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 till high mileage! - 2002 Subaru Impreza
  By climbrox - June 10 - 10:30 am

  Fun car to drive. The 2.5L is just enough to make it peppy and fun. Good in most conditions, not great in any. Problems start at 140,000 and continue there on in. My advice would be to buy if mileage is low and get rid of if near 140,000.

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  Really Disappointed in MPG - 2013 Subaru XV Crosstrek
  By seattlexv - June 6 - 7:18 pm

  This is my first Subaru. I was very excited about the Crosstrek as it had all of the great features of the Outback with better gas mileage and a bit smaller. Perfect I thought. I am pleased with the car except for the gas mileage. I purchased this car over the Honda CRV because of the mpg ratings. At first the gas mileage was about 28mgg which is advertised. But since then and with 8,000 miles on the car, I am getting 23mpg and it continues to drop with each tank of gas. I took it to the dealer and they cant find anything wrong with it and said to contact Subaru America which has been frustrating. Have others experienced this type of problem? tks

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  I was very impressed BUT NOW ... - 2010 Subaru Legacy
  By Eduardo - June 5 - 2:50 am

  I am checking back again with new news about my 2010 legacy and Im a little disappointed. I love my car but a metal part (bracket) in the engine is rusting and I dont know why? I have put only 8,200 miles on it. I am devastated is anyone having same problem? Please let me know. The bracket will be replaced under warranty soon but I am a little worried something else may come up! I hope it ends here because I love my Subaru I really love its dynamic and secured handling plus the 30 mpg I m getting on the high way.

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  excellen value - 2004 Subaru Impreza
  By vamoose - June 1 - 10:00 am

  This is the first Subaru that is not only practical and well built but fun to drive! The 2.5L engine is big enough to make the car reasonably quick but still cheap to run (26 MPG mixed driving). A WRX was tempting but with a HP to displacement ratio of about 2:1, that engine is not going to go the 200,000 miles that I plan to run this 2.5L! I am having a little problem with the San Remo red paint, it seems to chip quite easy. In fact, at six months, Im going to need to paint my hood soon. Anyone else have this problem? jjbrady219@aol.com

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  Practical but slow - 2006 Subaru Baja
  By HaveFunWithIt - May 31 - 2:33 am

  I am really getting attached to the Baja. Its fun to drive because of its accurate steering and light weight. There is a lot of aluminum on this vehicle (motor heads and block, tranny, differential cover, etc). The bed looks really small, but I fit a full sized dirt bike in it (300cc) with gear bag and tool box. No one believes that it will fit until they see it. And that is WITHOUT folding down the pass through door to the cab. The Baja is the slowest car I have ever driven, though. I have an Isuzu pickup with 2.6L 4 cylinder motor (Baja 2.5L 4 cylinder) with 225k miles on it that is 3 times quicker. And I always considered the Isuzu to be slow. I am not exaggerating one bit about this.

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  A Blast to drive - 2003 Subaru Impreza
  By JoeB - May 30 - 10:33 am

  In a little over 2 years Ive put 45,500 trouble free miles on my WRX. I average about 25 MPG in 60/40 hwy/city driving and with a little effort, I can get 27 MPG. Not bad. My WRX has been on several 2000+ mile trips and was very comfortable. The interior could be a bit nicer, the transmission a little smoother and the exterior takes a little getting used to (I love it though!). The car is so much fun to drive, I cant wait to get into it each day. Im not sure Ill ever be able to part with it I enjoy it so much. The AWD inspires great confidence in the snowy Midwest winters and other slick conditions.

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  Very Good Overall Package - 2011 Subaru Forester
  By premx11 - May 26 - 12:10 pm

  This is a very good overall package and an excellent value. Car is very sure-footed in rain and snow. Has comfortable ride and seats. Excellent visibility, has responsive brakes, steering, highly maneuverable, great sun roof - helps cool car quickly, responsive engine - a bit noisy on cold start, but smooth and quiet thereafter, excellent hauling capacity with rear seats folded, 4-speed AT is a bit antiquated, but shifts smoothly and is responsive. Integrated TomTom GPS & w/audio/video takes some time to figure out, but is not hard to use thereafter once you understand the controls. Mileage between 16 mpg in cold, city driving, & up to 29 mpg on the highway, w/overall ave. of 21.5 so far.

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  500 miles so far so good - 2010 Subaru Outback
  By erickrocks - May 24 - 12:00 am

  Needed a kid-carrier and traded in our Camry Hybrid, making us a Subie family (other car is an 07 STi). What I like: AWD, height of an SUV, smooth ride quality, comfy interior, great looks, more space (than Camry--esp for car seat/trunk) and for a gas-only engine, good gas mileage. What I wish were better: leather seems "loose"-- will have to watch for bunching up later, change out MPG gauge for something useful, not sure I like the electronic parking brake, would like a bit more grunt from the motor (yes, I know I have the 4 cyl), would have liked rear passenger vents. Those are nit picky things though. Overall, this is an outstanding car that suits the needs of a small family.

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  Apri 9-2014 - 2014 Subaru Forester
  By htrivedi - May 23 - 6:20 am

  I bought this car on 3/21/14 after a lot of research and I am little bit disappointed. The ride is annoying what I mean by this is when you drive on an intelligent mode, you feel every bump or uneven surfaces. When you start the car, engine shakes so does my left feet. I have a back problem and this is not good for my back. Seat is not big for comfort. I hope I better get use to this or I might have to sell this car. Driving in "S" mode is ok but uses lot of gas. I might have to do second review after 5k miles...still confused about this car. Please rent this car for 1 week and then buy. I highly recommend.

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  First year with first Subaru - 2008 Subaru Impreza
  By MNJ - May 23 - 2:36 am

  Ive had my Impreza for a year. Its been through rural blizzard-prone Minnesota winter and has performed well. Very fun to drive in snow and has good grip on snow and ice. Seems to be able to go through deeper snow as well, but clutch starts to smell hot. I get about 31-33 MPG in the summer on the highway (havent driven much in metro traffic.) Winter MPG drops off sharply to 17 in town/short trips and 25 on the highway. Only problems are a faulty tire pressure sensor (covered by warranty) and about 1 out of every 3 times when anti-lock brakes kick in on ice in below 0 temps, vehicle dynamics control and ABS goes out and wont work. Shutting car off and re-starting seems to fix it.