The Trailseeker, with all-wheel drive and X mode, made it around an off-road course with ease.Mark Richardson/The Globe and Mail
The Subaru Trailseeker is the largest of the Japanese automaker’s all-electric vehicles and, like the two other EVs in its line-up, it was developed in a partnership with Toyota. The Trailseeker is almost identical to the new Toyota bZ Woodland and both are assembled at a Subaru plant in Japan. Aside from a different-shaped steering wheel, and different-shaped headlights and tail lamps, the two are basically the same.
The choice of which to buy comes down to price – what features are included at specific trim levels and the interest rates for leasing and financing – and dealer satisfaction.
All-electric Subaru Uncharted is basically a Toyota C-HR, but with a cheaper base version
The Trailseeker is sold in three trims, beginning at $57,852 for the Touring, then $3,000 more for the Limited and another $3,000 above that for the Premier. Those prices include freight and destination but not taxes, and all are too costly to qualify for the federal government’s $5,000 rebate. (For that, the transactional value – the final price before taxes, but also before freight and pre-delivery inspection – must be $50,000 or less.) In comparison, the Toyota bZ Woodland is more expensive, starting at $63,300 and rising to $68,300, after fees but before taxes.
Similar to the Toyota bZ Woodland, but unlike most other cars, the daytime running lights on the Subaru Trailseeker are above the headlights.Mark Richardson/The Globe and Mail
The Trailseeker and Solterra share a platform and have the same wheelbase, but the Trailseeker is longer and stretched mostly at the back.Mark Richardson/The Globe and Mail
What you get is a two-row, all-electric SUV that’s well-powered for its size, larger than the all-electric Solterra but not quite as big as the gas-powered Outback. It’s capable of driving up to 444 kilometres on a single charge and when it needs to be recharged it can be plugged in through its Tesla-standard NACS port at up to 150 kilowatts. It’s all-wheel drive, with equal-sized motors on each axle that deliver power between them as needed for acceleration and cornering control.
The 74.7-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery is liquid-cooled and can be preconditioned for charging, so should not be affected much by extreme hot or cold temperatures. Like all Teslas and the new Nissan Leaf, among others, it’s capable of plug-and-charging: connected public chargers will communicate directly with the Subaru app on your smartphone and you only have to plug in the car to charge. There’s no need to swipe a credit card or even open the app to pay, because the charger will recognize the car and automatically bill the credit card registered to it.
I drove the Trailseeker both on- and off-road and it never put a wheel wrong. On the highways and canyon roads of southern California, the comparatively heavy EV was sure-footed and never short of power, with a claimed dash to 100 kilometres an hour in a swift 4.4 seconds.
On the relatively gentle off-road course, the car’s tires barely slipped and its flat underside was in no danger of damaging anything against any rocks or bumps. There’s 215 millimetres of ground clearance under there, which is about a half-centimetre higher than the Solterra and a half-centimetre lower than the Outback.
The big different with the Toyota bZ Woodland is the steering wheel on the Trailseeker is flat on the top and bottom.Mark Richardson/The Globe and Mail
The Outback has more cargo space, but the Trailseeker still has 886 litres behind the back seats and 2,095 litres when the seats are folded (almost) flat.Mark Richardson/The Globe and Mail
Cargo space is similarly in the middle of those other two Subarus. There’s 886 litres behind the back seats of the Trailseeker, compared to 674 litres in the Solterra – the two EVs share their platform and have identical wheelbase dimensions, but the Trailseeker is longer and stretched mostly at the back. The Outback beats them both with 980 litres. Fold the seats (almost) flat and there’s up to 2,095 litres.
The Trailseeker is well designed in the rear, with a wide-opening rear door and enough room to fit a large dog crate. Roof rails are standard on all trims, and can carry up to 317 kilograms. Towing capacity is 3,500 pounds (1,587 kilograms), though the hitch is not provided from the factory and must be installed by the dealer.
If you’re in the market for an all-electric SUV, and you’re (understandably) confused as to whether you should purchase the Subaru Trailseeker or the Toyota bZ Woodland, my advice is the same as it is for drivers considering the smaller Subaru Uncharted or Toyota C-HR. Know beforehand what features you want and then compare which of them are available at what trim levels.
Subaru says you’ll get a better deal with the Trailseeker, and you may well do so, but also remember Toyota’s high reputation for reliability, which may well result in a better residual value for a private sale.
Tech specs
2026 Subaru Trailseeker
- Base price / as tested: $57,852 / $63,852 including freight and pre-delivery inspection, plus tax
- Motor / battery: 167-kilowatt front, 167-kW rear / 74.7 kW-h
- Horsepower: 375
- Drive: All-wheel drive
- Power consumption (NRCan ratings) / charging capacity: Two Le/100 km (claimed), 16.8 kWh/100 km (observed) / 150 kW (NACS)
- Curb weight: 2,015 – 2,060 kilograms
- Range (claimed): 444 kilometres
- Alternatives: Toyota bZ Woodland, Hyundai Ioniq 5, Chevrolet Blazer EV, Ford Mustang Mach-E, Tesla Model Y
The rear seats on the new Trailseeker.Mark Richardson/The Globe and Mail
The writer was a guest of the automaker. Content was not subject to approval.
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