Compare the2027 Cadillac Optiq VS 2026 Subaru Uncharted

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 Optiq are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The Uncharted doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Optiq has a standard front seat center airbag, which deploys between the driver and front passenger, protecting them from injuries caused by striking each other in serious side impacts. The Uncharted doesn’t offer front seat center airbags.

The Optiq has standard OnStar®, which uses a global positioning satellite (GPS) receiver and a cellular system to get turn-by-turn driving directions, remotely unlock your doors if you lock your keys in, help track down your vehicle if it’s stolen or send emergency personnel to the scene if any airbags deploy. The Uncharted doesn’t offer a GPS response system, only a navigation computer with no live response for emergencies, so if you’re involved in an accident and you’re incapacitated help may not come as quickly.

Both the Optiq and the Uncharted have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger 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 and driver alert monitors.

The Cadillac Optiq weighs 712 to 1300 pounds more than the Subaru Uncharted. The NHTSA advises that heavier vehicles are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.

The Optiq comes with a full 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck. The Uncharted’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 14,000 miles sooner.

Cadillac’s powertrain warranty covers the Optiq 1 year and 10,000 miles longer than Subaru covers the Uncharted. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 6 years or 70,000 miles. Coverage on the Uncharted ends after only 5 years or 60,000 miles.

The Optiq’s corrosion warranty is 1 year longer than the Uncharted’s (6 vs. 5 years).

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2025 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Cadillac vehicles are more reliable than Subaru vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Cadillac above average in long-term dependability. With 43 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, Subaru is rated below average.

The Optiq has more powerful engines than the Uncharted:

	Horsepower	Torque
Optiq electric motor	315 HP	332 lbs.-ft.
Optiq electric motors	440 HP	498 lbs.-ft.
Optiq-V electric motors	519 HP	650 lbs.-ft.
Uncharted electric motor	221 HP
Uncharted Sport/GT electric motors	338 HP

As tested in Motor Trend the Cadillac Optiq is faster than the Uncharted Sport/GT electric motors:

	Optiq	Optiq-V	Uncharted
Zero to 60 MPH	4.4 sec	3.4 sec	4.6 sec
Quarter Mile	13 sec	12.2 sec	13.2 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	107.8 MPH	108.3 MPH	101.2 MPH

The Optiq can travel longer on a full charge than the Uncharted on a full charge:

			Miles
Optiq
	RWD	Electric Motor	317 miles
	AWD	Electric Motors	303 miles
Uncharted
	FWD	Electric Motor	301 miles
	AWD	Sport/GT Electric Motors	286 miles

For better stopping power the Optiq-V’s front brake rotors are larger than those on the Uncharted:

	Optiq-V	Uncharted
Front Rotors	15.4 inches	12.9 inches
Rear Rotors	13.6 inches	12.5 inches

The Optiq stops much shorter than the Uncharted:

	Optiq	Uncharted
60 to 0 MPH	101 feet	130 feet	Motor Trend

For better traction, the Optiq has larger standard tires than the Uncharted (245/50R20 vs. 235/60R18). The Optiq’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Uncharted (275/40R21 vs. 235/60R18).

The Optiq’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 50 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Uncharted Premium’s standard 60 series tires. The Optiq’s optional tires have a lower 40 series profile than the Uncharted Sport/GT’s 50 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Optiq has standard 20-inch wheels. Smaller 18-inch wheels are standard on the Uncharted Premium. The Optiq’s optional 21-inch wheels are larger than the 20-inch wheels on the Uncharted Sport/GT.

The Cadillac Optiq’s wheels have 6 lugs for longer wheel bearing life, less chance of rotor warping and greater strength. The Subaru Uncharted only has 5 wheel lugs per wheel.

Having a flat tire is dangerous, inconvenient and expensive. The self-sealing tires standard on the Optiq can automatically seal most punctures up to 3/16 of an inch, effectively preventing most flat tires. The Uncharted doesn’t offer self-sealing tires.

The Optiq 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 Uncharted’s suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Optiq’s wheelbase is 7.7 inches longer than on the Uncharted (116 inches vs. 108.3 inches).

The Optiq-V handles at .92 G’s, while the Uncharted GT pulls only .78 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Optiq-V executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 2.1 seconds quicker than the Uncharted GT (24.6 seconds @ .81 average G’s vs. 26.7 seconds @ .7 average G’s).

The Optiq has 7.4 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Uncharted (101 vs. 93.6).

The Optiq has .5 inches more front headroom, .5 inches more front hip room, 1.2 inches more rear headroom, 5.6 inches more rear legroom, 6.2 inches more rear hip room and 1.3 inches more rear shoulder room than the Uncharted.

The Optiq has a larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Uncharted (26 vs. 25.4 cubic feet).

Standard Trailer Sway Control on the Optiq uses the StabiliTrak® sensors to detect trailer sway, then uses individual brakes to counteract any swaying and help keep the tow vehicle and trailer steady. The Uncharted doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

The Optiq uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Uncharted 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 Uncharted Sport/GT, the Optiq Premium/V-Series has a passenger memory, so that when drivers switch, the memory setting adjusts the driver’s seat and outside mirror angle and the front passenger seat also adjusts to the new passenger’s preset preferences.

The Optiq Premium/V-Series has a standard heads-up display that projects speed, navigation instruction and driver assistance information readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The Uncharted doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The Optiq’s standard Keyless Access allows you to unlock the doors from any outside door handle, open the cargo door, and start the vehicle, all without removing the key from pocket or purse. Keyless Access and Start standard on the Uncharted doesn’t offer a sensor on the rear doors, so you’ll have to reach a front handle to unlock the rear doors.

To help drivers avoid possible obstacles, the Optiq Premium/V-Series has standard cornering lights to illuminate around corners when the turn signals are activated. The Uncharted doesn’t offer cornering lights.

The Optiq’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 Uncharted has an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

The Optiq has a standard heated steering wheel to take the chill out of steering on extremely cold winter days before the vehicle heater warms up. A heated steering wheel is only available on the Uncharted Sport/GT.

The Optiq has standard massaging front seats in order to maximize comfort and eliminate fatigue on long trips. Massaging seats aren’t available in the Uncharted.

The Optiq’s standard GPS navigation system has a real-time traffic update feature that plots alternative routes to automatically bypass traffic problems. (Service not available in all areas.) The Uncharted’s navigation system doesn’t offer real-time traffic updates.

The Cadillac Optiq has a standard Homelink wireless remote control system for garage door operation and device management, conveniently located on the infotainment. Homelink® eliminates the need for separate garage door openers and associated risks of losing, breaking, or having dead batteries. Subaru charges extra for Homelink® on the Uncharted.

The Optiq’s Enhanced Automatic Parking Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. Enhanced Automatic Parking Assist will park and retrieve your car remotely: press a button and watch it park itself. This is ideal for tight locations. The Uncharted doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Optiq third among midsize premium suvs in owner reported satisfaction. This includes how well the vehicle performs and satisfies its owner’s expectations. The Uncharted isn’t in the top three.