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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  Very good car - 2001 Subaru Outback
  By Nakoosa - March 1 - 10:00 am

  Were I not so into off-roading, I would have kept this car. The ground clearance is great, the approach/departure angles significantly hamper the grnd clernce and AWD capabilities. AWD and cornering = fun! Premium sound system is Fantastic! Seat heaters are wonderful. Acceleration is very surprising (when gas is stomped). Gas mileage surprising not so desireable. I took this thing mudding, out onto the beach, rally driving on fireroads and Had A Blast!! Very versatile, very fun. But I can 4-wheel my 87 Pathfinder and it cost a lot less! If youre not into moderate to heavy off- roading, youll love all the features, safety and fun of this car.

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  Good to drive and reliable - 2006 Subaru Outback
  By tljake - February 28 - 3:36 pm

  This is my second Subaru (first being a 1986 Brat). Have put over 50,000 on it in three years, have had absolutely no problems. This car has been through winter snow, off road in the high desert, city traffic, and has never failed to perform. Its not the flashiest car out there, nor the fastest, nor the one pulling the biggest load, but it will get you from point A to point B with minimum worry.

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  Stability Control Requires Leather Seats - 2008 Subaru Outback
  By ruddyduck67 - February 26 - 7:56 pm

  Best midsize value on the market. I wanted stability control as an extra safety measure but was kind of annoyed that this requires a whole host of non-safety oriented upgrades like leather seats and a moonroof (which is actually very nice). The other wagons in the lineup require premium fuel!? Yeah, I wanna spend an extra 20 cents per gallon for the life of the car. Anyway, it is a very nice driving car, very tight for a wagon, and can carry anything when considering the interior and the roofrack. One more thing about the roofrack, take off your crossbars when not in use. That little effort will take 5 minutes and can save you on mileage.

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  My chevy is more dependable - 2009 Subaru Forester
  By onedisappointment - February 26 - 5:00 pm

  I was sold the safety, resale value, and dependability. Well, within two month of purchase I had a cracked windshield, warranty did not cover the crack and it cost me $370 to replace. and now the car has a leak in the evaporator core and it costing me about $1000 to fix. This car barely 2 years old. My Chevy has 276k miles and still runs with original A/C. Never again will by a Subaru again!

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  Great car- with problems - 2004 Subaru Impreza
  By threephoe - February 24 - 10:00 am

  ve owned this car for a little over a year now, and have had my first gear replaced once, and will probably have to do it again soon (all under warranty). The dealership has told me everything from “That’s normal for the WRX” to “You must abuse the car” (The hardest it ever gets driven is my morning commute) A little bit of research told me that this a pretty common problem caused by inadequate synchros.

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  Faulty Clutch - 2002 Subaru Outback
  By moohoggle - February 15 - 10:00 am

  2 months after taking delivery of this Outback, the clutch began to chatter badly in 1st gear (less than 2000 miles). My wife and I took it back to the dealer where we bought the car from 3 times, and each time they said that this is a normal condition with manual transmission Subarus. We pursued a second opinion at another Subaru dealership and they agreed, that this was indeed, not normal. We then opened a case number with Subaru Corp., and it took 8 months to re-engineer and manufacture the replacement parts (was initially told it would take 4 weeks). Its been 3 weeks since our car was fixed under warranty and for now, its tolerable.

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  Great Car - 2001 Subaru Outback
  By Len - February 12 - 5:53 pm

  Other than a very poor heated seat button location the car is great. This car when new would be overpriced but used is a great value.

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  Great all around auto - 2005 Subaru Outback
  By slocumt - February 7 - 11:43 am

  Safety, great traction wet or dry, good gas mileage, room for five and then some; with todays high gas prices it just seems right .

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  Great car, AWD is big plus for our snow season - 2016 Subaru Legacy
  By Chris Quinlan - February 4 - 8:13 pm

  Its a great car with a few important qualifications to consider: The stock tires arent very good, so if you buy it for winter driving, as we did, youre going to need replacements very soon after purchase. This car was the 3rd out of 4 Subarus we have purchased (all at the same dealership and sales rep). The others were a Forester (2009), Outback (2012) and another Outback (2017). The Forester and Outbacks are MUCH better in the snow given their higher high ground clearance and are unstoppable on bad roads (except for the cars in front of you of course), the legacy is a sedan, so even with the AWD on all models, you wont get the same ground clearance and hence as good snow performance as the Outbacks or Foresters. DO NOT BUY A BLACK SUBARU!!!! The paint will Scratch incredibly easily. My wife ran it through a non-touchless car wash, the washes that use the big rotating brushes, and the car came out with $300 worth of damage on the hood. But it has also had spots on the roof and trunk. This apparently happens when dirt, bird poop, sap, etc., is on the car in the sun. Whatever it is, the black paint gets so hot it will "cook" it resulting in the paint bubbling up and cause expensive to repair damage. In our case, the dealer went back to Subaru and theyre going to repaint the car, mostly due, I think, to the fact that weve bought four Subarus from one dealership in the last seven years.

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  Power Steering gone after 300 miles - 2006 Subaru B9 Tribeca
  By Michele - February 3 - 11:40 am

  Three days after I bought my Tribeca, the power steering went out. I had to have it flat bedded back to the dealer. The fluid reservoir is full, no leaks, the belts are fine. I guess I will find out how good this dealer is in how they treat me through this. I just hope it is not something that will happen again and that they fix it right. I LOVED the car before this happened and will probably love it again when it is fixed and I feel confident it will not happen again.