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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  A little slow, a little ugly, but safe - 2007 Subaru B9 Tribeca
  By Dmitry - January 13 - 9:23 am

  I suppose I could talk about how slow the car feels, the so-so ride quality, the hard seats, and the subpar audio system (although it does read MP3 discs); but thats been said. Id like to talk about how this car saved my life. While driving in the winter in Minnesota, doing about 55 mph, the road suddenly changed from plowed to about 9 inches of snow. As the car begins to slide out of control, I give it full left but the steering is unresponsive, as are the brakes. As Im about to hit a parked car doing 55, I remember than in an AWD vehicle you must gently apply gas to recover. Voila. AWD saved me from what would have been a horrendous accident. Slow? Who cares.

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  not as good as expected - 2001 Subaru Forester
  By vbollenbacher - January 12 - 12:53 pm

  While I love the AWD, and the best gas mileage around for an AWD, I have not been extremely happy with the quality of this car. There seem to be a number of items like head gasket seal problems and cold weather fuel leaks that the dealer/Subaru will not cover, even though though they are design flaws. The interior ergonomics are not very good either. However, after 100K is still drives extremely smooth. Id give this car average to above average marks, but I had hoped it would age better with repair issues than it has.

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  Cold Feet - 2014 Subaru XV Crosstrek
  By Carol Pastushok - January 12 - 5:12 am

  I bought my 2014 subaru a little over a year ago. This past winter I really noticed how poorly the heat works. My feet and legs get so cold Im tempted to put in a heating blanket. The service dept said..."Cant do anything...the heating system is weak" Also very noisy at highway speeds...cant listen easily to my audio books. Finally, some of these problems might be tolerable if the MPG was better than 23 using 87 octane. The service person said the computer says 26 MPG ??and its winter.

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  GT Limited review - 2006 Subaru Legacy
  By Candy Cunningham - January 10 - 7:13 am

  Overall, a great car for those who prefer high-performance than those who prefer vault-like quality. My GT cant compare to quality of Camry/Accord, but those are family cars, not drivers cars. This thing is fast, has AWD, and comes with every imaginable bell and whistle. People compare it to other $30K sedans, but, with incentives, you can get one for $26K, making it a bargain compared to BMW 325xi, Volvo S40 and Audi A4. Only cars that can keep up are BMW M3, Volvo S60R, and Audi S4 - all close to $50K. Ive had a few things go wrong, but warranty covered them.

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  A fun, fast car - 2005 Subaru Legacy
  By SilverBulletJoe - January 9 - 10:03 pm

  I shopped Acura TL & TSX, as well as BMW 325xi, and got the Subaru! More power than any of them, handles 95% as well as the BMW, and is a lot of fun to drive. Also, Subaru will deal a bit, while the other ones wouldnt (and the 05 TSXs werent even available at all). Mileage isnt the greatest, but not surprising with all of the power this vehicle has. Very smooth, quiet.

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  Great AWD, some annoying weaknesses - 2012 Subaru Impreza
  By hughk4 - January 7 - 1:44 pm

  Bought this because I needed AWD, but didnt want a truck or an SUV. When conditions make AWD necessary, I love this car. Other times I like it a lot, but there are several things that keep me from loving it. See my suggested improvements for these comments. If you need AWD, this car has very few competitors in its price range. Of the 4 cars I own, when weather is bad, everyone wants to drive the Impreza.

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  Time Will Tell - 2008 Subaru Outback
  By Walter - January 6 - 3:40 am

  I had a 2004 Toyota Tacoma 4x4 crew cab. I no longer need the truck to go into the woods. Several friends have Subarus. They always talk highly of them. I traded my truck in and got this vehicle. At first I wasnt pleased. It is a vehicle that takes time to get used to. I just went to NYC with my vehicle. I got 33 mpg, 27 mpg in the city. If you obey the speed limits you will get very good mileage. If you need to "punch it" when driving, it is very slow to respond. The back seat isnt made for adults. I do like the dash board display. If you need to replace 1 tire, then you need to replace all 4 of them because of the symmetrical awd. Thats something they dont tell you when you buy the car.

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  WRB - 2004 Subaru Impreza
  By Michael Apatoff - January 6 - 2:00 am

  Love the car, is a blast to drive, performance is awesome, styling is great, plenty of aftermarket parts available

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  my scoobie - 2004 Subaru Impreza
  By william Stukel - December 31 - 2:00 am

  the vehicle is very awesome i have done some mods to it and let me tell you you can really make this little car a beast with a couple hundred dollars the only problems i have had with it is that it was in for a transmission repair but that was under the warranty they have a problem with the synchros on them but after i had it fixed it runs like a charm and there is no problem again

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  35 th Special Ed - 2004 Subaru Outback
  By LLBen - December 31 - 2:00 am

  So far so good, we also have a 3 year old Forester that has been A++. I wish the Outback was just a little larger inside.