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:
Showing 1861 through 1870 of 7,752.00-
I love most things about this car - 2013 Subaru XV Crosstrek
By cdough - January 5 - 12:05 amI do love everything about this car, except it burned oil so badly starting with the first 6000 miles! After almost 40k miles, Subaru FINALLY replaced the short block, but it only changed my oil consumption from 1qt. every ~1800 miles to 1qt. every ~4000-4500 miles. :/ I also had to have both of my rear wheel bearings replaced before 75k miles! Although I dont live on the best of roads, they should last a lot longer than that! Otherwise, everything else about the car is AWESOME and I would purchase a Subaru again knowing that my husbands 2016 Crosstrek has had NO issues with oil, etc.
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Better Than Expected - 2016 Subaru Forester
By Ed Walker - January 3 - 10:12 amAfter reading the reviews and then driving several makes of small SUV (We also have a Honda Fit), we found the Subaru Forester to be a great fit for our needs. We tried and drove the Chevrolet Equinox, the Hyundai Tuscon, the Toyota RAV 4, The Honda CR-V, and looked but did not Drive the Ford Escape, Jeep Wrangler, Mazda CX-5, Honda Odyssey, Chrysler Town and Country, and maybe a couple more that I forgot. The Subaru and CR-?V were the top two choices, but the roomier cabin in the Forester won us over. The two things that bother me a little in the Subaru is the lack of room for my large feet. The wide console hits the heel of my foot when driving but I get used to it after a few miles. One the passenger side, I twist a little to the outside to avoid hitting it with my foot which makes it uncomfortable. I think that there is too much travel in the brake pedal, but my wife says its fine. We now have had it for 5 weeks and have averaged 30.3 MPG over 1400 miles, which is at the high end of my expectations. We got 32.5 on a recent 600 mile trip. We do get better milage than many drivers simply because its a fairly long drive at 45-55 mph when we travel into town to go shopping. That raises our average quite a bit.
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Never Regretted Choice - 2006 Subaru Legacy
By Sue In Penn - December 31 - 12:20 amMy first Subaru was a 2000 Outback Wagon which I traded in after 115,000 miles (but was still performing fine). I did not hesitate to get another Subaru but I wanted something different so I got the Legacy sedan. It handles so great in fast curves that it makes me feel like a professional driver. As with the Outback, Ive learned to absolutely love driving in the snow and despite driving a 70 mile roundtrip commute (in Pennsylvania) Ive never missed a day of work due to snow. I work at a hospital and am on-call and have to have a reliable way to quickly arrive following an emergency call in and this car has never let me down. Ive passed many stranded vehicles... even big SUVs.
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great, but... - 2005 Subaru Outback
By outbou - December 29 - 8:33 pmBasically, I love the car (its my 2nd one) but I absolutely hate the fact that there is no place for your pocketbook of bag of some sort. We need women to design a car with women and mothers in mind!
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Nice, but areas for improvement - 2009 Subaru Forester
By board_jay - December 27 - 9:53 amOverall I like the vehicle and the dealer where I bought it was great. Got the Premium AWP in 5sp manual. Shifting is touchy on it compared to my VW which is more forgiving, but Ill get used to that over time. Pretty decent MPG - 25mpg around town on the 1st tank of gas. Looks nice, Id recommend the front and rear spoilers to make it look different. I am 65" and fit in it fine with the moonroof and with my toddler or infant in a car seat behind me. There are some things to improve upon such as stock radio which is horrible until you add the sub and the tweeter kit and then it sounds pretty good. Also wish they had window rainguards and there is some whistling w/all windows open.
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Bad Catalytic converter $$ - 2005 Subaru Outback
By fino - December 26 - 2:36 pmI have owned many Subarus and really loved them all except for this problem. Catalytic converter is bad and estimated replacement is $2,000 to $3,000. I have spoken to some Subaru and non Subaru mechanics and all have said this is a common problem. I am not getting any satisfaction from Subaru USA and this has turned a loyal customer into a doubter. They tried a computer fix that did not work. They blame problem on hills and high speeds. The car also had bad rear bearing that were replaced as a recall.
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Subaru loyality shot - 2004 Subaru Outback
By spirit1 - December 25 - 11:30 amI had to have the stereo replaced (after fighting with the dealership over it because they initially refused to repair it) while it was under warranty because of a faulty CD player. Soon after the repair, the speakers quit working. Some of them will work some of the time, but never all of them together and most often, none of them. Dealership wont back their work. With 50,000 miles on the car I had a dash light burn out. Soon after several instrument panel lights have burned out - windshield heater control, passenger side seat warmer button and the air circulating button. The cruise control lever sticks and often wont disengage. CV boot shaft just replaced. 62,000 miles. Now what?
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Ditch the SUV - 2004 Subaru Outback
By cdski - December 25 - 10:00 amWhat a value! I considered the Volvo XC, Audi A4 and VW Passat and all were 10 grand more. Obviously for this price you sacrifice a little quality but not much. After having my kidneys rattled on a daily basis in a Landcruiser I couldnt be more content. The car has some pep and handles reasonably well. It is definitely front dominant.
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Scooby Dooby Doo Where are u... - 2002 Subaru Impreza
By Bootsy - December 23 - 12:33 pm2002 OBS: I have had my OBS for 3 weeks & I throughly enjoy the car. My only gripes is I wish the seats were firmer & more supportive. Also, the manual transmission is not as smooth as I would like & finding reverse is fuff sometimses.
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Subaru reliability? - 2003 Subaru Baja
By bratissimo - December 17 - 10:00 amThe first time it rained the sunroof leaked and had to be replaced. I had it in 3 times for running rough and dying on start up. The dealer said "Subarus are quirky" After 5 months of running poorly check engine light came on, and it was towed to the nearest dealership who found a defective MAP sensor and fouled plug wire. 7 days later it was back on a tow truck in a different state wit the same problem. I spent my vacation getting my car fixed and NOT skiing. I have a 23 year old subaru that is a better car than this. What happened to Subarus legendary quality?
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