Since starting my career path in automotive back in 2013, I have been able to see and test out many different vehicles, several makes and models over the last 13 plus years!
I've leased everything from a Subaru Legacy to a Jeep Grand Cherokee, all of which I loved for different reasons. And all served their purpose in several seasons of life! Most recently I spent two years in a Chevy Blazer RS EV (my first electric vehicle), which is where I learned that I actuallly LOVED having an EV, and I much prefer plugging in my car at home, at my convenience, versus stopping at a gas station twice a week!
So when my lease ended last month, I was really only shopping for a new EV SUV -- easier said than done! There are actually very few fully electric vehicle SUVs on the road today.
Unfortunately, with the expiration of the Federal EV Tax Credit back in September of 2025, leasing or purchasing a new EV has become a bit more tricky! The incentives have disappeared over the last year, and it makes taking ownership of an EV a bit more difficult.
That's when the 2026 Subaru Trailseeker caught my eye, specifically the 0% financing for up to 75 months! Over the past three months, I have been keeping my eye on the incentives to see if I might be able to make it work
Here is what I am loving so far, after a few weeks with the new 2026 Subaru Trailseeker Touring AWD.
1. CarPlay is back and I did not realize how much I missed it!
Let's start with the smallest of upgrades. The Blazer EV doesn't offer Apple CarPlay or Android Auto -- GM went all-in on its Google built-in system instead. And honestly? The Google system worked fine. Navigation was okay. But I never really loved the infotainment system on the Blazer.
The Trailseeker has wireless Apple CarPlay on a 14-inch touchscreen — the largest Subaru has ever put in a car. I get in, my phone connects before I'm out of the driveway, and my music picks up right where I left off. That's it!
2. The charge port is native NACS, and the Trailseeker comes with every adapter you might need.
Every 2026 Trailseeker has a North American Charging Standard port built into the vehicle. Subaru puts the accessible network at more than 25,000 stations. I pull in, I plug in, done. It also comes with both a 120V and 240V plug so you can easily charge at home.
The numbers: a 74.7-kWh battery, an estimated range around 281 miles, and 10% to 80% in about 28 minutes at up to 150 kW. My Blazer LT had a bigger 85-kWh pack and an EPA rating of 279 miles, however most of my driving is just to work, the gym, home, and school pick-ups. At most I'm charging my car one or two times per week!
3. It is genuinely fast, which I was not expecting!
The Trailseeker makes 375 horsepower from its dual-motor setup and does 0 to 60 in 4.4 seconds. Subaru says that makes it the quickest production Subaru ever sold in the U.S. The drive and acceleration is unbelieveably smooth.
For context: my Blazer EV in all-wheel drive made 288 horsepower, and I always thought it was quick! I'm certainly not the person who buys a car for its zero-to-sixty, but it's quite nice especially merging on the highway!
4. The Touring's luxury features: heated & ventilated seats, heated steeing wheel and radiant leg warmers, and the most beautiful glass panoramic roof
The Touring trim adds ventilated (cooling) front seats and radiant leg warmers — a heating panel aimed at your shins and knees. This can help reduce battery usage overall in the winter because you may not need to blast the heat quite as much!
Related, and just as important: the Trailseeker preconditions its battery — automatically when you navigate to a charger, or manually from the touchscreen — so it can charge in cold weather at speeds comparable to normal conditions. Slow winter charging was my single biggest complaint about EV life. It's the reason I was willing to buy instead of lease this time.
Although I do with the Trailseeker moonroof would open, just having the beautiful view and extra light in the cabin is so nice! It's also my kids favorite feature!
5. It's the perfect size!
The Blazer was the perfect size for a mid-size SUV in the cabin. Leg and headroom was perfect, even with two bulky car seats in the back, there was plenty of room. The only complaint with the Blazer was the back cargo area, it really didn't have adequate space because of the way the roof line and trunk were shaped. The first thing I noticed about the Trailseeker, was how much more useable space there is in the cargo area! Although the seats are a bit more narrow, there is still plenty of room for the car seats, backpacks, etc!
The Trailseeker size wise reminds me a lot of the 2022 Outback that I had! For comparison sake, it's about six inches longer and nearly an inch taller than Subaru's Solterra (if you're comparing the two Subaru EVs). Another thing I've noticed pretty quickly: it has great visability.
If you are looking at the Trailseeker, it's proven to be one of the best EVs on the market in terms of value. Every single trim gets the same 375 horsepower, the same all-wheel drive, the same 74.7-kWh battery, the same 3,500-pound tow rating, the same 8.5 inches of clearance. The Touring is buying comfort, not capability. If the panoramic roof and the ventilated seats don't move you, the Premium is a genuinely serious amount of vehicle for a lot less money!
I bought the Touring because we had one in stock, in the color I wanted -- but I know I would be just as happy with the Premium model, which has a much more attractive price tag!
If you're coming out of an EV lease and trying to figure out what's next, be sure to come in and take one for a drive!