Compare the2023 Mercedes EQBVS 2023 Subaru Solterra

The EQB’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 EQB and the Solterra 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, 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, available lane departure warning systems and around view monitors.

The EQB comes with a full 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Solterra’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 14,000 miles sooner.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Mercedes vehicles are better in initial quality than Subaru vehicles. With 2 fewer problems per 100 vehicles, JD Power ranks Mercedes higher than Subaru.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Mercedes vehicles are more reliable than Subaru With 31 fewer problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, J.D. Power ranks Mercedes higher than Subaru.

The EQB 250+’s standard electric motor produces 35 lbs.-ft. more torque (284 vs. 249) than the Solterra’s electric motors. The EQB 300’s standard electric motor produces 10 more horsepower (225 vs. 215) and 39 lbs.-ft. more torque (288 vs. 249) than the Solterra’s electric motors. The EQB 350’s standard electric motor produces 73 more horsepower (288 vs. 215) and 135 lbs.-ft. more torque (384 vs. 249) than the Solterra’s electric motors.

The EQB can travel longer on a full charge than the Solterra on a full charge:

The EQB has a standard locking charge port which locks and unlocks with the power locks. The Solterra doesn’t have a locking charge port. A locking charge port prevents tampering and damage.

The EQB’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 55 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Solterra Premium’s standard 60 series tires.

Changing a flat tire near traffic can be dangerous and inconvenient. The run-flat tires standard on the EQB can be driven up to 50 miles without any air pressure, allowing you to drive to a service station for a repair. The Solterra doesn’t offer run-flat tires.

The EQB offers an optional driver-adjustable suspension system. It allows the driver to choose between an extra-supple ride, reducing fatigue on long trips, or a sport setting, which allows maximum control for tricky roads or off-road. The Solterra’s suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

The EQB’s drift compensation steering can automatically compensate for road conditions which would cause the vehicle to drift from side to side, helping the driver to keep the vehicle straight more easily. The Solterra doesn’t offer drift compensation steering.

The EQB offers optional seating for 7 passengers; the Solterra can only carry 5.

The EQB has 1.9 inches more front headroom, 1.3 inches more rear headroom and 2.8 inches more rear legroom than the Solterra.

A standard locking glovebox (which can’t be accessed with the valet key) keeps your small valuables safer in the EQB. The Solterra doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

To make loading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the EQB’s available 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 EQB uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Solterra uses a prop rod to support its heavy hood. It takes two hands to open the hood and set the prop rod, the prop rod gets in the way during maintenance and service, and the prop rod could be knocked out, causing the heavy hood to fall on the person maintaining or servicing the car.

Unlike the driver-only memory seat and mirrors in the Solterra Limited/Touring, the EQB has standard driver and passenger memory, so that when drivers switch, the memory setting adjusts the driver’s seat, suspension setting, power steering assist, outside mirror angle, climate settings and radio stations and the front passenger seat also adjusts to the new passenger’s preset preferences.

The EQB offers an optional heads-up display that projects speed and navigation instruction readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The Solterra doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The EQB’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 EQB’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.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the EQB 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 EQB’s optional 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 EQB’s standard rear and side view mirrors have an automatic dimming feature. These mirrors can be set to automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on them, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The Solterra has an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

The EQB offers optional massaging front seats in order to maximize comfort and eliminate fatigue on long trips. Massaging seats aren’t available in the Solterra.

The EQB offers an optional 115-volt a/c outlet on the center console, allowing you to recharge a laptop or run small household appliances without special adapters that can break or get misplaced. The Solterra doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

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

The Mercedes EQB outsold the Subaru Solterra by 82% during 2022.