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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  Frustrated!! - 2005 Subaru Outback
  By kdurre - August 24 - 5:50 am

  Im sure I have a lemon but with 89,000 miles there is not much I can do. I do like the car other than the CV joint and Rear wheel baring need to be replaced. The CD player may or may not play. The front driver seat burns you when you use the seat warmer. The passenger seat "passenger sensor" dings all the time unless the seat belt is locked in. The windshield rattles unless papers are pushed down between the glass and dash, even after one windshield replacement. And the transmission lurches to shift until it warms up.

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  Subarus are over rated - 2002 Subaru Legacy
  By mr.z - August 12 - 1:23 pm

  I was very excited when I ordered my Subaru. That all ended after two weeks of ownership thats when the steering started going in and out. I never had a road noise issues it was the wind blowing through the window that never closed proper after two years that I had issue with. That was fixed four times it never lasted more than two weeks. At three years old the car started rusting (body and brake lines), the ABS was no longer working at this point. Maybe I expect to much when I pay $27k car. Last thing I had flat once and the jack broke. I sold this car with over 59k on it.

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  Its okay, but it lags far behind my Mazda6 - 2013 Subaru Legacy
  By jjdawson - August 6 - 12:33 am

  Its got ho-hum styling inside and out. Its been rattling/squeaking since about a week old. It gets slightly better gas mileage on the freeway than advertised. Its comfortable. It has lots of room inside, even for tall people; more head room than every other mid-sized sedan that I tested. It has plenty of power at almost any speed. Its a little noisy at freeway speeds. The blue tooth works well, but I would change it. The CVT is a little weird since I cant tell what speed Im going by the sound of the engine. The 6 gears are a plus for fuel economy. The paddle shifters are cool, but automatic works great without them. However, I like my 2004 Mazda6 better in almost every way!

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  AWD Kicks! - 2000 Subaru Outback
  By kalliday - July 21 - 6:03 am

  This car was an impulse buy and despite my research beforehand and then afterward, it has not been worth the money 10 times over. Check engine light is always on and off (catalytic converter), goes through a whole set of brakes and rotors in less than a year (and I am NOT driving like a maniac!), acceleration is crappy, alignment is never quite right, need I continue? Unfortunately for Subaru, this is my second and the last (I had a 1999 Forester before that which was great but no lumbar support).

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  The good and the bad - 2012 Subaru Outback
  By sailormex - June 26 - 5:19 pm

  I bought this Car new in feb of 2012. I had ordered the 4 cyl but ever came on promised delivery date. After going to the dealer to complain about the non fulfillment I drove the 4 cyl model again on hills and found it seriously underpowered, deciding to take the 6 cyl model. At first this car was great (1 month). Then I had to make an emergency lane change and almost lost control of the vehicle. After 16 months I almost lost control of this vehicle 4 times, and decided to sell before getting hurt or worse. This car is very quiet and smooth, and is great if you drive REALLY slow. The engine and tranny are the best Ive ever had (Ive driven Audi, VW, Mercedes, jeeps and more) the

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  New impreza outback sport - 2010 Subaru Impreza
  By malcolm - June 26 - 12:13 am

  First, why have two different vehicles both named, "outback"? With the impreza, you wind up getting Outback parts that dont fit your car. Cheap radio---10 speakers, if you can find them--Probably the worst sounding radio one will ever find in any automobile. Paint is so soft, just looking at it will start it to peel! Passenger seat is so low, it actually hides the passenger from view. Does not have the fit, finish and refinement of other cars in its class. You are purchasing a working-mans auto, for basic transportation. No thrills here, but the 170 HP engine is a bit surprising, due to his high torque #s. You get what you pay for....and this automobile is down market.

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  Purchase Was A Mistake - 2014 Subaru Forester
  By eja6 - June 24 - 4:12 pm

  After 13,700 miles on my 2014 2.5i Premium with CVT, I have decided my purchase was a big mistake. I kept trying to "get used to" the annoying characteristics of this drivetrain, which include an overly sensitive pedal response, producing a constant "rubber band effect" in city traffic and over revving on the road when passing. I have grown to hate it so much I am avoiding driving it. The gutless engine makes a lot of noise when pushed, but noise does not make it go fast. Additionally, the CVT bucked and jumped when cold for the first 5,000 or so miles of use, and the dealer had no explanation or fix. Not the worst car I have bought, its close.

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  consecutive day recalls - new mod curse - 2010 Subaru Outback
  By bergerb2 - June 14 - 2:13 pm

  The plague of a new vehicle. A first - back-to-back recalls on consecutive days. The car is living on a reputation it no longer deserves dealer still tries to bleed 3,000 mile oil changes - when manual is 7500 miles.

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  Lemon - 2005 Subaru Legacy
  By D&C - June 13 - 10:00 am

  We look around for a new car fro almost 4 months before we both the gt. We have know 158,000 km on the car and have replaced 4 turbos and are on our 3 engine. At 120,000 we had a the last turbo replace and then moved again. 18,000 km later the engine had a broken piston and needed to be rebuild once again. Phoned Subaru Canada they told us that they could see that we had a lot of bad luck with the car as all records are kept on there computers. But because we moved and lost our maintenance records and only could show them the records for the service work that we did after the new turbo was put in they did not help us. We have had rebuild but are not trusting the car any more and traded in.

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  Subaru, where did the reliability go? - 2007 Subaru Outback
  By equiuga - June 5 - 6:29 am

  I love my car, but it has had soooo many issues that a car with 70K should NOT have. Both boots in front, the front AXLE!, front bushings, rear wheel bearing, DS seat malfunction, Ck engine lights to name a few. I get my regular incredibly expensive maintenances done and expect more out of a car that I paid this much for. I spoke to a lady with a 08 model and she even had to have her transmission replaced at 30K plus many other MAJOR repairs. I actually chose this car over a honda and I now regret it. Subaru, where has your quality gone?