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 Polestar 2 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 Polestar 2 doesn’t offer a front passenger side knee airbag.
To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, Full-Time Four-Wheel Drive is standard on the Solterra. But it costs extra on the Polestar 2.
When descending a steep, off-road slope, the Solterra’s standard Downhill Assist Control allows you to creep down safely. The Polestar 2 doesn’t offer Downhill Assist Control.
Both the Solterra and the Polestar 2 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, 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.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Subaru Solterra is safer than the Polestar 2:
|
Solterra |
Polestar 2 |
|
Passenger |
|
STARS |
5 Stars |
5 Stars |
HIC |
227 |
332 |
Neck Stress |
130 lbs. |
186 lbs. |
Neck Compression |
25 lbs. |
50 lbs. |
Leg Forces (l/r) |
223/195 lbs. |
270/303 lbs. |
New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH, results indicate that the Subaru Solterra is safer than the Polestar 2:
|
Solterra |
Polestar 2 |
|
Front Seat |
|
STARS |
5 Stars |
5 Stars |
Chest Movement |
.4 inches |
.7 inches |
Abdominal Force |
86 lbs. |
131 lbs. |
Hip Force |
237 lbs. |
261 lbs. |
|
Rear Seat |
|
STARS |
5 Stars |
5 Stars |
HIC |
223 |
267 |
Spine Acceleration |
46 G’s |
60 G’s |
Hip Force |
609 lbs. |
741 lbs. |
New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.
The Subaru Solterra has achieved the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s (IIHS) highest rating of “Top Safety Pick Plus” for the 2024 model year. This distinction is based on its exceptional performance in IIHS’ rigorous battery of safety tests. Specifically, it earned a “Good” rating in the latest, more stringent moderate overlap front crash test, a “Good” result in the updated side impact test, and a “Good” score in the revised pedestrian crash prevention test. The Polestar 2 has not yet been evaluated by the IIHS for 2024.