In comparing the 2023 Subaru Solterra and the 2022 Tesla Model Y, one could perceive the Tesla as having the upper hand. The reason? Tesla has built and marketed electric vehicles (EVs) for nearly two decades, while the Solterra is Subaru's first attempt at a mass-market EV. But in this effort, Subaru enlisted the help of another major automaker—Toyota—one of the biggest carmakers in the world.

Subaru and Toyota have previously collaborated on vehicle projects, most notably the Toyota GR86/Subaru BRZ. But those two models are low-volume sports cars. As pleasant and fun to drive as they are, their makers did not intend to change the way the world drives. However, they did intend for the new EVs that resulted from the new collaboration—the Subaru Solterra and the Toyota bZ4X—to change how we drive. Or, at the very least, put their manufacturers on the path to an electric-vehicle future.

Like the Tesla Model Y, the all-new 2023 Subaru Solterra is a crossover SUV with many car-like tendencies. But unlike the Model Y, which is essentially a "road car," the Solterra has some off-road, all-terrain abilities. It offers more ground clearance than most competitors, and Subaru designed some of its driver-assist electronics for off-pavement use.

Another key difference between the Tesla Model Y and the Subaru Solterra is that the Model Y comes from a brand that is now widely regarded as a "premium" or "luxury" brand, while Subaru is solidly mass-market. Depending upon your view of image and prestige, Tesla might have a leg up. Certainly, in comparison to the Solterra, it commands a premium price.

If you are one to desire the newest, hottest product, the Solterra has the advantage. It is brand new to the market, with very few on the road. In contrast, the Tesla Model Y has been on the road for some time, debuting as a 2020 model-year vehicle. Also, Tesla based the Model Y on the underpinnings of the Model 3, which has been on the scene even longer.

Though the Model Y is the product of a luxury brand, it does not exhibit "traditional luxury." Its interior is minimalist and doesn't offer overstuffed seats or the 2022 equivalent of rich Corinthian leather. As a mass-market model that is even more price-sensitive, one could also describe the Solterra's interior as minimalist. As with the Model Y, its goal seems to be to emphasize space and light versus traditional luxury materials.

Both the Model Y and Solterra are all-wheel-drive (AWD) vehicles with dual-motor systems. The Solterra is a 5-passenger vehicle. Buyers typically configure the Tesla Model Y for five passengers, but a third-row seat boosting carrying capacity to seven people is an option. The final significant difference is the price. As detailed later, the 2023 Subaru Solterra is significantly less expensive than the 2022 Tesla Model Y.

The 2023 Subaru Solterra is available in three trim levels: Premium, Limited, and Touring. Tesla, meanwhile, offers the Model Y in two trims: Long Range and Performance. The Solterra Premium has a base manufacturer's suggested retail price (MSRP) of $46,220, including the $1,225 destination charge. The base 2022 Tesla Model Y Long Range has a much higher suggested retail price. Its MSRP is $67,190, including the $1,200 destination fee.

Despite its significantly lower base price, the 2023 Subaru Solterra offers a laudable level of included equipment. Standard are 18-inch aluminum alloy wheels, LED headlights, heated front seats, dual-zone automatic climate control, heated exterior mirrors, and windshield wiper de-icer. The standard infotainment system has an 8-inch touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration. Blind-spot warning and rear-obstacle warning with pedestrian detection are among the available advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS).

On the connectivity front, Subaru offers a free trial subscription for Subaru Solterra Connect. It includes a wide-ranging group of functions, including in-vehicle Wi-Fi, navigation, remote access, service, and safety. It offers remote locking/unlocking and remote climate control via smartphone with the app. Another interesting connectivity function is voice control for heating/ventilation/air conditioning (HVAC) and cloud-based navigation.

As mentioned previously, the 2022 Tesla Model Y has a significantly higher suggested base price than the Solterra and is priced higher across the board. The top-level Model Y Performance trim has a suggested retail price of $71,190. In contrast, the highly equipped, top-level Solterra Touring has a suggested retail price of $53,220, including the $1,225 destination fee. In fairness to the Tesla, it offers significantly more horsepower and range on a charge than the Solterra. While the terms of the Solterra's free connectivity offer weren't available at this writing, it is unlikely it will come close to matching the Tesla Model Y's standard connectivity for eight years.

New federal legislation has made the availability of tax credits and other incentives for both the Tesla Model Y and the Subaru Solterra nebulous. Before the new EV tax credit law, no Tesla model qualified for the $7,500 federal income tax credit because the carmaker exceeded the 200,000-unit sales cap. Current indications are that Teslas built in the United States will qualify for a new tax incentive in the future. For Subaru, the news isn't nearly as good. Under the previous regulations, the Solterra would have qualified for the maximum incentive, but now, because Subaru builds it overseas, it won't be eligible.

Just barely on sale as this is written, the 2023 Subaru Solterra does not have a record that will enable tracking of its resale and residual values. As a brand, Subaru has an excellent track record in those two closely related areas. For its part, the Tesla Model Y ranks highest in the Premium Electric segment of the J.D. Power 2022 U.S. ALG Residual Value Awards.

New to the market for the 2023 model year, the Subaru Solterra is not included in the J.D. Power 2022 Vehicle Dependability Study (VDS), which assesses owner-reported problems during the third year of ownership. The new model is also too recent to have participated in the J.D. Power 2022 U.S. Initial Quality Study (IQS).

The 2023 Subaru Solterra comes with the following standard warranty coverage:

In an innovative program, Subaru offers Solterra buyers up to 10 days of Subaru Just Drive vehicle rental at no charge from their participating Subaru retailer. This program allows the free use of a variety of Subaru vehicles.

Like the Solterra, Tesla introduced the Model Y too recently for inclusion in the 2022 VDS. J.D. Power did, however, evaluate the 2022 Tesla Model Y in the 2022 IQS. However, it is ineligible for awards because Tesla does not allow J.D. Power access to owner information in 15 states. The Tesla Model Y ranks second among Premium BEVs in the J.D. Power 2022 U.S. Electric Vehicle Experience (EVX) Ownership Study, which examines satisfaction among EV owners.

The 2022 Tesla Model Y comes with the following warranty coverage:

In terms of powertrain, the 2023 Subaru Solterra hangs its hat on a brand staple—Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive. But the AWD system in the Solterra is radically different from the systems in Subaru's conventionally powered vehicles. The Solterra uses a familiar two-motor system to deliver AWD—a system not unlike what other brands, including Tesla, use. Subaru calls its all-electric drivetrain StarDrive, and it employs front- and rear-mounted AC synchronous permanent magnet motors integral to the transaxles along with the required power inverters. The motors draw off a 72.8-kWh lithium-ion battery pack with a rated voltage of 355.2.

Subaru has chosen to emphasize off-road capabilities as a differentiator from other models in the segment. Its engineers used their considerable expertise in AWD to endow the StarDrive system with substantial on-demand torque to deliver traction in all kinds of weather and terrain. To this end, the Solterra has dual-function X-Mode with driver-selectable Snow/Dirt and Deep Snow/Mud modes. The Solterra also has Grip Control (essentially low-speed off-road cruise control), hill-descent control, and hill-start assist to enhance its all-terrain cred. The final piece of the puzzle is its unusually generous 8.3-inch ground clearance.

Compared to the much more expensive Tesla Model Y, the Solterra's power is unremarkable. Its two 80-kW electric motors combine to produce 215 hp and 249 pound-feet of torque. Acceleration is good but not exceptionally exciting in EV terms. The powertrain offers three levels of driver-selectable regenerative braking.

At the same time, the 2023 Solterra isn't especially impressive in overall range and charging times. Subaru says the Solterra's lithium-ion battery pack will deliver 228 miles of range using the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) EV range protocols. Like all its competitors, the Solterra offers AC Level 1, AC Level 2, and DC fast-charging capabilities. With the last of these, the Solterra can charge up to 80 percent of its total battery capacity in approximately one hour. Competitors like the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Kia EV6 claim to do it faster. Charging at home using a 240-volt circuit will take about 35 hours. The Solterra's infotainment system will help owners locate public charging stations.

Like the 2023 Solterra, both 2022 Tesla Model Y variants have dual-motor AWD systems. But instead of using the same motors front and rear, the Model Y has a less powerful motor on the front axle, while a more potent electric motor drives the rear wheels. In the base Model Y Long Range, a 91-kW electric motor drives the front axle, while a 200-kW electric motor drives the rear wheels. The Performance trim uses a 133-kW electric motor at the front and a 179-kW unit at the rear. The estimated total power for the Model Y Long Range is 385 hp. The Performance version offers about 420 hp. Even in base form, this power dwarfs that available in the much-less-expensive Subaru Solterra.

According to Tesla, the Model Y Long Range can accelerate from zero-to-60 mph in 4.8 seconds. As expected, given the horsepower figures, that is markedly quicker than the estimated 6.5-second zero-to-60 time of the Solterra. With even more horsepower, the Model Y Performance boasts a claimed zero-to-60-mph time of 3.8 seconds.

In terms of miles on a full charge, Tesla fits the Model Y Long Range with an 80.5-kWh lithium-ion battery pack that the EPA says will offer 330 miles of total range. The Performance trim is EPA-rated at 303 miles on a charge.

While the Tesla Model Y clearly outdoes the Subaru Solterra in range and acceleration, the Subaru offers much better off-road capabilities. Its ground clearance and all-terrain-oriented electronic modes and enhancements make it the clear choice if going off-road is in your future.

Subaru has become known as a leader in vehicle safety, so unsurprisingly, the 2023 Solterra has an array of standard ADAS technologies. Included under the Subaru EyeSight umbrella are automatic emergency steering, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assistance, lane-centering assistance, and intersection turn assistance. The adaptive cruise control works in conjunction with the lane-centering function. Premium and Limited trims add blind-spot warning and rear automatic emergency braking.

One can also make the case that AWD with drive modes, grip control, hill-descent control, and hill-start assist are safety functions. All Solterras have standard active cornering assist. At the time of writing, neither the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) nor the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has evaluated the crashworthiness of the 2023 Subaru Solterra.

Standard ADAS in the 2022 Tesla Model Y include forward-collision warning with automatic emergency braking, blind spot warning, lane-departure warning, and lane-keeping assistance. The Tesla Autopilot system and optionally available Enhanced Autopilot system offer unusual driver assistance. The latter delivers automatic lane-change ability and active parking assistance. Tesla also offers what it calls the Full Self-Driving package that will operate the Model Y in certain defined circumstances. Despite the name, the Model Y does not offer fully autonomous driving.

In part because of its innovative driver-assistance features, Tesla achieved the highest (unofficial) score in theJ.D. Power 2022 U.S. Tech Experience (TXI) Study. Included in the industry calculation for the first time in the benchmark study, the Texas-based luxury brand has a highest-ranked Innovation Index score of 681 (on a 1,000-point scale). Because Tesla does not provide J.D. Power access to owner information in the 15 states where the latter must get permission, Tesla models remain ineligible for awards in the study.

The NHTSA has yet to rate the crashworthiness of the 2022 Tesla Model Y. However, the 2021 Model Y, structurally identical to the 2022 model, earned the top 5 stars in all crash tests, as well as 5 stars for rollover resistance. The 2022 Tesla Model Y received a Top Safety Pick+ rating from the IIHS.

The 2023 Solterra marks the debut of an all-new Subaru multimedia system that the automaker uses across its lineup. An 8-inch touchscreen controls the system in the base Premium trim. It offers wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, HD Radio, SiriusXM All-Access satellite radio, and Bluetooth. The Limited and Touring trim levels have similar functionality but a 12.3-inch screen—the largest in Subaru history.

The top two 2023 Subaru Solterra trims also have premium Harman Kardon audio, a surround-view camera, and a parking assist feature that aids in both parallel and perpendicular parking situations. The new digital key enables a smartphone to perform the functions of a key fob.

The Solterra's 12.3-inch screen is large but not as big as the 15-inch touchscreen that dominates the interior of the 2022 Tesla Model Y. The portrait-oriented display delivers a lot of information because the Model Y lacks a traditional instrument panel, so you spend a lot of time with the touchscreen in the Model Y.

The Model Y's infotainment offering includes navigation, natural voice recognition, and wireless device charging. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are not available. The audio system in the Model Y is a 14-speaker estimated to offer about 600 watts of power.

The 2023 Subaru Solterra's interior captures the zeitgeist of the EV era. The most unusual aspect—shared with the Toyota bZ4X—is its instrument panel that seems to sit atop the dashboard rather than being a part of it. Though it looks unusual, it is functional because it is visible through the steering wheel's gaps. As mentioned, the Solterra is a mass-market rather than a luxury car, and the interior reflects that… in a good way. There is no opulence, but things seem to work well.

The Subaru Solterra is 2.5 inches shorter in overall length than the 2022 Tesla Model Y, but it is more than an inch taller. The Subaru offers a substantial 29 cubic feet of room behind the second-row seats and a handy cargo-management system that includes two loading levels. Unlike many models in the class, the Solterra does not have a front trunk ("frunk.")

The Tesla Model Y offers more cargo space than the Solterra, but not much. It has 30.2 cubic feet behind the second row in the 5-passenger version and 26.6 cubic feet in the 7-passenger model. With all its seats folded, the maximum cargo space is 72.1 cubic feet in the 5-passenger and 67.9 cubic feet in the 7-seat version. The Model Y also has a frunk that will hold an additional 4.1 cubic feet of cargo.

Neither the Tesla Model Y nor the Subaru Solterra has conventional instrument panels. Traditionalists will likely prefer that the instrument readouts in the Subaru are directly in front of the driver instead of in a central screen. Like the Solterra's, the Model Y's interior seating is comfortable. And the Tesla's panoramic roof gives a further feeling of openness, something Subaru matches in the up-level Solterra trims. Both brands are high on recyclables and down on animal hides, to the great relief of cows everywhere.

If you'd like to learn more about these crossover EVs, be sure to read our expert review of the 2023 Subaru Solterra and research the Tesla Model Y. To find out how people like you rate models in this segment, check out our ratings from verified vehicle owners.

Also, please keep in mind that while the information in this article was accurate and valid on October 6, 2022, it may have changed since that date. Always confirm product details and availability with the automaker's website or your local dealership.

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