When the Toyota Highlander was revealed, the car community was hyped at its return. The original Highlander from 2001 was a huge hit, just a bit of a gas guzzler. Now, it will return as an EV.<\/p>\n
For anyone in the market for a three-row electric SUV, the Highlander seems like a no-brainer. However, Subaru has just announced a nearly identical three-row electric SUV. Except this one has more horsepower. The Subaru Getaway is also on its way, and it may be the better choice.<\/p>\n
Toyota and Subaru have a history of making nearly identical vehicles, most notoriously the Toyota GR86 and Subaru BRZ. The two automakers often share architecture and technology, combining to create some winning vehicles. One example? The Subaru Solterra, the brand’s first three-row SUV.<\/p>\n
With these upcoming three-row EVs, Toyota is providing the EV architecture, like battery technology, while Subaru is bringing the chassis, suspension, and all-wheel drive. With this formula, the Getaway could become the dominant three-row electric SUV.<\/p>\n
Subaru has been criticized in the past for continuing to work with Toyota, a move that feels a bit like its EV plans are causing the automaker to lose its identity. Automotive News reported in 2024 that Subaru Corporation President and CEO Atsushi Osaki seemed scared of doing the EV thing alone: “At the moment, it is quite difficult to predict how things will go from here with EVs.\u00a0There is a huge risk for us to go alone in this field. We have talked with Toyota and agreed that it is better to reduce risks through joint development.”<\/p>\n
And maybe Subaru was right. Its first go at a three-row EV, the Solterra, didn’t go so hot. Compared to other electric vehicles in the same category, the Solterra had a pretty meh range and slow charging speeds. Those two things ended up being dealbreakers for the vehicle’s target audience: off-road and off-grid travelers. Shocker: they didn’t want to get stuck in the middle of nowhere. And the Solterra was priced pretty high despite having worse stats than the competition.<\/p>\n
Now, the two are trying in the category once more. Maybe they can bring their strengths together for good this time.<\/p>\n
The Toyota Highlander EV was announced first<\/a>. From what we know, it’s coming with two trim levels, XLE and Limited, two battery options, and two setups: a front-wheel-drive, single motor with 221 horsepower and an all-wheel-drive, dual-motor option with 338 horsepower. It’s big, gets up to 320 miles of range, has more driver-assistance features than you’ll ever need, and will have a very luxurious, comfortable interior.<\/p>\n The Subaru Getaway EV was announced afterward, making it difficult not to compare it to the identical Highlander \u2014 it came out looking like a copycat. I mean, it sort of is. It’s Subaru’s largest electric SUV yet, with up to 300 miles of range and the ability to tow up to 3,500 pounds (which will reduce the range). The dual-motor all-wheel-drive powertrain gives you 420 horsepower, and you can recharge using the Tesla Supercharger network. The interior is full of features and connectivity.<\/p>\n Not much is known about either just yet. But the Getaway seems to have improved on most of the larger complaints about the Solterra. And one thing makes it stand out against the Highlander as well: the horsepower. It’s 420 hp compared to the Highlander’s 338 hp. It has a 0-60 miles per hour of about 5 seconds, Subaru claims.<\/p>\n It’s unclear why the Getaway has more horsepower when it’s basically otherwise identical to the Highlander. Torque News asked Subaru a bit about this, and spokesperson Aaron Cole stated that they don’t share the same engineering: “Subaru and Toyota maintain a strong partnership in EV development and collaborate to bring their respective strengths to each vehicle. In terms of what Subaru brings to the table for Getaway, we bring our experience in chassis development, suspension tuning, AWD performance, and driving dynamics.”<\/span><\/p>\n No specifics on what gives the Getaway more horsepower, but the Getaway was made for a customer base that enjoys the journey, not just the destination. He added: “It is a great SUV to drive.”<\/p>\n We don’t have the Highlander EV or Getaway EV’s price points just yet, so it’s hard to fully tell you which three-row EV to go for. It will likely depend on personal taste. Toyota could offer better service and reliability<\/a> while Subaru could offer a bit better off-road performance. And more horsepower. We’d probably have to find out more about each SUV to make a clear decision, but it does seem like the Getaway could have a bit of Subaru flair that sets it apart after all.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" When the Toyota Highlander was revealed, the car community was hyped at its return. The original Highlander from 2001 was … <\/p>\n