Subaru Solterra vs Toyota bZ4X

The two are mechanically the same car, co-developed by Subaru and Toyota on the same platform with a shared 74.7kWh battery, body and five-star ANCAP result. The defining split is drivetrain: every Solterra is dual-motor all-wheel drive with 252kW, while the bZ4X starts as a 167kW front-drive 2WD and only becomes all-wheel drive in its dearest AWD grade. The bZ4X 2WD undercuts the entry Solterra by about $6,200 and travels furthest at 591km, while the Solterra hands you grip and power as standard. Which matters more to you settles it.

The Toyota bZ4X 2WD opens the range at $61,320 driveaway in NSW, roughly $6,200 below the entry Subaru Solterra AWD at $67,520. At the top the two nearly meet, the Solterra AWD Touring at $73,820 against the bZ4X AWD at $73,920. The difference at the bottom is drivetrain: the cheaper Toyota is front-drive, while the Subaru fits all-wheel drive as standard, so the two entry cars are not quite like for like. Driveaway prices are current as of August 2026 and shift with on-road costs, so confirm the figure for your state.

The front-drive bZ4X 2WD goes furthest, claiming 591km on the WLTP cycle, the longest of either twin, because a single front motor is lighter and more efficient at 138Wh/km. Among all-wheel-drive versions it flips: the base Solterra AWD's 566km beats the bZ4X AWD's 517km. Both use the same battery, so it comes down to weight, wheels and how many motors you carry. Independent testing of the Solterra returned real-world figures close to its claim, so either twin clears a comfortable week of commuting between charges.

All-wheel drive is the Solterra's headline point of difference. Every grade uses a dual-motor setup making 252kW and 437Nm, with Subaru's X-Mode terrain settings and 212mm of ground clearance, so it copes with gravel, snow and boat ramps better than a front-drive EV. The Toyota bZ4X, by contrast, starts as a front-wheel-drive 2WD and only gains all-wheel drive in its top AWD grade at $73,920. If standard all-wheel drive matters to you, the Solterra is the only twin that offers it from the entry car.

The charging hardware is identical: a 150kW DC peak and a strong 22kW three-phase AC rate on both twins, double the 11kW most rivals offer. The one split is the quoted DC time, with Subaru claiming a 10-to-80 per cent charge in about 30 minutes against Toyota's roughly 45. Neither is a fast-charging class leader, so the real advantage for both is home or destination AC charging, where the 22kW rate fills the battery in around four hours on three-phase power.

The Toyota bZ4X carries 452 litres with the rear seats up across both grades, a little more than the Subaru Solterra's 421 litres in the base AWD. The Solterra Touring is the smallest of the four at 410 litres, since its larger 20-inch wheels eat into the space. Neither twin is class-leading, as several rivals clear 500 litres. Both seat five on the same 2,850mm wheelbase, so cabin space is effectively identical; the boot is the one practical measure that separates them, and it favours the Toyota.

Ownership costs are close. Both come with a five-year, unlimited-kilometre warranty and an eight-year, 160,000km battery warranty, and both service every 12 months or 15,000km. Five years of capped-price servicing runs to about $900 on the bZ4X and roughly $984 on the Solterra, so the running-cost gap is small. The Toyota's edge is roadside assistance, five years to the Subaru's one on the base plan, plus a larger dealer network. As electric cars, both skip oil and timing services, so day-to-day running costs stay low.

It comes down to whether you want all-wheel drive. If you do, the Subaru Solterra is the simpler answer, since every grade is dual-motor AWD with 252kW where the bZ4X charges up to $73,920 for the same. Its base AWD, at 566km and $67,520, is the sweet spot. If you would rather save the money and take front-drive, the Toyota bZ4X 2WD is cheaper, travels furthest at 591km, and services a touch cheaper with longer roadside. Buyers who stay on sealed roads will find the bZ4X the smarter value; those who want security in the wet will pay for the Subaru.