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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  Very Subaru - 2016 Subaru Outback
  By Bon Voyage - August 5 - 10:37 pm

  Ive owned my 16 Outback limited with eyesight for about three months/ 3000 miles. It is my second Outback (non consecutive). Overall, this is a great utilitarian family car, and if you have owned an Outback before, youll recognize its strengths and weaknesses. The car offers great utility, use of space, and overall function. Its not sporty by any means, but it is great at getting me and all my stuff (including a one year old and all his stuff) where I want to go comfortably and safely. Its a fantastic road trip car, with incredible back seat comfort. The adaptive cruise control included in the Eyesight package was worth every penny. I never used to use cruise control, but I use the adaptive cruise control on almost every trip. The gas mileage is also very good for the weight of the car. I have generally experienced 30 mpg average when driving 75 on the highway. There are downsides. First, dont buy this car if youre looking for sporty handling. This should immediately be clear from a test drive, but acceleration, road holding, and "feel" are not sporty. However, they are in line with reasonable expectations. The only surprise I have had from a handling perspective is how much the car jumps/skips when it hits a bump, especially when going around a curve. My 01 Outback did this a bit, but I was surprised to experience it in my 2016. The outback holds the road over imperfections far worse than other cars Ive driven in this price range. Secondly, the entertainment/nav is a massive point of frustration. It has a lot of functionality, but it is hard to navigate and overly complex. While the navigation is nicely integrated into the sound system and dashboard. However, Waze and Google Maps outperform the navigation so profoundly that I dont even use the integrated navigation. After running Waze in parallel with the Nav for a few months, the Subaru navigation has so consistently provided sub-optimal or confusing directions that I prefer to just use my phone. This leads me to my other complaint about the the system. It works pretty well over Bluetooth, but as soon as you plug the phone into the USB, the system wants to treat your phone as an iPod and the whole experience gets disrupted. Overall, the entertainment system is super clunky and hard to use. I cannot for the life of me figure out how to save preset stations (have not yet opened the giant manual) and the system is heavily integrated with Sirius, which really undermines the system if you dont buy a subscription. With all this said, Im very happy with the car.

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  terrific value for this class - 2015 Subaru Forester
  By feralcat - August 5 - 2:54 am

  We bought an XT premium a few weeks ago and have taken a couple road trips that included highway grades and dirt roads. This vehicle absolutely wants to move and fast. I had to keep using the cruise as to not risk getting nabbed for going over 85mph and my foot was barely on the gas. I dislike CVTs but admit that this one is pretty decent probably because of the horsepower and torque so that the drone is nonexistent. Love the appearance ( we got foglights, fender guards, and some other accessories.) So far this appears to be a good value for the price. I would not pay extra for eyesight or nav both of which get negative reviews and in the vehicle we test drove (touring) were annoying

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  Not For Big People - 2013 Subaru XV Crosstrek
  By connrailfan - August 4 - 12:32 am

  I bought my Subaru XV Crosstrek in August of 2013. It was peppy and fun to drive. They are nice looking cars and have a nice feel for the road. Compared with other cars I test drove, the Crosstrek had less modern, and not thought out dashboard. For example: The main gauges are red, which is great at night, but there are two glaring blue panels in the dash too that compete. There arent as many gauges as other cars too, mostly warning lights. The dash bezels also squeeked on bumps. Im a 5 10" man. I had the seat all the way back. Three months with the car I started have back issues from the seats that grew worse. By this spring it was difficult for me to drive for any length of time.

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  Must have been built on a Monday - 2005 Subaru Legacy
  By kd - August 3 - 7:20 am

  This car is fun to drive. Have had quite a bit of trouble with little things. Had the check engine light come on in the first 1000 miles of driving. Well, if any of you have had this problem you know that the cruise control does not work. Not good for long trips. Fuel pump went bad. In the shop three times for cruise issues. Do a lot of travel and not having cruise stinks. Had to adjust drivers window due to high pitch noise. Would not buy these high priced cars again. Does not hold value very much like other cars.

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  Reliable AWD - 2008 Subaru Outback
  By NJ - July 30 - 2:13 pm

  Overall, very nice car. Leather seats are luxurious and comfortable. Decent MPG for AWD system. Accurate Navigation system. Nice cargo room. Back seats are a little too cramped. Ive owned 4.9L V8, 4.5L V8, 3.5L V6. Maybe this is why this Outback seems so so so so so slowwwwwwwwwwww. I make sure engine revs at around 6000 rpm and this car doesnt pick up speed quite well. I shouldve got XT or H6 version. If you dont care about acceleration, then this car may be the perfect car.

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  Tribeca Rocks! - 2006 Subaru B9 Tribeca
  By loki707 - July 28 - 3:33 am

  So far the Tribeca is more and more fun to drive every day. I test drove all the rest and the Tribeca I knew wouldnt get boring. Its not too big and not too small. Its the easiest to park of all the 7+ seaters. Enjoy one for yourself.

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  Problems with my 2004 Forester - 2004 Subaru Forester
  By Aaron - July 27 - 10:30 am

  I have an 2004 Forester and had to have in the shop 3 times for them to figure out I had a bad fuel injector head. It was fixed and works fine now. This morning I had to take it in again because the car overheats when the A/C is on. I did my research on Subarus and none of the data indicated that I would have the type of problems Im having. I think Im going to trade my car in for a Honda. My Subaru has become unreliable for my family.

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  looks tougher than it is - 2003 Subaru Forester
  By Jimmy - July 23 - 8:30 pm

  Nice ride, good mileage and easy getting in and out. Not too quiet from the outside. The steering was off a bit after 500 miles because I went over a 2 foot high pile of dirt. A side view mirror cracked cracked in half on a winter night. The back seat is for little people only. The brakes didnt last too long either, it pulled to the right every stop after 10,000 miles.

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  2003 vs 2002 - 2003 Subaru Forester
  By Nova Tony - July 23 - 10:00 am

  Weve had a 2002 Forester S Premium for a little over two years; and like it so much that we recently replaced our other car with a 2003 XS with the premium leather package. Both are auto trans. Drove the 2003 from Virginia up to Acadia Maine and spent a month driving in Maine and Western Massachusetts (3000 miles). No complaints, very similar to the prior model (which is an excellent vehicle) except for a flaw in the drivers seat adjustment mechanism.

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  Mediocratic Platform - 2010 Subaru Forester
  By Subesation - July 23 - 1:53 am

  For a 2010 model SUV, this vehicle is lacking some basic features other vehicles in its class have. Comfortable driving position is one. The driver position is awkward with all the plastic parts sticking out reaking havoc on leg pain. Blue-tooth, the horrible sound system even with the circle sound on and the lack of auto on headlights. I enjoy the quality the subaru brand projects and thus far reliability is number 1. I have yet to get over 23 MPG even driving highway everyday. If your wanting to buy this vehicle its offroad ability is great, but the luxury interior is just not there! I dont have any rattling but considering the forester is mostly plastics I know its coming.