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:

• 

  Great Little Wagon - 2006 Subaru Impreza
  By Old Man - August 9 - 6:03 am

  Have now had the Subaru for two years and loved it from the start. I guess that I am a lot older than most owners of this stick shift, being in my early 70s, but still like to "drive"! Although I would love the turbo, the naturally aspirated motor suits me fine, and there is enough get up and go for most occasions - not wanting get too many tickets!

• 

  myBMW wagon - 2005 Subaru Outback
  By Evan - August 9 - 3:26 am

  Instead of hitting the brake in a turn you hit the gas. The 4 wheel drive and way the transmission delivers power rocket the car through any turn. There is no body lean to speak of. It takes all the road imperfections and runs right through them. Nice drivers car. Looked at an Acura TL and this handled better, much tighter turning radius, and 3 times the cargo space. The BMW with equivalent horsepower was way out of my price range. Go for it. I got $1,000 under invoice. They have hidden incentives to the dealer in the form of contests.

• 

  The Best Choice for Us - 2010 Subaru Forester
  By Mr.Ranger - August 7 - 10:13 pm

  We purchased two 2010 Forester XT Ltd. w/Nav. My wife and I each have roughly 2000 miles on our Foresters. Its only been a little over three months, but we are very pleased with our Foresters. Our first test drive was in an X Premium model which we would have bought, but then we drove the XT. The trade-off of slightly lower gas mileage is easily forgotten when you step on the throttle. Visibility is excellent, and the ride is comfortable and quiet. The Forester has very good road manners, although, a stiffer rear sway bar is in order to reduce some of the body roll. Pot holes and road imperfections are no problem as the suspension soaks them up easily. Great car. Excellent value!

• 

  Fun Ride! - 2010 Subaru Legacy
  By Denver Driver - August 7 - 6:06 pm

  I was looking at options for trading in my 2003 VW Passat 4 motion when the salesman asked me to look at the Subaru Legacy. At first, I declined as I did not like my wifes 2005 Outback seat position. With some prodding, I agreed. Wow! What a difference in the 2010 Legacy. Larger than my Passat. Great seats. Rear seats fold down, great for skis. The 2.5i with CVT was quicker than the VW and at 500 miles I am averaging 26 mpg. This includes driving up the mountain which kills gas mileage. The car has the upgraded HK stereo with bluetooth. Very nice. Did I mention the 500 miles has been put on over 3 days. Great car for taking the long way home. 2 big thumbs up for this car. Nice job Subaru!

• 

  My First Subaru - 2009 Subaru Forester
  By Firstsubaruguy - August 7 - 10:16 am

  After owning Lexus, Audi and Acura models in the past, I decided that paying for panache was no longer worth it. I wanted an SUV with good MPG and an excellent AWD system. After reading about the 2009 Forrester and the awards it has earned, the decision was easy. I got the fully loaded vehicle three days before 8 inches of snow fell, and driving in the snow was like driving on dry ground. The AWD system is as good as Audis Quattro which to me in the gold standard. The Forrester is very comfortable and theres plenty of room for 5. As a music lover, I disliked the SUVs stereo speakers so much that I had them replaced even before pick up. So far, Im very happy with it.

• 

  Why did it take Subaru so long? - 2006 Subaru B9 Tribeca
  By cptplt - August 6 - 6:40 am

  Surprisingly smooth and road holding tenacious in wet. If you need lots of room for a 5 seater but occasionally need 7 seats, this beats any minivan I have had before. Pickup more than adequate. Best build quality of any Subaru I have had and this is the 5th.

• 

  Recovering Honda Addict - 2016 Subaru Impreza
  By Elizabeth Lawson - August 6 - 5:33 am

  I used to love my Honda Accord which I bought new 15 years and had 222k almost trouble free miles- I swore Id be a Honda driver for life since mine was so reliable! Lately it was just starting to show its age-just little things but they were starting to add up. Im looking forward to retiring in a while and wanted a car that could handle the snow where I plan to retire. I knew several owners that swore by their Subaru but Id read some reviews that made me question whether I would like the CVT transmission. Im glad I did the test drive with the salesman because it was different- it revved very high trying to go up a hill but the salesman reassured me just keep accelerating and let it adjust. The car is breaking in nicely now and I find I typically have plenty of power whenever I ask for it but Im still a bit cautious if I need to change lanes on a hill and pass a car if I need instant acceleration. I tried out a freeway onramp that was on a hill and I easily exceeded the speed limit by the time Id entered the freeway. The salesman had me do a sharp U turn on a deserted street-Wow- its handling was impressive! By the time I got the car home I realized that Id already become a Subaru fan! I only have 200 miles on it so I cant really rate its Repair/Maintenance costs since nothing has been done to it yet so that part of the review is misleading. Just a bit noisier in the cabin than Id like but all in all Ive become a huge fan of driving Subaru and cant wait to go exploring with it.

• 

  Still undecided - 2013 Subaru Impreza
  By luvsgas - August 6 - 3:28 am

  After having the car for awhile its not as good as my impressions of when I bought it from the dealership. But it is a very good price AWD car. Buying a Subaru was a different experience. I found out that you will get a substantial better price from a large volume dealer than smaller one. This is how Subaru distrubution model works and the Impreza is a hot car. Our order took 6 months instead of the 12 weeks we were told, but we kind of knew this going in.

• 

  Good car, questionable transmission - 2000 Subaru Outback
  By Rod - August 5 - 1:36 pm

  The car handles fine and looks good. We have been happy with the car until last week. We just had the car towed to the dealership because transmission would not engage when put in drive. It had been hesitating for several seconds before engaging. Dealership immediately suggested a new transmission, or a flush, which may get it operating again, but dont know for how long. We opted for flush ($400), and transmission works - for now. But still a slight hesitation after shifting into drive. From other internet sources, this may be a common problem. Dealer seemed to have seen it before. Now we plan to trade it. A shame, we were hoping to keep it for 200K miles.

• 

  Good functional vehicle - 2005 Subaru Forester
  By JS - August 4 - 4:49 pm

  This model year was not high on creature comforts or technology but very high on safety, visibility, handling and high ground clearance for areas getting a lot of rain. Excellent cargo capacity for this smaller size SUV.