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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  Good, tough wagon - 2004 Subaru Outback
  By kialover15 - September 7 - 10:50 am

  Recently, we bought a Subuaru Outback, mostly because we needed something good in the snow, and boy is it ever. You can purposly try to do doughnuts and foolish car things and your not even able to. Very good in snow. The visibilty is good too, nice big windows in the back.

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  Lots of rattles&whistles - 2002 Subaru Outback
  By HMR - September 7 - 10:00 am

  This 2001 LL Bean is my 2nd subaru. However, I probably wont buy another due to all the rattles and wind noise in my Bean. This after barely 11,000 miles. These are body integrity noises which are proving nearly impossible to find. My 1992 Miata is quiter than this rattletrap. If you put ear plugs on the car drives fine, has plenty of power, and looks (imho) great. It excells on the road until you get a side wind or pass a large truck, then it sounds like waxed paper on a pocket comb. These cars are sold by GM dealers in Texas and they dont much care about customer satisfaction. Like Ricky Nelson, I think Id rather drive a truck.

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  HAD I ONLY KNOWN - 2005 Subaru Outback
  By GEORGE MEYER - September 7 - 6:33 am

  Great looking car. Interiors the best. However, car has no punch, many blind spots and overly sensitive key transmitter. Brakes could be stronger. Had I known before what I know now, I probably would have purchased the 2.5XT turbo, or the VW Passat 1.8 Wagon. Am waiting three months for the re-engineered pollen/dust cabin filter. Informed it will be at least 90 days longer. Gas mileage is sub-par. Hopefully after more miles this will increase. Seats need to be redesigned as they are not comfortable on long trips.

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  My Mom Loves my car - 2003 Subaru Baja
  By Donna - September 7 - 6:16 am

  My Mom and Dad says it is the best riding truck. Everyone is suprised the first time they ride in it. Itdoesnt ride like a truck at all and the gas mileage is great. People are always asking what kind of vehicle it is. It is the perfect vehicle for someone like me that needs a truck sometimes and a car at other times.

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  Replacement for 2001 L.L. Bean - 2008 Subaru Outback
  By Old Soldier - September 6 - 6:03 pm

  Many improvements over the 2001 L.L. Bean we drove for 160,000 miles. Has more than adequate power on the road. Find traveling to be very comfortable.

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  Excellent car - 1999 Subaru Forester
  By Mike1983 - September 6 - 2:03 pm

  The Forester is a very well built car. Its very well designed, inside and out. It runs very smoothly and quietly even with 100k+ miles. Very good sound reduction inside the vehicle. Handles great, feels very solid. Neat gadgets like heated outside mirrors, windshield wipers, and rear quarter windows.

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  Solid Car for your money - 2004 Subaru Impreza
  By bw8qbss - September 6 - 6:16 am

  One of my friends got one a WRX in 03 and Ive loved them ever since. I got an 04 in late 05 and absolutely love it. It was very reasonably priced and performed above what i expected. Slight turbo lag but that comes with about any turbo car, but once it kicks in its gone. Handles incredibly well and looks better than any of its direct competitors such as the SRT-4 or GTI. Very very good car all around, and the AWD is unreal. Went straight up a snow covered hill without so much as a slip.

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  Good but - 2000 Subaru Legacy
  By stargazer - September 6 - 4:06 am

  I bought the car for my wife. She really liked the style of the car. We just traded it in on something else. It had 146,000 miles on it. We had it a few days and the front speakers went out fixed under warranty then there was a problem with the front seat belts eats brakes like no tomorrow. Had to have the sunroof replaced because it leak into cabin and had to replace the timing belt twice. The engine is very sluggish needs a few extra hp. But I never left us beside the road and never left is stranded.

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  2017 2.5i Outback - Terrible Car! - 2017 Subaru Outback
  By BobbyR - September 5 - 11:36 pm

  I purchased this car in September 2016 and totally regret not looking at other cars before purchasing. This car only has 175hp and it is severely lacking in a car this size/weight (and forget it if you have it loaded up!). To compound it Subaru uses a CVT transmission which again is very lacking. Subaru gets great gas mileage because of it but for performance of any kind, look elsewhere (Im surprised their logo isnt a snail). It takes forever to accelerate to freeway speeds and forget about "speeding" up or trying to get ahead of the next guy because this car has ZERO performance for even routine acceleration/maneuvers. Fit and finish is acceptable and while I have the leather seating for some reason there is an issue with the driver seat - it kills my lower back no matter how the seat is adjusted (Im of average height/weight) and it is thought the heated seat elements might be to blame. Bought a cushion and that helps but now my head hits the ceiling, so not much of a great improvement. The following deficiencies are pretty petty, but they are issues. 1) door locks are fresh from 1970. Not programmable in any manner and you either drive with the door locked by manually locking them or they stay unlocked which is most of the time. Personally I think this is a huge safety issue. Also the passenger side door lock button is not illuminated at night (the window switch is), and so it is that much harder to lock the doors in the dark with black buttons. 2) the child lockout button works great except it also locks out the driver! When activated, no switch, not even the driver switches work - on other cars the driver switches still work, so this is really frustrating as well. 3) you cant globally turn on the interior lights using any interior switch. If you want all the lights on in the car, you have to open a door! Again this is very frustrating when you have kids and you need the lights on. 4) Now that its winter I notice that the interior windows fog up constantly (and I live in a very dry climate), so you have to leave the defroster on all the time and I think the climate system doesnt work right, but wont really know until the summer time for complete testing. 5) For a car that is as electronically advanced as this one with the EyeSight and keyless entry youd think that it would have auto start. Nope! Not even an option which is just crazy for a car in 2017. 6) The Subaru Starlink touch screen and "apps" are very confusing and very convoluted. Ive had other cars with similar issues, but the Subaru takes the cake in touchscreen madness. The other safety issue I have with this car is that it wont stay put in its lane. It has a lane assist feature in which you can make it automatically stay in the lane but it is clunky and makes you look like you are driving drunk if you actually use it. When it is off, the car drifts constantly and you need to keep turning the wheel to stay in the lane. I believe it is an issue with the lane assist and EyeSight system, but Subaru will never admit it. This car has many annoyance reminder/alarms, especially if you have the EysSight system. You constantly get lane departure warnings, and on curves the accident avoidance warning goes off if it sees another car in a different lane and the lane assist alarm goes off telling you to put your hands on the wheel when they are already there. Over all for the cost of this car and the feature set, you could do much better with a different manufacturer. As soon as I can Im getting rid of this car because honestly any car with all wheel drive is just as superior and what was once Subarus niche, pretty much everyone else does now anyway - without the annoyance factor. Id totally pass on this car and if you can, take it for a LONG test drive before you buy and test all this stuff out because Im totally sorry I didnt!

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  Safe and Secure - 2008 Subaru Tribeca
  By Bigtime - September 5 - 8:56 pm

  I leased this vehicle for my sons who went off to school. This is a solid vehicle with excellent safety ratings. It is a substantial vehicle that handles whatever the weather brings. In 3 years mileage will be up substantially for all manufacturers when it it time for a new vehicle. What sold me was the overall passenger room, the styling and safety features. I have not regretted the lease for even a moment. I wish that I were driving it instead of my kids.