Overview & Reviews

Subaru is a Japan-based automaker whose recent offerings are both practical and fun to drive. The automaker crafts vehicles whose all-wheel-drive powertrains and available turbochargers facilitate sharp performance. Incongruously, most Subaru vehicles are discreet and versatile enough to serve as competent family haulers, and the brand is known for boasting some of the best crash test scores in the automotive world.

In the early 1950s, a collection of Japanese companies joined to form Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd. Its automotive division came to be known as "Subaru," which is a Japanese word meaning "unite." In 1954, the first Subaru car was unveiled. Powered by a four-cylinder engine, the P-1 (its name was later changed to the Subaru 1500) boasted a front-wheel wishbone-type independent suspension and was the first car to feature a monocoque body designed in Japan. Sales were suspended due to challenges associated with funding and support, but Subaru soon resolved its difficulties and rolled out a sibling for its first-born; the 360 was introduced in 1958. Dubbed the Ladybird because of its ladybug shape, the compact 360 proved immensely popular, and remained in production for 12 years.

The 1960s saw the launch of the first Subaru truck. Based on the Subaru 360 platform, the Sambar minitruck offered both compact dimensions (a must for Japan's crowded, narrow streets) and an extremely spacious cargo bed. The truck was soon joined by the Sambar Light Van, a compact van built for both commercial and leisure use. In 1966, the automaker rolled out the 1000, a car that holds the distinction of being the first vehicle to use the drive technology that is the linchpin of current Subaru models: a front-wheel-drive system coupled to a horizontally opposed engine. This setup offered many advantages in handling and performance. By the end of the decade, Subaru North America had been founded, and exports to the United States had begun.

Subaru started the '70s with the introduction of the GL/DL (called the Leone in other markets). The sedan (it was soon joined by a coupe and a station wagon) broke new ground by offering four-wheel-drive (4WD) capability. Up until then, 4WD had only been offered in off-road-oriented vehicles. Coveted for use in the snow and in hilly regions, the GL and DL also benefited from the increasing popularity of outdoor sports like skiing and fishing, and went on to become the world's top-selling 4WD vehicle. In 1977, Subaru rolled out the successful Brat; based on the GL, it was a small car-based pickup whose cargo bed featured a pair of jump seats. More and more, young people were seeking a vehicle designed for an outdoorsy lifestyle, and the rugged Brat was perfectly in step with their needs.

Subaru continued to offer versatile but slightly quirky vehicles through the '80s. It developed the world's first electronically controlled continuously variable transmission. The technology made its debut later that decade in a new Subaru, the tiny Justy economy car. By the end of the '80s, Subaru had given birth to the Legacy, which replaced the outgoing GL/DL (now called the Loyale in the U.S.). Available as both a wagon and a sedan, the Legacy placed an emphasis on performance.

The automaker made a name for itself in motorsports in the 1990s by being the first Japanese marque to win the Manufacturers' title at the World Rally Championship three years in a row. The Subaru family continued to grow during this decade, with the addition of the high-performance SVX, the popular Legacy-based Outback wagon and the sporty Impreza. In the late '90s, General Motors acquired a 20 percent stake in parent company Fuji Heavy Industries (FHI) with the aim of strengthening its presence in foreign markets. This affiliation didn't last long, however, and Toyota currently owns a small percentage of FHI.

Today, Subaru's lineup includes everything from compact trucks to family-friendly wagons to high-performance cars such as the WRX STi. The brand is hailed as a top pick for enthusiasts seeking vehicles that offer a shot of utility with their performance thrills.

User Reviews:

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  Do Not Buy - 2014 Subaru Forester
  By roryc - September 8 - 12:17 pm

  I am writing this because I read reviews like this for 2 months before I purchased my 2014 Forester XT. Day one the car was delivered with screw in the tire, tire had to be ordered. Week 2 Stress crack in windshield. Long cranks or multiple cranks to start car. Shim was inserted by Subaru. Car now misfires with no solution available. The last time at the Bob Moore Subaru I was told to come pick up my car, because we cant repair it. Subaru wanted me to pay $4500 more to exchange the car for an identical model. Serious problems with this model!!

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  dont buy xt - 2009 Subaru Forester
  By bad experience - August 31 - 7:30 am

  The engine on this car (turbo) blew up in a remote location late at night in a snow storm. We had kids in the car. BAD experience. Totally unacceptable for a car with 9600 miles on it. Subaru paid for the rental car for the time my car was at the dealer; plus got them to pay me $1000 for my hassle and pay for free scheduled maintenance on the car for the rest of the lease term. I was told by dealer that turbo engines have an oil piping problem. The turbo gets starved of oil. The result is mechanical failure of turbo. Metal pieces somehow get into engine. Bye-bye engine.

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  Nice ride at expense of tire wear and Oil use - 2013 Subaru XV Crosstrek
  By Shelly Marshall - August 17 - 10:44 am

  I updated this review because Ive learned more about the Crosstrek that applied to me since I traded it in. (I feel sorry for the ones who bought it after me) My update will appear at the end of my original review which is here: I like the feel of driving this. Good points is the MPG (unless the wind blows against you then it drops by 10 MPG--that is not a joke! ANYTHING but during downhill and you lose the great mileage) I have a cage in back for little dogs--and I like the way that works. The storage is wonderful. easy to see out windows and easy to drive in traffic. Down side. Cloth seats stain when you sneeze! Horrible how bad the seats look in just a few years. I wish I had gotten leather. Very noisy on the road--good thing noise doesnt bother me too much but it drives others crazy. The worst thing about the vehicle is the tire wear. The vehicle is not worth it because it eats tires like crazy and the dealers and Customer Service for Subaru both handle this fact as if it is your fault. This is what dealers in Arizona, California, Utah, Montana, and Alaska have actually said to me: a) its your driving b) its out of alignment (fixed THREE times but never corrected tire wear) c) its because you carry an ice chest and food in the back when you travel d) its the 300 lb motorcycle trailer you pull e) its all the potholes you hit f) it must be heavy passengers that you carry in back g) its your toy Pomeranians that you carry in a cage in back h) its the tires you buy Its not any of those things. At 70,000 miles, I was on my 5th set of tires! The first set went out at 19,000! What is up with that? The last set of tires I bought were rated hard tires (602) with a 60,000-mile warranty and after only 25,000 miles Subaru in Fairbanks refused to rotate the tires because they say I need new ones, AGAIN! It was Anchorage Subaru who told me if I bought the hard tires and they wore out that fast, that the tire company would honor the warranty. I figured it was a good solution to badly wearing tires--problem was, when the tire company saw the tires, they blamed the Crosstrek and refused to honor the warranty. Incredible. I own a 2013 CrossTrek. Something is very wrong with the tire wear. Soft tires get 15,000 and hard rubber gets 25,000--that is not right. Buyers beware. (You will find more reviews like this about the tires on the Internet). There is either something wrong with the Subaru I bought or with he crosstalk in general. My second major complaint is the customer care department. The problem showed up at 19,000 when I almost killed myself on bald tires. That is when the excuses began. Even though I had a 60,000 mile or 3-year warranty, they strung me along until the warranty ran out--paid for one alignment and then kept telling me, "this time it will be different" . Once the warranty was out, I was out of luck even though there was something definitely wrong with the vehicle and I began the process at 19,000 miles. The only thing Subaru did for me besides string me along until the warranty ran out was align my vehicle, buy one set of tires and assure me they wanted to take care of the problem--which never happened. Hollow words, really. I will never buy another Subaru. Not because of the tire wear and something being wrong with my vehicle, things go wrong! I own a business and nothing is ever 100%. so I cut slack for businesses. The trouble is the warranty was not honored--not the one that came with the original purchase or their extended warranty. I expected better from Subaru because they have been good in the past-but this was ridiculous--to blame me (who has driven for 40 years) and make sure that they did not correct the problem and let both my warranties run out. I wasted a lot of time and money on this problem--and as far as Im concerned, Subaru owes me the money back from my extended warranty because they did not honor it. I have kept all my records and pictures and even a few tires--if someone does a class action, Im in. UPDATE 9.21.16 There is a class action--but not on the tire wear--on oil!!!! And that was one of the problems I had. The car went through LOTs of oil. I kept running out and I mentioned it several times. Once It was only 500 miles after an oil change. I called the dealer who changed my oil and they said they probably forgot one quart! I was so far away from that dealer that I didnt bother to take it back to them (they are in Ogden and I was in Arizona). The oil light came on a lot and I asked several Subaru dealers what was going on and they claimed there was nothing going on--acted as if I didnt understand cars. Now there is a class action suit about the oil--I probably put in an extra 5 quarts when I owned the vehicle so it isnt worth my time trying to find receipts to join the suit but I can take the time to warn others about the way Subaru strung me along on TWO issues and their warranty was worthless! I really believe they should refund me the money paid

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  Still glad I sold it - 2010 Subaru Outback
  By huskerfan_1 - August 7 - 9:11 pm

  I had this car for exactly one year. Special ordered and purchase in Nov. 2009 and sold Nov. 2010. I am still seeing reviews noting the same deficiancies I left in my March 2010. review. I went on to purchase a 2011 Honda CRV. Still not the best, but it doesnt have ANY handling issues and comes with same crappy Continental tires. It has a better throttle response and the car is secure when entering and exiting tight exit ramps. The sound system is a trillion times better than the Harmon Kardon. I see many of these on the road and wonder if the owner has regretted their purchase.

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  Second and LAST Subaru - 2010 Subaru Impreza
  By weegian - July 25 - 8:13 am

  This is my second Impreza. The first one, a 2006, was a much better car. I had no problems with the 2006. The 2010 has 31k miles on it and feels like its rattling apart. Its been idling rough for a few months, but according to the dealership that I brought it to, thats what makes a Subaru a Subaru. I just dropped it off for an oil change and found out that the rear brakes are completely worn down to the metal. The paint is also pretty terrible. It scratches if you look at it funny. After less than a year, I had scratches around all of the door handles. Its my personal theory that Toyota is not so slowly trying to kill the Impreza.

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  Will it run or stop - 2002 Subaru Outback
  By no longer subaru fan - July 4 - 10:00 am

  This is my second one, my 2001 I reurned after filing a lemon law complaint. The 2002 isnt much better. The reliability of the car starting is better than my 2001, but for a brand new car should be 100%, not 75%. Had to fight the dealership/Subaru just to get them to believe me that this was happening on the 2001, gave up trying for this one. Also find that the brakes on this are not impressive. For anti-lock brakes, stopping distances seem to be very long. This is even after having them inspected. I will never purchase a Subaru again.

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  Dont believe the hype - 2008 Subaru Outback
  By TL - June 9 - 12:34 am

  This car is a POS. Blown head gasket, rods, timing chain......all before 100,000 miles. Bought it brand new and every maintenance visit was scheduled on time. Just bought another Subie and wish to God I hadnt. Last Subaru Ill ever buy,

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  Pray for me! Its winter. - 2013 Subaru Impreza
  By gboyce - June 5 - 4:26 am

  Pray for me in the snow because this car makes me scared. First my wife wanted it. Now as winter approaches the lowness of the car scares the hell out of me. It is cheaply made and its no frills inside feels it. There is also no center arm rest that makes it extra uncomfortable. We have only 8,000 miles on it and the seats are showing bear wear and tear already and we are not behemoths! The radio is bland and low even at full volume and sound quality is bland. Sounds like an old AM radio from the 60`s. It was only bought for the gas mileage and thats been good but not as advertised-nowhere near the 35 MPH. Worried about winter-does not make me feel safe.

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  Its not all that its cracked up to be - 2001 Subaru Legacy
  By Marnie Gonzalez - June 1 - 10:00 am

  I have owned my Subaru Legacy for 10 months and in the last 2 it has had to be in the shop 3 times for various reasons. I have been severely disappointed in its performance. I owned a Subaru in the past and had virtually no problems, this time around I cant say the same thing. I will not be buying another Subaru in the past.

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  Rear Wheel Bearings and Build Quality - 2001 Subaru Forester
  By Bob - May 22 - 11:43 pm

  I purchased my 2001 Subaru Forester new from Carr Subaru in Beaverton Oregon. The Forester new had to have some type of additive put into the radiator just assuming from what I have read recently to keep the head gasket from leaking, the cup holders are in the wrong place, the carpet started to come loose at 3,000 miles, the gas cap door wont close and now I have had to replace both rear wheel bearings at 79,000 miles. What is next. This is the second Sabaru I have owned and the last. This Vehicle is a piece of junk. Sabaru needs to wake up just as recently the American autos have done.