Compare the2024 Kia EV6VS 2023 Subaru Solterra

Both the EV6 and Solterra have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The EV6 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 EV6 and the Solterra have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front 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, 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 EV6 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 EV6 comes with a full 5-year/60,000-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 2 years or 24,000 miles sooner.

Kia’s powertrain warranty covers the EV6 5 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 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the Solterra ends after only 5 years or 60,000 miles.

There are over 22 percent more Kia dealers than there are Subaru dealers, which makes it easier should you ever need service under the EV6’s warranty.

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the EV6’s reliability 34 points higher than the Solterra.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2023 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Kia vehicles are better in initial quality than Subaru vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia above average in initial quality. With 15 more problems per 100 vehicles, Subaru is rated lower.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the statistics that show that Kia vehicles are more reliable than Subaru vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia first in reliability, above the industry average. With 81 more problems per 100 vehicles, Subaru is ranked 22nd.

The EV6 Light Short Range’s standard electric motor produces 9 lbs.-ft. more torque (258 vs. 249) than the Solterra’s electric motors. The EV6 Long Range’s standard electric motor produces 10 more horsepower (225 vs. 215) and 9 lbs.-ft. more torque (258 vs. 249) than the Solterra’s electric motors. The EV6 Long Range’s optional electric motors produces 105 more horsepower (320 vs. 215) and 197 lbs.-ft. more torque (446 vs. 249) than the Solterra’s electric motors. The EV6 GT’s standard electric motors produces 361 more horsepower (576 vs. 215) and 296 lbs.-ft. more torque (545 vs. 249) than the Solterra’s electric motors.

As tested in Consumer Reports the EV6 Long Range electric motors is faster than the Subaru Solterra:

On the EPA test cycle the EV6 gets better mileage than the Solterra:

The EV6 can travel longer on a full charge than the Solterra on a full charge:

The EV6 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.

For better stopping power the EV6 GT’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Solterra:

The EV6 stops shorter than the Solterra:

For better traction, the EV6 GT-Line e-AWD’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Solterra (255/45R20 vs. 235/60R18).

The EV6’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. The EV6 GT’s tires have a lower 40 series profile than the Solterra Limited/Touring’s 50 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the EV6 has standard 19-inch wheels. Smaller 18-inch wheels are standard on the Solterra Premium. The EV6 GT’s 21-inch wheels are larger than the 20-inch wheels on the Solterra Limited/Touring.

The EV6 offers an available 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.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the EV6’s wheelbase is 2 inches longer than on the Solterra (114.2 inches vs. 112.2 inches).

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the EV6 is 1.1 inches wider in the front and 1.1 inches wider in the rear than the track on the Solterra.

The Kia EV6 may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs up to about 400 pounds less than the Subaru Solterra.

The EV6 has 7.3 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Solterra (103 vs. 95.7).

The EV6 has .2 inches more front headroom, .3 inches more front legroom, .5 inches more front hip room, 3.7 inches more rear legroom and 8.4 inches more rear hip room than the Solterra.

The front step up height for the EV6 is 1.3 inches lower than the Solterra (16.6” vs. 17.9”). The EV6’s rear step up height is 1.2 inches lower than the Solterra’s (16.8” vs. 18”).

Pulling a handle automatically lowers the EV6’s rear seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The Solterra doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

To make loading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the EV6’s liftgate can be opened just by waiting momentarily behind 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 EV6 offers up to a 2300 lbs. towing capacity. The Solterra has no towing capacity.

The EV6 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.

The EV6 GT-Line/GT has a standard 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 EV6’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 EV6’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 quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Kia EV6 has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Wireless charging costs extra on the Solterra.

The EV6 Wind/GT-Line/GT has a 115-volt a/c outlet on the rear seat, 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 EV6 (except Light)’s optional Smart Parking Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. Remote Smart Parking Assist will park and retrieve your car remotely: press a button and watch it park itself. This is ideal for tight locations. The Solterra Limited/Touring’s automatic parking system does not offer parking by remote control.

The EV6 is available in both rear-wheel drive and four-wheel drive configurations. The Solterra doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Kia EV6 and the Subaru Solterra, based on reliability, safety and performance.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the EV6 first among compact suvs in owner reported satisfaction. This includes how well the vehicle performs and satisfies its owner’s expectations. The Solterra isn’t in the top three.

The EV6 was chosen as a Car and Driver’s “Top Ten” for 2023. The Solterra has never been chosen by Car and Driver in their “10Best” issue.

A group of representative automotive journalists from North America selected the EV6 as the 2023 North American Utility Vehicle of the Year. The Solterra has never been chosen.

The Kia EV6 outsold the Subaru Solterra by over 11 to one during 2022.