Compare the2026 Volvo EX40VS 2026 Subaru Trailseeker

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 Trailseeker doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

Both the EX40 and Trailseeker 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 Trailseeker’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 Trailseeker doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

Both the EX40 and the Trailseeker 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 Trailseeker’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 Trailseeker’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 Trailseeker.

The EX40 Twin Motor’s optional electric motors produces 27 more horsepower (402 vs. 375) than the Trailseeker’s electric motors.

The EX40 can travel with zero emissions for 260 to 296 miles (dependent on model). The Trailseeker can’t move without running its internal combustion engine.

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

For better traction and acceleration, the EX40 has larger rear tires than the Trailseeker (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 Trailseeker 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 Trailseeker 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 Trailseeker Premium.

The EX40 is 1 foot, 4 inches shorter than the Trailseeker, 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, 8.4 inches more rear hip room and 1.3 inches more rear shoulder room than the Trailseeker.

A control in the cargo area automatically lowers the EX40’s optional rear seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The Trailseeker 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 Trailseeker doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

The EX40 uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Trailseeker 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 Trailseeker 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 Trailseeker’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 Trailseeker doesn’t offer heated windshield washer nozzles.

To help drivers avoid possible obstacles, the EX40 offers optional cornering lights to illuminate around corners when the turn signals are activated. The Trailseeker 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 Trailseeker has an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

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 Trailseeker.

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