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:

• 

  Good Ride for the Buck - 2002 Subaru Forester
  By Dj - February 8 - 10:00 am

  I am a first time subbie driver.My last car which lasted 9 yrs. was a Camry. I was less than enthusiastic about the care intially. But it has been a reliable safe vechile which handles excellently in rain.The tires grip the road during a rainstrom and Im happy to be driving my subie. Recently the dealer added a fuel enhancer an my milage has increased upto 28miles/gallon.The seats are comfortable. I bought the S-Premium with the leather option. Its a good all around town vehicle. Recently it hauled all our family "stuff" to my sons recent swim meet and had great gas milage. Its a plain jane among cars but reliable, safe and comfortable.

• 

  Not Just for a Niche Market Anymore - 2015 Subaru Legacy
  By xrodriguez1992 - February 6 - 5:21 am

  Test drove numerous mid-size family sedans and ended up with the 2015 Subaru Legacy 2.5i Premium in Carbide Grey Metallic. Two weeks in and Im very happy with my choice. Living in the northeast means traction is important during the winter months and the Subaru delivers with its Symmetrical AWD system. Ive never had an issue getting to work and Ive always felt safe driving this car. I got the base 2.5i premium with no extra options (no Eyesight, moonroof or navigation). This is still a very nicely equipped car for the money.

• 

  Great little rig - 2001 Subaru Legacy
  By subipharm - February 5 - 1:03 pm

  This has been a great wagon for me so far. I bought it with 145,000 miles on it few months back. It had all scheduled maintenance records and had the head gaskets replaced so it has been running like a champ. -The engine has ample power with the 5 speed, it can zip around town just fine and get up to speed quickly on highways. The car cruises nicely at 70mph. Plenty of head room and leg room for driver and passengers. Overall this car is a great value, reliable, handles great in rain/snow with AWD, and styling still looks good 10 years later! I would highly recommend this vehicle as family car or vehicl for outdoors people.

• 

  More than I expected! - 2016 Subaru WRX
  By Tsong - February 5 - 3:06 am

  I had been looking for a brand new 4 door affordable Japanese performance sedan that offered a 6 speed manual for a while and the only options for me while I was looking were the WRX and the Honda Civic Si. I ended up with the WRX because of the fact that I may be moving somewhere with snow and would like the AWD, although I am skeptical about the reliability of a turbocharged car, this being my first one ever. I know for sure an Si would last a lot longer than the WRX but I was willing to take the leap and so far I am not disappointed. My previous car was a 2008 Hyundai Elantra which I had for the past 8 years since new, and compared to the WRX, the cabin was bigger and the chairs were a little more comfortable, as well as the trunk was bigger, so those are the main differences I notice body wise. The WRX interior quality is high in my book, with me looking at it as a turbocharged AWD Corolla/Civic/Elantra, and compared to my old Elantra as well as our 2011 Corolla S, the leather and metal accents as well as quality plastic make it a lot better than both my Elantra and Corolla, although I do wish there were more compartments. The headliner fabric is really old school with the fuzzy fabric, but they upgraded that on the 2017 to the material they have in most new cars (and on the sun visors for some reason), and I wish the doors would lock automatically after 30 seconds like on my Hyundai as well as if you could just open the door when it is locked in the inside and it would unlock (on the front doors) like on most other Toyotas, Hondas, Hyundais, etc. My main complaint is that the audio system is horrible, being that sound is flat, no bass at all, etc. My stock Hyundai system was as good as my Logitech computer speakers producing rich bass and great treble as well. I had a Costco Executive 50% off discount so I upgraded to the Kicker Speakers (6) for around $300 (including labor) without the sub and it improved it by a bit, but its still only 60% of the sound quality as my Hyundais, although its now bearable. There is only 1 USB port and I plug my USB drive with music into it; it takes about 30 sec-1 min to start playing from when I start the car. The Starlink system overall is not great but it works, since its laggy compared to the system in my 2013 Honda Accord which is faster, with bluetooth taking about 10 seconds to connect too. I drive on average 300 miles in about a 10 day period and get about 22-24 MPG AVG since its mostly local, but when I have driven all freeway for day trips, the best I have gotten is 32.7 MPG but I usually average around 29-30 depending on if I engage boost often or not. The shifting is notchy which I like, and there is rev hang, but you are able adjust your shifting technique to accommodate (although if you get the Cobb Accessport and do the Stage 1 Tune it will rid of it, but thats if you are ok to risk your warranty before 36K miles). The AWD launches the car flat, totally different from FWD and RWD, and the suspension is stiff enough for taking corners but still good enough for daily driving. The main part that makes the car fun is the usable boost from the low to mid range, from around 2K-5.5K RPMS which is what makes it so great! I got the World Rally Blue which is a bit flashy, but I feel like you must get the signature color for this. The rims (on my Premium) are just dark gray 18 Enkeis from the 2011-2013 STI (previously Silver), but it really brings the exterior all together, making it look aggressive and perfect. I feel no need to change anything on the exterior as it already looks so good stock. Overall, if I could go back, I would get the Harmon Kardon audio upgrade since I dont really like aftermarket, and the car would be exactly the way I want it! The Kicker speakers are bearable so I dont see the point in spending more to upgrade again, since I do like listening to that turbo whistle once in a while! Basically if you want a practical, reliable?, economical, powerful, affordable, and fun small sedan that can perform in any weather, this is it!

• 

  Wow - 2003 Subaru Forester
  By StevieB - February 2 - 10:00 am

  What a great car. Ive had it for 3 weeks and have been averaging 34 mpg on the highway! Fun to drive, MONSTER sunroof. Very nimble on the road. Used to own a Loyale wagon; reliability was great. Safety ratings are very good. Check it out.

• 

  good car not good time - 2009 Subaru Tribeca
  By subsub - January 31 - 12:46 pm

  Car is good in upstate NY snow. the steering is corrective, accelerator cuts out when wheels spin, but...car is kind of heavy and doesnt compare to lightweight Forester on snowy roads straight line braking

• 

  Good car, except for MPG - 2013 Subaru Outback
  By bigstig - January 29 - 6:57 am

  We are Subaru people. Ive owned 5 in the past decade. While we are basically happy with our 2013 Outback, we dont enjoy it as much as we had hoped. Our 2013 Outback Limited 2.5 CVT replaced a 2010 Outback Premium 2.5 CVT. We traded in the 2010 for the nicer interior, better color, and "bonus" 1mpg. While we love the Limiteds features, after 18k miles the MPG falls well short of the EPA estimates. With the 2010, we got 75k miles worth of 30-31mpg 70mph commuting. Thats 1-2 mpg better than the sticker. With the 2013, we struggle to get 26mpg. Dealer says car is normal. Had I known this, we would have bought a 3.6R and gotten more power and avoided the dreary droney CVT.

• 

  General observations - 2010 Subaru Forester
  By Bertram R. Eisner - January 26 - 10:00 am

  I am 84 years old and have been driving for 60 years. This Forester; 1. overall a plain car for $25,000 2. Bad gas cap place;near bottom of car 3. backing up is not smooth.Bad. 4. Heating and air poor. 5. Dashboard bare;cannot see clock or temperature because no contrast; poor colors used. 6. no light in glove box. 7. Cargo door is not well planned;clumsy to use. 8.Rear view mirrors block view; and not heated. Overall not a good choice. I made a mistake. There other short comings but no sense in going on.

• 

  Lovinit! - 2006 Subaru B9 Tribeca
  By Michelle A. - January 24 - 1:36 am

  I love this car! I traded in an 03 Honda Pilot. I was hoping for better gas mileage, but since I live in the mountains, I was willing to forgo mpg for better dirt road handling in the snow. Tribeca does that very well. I am 61" and have never fit in a Subaru comfortably. The Tribeca is amazingly comfortable, quiet, fun to drive and even fits my 61" and over sons very comfortably in the back seat.

• 

  Its always something new...... - 2009 Subaru Forester
  By photosbymatt - January 23 - 11:50 pm

  From purchase at 117,000 miles to now at 134,000 miles, this Forester has needed: Oxygen sensor, new catalytic converters, re-wired transmission speed sensor, two sets of head gaskets (six months apart), timing belt, water pump, thermostat, and rear pads & rotors. The transmission in this Forester is jerky & extremely rough. I have records from the previous owner, and it was babied and taken care of very well. I maintain this car as well as I can, and I just hope that it will last another five years. The engine pings horribly while running up through the gears. Detonating or "pinging" is absolutely horrible for an engine, yet Subaru claims that this is normal. I love Subarus, but wow.......