Compare the2026 Kia EV6VS 2026 Subaru Trailseeker

Both the EV6 and Trailseeker have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The EV6 has power child safety locks, allowing the driver to activate and deactivate them from the driver's seat and to know when they're engaged. The Trailseeker’s child locks have to be individually engaged at each rear door with a manual switch. The driver can’t know the status of the locks without opening the doors and checking them.

In a Vehicle-to-Vehicle Frontal Crash Prevention 2.0 test conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the Kia EV6 achieved a “Acceptable” rating - the second highest possible - for its performance in forward collision warning and automatic braking systems, demonstrating its excellent capabilities in preventing collisions. The Subaru Trailseeker has not been tested.

Both the EV6 and the Trailseeker have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, driver alert monitors and available around view monitors.

The EV6 comes with a full 5-year/60,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Trailseeker’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 2 years or 24,000 miles sooner.

Kia’s powertrain warranty covers the EV6 5 years and 40,000 miles longer than Subaru covers the Trailseeker. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the Trailseeker ends after only 5 years or 60,000 miles.

There are over 24 percent more Kia dealers than there are Subaru dealers, which makes it easier should you ever need service under the EV6’s warranty.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2025 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Kia vehicles are better in initial quality than Subaru vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia above average in initial quality. With 6 more problems per 100 vehicles, Subaru is rated lower.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2025 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Kia vehicles are more reliable than Subaru vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Kia above average in long-term dependability. With 6 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, Subaru is rated below average.

The EV6 can travel longer on a full charge than the Trailseeker on a full charge:

For better traction, the EV6 GT-Line e-AWD’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Trailseeker (255/45R20 vs. 235/60R18).

The EV6’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 55 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Trailseeker Premium’s standard 60 series tires. The EV6 GT-Line e-AWD’s optional tires have a lower 45 series profile than the Trailseeker Limited/Touring’s 50 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the EV6 has standard 19-inch wheels. Smaller 18-inch wheels are standard on the Trailseeker Premium.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the EV6’s wheelbase is 2 inches longer than on the Trailseeker (114.2 inches vs. 112.2 inches).

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the EV6 is 1.1 inches wider in the front and 1.1 inches wider in the rear than the track on the Trailseeker.

The Kia EV6 may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs up to about 350 pounds less than the Subaru Trailseeker.

The EV6 is 6 inches shorter than the Trailseeker, making the EV6 easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The front grille of the EV6 uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The Trailseeker doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

The EV6 has 5.5 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Trailseeker (103 vs. 97.5).

The EV6 has .2 inches more front headroom, .3 inches more front legroom, .5 inches more front hip room, 3.7 inches more rear legroom, 7 inches more rear hip room and .6 inches more rear shoulder room than the Trailseeker.

The front step up height for the EV6 is 1.3 inches lower than the Trailseeker (16.6” vs. 17.9”). The EV6’s rear step up height is 1.2 inches lower than the Trailseeker’s (16.8” vs. 18”).

Pulling a handle automatically lowers the EV6’s rear seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The Trailseeker doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

The EV6 uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Trailseeker uses a prop rod to support its heavy hood. It takes two hands to open the hood and set the prop rod, the prop rod gets in the way during maintenance and service, and the prop rod could be knocked out, causing the heavy hood to fall on the person maintaining or servicing the car.

The EV6 GT-Line has a standard heads-up display that projects speed and navigation instruction readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The Trailseeker doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The EV6’s power window, power lock, power mirror and cruise control switches are lit from behind, making them plainly visible and easier to operate at night. The Trailseeker’s power window (except driver window) and power lock switches are unlit, making them difficult to find at night and operate safely.

The EV6 GT-Line’s Smart Parking Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. Remote Smart Parking Assist will park and retrieve your car remotely: press a button and watch it park itself. This is ideal for tight locations. The Trailseeker Limited/Touring’s automatic parking system does not offer parking by remote control.

The EV6 is available in both rear-wheel drive and four-wheel drive configurations. The Trailseeker doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.

The EV6 was chosen as a Car and Driver’s “Top Ten” for 2023. The Trailseeker has never been chosen by Car and Driver in their “10Best” issue.

A group of representative automotive journalists from North America selected the EV6 as the 2023 North American Utility Vehicle of the Year. The Trailseeker has never been chosen.