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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  2001 Outback -lots of time in shop - 2001 Subaru Outback
  By Olympia - January 7 - 11:36 pm

  Started off with a burning smell, at purchase (new). Months later, found an oil leak, but no help from dealer. Have gotten regular service w/ trusted mechanic. Head gaskets replaced. Front light replaced - out of order w/in a month. Problems with rotors - smoothed many times, replaced more than wed like. Sigh. This car has not been worth the hassle and we wont buy another Subaru.

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  Engine Trouble - 2004 Subaru Outback
  By Clooney - January 7 - 2:00 am

  Love teh car most of the time, but it keeps shutting off without warning while driving slow or at a stand still. Subaru so far hasnt been able to find the problem or fix it.

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  Great in Snow, But not Without Issues - 2011 Subaru Outback
  By JoJo Bean - December 30 - 6:11 am

  Love the car in the NY winters, but beware of recalls and poor build quality! Be ready to carry a quart of oil with you as you will need to add some in between oil changes. At 65k the head gasket is starting to fail and theres a recall to replace the entire engine due to a piston ring issue! Also, the sheet metal is terribly thin and dents very easily. Even though its hard to beat this car in the snow and ice, I would seriously consider other options.

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  My experience with my 2012 Subaru Impreza Sport - 2012 Subaru Impreza
  By Loren Rochester - December 29 - 3:41 am

  I was very excited to get this car... good gas mileage and All-Wheel drive seemed like a perfect fit for Wisconsin. I liked everything about the car except three things: 1) The transmission went out at 66,000 miles, 6000 miles out of warranty. The dealership told me it would cost $8500 to replace it with a new one, or they could put a used one in for $4500. I called Subaru Corporate and after three days of investigation, they said it was up to the service manager. I went to the dealership and raised hell. Virtually all of my miles were interstate travel with very little elevation change, no stop and start traffic. After some phone calls, the service manager got the price down to $1500 for a new transmission. I was still mad, but didnt feel I had much choice; $1500 was better than $8500, and I still had to make payments on the vehicle. 2) I was surprised one day when the oil light came on early in my ownership. The car didnt have that many miles on it. The car was, in fact, low on oil. From that point forward, I went through a quart of Mobile 1 0W20 about every 3000 miles. I checked it every time I filled it up. I am over 60, and have never had a car that went through a quart of oil between oil changes. Recommended oil changes were 7000 miles with synthetic oil. The dealership wanted $85 for an oil change. I bought Subaru filters from the dealership for $5-$6, and bought Mobile 1 0W20 from Walmart for about $26 for a 5 quart jug, and changed the oil myself religiously every 7000 miles. I just traded the car in, three years old, and it was going through a quart of oil every 2000 miles. I had this problem when the transmission went out, and talked to the service manager about it. He did not act the least bit surprised. BTW, if you buy quarts of Mobile 1 synthetic, they are about $8 a quart, so this is not paltry change being spent on oil, I obviously bought 5 quart jugs and had them on hand all of the time. 3) For about the last 9-12 months, the car did not start very well. I usually had to crank it for a few seconds, quit, then crank it some more with the gas pedal pressed down, then it would start. The oil thing and the starting thing I have found are common complaints. I traded the Impreza in on a Ford Focus. I put about 33,000 miles on a car per year, and the Impreza had 99,920 miles on it. This is the first time in decades that I got rid of a car with fewer than 170,000-180,000 miles on it. I didnt trust it. Im not sure that the Focus will be any better, but I got a 4 yr.-100,000 mile bumper-to-bumper warranty on it. Im sure it wont be as good in the snow, but I can work around that. IMHO opinion, Subaru should have replaced the transmission gratis. Using the 0W20 oil is not a good idea in my opinion. They are doing it to improve gas mileage, but I think it is blowing past the pistons. The Focus uses 5W20. As far as starting difficulties goes, I dont have a clue what the problem is. If they would have taken care of the transmission and they had proven that they had solved the oil thing, I would have considered another Subaru. This was my first, and there seems to be a lot of loyal Subaru owners out there, but I will probably not consider another.

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  I Wanted to Love My Subie - 2009 Subaru Forester
  By rkong79 - December 21 - 7:13 am

  The car was great in the beginning, but then it slowly began showing signs of poor craftsmanship. After 3-4 months, my brakes kept on squeaking. The engine is very loud at start-up. At my 1 year anniversary, with 20,000 miles on it, my engine gave up (rod knock). The engine was replaced, but Im now very hesitant to even drive it normally, knowing that it had already broken down with normal use (I dont race it... even if I wanted to, the "turbo" is not meant for that purpose). I dont think spending over $30k on a car with AWD, and a "turbo" that is not going to knock my socks off by any means is worth the money. Go buy yourself a Toyota or Honda V6 instead.

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  Good power but skeptical about the else - 2014 Subaru Forester
  By iizqueue - December 20 - 2:15 am

  This SUV has solid power train. Would rate it higher if I purchased premium or limited. The power train has little difference from the basic to touring. But extras are definitely not worth $10k. Nav is a joke. Slow response. Hard to see the screen under sun. And no steering information from the vehicle?? Use your phone instead, because thats actually a better nav system. Mpg. You get 30+ mpg only when driving at 50 mph. At 70~75 mph, you get about 24 mpg. Safety. Eyesight doesnt work well when facing sun or in the dark. So it doesnt help when the driver really needs some help. Also extremely sensitive gas pedal, and extremely insensitive brake pedal.

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  Some good, some bad - 2008 Subaru Outback
  By Monica - December 7 - 4:49 am

  After One Year I have owned this car for a year, now. Would I buy it again? Maybe - due to the clearance and AWD technology. Do I love it? No. It has started to rattle in the dashboard. Wind noise is still there. Rear door is still annoyingly slow. Computer screen is still functionally obsolete (I just want an image of my phone and I want to see the time and temperature larger). Gas mileage has never hit 33 for any length of time. Original opinion I had the 2008 2.5i. This vehicle has a lot of good - the engine seems to have more power, the continuous shifting makes for a smoother ride and better acceleration. On the "just ok" is the control screen. Its big, it catches dust and glares, the weather is useless for me because I dont live in a select city. Why would I use the navigation when I have my phone with all the addresses and a voice that talked me through the directions? The two data points that I do hunt for (literally) are the time and outside temperature. These are small and tucked at the bottom of the screen. I started with the good, to be fair.. However, there are two things I hate (hate) about the car. Unfortunately, they are in your face, all the time. #1: wind noise, wind, wind, wind. It sounds as though the window isnt closed so you are constantly trying to close the windows. #2: the rear gate is sllllooooowwwwwwww to open and close. I am constantly standing by the gate , waiting for it to open or close. I hate that too. Really hate it.

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  False MPG - 2012 Subaru Legacy
  By monkey21 - December 3 - 7:44 am

  I purchased a new 2012 2.5I Limited. I was told the average mpg was 30., this is false. I have put 500 miles on it in the first week. I drive 80 miles a day highway miles to and from work. My average is 23.7 mpg. I would not recommend this car if you are looking for decent to good gas mileage. I live in Denver CO. and thought the AWD would be nice. It is ok but would never have bought if I new the true MPG. I had I 2004 Chevy Impala prior getting 27 mpg. You would think I new car with posted 31 mpg would do better but it does not.

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  Not all warm and Fozzy - 2011 Subaru Forester
  By arveejay - November 21 - 4:37 am

  There is a lot of noise inside the car at speed. I spent a couple hours setting up the hands free Bluetooth phone. Pairing the phone was easy. Sitting still, windows up, programming numbers was a major chore. The voice mostly said pardon. It just didnt want to accept numbers. We finally got 6-7 numbers programmed and took it for a test ride. It rarely worked, even at speeds under 35 mph. At speeds above 55, forget it. Dealer replaced the radio and the microphone. Tech prewarned me it was no better, and it isnt. Called S.O.A. and I was informed there was no know fix for it. Bumper 2 bumper warranty, and it cant be fixed. Thats reassuring.Pistons rattle when cold. Was told its normal.

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  snow job - 2001 Subaru Outback
  By yardshark - October 24 - 5:00 pm

  I was totally "snowed" by Subaru and others who have owned Subarus. "Oh, theyre so reliable I have 2 of them". "Theyre bullet-proof". So I bought a new 2001 Outback sedan for the "reliability" and the AWD for snowy weather. At just over 50,000 miles, one head gasket blew and while testing the system, they found the second one ready to go and had to replace it too. The repairman told me I wouldnt have the problem again when I told him I would not buy another if this was going to be a problem every 50,000 miles. Now at 120,000 miles, the head gaskets have once again gone out. This will be the third set of gaskets for something "bullet-proof" and "extremely reliable".