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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  First time Subaruer - 2003 Subaru Forester
  By The Katster - July 24 - 2:00 am

  The height of the vehicle is great to get in and out of the vehicle. I find the get up and go a little sluggish, especially on a fresh start/pull out. The feel of driving is fun and enjoyable on long trips. The cargo area is extremely handy in comparison to a standard car with a trunk.

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  Ultimate cold weather machine! - 2011 Subaru Legacy
  By budbrewer - July 23 - 3:45 am

  After buying Toyotas, Hondas and Nissans since 1980 we decided to give Subaru a try. Sure glad we did. Fit and finish are excellent. Gas mileage is good at 28 mpg average. Heated cloth seats and HK stereo are fantastic. Parking brake is a joke (someone really is trying to out think themselves). OEM Bridgestone tires were terrible in the first snow storm encountered so replaced them with Michelin MXV4. Now its hard to get the tires to slip. This is an overall great car for Colorado or northern climates and would highly recommend to anyone. Plus it is assembled in the US.

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  Over achiever - 2012 Subaru Outback
  By 340beeper72 - July 21 - 5:26 am

  Had our Outback three years now. Piled up almost 20K miles per year. No serious complaints. Does a great job hauling around our family of four plus two dogs. Around town fuel economy is really good. Never gets below 20 mpg. Performance is surprisingly good considering the modest 175 hp rating. The CVT transmission does a good job getting the most from the engines without revving the snot out of it. Typically gets high 20s mpg on the highway, and occasionally low 30s through flat terrain. AWD works as well as youd expect in the winter. Pretty much unstoppable. One thing sorely missing on this vehicle is an auto lift gate.

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  STI - 2011 Subaru Impreza
  By amt426 - July 21 - 2:00 am

  Coming from a G35. Wanted a car more performance oriented. I got that with the new STI. It doesnt have the nice luxury amenities but makes up for it in performance. Very fun to drive.

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  Early Impressions - 2006 Subaru B9 Tribeca
  By baddad303 - July 20 - 11:03 am

  Love the vehicle but.... Resonance vibrations when holding ~30 mph. BAD buffeting when the rear windows only are down – and I do mean discomfort to the eardrums type buffeting! CD player has already failed – mechanical failure message displays (mechanical error) not noted in the manual! Dealer told us not to slam the back gate - it would break a cheap plastic latch - this was told to us after the purchase as we were leaving . :-/ Note that all the doors do shut with grace, very easily with little noise, just a little thing but another example of the inconsistent quality of components. Weak radio of Wal-Mart quality - not a boomer by no stretch of the imagination.

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  Second Choice But O.K. - 2005 Subaru Forester
  By Major T - July 20 - 2:30 am

  Started out to buy a CRV but they were sold out. The Forester was on sale with a couple thousand off the MSRP and it certainly had a good reputation. It replaced a 1991 Sidekick. The Forester is more comfortable and handles better than the Suzuki. With one month of winter driving I am not sold on the AWD system on the Forester, seems pretty easy to get this car going sideways on slippery roads. The Forester is an O.K. vehicle but I find it hard to really be enthusiastic about it.

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  2nd Legacy...probably not my last - 2018 Subaru Legacy
  By Bill M. - July 17 - 3:01 am

  So my first Legacy was a 2015. Leased that one since I never had a Subaru before and wasn’t sure I would like it. Well I did and decided to buy my next one (can’t beat 0% financing). On paper this is the perfect car for me. Live in North Idaho now and needed AWD. For the price and features I don’t think there is a better value out there.For a fully loaded 2.5 Limited Legacy with Eye Sight Pkg for around $30k....is not bad at all. They did enough with 2018 Legacy compared to 2015 Legacy to make me feel I got a better car than the 2015 I traded in. Some of the new features I like in the 2018.... LED lighting (including headlights), auto high beams, lane keep assist, 8” screen, Tom Tom navigation, new multimedia interface, CarPlay, 2 usb power ports in the rear, rear braking assist, predictive guide lines on the reversing camera, better blindside notification, tire pressure monitor showing each individual tire’s air pressure, stitching on dash, smaller steering wheel with updated controls, overall updating of interior and exterior. Some things that I didn’t like in the 2015 that they didn’t change in 2018.... the tires that come on this car still suck (especially in the snow), location of front usb power ports can be a pain to hook up a power cable, seats could use some more padding. I am getting a over 30 mpg in mixed spirited driving...not bad for an AWD car in my opinion. Handles pretty good but is better with better tires. Acceleration is surprising decent for a four liter. Safety wise, I don’t know of a car with more safety features at this price point. If you are looking for an AWD car with pretty much every safety feature available today, that gets good gas mileage, is a great value with a pretty decent look to it.....this is your car in my opinion, just change out the tires.

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  Just Took Ownership of a 2010 Legacy - CPO - 2010 Subaru Legacy
  By almatti - July 13 - 7:00 am

  Traded in out 2008 Mazda 3 s Touring for the Subbie. Their CPO program allowed us to make a great deal on a "new " Car with 7400 miles on it. 6 yr, 2.99% financing, 6 year - 100k Powertrain Warranty (I have 2 years remaining on the origional new car warranty). Takes getting used to the CVT, but after a couple drives, it works very well. Drives like a Bigger car for sure, pretty well planted. Handling could be a little tighter. The Premium package should have include the 17" wheels and wider tires (I will be doing that soon). Very roomy interior, decent Cloth seating, only fair stock radio.

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  Fun driving machine... - 2003 Subaru Impreza
  By payton - July 11 - 10:00 am

  From just looking at the car, you would not believe how fun it will be behind the wheel of this vehicle. The power you get from the turbo-charge engine will make you feel like a kid again,while the AWD system give you confident and comfort.What makes me more confident about the WRX wagon is that the car is 100% made in Japan and no matter whether the road is wet or sandy,I always have conditent in every corners.

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  No regrets so far.....I actully love it - 2010 Subaru Forester
  By dee - July 8 - 10:20 am

  I have the 2.5x limited edition with Navigation, satellite radio, blue tooth and leather seats. Ive only had it for 2 months now but so far its a good purchase and I have no regrets. The leather seats with navigation etc is way way better than the regular base forester. The interior looks totally different. The base model looks really cheap and boring on the inside. Get the limited edition if you are getting a forester.