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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  Great car, but room for improvement - 2004 Subaru Impreza
  By subnewbie - July 26 - 2:00 am

  My experience with my 03 2.5 TS has been great. I have upgraded my OEM 15s to 2002 stock wrx 16s. The impact, although minor, has been great. lighter/tighter feel. will be upgrading to a cobb exhaust soon.. My issues are, the crappy stock cd player they give you. ive already had to replace my first one under warranty. the second one is better but it still has issues with playing burned cds. and the sound at interstate speeds is a little loud. kind of light body frame as well, not safe feeling.

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  Safety Problem and poor mpg - 2015 Subaru Outback
  By bal1013 - July 25 - 7:53 pm

  we haveowned this car for almost two weeks now and we love the car except for a few small problems and one major City mpg is poor so far just making 18 mpg and 12 combined, hopefully get better with time. will let you know. We bought this car for its safety values, little did we know that the car did not have automatic door locks when placed in drive. I ththought all cars did and even salesman at dealership thought it did. My grand daughter opened door in drive. this safety feature should have been a given or at least let us know with a warning sign or something. Just imagine your wife or daughter getting car jacked cause the doors didnt lock.

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  My First Subaru - 2009 Subaru Forester
  By hell_force - July 21 - 1:00 pm

  Just purchased this SUV for 2 weeks. Have about 500 miles on it. No major complaints here. The mpg is about 21 city and 27 hwy. The AWD and turning radius are great. One minor thing, you can feel a noticeable delay when it goes from a lower gear to a higher one sometimes. Overall, the ride has been great, especially on inclines, where new Forester truly separates itself from 2008 CRV. The interior is good, although I wanted a LL beans, but for the price, I have no regrets. The exterior looks much better than CRV and RAV-4. Also, it does not hurt to know that Forester is 100% Japanese from parts to assembly. It is my first Subaru, hope its reliability is as good as Honda and Toyota.

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  The Ultimate Beast - 2005 Subaru Impreza
  By 2QIK4U - July 21 - 12:36 am

  Ive driven many performance cars in my time and I have to say that this car stands toe to toe with most all of them. Ive outrun Cobra Mustangs, Dodge Charger SRT8s, older model Porsches, you name it. Phenomenal handling, super brakes, and a nice interior for a race car. Dont forget folks, compare the interior to other race cars, not luxury cars. Its fairly nice for a race car. It eats Vettes. They spin, you win. Awesome car! Period!

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  Great but with warning - 2005 Subaru Outback
  By TomSea - July 19 - 8:00 am

  Weve owned ours for two months and find it outstanding in comfort and to be a solid quality vehicle. Great interior comfort; lots of pep and a much admired purchase. But pay attention to other reviewers comments on the headlights: How long have humans been making cars? These are a disaster on rural roads. Forget about seeing more than 20 yards ahead on curves or hills. And youll never see deer in these headlights. If you do lots of nighttime rural driving get another car.

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  2006 2.5i - 60,000 miles in. - 2006 Subaru Impreza
  By turnersdad - July 18 - 11:43 am

  I have now had this car nearly 4 years of basically trouble free ownership. It has been a great commuter car. The AWD has been great in the Michigan winters, and the car has plenty of power even being a four cylinder. Gas mileage has averaged 22-24 mpg. This is our 2nd Subaru and has worked out well - enough so that we bought a 2010 forester last year. Just had first maintenance done for a cost of $900 - not bad for 4 years and 60,000 miles.

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  somewhat disappointed - 2001 Subaru Forester
  By m - July 12 - 5:13 pm

  I bought my Forester after I had children because of its high safety rating. My previous knowledge of Subarus was that they were reliable. Thankfully, I have not had to find out first hand whether or not it holds up in an accident. However, I have had more than ordinary maintenance headaches. The car now has about 92k miles. Since about 75,000 miles, the check engine light is on almost more than it is off. I have had to replace the alternator, the catalytic converter, have had transmission issues and had a number of minor repairs which add up. My goal is to finish paying it off, and run it into the ground. No more Subarus for me.

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  1st Subaru..... and probably not last Subaru - 2015 Subaru Legacy
  By usmcbigguns - July 9 - 11:14 am

  I have been researching a new car for the last year. And out of all the cars I looked at in this class of car, I always came back to the Legacy. So i pulled the trigger and decided to lease this car instead of buying it since I have never had a Subaru before and I heard they will be upgrading the power train in a couple of years. I have the eyesight system and I can tell you it works. I got distracted and the things start beeping, display blinking and my brakes stopped my car. Already payed for itself! Overall the Legacy is a great value. Got my fully loaded Legacy 2.5 Limited for under $30k. Cant beat that for the features & safety you get.

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  Buy One! - 2005 Subaru Outback
  By catskill lew - July 9 - 2:20 am

  Great car all around but a bit slow up the long hills. But I consistently get about 33 mpg on the 100 mile ride back from the mountains. Had sounds from front brakes but Subaru helped me replace all the brakes after only 25,000 mi. Terrific safer fun driving in the snow storms-car kept nice and steady, passing the less fortunate cars on side of snow banks.

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  Nice Car but Lots of Irritating Features - 2007 Subaru Outback
  By JimB - July 6 - 7:03 am

  This is a nice little car that is designed perfectly for those who live an active life. It hauls skis, hiking equipment, bicycles, etc. very efficiently. The Outback 2.5i drives smoothly on the highway while getting 23-26 mpg (actual mpg with 5-speed manual). If you put four snows on it, the car will go through snow just as if it were on dry pavement. We have driven it through 10 inches with no problems. Snow stability is great and braking is good with the right winter tires. Overall, the car is perfect for our active family. The major problem with the car is the California emissions. Buy your car outside of New England to avoid bucking and surging on the highway.