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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  Defective Steering/Chassis - 2014 Subaru XV Crosstrek
  By nass2 - July 28 - 6:32 am

  We recently purchased a new 2014 XV Crosstek that we had to return to the Subarau dealership 2 days later for a full refund due to unrepairable steering and/or chassis problem. The car had strong steering pull to the RIGHT. The dealership attempted to fix the car, but was unable to do so. The service adviser and technician told us that they have been having steering problems with this car. They wanted to have a Subaru engineer come out, so I requested to the alignment specs. The alignment was intentionally set to cause the car to pull LEFT to "correct" the problem, but it still pulled RIGHT. The dealer offered us a different Crosstek, which had the same problem after test driving it.

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  Stay Away - 2012 Subaru Forester
  By james249 - June 29 - 2:13 am

  Basically 2 big problems: 1. Hwy mileage is no where near advertised, even when using cruise control. 2. Radio only works when not moving BY DESIGN

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  Death trap on ice - 2015 Subaru Forester
  By wyoroberts - June 25 - 10:37 pm

  I have lived in wyoming-nebraska all my life and driven on snow packed-icy roads with many different cars...rear wheel, four wheel drive cars as well as pickups. The Subaru forester is the worst vehicle I have ever driven in my life on ice. You have absolutely no control-it feels like you are floating all over the road and if you go anything over thirty mph.....you are totally out of control. Shame on you Subaru for claiming to share the love....this car will end up killing people who trusted your company for designing safe cars!

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  LL Bean Bust - 2001 Subaru Outback
  By alvags - June 8 - 10:00 am

  Weve had problems with the brakes over and over again. The car only has 39,000 mi. and it has been in for brakes three times and a very weird noise in the rear differential. They would not repair the differential stating that it was "normal" but several mechanics we consulted agreed that it is far from a normal sound. Very unsettling...

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  We hate this car! Bring back the 94! - 2002 Subaru Legacy
  By Dannaca - June 5 - 1:06 am

  I bought this car because I had owned a 94 and loved it. The only thing the 02 has in common with the 94 is the name! It has horrible wind noise, uncomfortable front seats, cramped back seats, bad steering components. I have had more work done to this car than I ever needed in the 94 and it needs more work even now. Also there is no power in the vehicle at all. It is as slow as the Prizm I owned before it but at least I expected that from the Prizm!

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  Sadly disappointing: CVT and rattling dash - 2016 Subaru Forester
  By Sad Subaru Owner - June 3 - 11:17 pm

  Ive owned a 2015 Subaru CVT for one year and have put 10K miles on it around Denver, Colorado. I am extremely disappointed, and look forward to replacing it soon with a real car. I chose the Subaru Forester for very practical reasons: Great visibility, reliability, road clearance for the occasional offroading, and all-wheel traction in the winter. These elements, however, do not offset the downsides. 1. Most annoying has been the constant rattling of the vent and speaker grills on the dashboard. Turns out that this problem is well documented on the Internet, yet the dealer acted surprised when I brought it in for repair. Twice now they have failed to fix the noise, and I have an appointment to take it back a third time. 2. The CVT, in combination with the slow-to-warm-up Boxer engine, is so bad at accelerating that you must pro-actively plan your route to avoid the need for quick speed. For instance, until the engine is warm, I have to leave extremely large spaces when going from my residential area to merge onto a two-lane thoroughfare. And it takes the engine 10 minutes, or 2 miles to warm up (when the blue light goes off). So dont plan to jump on the freeway and hope to accelerate to match the speed of traffic - aint gonna happen. Worse, the CVT is quirky, and not in a good way. Sometimes a touch of the accelerator causes it to lerch forward. Other times, it wont move. I HATE HATE HATE the CVT. 3. In the center of the dash is an information screen that shows your average mpg. This number -- usually around 26 mpg -- is 2 and 3 miles greater than what Im actually getting (calculated by miles driven since last refueling). Im beginning to wonder if they have programmed the onboard computer to deliberately do this - ala Volkswagon misrepresenting diesel emissions. 4. The ride can be kidney-jarringly bad. There is a stretch of I-25 through south Denver where the combination of road surfacing, the cars short track, and traveling at normal freeway speeds will cause the car to continuously shudder in a very uncomfortable manner. (This happens with the factory installed tires inflated at proper psi). 5. The wheel-wells are unacceptably tight for an SUV designed for winter travel. Shortly after I bought the car in Winter 2015, I smelled burning rubber while driving on a snow covered road. I was the only car on the road, so I knew it was my Subaru. Upon pulling over and inspecting the car, I discovered that the snow accumulation of 2-3" in the back wheel-well was rubbing the back tires and causing the smell. Now when it snows, I have to be constantly vigilant that this doesnt happen. I can see how an engineer designed the very tight wheel-wells to reduce wind drag and improve gas mileage, but in so doing, they have seriously impaired the cars ability to travel safely in the snow. Before purchasing the Subaru Forester, I did extensive research via Edmunds and Consumer Reports. Both love the Subarus and failed to mention the problems Im experiencing. Not only am I disappointed with the Subaru, but I am also profoundly perplexed that after all my research, test drives, and talking to people, I made this expensive mistake.

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  Good Basic Transportation after 20k miles just OK - 2013 Subaru Outback
  By electricvette - May 19 - 12:02 am

  This is my wifes car. I tell every one I do not like it for the following reasons. 1. The front seat will not go full horizontal so my wife has two towels in the back. 2. road noise is terrible. 3. heavy steering... its like they put the smallest freekn power steering pump in to get better gas mileage and you have to work the wheel on trips. 4. radio knobs are not log enough. 5 poor ride comfort. MY GMC Denali rides soooo much better than this. 6. seat comfort is poor. Will not be a repeat customer. Looking for something quieter on my next car.

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  55,000 Mile Review - 2014 Subaru XV Crosstrek
  By TD - May 10 - 9:32 pm

  Anemic engine, poor gas mileage. Paint cracks and chips easily. Had hood repainted at less than one year, and two years later full of chips and cracks. Noisy interior, horrible acoustics. Navigation horrible. Speakers horrible. Leather is cheap and tears easily. Poor visibility due to high side door panels and hood. Dashboard acts as heat reflector, very uncomfortable in summer. No spare tire due to hybrid battery. At 47,000 miles, hybrid controller glitch activated multiple trouble lights. Took over a week to diagnose and flash update even though it was a recall issue. Auxiliary battery and ISG failed at 49,000 miles "while driving". Very dangerous. Both are part of hybrid system, and although warranty states hybrid system covered to 80,000 miles, was informed by dealer neither item covered. Contacted headquarters and got most of it covered. I baby my car. I maintain the exterior and interior by hand frequently . I installed bug deflector on hood. I drive conservatively, use 91 octane, and have it serviced every 5000 miles. BTW, must use synthetic oil that cost 3 times regular oil, but, unlike other vehicles on synthetic oil, still must replace at normal intervals, i.e., 5000 miles. Hybrid only 13 hp, mileage and power still poor, and is weak link in reliability and requires going only to a dealer for repair.

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  Piece of Crap - 2002 Subaru Forester
  By brainstrains - May 1 - 2:00 am

  Ive had mine for 2 years and have had to take it in 7 times because the Check Engine light keeps coming on. They told me it was my fault for not tightening the gas cap. The 3rd time, I figured Id just ride with it on-but it suddenly lost power and I started rolling backward. I now have to make sure I take it in, since I never know whether its more serious. In the past 3 months it happened 3 more times. Each time, they tell me what I did to cause it. This time, they said they found the glitch- its happening with all 2002s, and they know how to turn it off. NO MORE! I am sick of the runaround. When I get it back, I am saying goodbye forever.

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  Not Worth It - 2010 Subaru Outback
  By z_outback - April 25 - 8:23 am

  We bought the 2010 Subaru Outback Premium with CVT and all weather options. The quality of this car is not as good as it looks. Driving up a slope and the engine makes a lot of noise. While driving in high speed on freeway, you hear noise and squeaky behind in trunk. It is not worth it. It is the first and last of my Subaru Outback!