Compare the2026 Volvo EX40VS 2026 Subaru Solterra

The EX40’s pre-crash front seatbelts will tighten automatically in the event the vehicle detects an impending crash, improving protection against injury significantly. The Solterra doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

Both the EX40 and Solterra have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The EX40 Ultra has power child safety locks, allowing the driver to activate and deactivate them from the driver's seat and to know when they're engaged. The Solterra’s child locks have to be individually engaged at each rear door with a manual switch. The driver can’t know the status of the locks without opening the doors and checking them.

The EX40 has a standard Whiplash Protection System (WHIPS), which use a specially designed seat to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the WHIPS allows the backrest to travel backwards to cushion the occupants and the headrests move forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. At the same time the pretensioning seatbelts fire, removing slack from the belts. The Solterra doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

Both the EX40 and the Solterra 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 and driver alert monitors.

The EX40 comes with a full 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Solterra’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 14,000 miles sooner.

The EX40’s corrosion warranty is 7 years longer than the Solterra’s (12 vs. 5 years).

Volvo pays for scheduled maintenance on the EX40 for 2 years and 20,000 miles. Volvo will pay for cabin filter replacement, brake fluid replacement, inspections, and any other required maintenance. Subaru doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the Solterra.

The EX40 Single Motor’s standard electric motor produces 15 more horsepower (248 vs. 233) than the Solterra’s standard electric motors. The EX40 Twin Motor’s optional electric motors produces 64 more horsepower (402 vs. 338) than the Solterra XT’s standard electric motors.

For better stopping power the EX40’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Solterra:

The EX40 stops much shorter than the Solterra:

For better traction and acceleration, the EX40 has larger rear tires than the Solterra (255/45R19 vs. 235/60R18).

The EX40’s standard 235/50R19 front and 255/45R19 rear tires provide better handling because they have a lower 50 series front and 45 series rear profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Solterra Premium’s standard 60 series tires. The EX40’s optional 235/45R20 front and 255/40R20 rear tires have a lower 45 series front and 40 series rear profile than the Solterra Limited/Touring’s 50 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the EX40 has standard 19-inch wheels. Smaller 18-inch wheels are standard on the Solterra Premium.

The EX40 AWD handles at .84 G’s, while the Solterra Touring pulls only .80 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The EX40 is 9.8 inches shorter than the Solterra, making the EX40 easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The EX40 has .3 inches more front hip room, .3 inches more rear headroom, .8 inches more rear legroom, 9.8 inches more rear hip room and 1.3 inches more rear shoulder room than the Solterra.

A control in the cargo area automatically lowers the EX40’s optional rear seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The Solterra doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

A standard locking glovebox (which can’t be accessed with the valet key) keeps your small valuables safer in the EX40. The Solterra doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

The EX40 has a 2000 lbs. towing capacity. The Solterra has no towing capacity.

Optional Trailer Stability Assist (TSA) on the EX40 uses the Dynamic Stability and Traction Control sensors to detect trailer sway, then uses individual brakes to counteract any swaying and help keep the tow vehicle and trailer steady. The Solterra doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

The EX40 uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Solterra 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.

The EX40’s standard Keyless Entry & Drive allow you to unlock the doors from any outside door handle, open the cargo door, and start the vehicle, all without removing the key from the pocket or purse. Keyless Access and Start standard on the Solterra doesn’t offer a sensor on the rear doors, so you’ll have to reach a front handle to unlock the rear door.

The EX40’s power window, power lock, power mirror and cruise control switches are lit from behind, making them plainly visible and easier to operate at night. The Solterra’s power window (except driver window) and power lock switches are unlit, making them difficult to find at night and operate safely.

Heated windshield washer nozzles are optional on the EX40 to prevent washer fluid and nozzles from freezing and help continue to keep the windshield clear in sub-freezing temperatures. The Solterra doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the EX40 has a standard rear wiper. The Solterra doesn’t offer a rear wiper.

To help drivers avoid possible obstacles, the EX40 offers optional cornering lights to illuminate around corners when the turn signals are activated. The Solterra doesn’t offer cornering lights. The EX40 also offers optional adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle.

The EX40’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 Solterra has an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

The Volvo EX40 has power folding mirrors that offer unparalleled convenience while maneuvering in tight places or parked. With the mirrors folded it’s easier to walk past and help prevent parking damage. The mirrors can be quickly unfolded when the driver is ready to leave. Power folding mirrors are only offered on the Solterra Limited/Touring.

The Volvo EX40 has a standard Homelink wireless remote control system for garage door operation and device management, conveniently located on the rear view mirror. 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 Solterra.

The EX40 is available in both front-wheel drive and four-wheel drive configurations. The Solterra doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.

The Volvo EX40/XC40 outsold the Subaru Solterra by over two to one during 2024.