Compare the2025 Subaru SolterraVS 2025 Tesla Model 3

In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the Solterra are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The Model 3 doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, Full-Time Four-Wheel Drive is standard on the Solterra. But it costs extra on the Model 3.

When descending a steep, off-road slope, the Solterra’s standard Downhill Assist Control allows you to creep down safely. The Model 3 doesn’t offer Downhill Assist Control.

The Solterra Limited/Touring/Onyx has a standard 360-degree Surround-View Camera to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The Model 3 only offers a rear monitor and front and rear parking sensors that beep or flash a light. That doesn’t help with obstacles to the sides.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Solterra’s standard Rear Cross Traffic Alert uses sensors in the rear to alert the driver to vehicles approaching from the side and Parking Support Brake automatically engages the brakes to help avoid a collision. The Model 3 doesn’t offer a rear cross-path warning system.

The Solterra has standard STARLINK Safety and Security, which uses a global positioning satellite (GPS) receiver and a cellular system to remotely unlock your doors if you lock your keys in, help track down your vehicle if it’s stolen or send emergency personnel to the scene if any airbags deploy. The Model 3 doesn’t offer a GPS response system, only a navigation computer with no live response for emergencies, so if you’re involved in an accident and you’re incapacitated help may not come as quickly.

Both the Solterra and the Model 3 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger 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 and driver alert monitors.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Subaru Solterra is safer than the Tesla Model 3:

	Solterra	Model 3
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	227	235
Chest Compression	.5 inches	.5 inches
Neck Stress	130 lbs.	190 lbs.
Neck Compression	25 lbs.	101 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Subaru Solterra is safer than the Tesla Model 3:

	Solterra	Model 3
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Chest Movement	.4 inches	.5 inches
Abdominal Force	86 lbs.	158 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	315	384
Spine Acceleration	38 G’s	41 G’s

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

The Subaru Solterra has achieved the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s (IIHS) highest rating of “Top Safety Pick Plus” for the 2025 model year. This distinction is based on its exceptional performance in IIHS’ rigorous battery of safety tests. Specifically, it earned a “Good” rating in the latest, more stringent moderate overlap front crash test, a “Good” result in the updated side impact test, and a “Good” score in the revised pedestrian crash prevention test. The Model 3 has not yet been fully evaluated by the IIHS for 2025.

There are over 3 times as many Subaru dealers as there are Tesla dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Solterra’s warranty.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Subaru vehicles are better in initial quality than Tesla vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Subaru above average in initial quality. With 83 more problems per 100 vehicles, Tesla is rated below average.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Subaru vehicles are more reliable than Tesla With 54 fewer problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, J.D. Power ranks Subaru higher than Tesla.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ March 2025 Auto Issue reports that Subaru vehicles are more reliable than Tesla vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Subaru first in overall reliability. Tesla is ranked 17th.

For better stopping power the Solterra’s standard front brake rotors are larger than those on the Model 3:

	Solterra	Model 3
Front Rotors	12.9 inches	12.6 inches

The Solterra has standard front and rear stabilizer bars, which help keep the Solterra flat and controlled during cornering. The Model 3’s suspension doesn’t offer a rear stabilizer bar.

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Solterra is .6 inches wider in the front and 1.3 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the Model 3.

For better maneuverability, the Solterra’s turning circle is 1.7 feet tighter than the Model 3’s (36.7 feet vs. 38.4 feet).

The Solterra has 1.4 inches more front hip room, 1.1 inches more front shoulder room, .2 inches more rear headroom, .8 inches more rear legroom and 1.8 inches more rear shoulder room than the Model 3.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the Solterra’s rear seats recline. The Model 3’s rear seats don’t recline.

To help drivers avoid possible obstacles, the Solterra Limited/Touring has standard cornering lights to illuminate around corners when the turn signals are activated. The Model 3 doesn’t offer cornering lights.

The Solterra’s standard side window demisters help clear frost or condensation from the side windows in the winter. The Model 3 doesn’t even offer side window demisters, so the driver may have to wipe the windows from the outside to gain side vision.

To shield the driver and front passenger’s vision over a larger portion of the windshield and side windows, the Solterra has standard extendable sun visors. The Model 3 doesn’t offer extendable visors.