Compare the2026 BMW iXVS 2025 Subaru Solterra

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Ergonomics
Recommendations

Safety

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The iX’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 iX and Solterra have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The iX 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 BMW iX’s optionalSurround View is available with washers for its front and rear cameras, ensuring crystal-clear visibility in any weather condition. Conversely, the Subaru Solterra only offers a rear camera washer, which may not provide the same level of all-weather performance.

Both the iX and the Solterra have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, four-wheel antilock brakes, all wheel drive, 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, driver alert monitors and available around view monitors.

The BMW iX weighs 1062 to 1484 pounds more than the Subaru Solterra. The NHTSA advises that heavier vehicles are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.

Warranty

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

BMW pays for scheduled maintenance on the iX for 3 years and 36,000 miles. BMW will pay for tire rotations, cabin filter replacement, brake fluid replacement, inspections, and any other required maintenance. Subaru doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the Solterra.

Reliability

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2025 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that BMW vehicles are more reliable than Subaru vehicles. J.D. Power ranks BMW above average in long-term dependability. With 13 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, Subaru is rated below average.

Engine

The iX xDrive45’s standard electric motors produces 187 more horsepower (402 vs. 215) and 267 lbs.-ft. more torque (516 vs. 249) than the Solterra’s electric motors. The iX xDrive60’s standard electric motors produces 321 more horsepower (536 vs. 215) and 315 lbs.-ft. more torque (564 vs. 249) than the Solterra’s electric motors. The iX M70’s standard electric motors produces 435 more horsepower (650 vs. 215) and 562 lbs.-ft. more torque (811 vs. 249) than the Solterra’s electric motors.

Fuel Economy and Range

The iX can travel longer on a full charge than the Solterra on a full charge:

			Miles
iX
	AWD	xDrive60 20" Wheels Electric Motors	364 miles
		xDrive60 21" Wheels Electric Motors	341 miles
		xDrive60 22" Wheels Electric Motors	327 miles
		xDrive60 23" Wheels Electric Motors	318 miles
		xDrive45 20" Wheels Electric Motors	312 miles
Solterra
	AWD	Premium Electric Motors	227 miles
		Limited/Touring Electric Motors	222 miles

Transmission

The iX M70’s launch control uses engine electronics to hold engine RPM’s precisely in order to provide the most stable and rapid acceleration possible, using all of the available traction. The Solterra doesn’t offer launch control.

Brakes and Stopping

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

	iX	Solterra
Front Rotors	13.7 inches	12.9 inches
Rear Rotors	13.6 inches	12.5 inches

The iX stops much shorter than the Solterra:

	iX	Solterra
70 to 0 MPH	158 feet	183 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	127 feet	135 feet	Consumer Reports
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	138 feet	145 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the iX’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Solterra (275/40R22 vs. 235/60R18).

The iX’s optional tires provide better handling because they have a lower 35 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Solterra Limited/Touring/Onyx’s 50 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the iX xDrive45/60 has standard 20-inch wheels. Smaller 18-inch wheels are standard on the Solterra Premium. The iX’s optional 23-inch wheels are larger than the 20-inch wheels on the Solterra Limited/Touring/Onyx.

Suspension and Handling

The iX offers an available driver-adjustable suspension system. It allows the driver to choose between an extra-supple ride, reducing fatigue on long trips, or a sport setting, which allows maximum control for tricky roads or off-road. The Solterra’s suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

The iX has a standard automatic front and rear load leveling suspension to keep ride height level with a heavy load or when towing. The iX’s height leveling suspension allows the driver to raise ride height for better off-road clearance and then lower it again for easier entering and exiting and better on-road handling. The Solterra doesn’t offer a load leveling suspension.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the iX’s wheelbase is 5.9 inches longer than on the Solterra (118.1 inches vs. 112.2 inches).

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the iX is 2.7 inches wider in the front and 3.4 inches wider in the rear than the track on the Solterra.

The iX xDrive60 handles at .88 G’s, while the Solterra Touring pulls only .80 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

For greater off-road capability the iX has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Solterra (8.8 vs. 8.3 inches), allowing the iX to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

Passenger Space

The iX has 2.7 inches more front headroom, 7.3 inches more front hip room, 3.7 inches more front shoulder room, 1.6 inches more rear headroom, 3.6 inches more rear legroom, 15.3 inches more rear hip room and 2.3 inches more rear shoulder room than the Solterra.

Cargo Capacity

The iX has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Solterra with its rear seat up (35.5 vs. 23.8 cubic feet). The iX has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Solterra with its rear seat folded (77.9 vs. 63.5 cubic feet).

The iX’s cargo area is larger than the Solterra’s in almost every dimension:

	iX	Solterra
Length to seat (2nd/1st)	41”/75”	38.3”/73”
Max Width	43.8”	50.4”
Min Width	43.8”	38.1”
Height	31.6”	29.8”

Pressing a switch automatically lowers the iX’s rear seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The Solterra doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

To make loading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the iX’s liftgate can be opened and closed just by kicking your foot under the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The Solterra doesn’t offer a hands-free gesture to open its liftgate, forcing you to put cargo down if your hands are full.

Towing

The iX has a 3500 lbs. towing capacity. The Solterra has no towing capacity.

Standard Trailer Stabilization Control on the iX uses the Dynamic Stability 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.

Ergonomics

The iX offers an optional heads-up display that projects speed, warning, navigation instruction and driver assistance information readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The Solterra doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The iX’s standard Comfort Access 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. Keyless Access and Start is not available on the Solterra Touring/Onyx.

The iX’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.

The iX’s rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The Solterra Premium’s standard manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

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

Laser headlights, optional on the iX, produce their light by firing blue lasers through phosphorus, a process that uses one-half the power of the Solterra’s LED headlights. Laser headlights can have double the range of LEDs with a much smaller surface area.

The Solterra Limited/Touring’s cornering lamps activate a lamp on the front corner when the turn signal is activated. The iX’s optional adaptive cornering lights turn the actual headlight unit up to several degrees, depending on steering wheel angle and vehicle speed. This lights a significant distance into corners at any speed.

The iX’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 offers an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

The BMW iX 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/Onyx.

The iX has a standard heated steering wheel to take the chill out of steering on extremely cold winter days before the vehicle heater warms up. A heated steering wheel is only available on the Solterra Limited/Touring/Onyx.

The iX offers optional massaging front seats in order to maximize comfort and eliminate fatigue on long trips. Massaging seats aren’t available in the Solterra.

The BMW iX 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.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the BMW iX has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Wireless charging costs extra on the Solterra.

The iX’s Parking Assistant can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. Remote Control Parking will park and retrieve your car remotely: press a button and watch it park itself. This is ideal for tight locations. The Solterra Limited/Touring/Onyx’s automatic parking system does not offer parking by remote control.

Recommendations

The BMW iX outsold the Subaru Solterra by 20% during 2024.

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