r/SubaruEV

Did my first full road trip today after having the Trailseeker (18” wheels) for two weeks. I managed to get 250 miles starting at 100% and finishing at 1%. This was highway driving going through Philadelphia and onto Wildwood so along I676 and the Atlantic City expressway. Papers were between 65-80mph and the AC was on.

I am very happy with the range as this is only 30 miles less than EPA and was a proper long distance trip at typical highway speeds

So I've been driving the Trailseeker for almost a month, and I've made some observations about the mi/kwh efficiency ratings.

I consistently get better efficiency in Power mode with regen completely turned off, anywhere from 4.0 to 4.6 mi/kwh. It's also more fun to drive. Driving habits are speedy acceleration, staying 5-10 over, and stopping fairly aggressively to get as much regen at lights as I can. It's still not really hitting the physical brakes, and I have a mark where the brake pad contacts the rotor when the parking brake is on most of the time.

Eco mode sucks to drive in (I traded in a BRZ for this wagon) so I'm not going to get efficiency numbers for it but interested to hear how others are faring.

Other notes - regen apparently doesn't do anything over 90 percent, so you'll be more efficient if you let the battery run down a bit between charges instead of plugging in every night. I put on lighter wheels and I'm still not sure if they helped at all - they look great though, which is what I was shooting for with them. No highway miles yet, no idea what kind of range I'll get on the interstate.

If you see my other post, I just took ownership of an Uncharted. There’s a couple quirks I can’t find the answer for, wondering if any experience Subaru EV owners know.

1. ⁠Voice activation button on the steering wheel, is it possible to swap the settings so that short press is Siri and long press is the Subaru assistant?
2. ⁠Is it not possible to save the regenerative braking setting for my profile? It goes back to minimum every new drive.
3. ⁠When CarPlay is connected, it is possible to have the screen default to it without tapping, instead of the car’s navigation screen?

Thanks!

I feel like reviews of the Uncharted are all over the place about rear leg room, but this one put it in the context of the Crosstrek, which I found helpful as an Impreza driver.

"At 6 feet 4, I fit just fine up front, and it’s easy to get comfy in the well-padded, if slightly flat, front seats. But with the front seats adjusted for me, the back seat is a tight fit. The GT’s panoramic sunroof also detracts from headroom. For tall people, both knees and upper bodies are pinched, but it’s fine for folks under about 5 feet 9. The Crosstrek has the same issue with legroom but not headroom. The Uncharted’s rear doors are pretty small too, so loading and unloading kids might not be so easy."

Test drove an Uncharted last night and tried to see how Apple’s EV route planning would work but we couldn’t figure it out.

https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/set-up-electric-vehicle-routing-iphc5e3a4b4b/ios

The Connect step never appeared. Does anyone know if Subaru supports this feature?

I made the decision awhile ago that I wanted to move to an EV. I currently have two Subaru ICE vehicles, but really only need a single car so I'll be selling both. They are a 2018 Crosstrek Limited (bought new) and 2020 Ascent Touring (bought used). I have a hitch on both and tow occasionally. I also occasionally carry things on the roof in my Thule cargo box. When I do road trips, they're about 600+ miles one way. I already stop frequently for the health of my body and mind on those trips, so no worries there. For the majority of my daily driving: I have no commute and most trips are an hour or less one way. Lots of in town and in traffic, so an EV would make a TON of sense. That said, I'm torn between getting the Trailseeker now (good deals with 0% APR) OR waiting to get the Getaway later this year (or early next year).

I like that the Getaway will have V2H. I live in an area that frequently loses power (hurricanes) and already have a few portable power stations for those emergencies, but this would enable me to last much longer and more easily run more than only necessities. The bigger battery is just more raw power for that situation.

The bigger battery is also just more raw power for everything, which will be useful for that occasional towing and hauling things on the roof. The longer range would be most meaningful when those things cut range in half.

That said, I do not need 3 rows of seats. At most, I'd travel with 4 seats full including mine. Not people though, my most frequent passengers are pets.

I love the exterior look of the Trailseeker. I prefer the twist knob to switch to drive, reverse, etc (I think this would be less likely to get accidently switched by a pet moving around the cabin). I like the knobs for climate control. I like the real door handles. I appreciate that it would be a bit easier to car camp inside thanks to the mostly flat surface when the back seat is folded down.

I've had the Crosstrek since 2017 and LOVE it. I got the Ascent more recently primarily to tow heavier things than my Crosstrek. I haven't actually towed heavier things yet, but I appreciate having the option and plan to use it in the future. I have found the huge interior useful for transporting large objects like bikes, large boxes, my paddleboard, etc. And the ride is very comfortable. Luxurious in comparison to my Crosstrek. But I love my Crosstrek for it's easy maneuverability, color (that Cool Gray Khaki is fantastic at hiding dirt), and familiar comfort and driving style. I'm short at only 5'4" and it fits me well and it's so much easier to reach the roof rails than the Ascent.

The things I think the Getaway has over the Trailseeker is more interior space and a bigger battery with longer range. It also has V2H capability. The Trailseeker has a more accessible roof height, exterior look I prefer, real door handles, and a switch between park and drive that's less likely to be engaged by wayward paws. Not sure yet if either will have a mode to enable using climate control while not plugged in for extended periods of time, but that's something I'd use if it were available. Utility mode (in EV settings) might do this, but I'm not certain. I wish one would come with a roof that opens, but that doesn't appear to be in the cards. Too bad since I've found using that with a magnetic screen over it is awesome for ventilation when car camping.

I don't have to rush this decision. My current cars drive fine. But I'm trying to decide so that if I chose the Trailseeker, I can take advantage of the current offers before they go away. Would love to hear other opinions especially if I missed an important differentiating factor between the two.

So, i have an old 2009 Subaru Outback that i have a saddle roof mount installed on that i use to haul my 11.5 ft fishing kayak around. Right now i have a suction cup roller i stick to the rear glass, and slide it up into these saddles, strap it down and off i go.

But its getting up there in age at 185k miles, has a forever check engine light on the catalytic converter that will cost more than the car is worth to fix, and generally just gets 21ish MPG so i am looking at what to move to in the future and of course was looking at some Subaru EV's either the Solterra, or Trailseeker, as well as possibly a Equinox EV.

But one thing that troubles me is all these EV car's seem to have a giant shark fin and what appear to be really low profile roof rails. I'm struggling to visualize how my Kayak would ever fit on these without banging into the shark fin on the back.

Is anyone else doing this with these cars, either rear loading or side loading kayaks? Is it difficult to not just snap off the antennae every time your loading? Here's the saddles i use for example, and a picture of the kayak on my roof rails when i bought it and didnt have them yet.

https://preview.redd.it/h2xuyngi7nzg1.jpg?width=1215&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=77e0c94a4170581a725b9351d2e6de5b18e3af90

https://preview.redd.it/flwqjx8q7nzg1.jpg?width=1215&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4dd8478c67e113f166ba953de0dba623e3e4ccbf

Recently leased a Trailseeker Premium (https://www.reddit.com/r/trailseeker/s/fSV7iMVq8l) and notice when driving above 30 mph and hit some rough pavement that there is an intermittent buzzing from the ceiling. Not super loud but a little annoying. Passengers barely hear it as it is more over the driver.

Anybody else experienced this. Hard to diagnose and fix since a full roof panel in the way.

Her approach to reviews is more mechanically inclined, and goes over some of the technical details you don't get elsewhere (including the wheel specs for those looking to get third-party rims).

Overall verdict is that she was surprised with how well it handles and impressed with the improvement, even if the vehicle isn't for her.