Torque News was fortunate enough to test the new 2026 Subaru Solterra Limited and Crosstrek Hybrid Sport back-to-back this month, and we found a lot to love about both models. There is no loser in this comparison. Both vehicles are winners in our book. We’ll tell you the list prices, prices as tested, the ins and outs of living with each of these green vehicles, and I will offer my observations as a 15-year vehicle tester who has owned five Subarus. It will be up to you to decide which of these great crossover SUVs deserves a spot in your driveway.
Surprise 1 - Crosstrek Is Bigger Than Solterra Where It Counts Most
Before you head down to the comments section to tell us the Crosstrek is “smaller,” let’s get one contrast out of the way. The Crosstrek Hybrid has more passenger volume than the Solterra, not less. The Crosstrek also has more headroom for the driver and more legroom in both rows than the Solterra. Weren’t EVs supposed to excel in passenger space because they are built on a flat platform with a long wheelbase? The Solterra does have a bit more cargo room. 23.8 cu Ft. vs 18.6 cu. Ft. with the rear seats up, and with them folded, 63.5 cu Ft. vs. 50.6 cu. Ft. again in favor of the Solterra.
Surprise 2 - Pricing - Crosstrek Wins Big - Unless Discounts Tip the Scales
We recognize that the prices of electric vehicles depend a lot on incentives and perhaps a sweetheart lease deal that lets the manufacturer eat the steep depreciation EVs are saddled with. So, we can only offer the official price information Subaru provides. Check with your dealer to find out if one or the other model is being discounted. My local dealer in Metro Boston is offering $4K off of some new 2026 Crosstrek trims, so deals are out there if you look.
The Crosstrek Hybrid is offered in two trims that range in price from about $36K to about $38K. Our Sport trim tester had a price including Destination and Delivery of $35,810. The 2026 Solterra starts at $40,420 and rises to a whopping $48,275. Clearly, the Solterra is dramatically more expensive unless the dealer offers you a massive discount of between $4K and $10K. Our 2026 Solterra Limited tester had a price of $42,845. Add dealer doc fees to these prices to get your starting point of discount negotiations. In our matchup, the Crosstrek Sport had a $7K price advantage over the Solterra.
What’s Missing From These Models?
Subaru is an off-roady brand. I take the Subaru we own off-pavement regularly in Central New Hampshire on public and private dirt roads and trails. It’s a big part of why I bought it. Both of these models are missing a spare tire. That’s a big deal to me. I had two flats in one day in my 2016 Forester, far from home. We had a puncture through a tire from a stone that could not be sealed with a repair kit in our CX-5 while passing over a gravel road. Maybe you don't drive in flat-risky situations. But why buy a Subaru then? For the record, there are dozens of hybrids with spares and over ten EV models with spares.
The Solterra we tested had no moonroof. Just metal. Weird for such a high-priced vehicle. To get a moonroof in the Solterra, you need to start at the $47K Touring trim. Yikes. A moonroof is offered on both trims of the Crosstrek Hybrid. It’s part of a $1,600 option package on the Sport and Limited. If you like dark cabins, no worries. If you want a moonroof, you will pay about $10K more in the Solterra to get it.
The Solterra has no frunk and no glove compartment. Again, both omissions are odd for any vehicle, but in a second-generation EV at this price point, we would expect both. The Crosstrek has no frunk, but it has a glove box, as all “regular” vehicles do.
The Drive - Crosstrek Hybrid Sport vs. Solterra
The great thing about electrified vehicles is the instant torque. Both of these vehicles offer it, and it makes a world of difference compared to the standard gas engine in the Crosstrek trims that are not hybrid. On paper, and in the real world, the Solterra is quicker. It can dash to 60 MPH in about 5 seconds, compared with approximately 8 seconds for the Crosstrek Hybrid. However, at no time in our two weeks of normal driving did we actually start from a stop, floor it, and hold the throttle pinned to the floor until we passed 60 MPH. That’s an imaginary Car and Track magazine type of car fantasy. The Solterra has the edge in around-town driving enjoyment, but we loved every mile we covered in the Crosstrek Hybrid. If you plan to hoon around in your Subaru, get the Solterra. If you drive like a grown-up, both of these vehicles offer a spirited, fun drive that is great on back-country roads.
The Solterra is also quieter in most situations, but not all. On the highway, it's a toss-up. When the Crosstrek is using its hybrids motors to propel the vehicle it's a tie. When you floor the Crosstrek, it is definitely noisier.
Both of these vehicles are fun to drive in fun areas like mountains and lonely back roads. The Solterra weighs about 800 pounds more, and you will feel that when you steer and stop. On a short test drive, like you would take when shopping, the Solterra will clearly feel like the better-driving vehicle. But what if you needed to drive into a snowstorm and would be off-pavement for part of that trip? I've done that in my own Subaru many times, and I'd choose the Crosstrek in that very Subaru scenario.
The Solterra's neatest trick is using the steering wheel paddles to change the regenerative braking force. I love that kind of involvement in a car. Subaru should change the Crosstrek Hybrid to do the same. Pretending to shift the planetary gearset transmission with the Crosstrek's paddles is just silly and unsatisfying.
Living Electric vs. Living Electrified
I own my home and have two Level 2 EV chargers installed in the garage. My energy cost per mile in the Solterra is nine cents per mile when charging at home. If I charge in public at the closet DC charger, the cost per mile leaps to fifteen cents.
The Crosstrek Hybrid has an EPA-estimated 36 MPG. It costs eleven cents per mile to fuel. You can calculate your own cost per mile for energy, but in the Northeast, the Crosstrek Hybrid and Solterra EV have no meaningful difference in fuel cost. The Solterra has the edge if I charge at home, and the Crosstrek Hybrid is less expensive for energy using public DC charging. Both vehicles are quite reasonable to energize, with the Solterra being the highest in cost per mile for those who don’t have a home charger.
The Crosstrek Hybrid has a fuel tank that takes about 87 seconds to fill from near empty to completely full. The Solterra can charge overnight at home with very little inconvenience. However, in public, it can only add about 200 miles of range in 30 minutes at best, or over an hour, depending on the charger’s output and conditions. The Solterra has a nominal maximum charge rate of 150 kW. My closest DC charger nominally delivers up to 50 kW, so it would be roughly an hour to fill the Solterra from 10% SOC to 80%.
The Crosstrek Hybrid has a 598-mile range, and the Solterra Limited (20-inch wheels) has a range of 278 miles in ideal conditions. Both seemed to deliver the expected range and MPG in mild temps during our testing.
Insurance Cost - Hybrid Has a Big Advantage
We reached out to our friends at Insurify and asked for the national average cost of insurance for these two specific vehicles. We were provided estimates of $2,193 for the Crosstrek Hybrid and $2,720 for the Subaru Solterra EV. Your location and your particular driver profile will determine your insurance costs.
Biggest Surprise - Crosstrek Has the Safety Edge over Solterra?!
IIHS has not awarded the Top Safety Pick to either car in this comparison. Neither one scored Good on all of the crash tests IIHS performed. This was a surprise to us. We fully expected Subarus to earn the Top Safety Pick+ designation, but following IIHS testing, both failed to meet the necessary benchmarks. One glaring difference is that the Solterra’s headlights are rated Poor, and the Crosstrek Hybrids are rated Good on all trims. The Crosstrek has the edge in safety, based on IIHS-supplied test data. Here are two handy links:
IIHS Safety Data 2026 Solterra
IIHS Safety Data Crosstrek
Which is More of a “True Subaru?” Solterra vs. Crosstrek Hybrid
As a five-time Subaru owner and a tester that has driven and evaluated every Subaru model over the past two decades, I think it’s fair to say that the Crosstrek is by far the more “Subaru” of these two vehicles. For one thing, there is a LOT of Toyota in the Solterra. That’s not bad in any way. I also own a Toyota. There is a LOT of Toyota in the Crosstrek Hybrid as well, including its fantastic planetary gear-based dual-motor transmission. However, the Crosstrek feels and looks like a Subaru, and the Solterra does not.
Long wheelbases used in EVs are not optimal for off-pavement use. The Solterra needs a wider circle to turn, has about a half inch less ground clearance, and Subaru doesn't even bother to list the off-road specs like approach and departure angles for the Solterra. Because it is not really designed for off-pavement use. My neighbors in New Hampshire and I drive Subarus off pavement every time we drive to our houses.
In winter, I’d take the Crosstrek over the Solterra every time. If only because stopping and turning 800 pounds of added mass is not a plus on slippery surfaces. I’d also much prefer the taller sidewall of the Crosstrek's tires. Twenty-inch touring tires are not ideal off-pavement or when tackling snow and ice.
2026 Subaru Solterra vs. Crosstrek Hybrid Summary
The Crosstrek sure has a lot of situational advantages over the Solterra. Let’s start with cost. Comparably equipped, the Solterra is many thousands more up front. EVs have the worst rate of depreciation, and hybrids retain value best of all powertrain types. Unless Subaru gifts you the Solterra (and they might to move them), the Crosstrek is way less expensive to buy and own.
The cost per mile of energy depends entirely on your specific region and the charging method available to you. If you plan to use public charging to power your Solterra, step back and think hard about the added time and cost compared to the ease of spending 87 seconds at a gas pump twice per month in the Crosstrek hybrid.
The Solterra is the more fun-to-drive vehicle in town. It’s peppier. However, the Crosstrek Hybrid is no slouch, and on a back-country road, off pavement, or on snow and ice, it would be our choice.
The Crosstrek has a smidge more passenger volume, headroom, and legroom, but the Solterra is a smidge wider, and it has more cargo capacity.
Looking back over this comparison, we are shocked that the Solterra didn't crush the Crosstrek Hybrid. We honestly expected it to do so. However, in actual use, and when we started looking at the specs and calculating cost per mile and ownership costs, the Crosstrek Hybrid was either ahead or close in all regards. The safety edge of the Crosstrek came out of nowhere. The Crostrek’s curve-adaptive headlights are simply much better than the fixed in-place lights the Solterra offers.
Now that we’ve laid out the facts, crunched the numbers, and shared the available data with you, which of these two Subarus will you be driving home? Tell us in the comments below.
John Goreham is a 14-year veteran of Torque News. An accomplished writer and a long-time expert in vehicle testing, Goreham also serves as the Vice President of the New England Motor Press Association and has a growing social media presence. He’s also a 10-year staff writer and community moderator for Car Talk. Goreham holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering and an undergraduate Certificate in Marketing. In addition to vehicle and tire content, he offers deep dives into market trends and opinion pieces. You can follow John Goreham on X and TikTok, and connect with him on LinkedIn.
Set Torque News as Preferred Source on Google
Follow us today...
