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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  CVT - 2017 Subaru Forester
  By kip nix - May 19 - 11:04 pm

  The CVT transmission makes for a driving experience not unlike that of a go-cart. There is a lag on acceleration and the continuous nature of this technology makes it just dreadful to drive. I couldnt wait for the test drive to end.

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  Squeak/ Rattles Nightmare customer service - 2010 Subaru Forester
  By carhappy1 - May 2 - 3:21 pm

  We bought a Forester 2010 for my wife based on my prior good experience with a 1995 Legacy I had. This car is full of rattles and squeaks. Took it several times to several dealers to get it fixed, the rattles are so bad that we are now stuck with this nightmare. Customer service/ company rep have been great in stone walling the resolution of our problem and making us feeling stupid as if everything is fine despite the dealers agreeing to and working on the problem (though unsuccessfully) multiple times. For one who always told my friends what a great car Subaru makes, now I am so disgusted with the brand I will never own another one.

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  Surprisingly Disappointing - 2011 Subaru Outback
  By Greentiger - April 2 - 3:29 pm

  Bought the 2011Subaru November 2010(after reading the great Subaru reviews) with 5 miles. 4 years into it, catalack(probably wrong spelling) converter went, fortunately the miles were right below the covered warranty for the converter and that was covered($2000). 166.000 miles in, the transmission is having issues, the emergency breaks need to be replaces(dont know why, never use it). This is not a small repair and Subaru America does not send behind their cars after certain amount of miles. Trade-in value dropped significantly due to the expensive fixes. REALLY, REALLY DISAPPOINTED.

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  Wont get me again - 2008 Subaru Tribeca
  By Rich - April 2 - 5:40 am

  I usually dont write any reviews, but this car is so bad, I thought I owed you (the reader) some advice. Dont buy this car. We bought ours new, and the engine eats oil. Dealer said the engine was breaking in. I am now at 20k on the car, and it eats 1.5 to 2 qts per 1000 miles. Dealer will not help. Also, the A/C is weak. It is barely ok for the front, but on a 5 passenger, there is no rear air. My kids hate it, always hot. Numb steering, brakes fade easily, manual shift is poor when upshifting, interior clunks and rattles like a 30 year old Ford. There is lots of room for improvement, here. Once bitten, twice shy. There, I warned you.

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  Expensive parts, noisy on highway, worst car I ever had. - 2004 Subaru Forester
  By whatwhatwhat1 - March 4 - 2:28 pm

  I bought this car used in 2009. In three years, I spend $2400 in repairs (rear bearings on both sides, head gasket, rocker bars in the front that were recalled, air conditioner compressor) and when I traded it in today for a 2012 Camry, the turbo was smoking and the transmission was on its way out too. It had 140K miles. Parts are hard to come by, none of the charging ports worked on it and the check engine light was always coming on, which turned off the cruise control. in three years, I got to use the cruise control once. It was a nightmare to own. It was almost impossible to talk on speakerphone on the highway due to the road noise. and the backseat doesnt have any legroom.

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  Dont waste your money - 1998 Subaru Forester
  By jackie w - February 18 - 10:00 am

  Never waste your money on a Subaru! After the 60,000 warranty went up we had transmission failure twice!!! The dealer never could seem to fix our car and we had difficulty finding anyone to work on Subarus and those who do have said they have had problems and one mechanic even said they were complete junk. Also the Forrester was not as good in the snow as we anticipated. Dont waste your money. Go with a Toyota or Honda!

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  2010 impreza Outback sport - 2010 Subaru Impreza
  By aherrmann17 - February 18 - 3:03 am

  This car burns oil. The scheduled maintenance for my region is every 7500 miles for an oil change. The outback sport however decided to develop rod knocking due to lack of oil in the engine. CA state law does not allow a car to burn 4.5 quarts of synthetic oil in 7500 miles. Highly dissatisfied with this car. I would not recommend it to anyone.

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  Do not buy this car!!! - 2009 Subaru Legacy
  By Dissapointed - February 11 - 3:53 am

  I would not recommend this car to anyone! The transmission shifts so roughly the entire car lurches, but the dealership insists it is fine. The seats are extremely uncomfortable - my back kills by the time I arrive at work!! The interior looks worn after only having the car for a few weeks. I purchased this car because I wanted an AWD vehicle and the price seemed good, but I regret every time I step foot in the car!

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  The car I really wanted to love - 2009 Subaru Forester
  By crr40 - January 22 - 4:24 am

  I decided on a Subaru Forester after extensive research, and bought a 2009 model new. It had flaws in the beginning- the ipod adapter didnt work well; the stereo in general was not very impressive, the drivers seat was uncomfortable, the mpg was consistently on the low end - but I didnt regret my purchase until the big problems started at just 29K miles, within weeks of the bumper to bumper warranty expiring. Between 29K and 38K miles the car has had the engine coil replaced, the brakes replaced and now the transmission. Its not my driving, either - my last car went 9 years and 80K miles without a single repair and Ive never spent this much in repairs on any car in 20+ years.

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  Stay with Toyota - 2004 Subaru Outback
  By Andrew - January 20 - 11:33 am

  I bought this 3 months ago and there has been nothing but problems. It was checked out before I bought it with 82000 miles, and everything was good. But it has been in the shop 5 times now since Ive owned it. Im going to sell it as fast as possible and buy another Toyota Tacoma.. Im never buying subaru again...