, the Solterra’s turning circle is 1.7 feet tighter than the EQB’s (36.7 feet vs. 38.4 feet).

The Subaru Solterra may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 300 to 350 pounds less than the Mercedes EQB.

The Solterra has 1 inch more front legroom, 1.9 inches more front shoulder room and 1.1 inches more rear shoulder room than the EQB.

The Solterra has a much larger cargo volume than the EQB with its rear seat up (29 vs. 5.1 cubic feet).

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

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 EQB doesn’t offer extendable visors.

The Solterra has standard heated front seats. Heated front seats cost extra on the EQB. The Solterra Limited/Touring also has standard heated rear seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated second row seats aren’t available in the EQB.