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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  Legacy - 2005 Subaru Legacy
  By Trish - July 18 - 10:33 pm

  I would rather have my Infiniti G35 back. The quality of the Legacy is not there. Also, I rather spend $30,000 on a car with quality and one that holds its value. I have had the Legacy since Nov. 2004 and it is a big negative $10,000. For those who love Subaru, good luck to you but I will never buy another.

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  Not great - 2012 Subaru Outback
  By nothappy9919 - July 6 - 2:21 am

  This is the only new car I have owned where I received 2 apologies from Dealer or service companies. After about 2000miles, I complained about transmission noise and the mechanic from the dealer apologized and said your stuck with it. At 12000mi, the front seat bolsters are going bad and the upholstory shop i was sent to by the dealer apologized, indicated Subaru is aware of the problem, that along with the hard to clean cloth seat covers. Subaru of America says they never heard of it so now starts the mess over warranty and for how long. The car is otherwise ok but far below what I expected

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  Fuel Problems - 2006 Subaru Forester
  By Richard - July 5 - 3:46 pm

  I bought a new ‘06 Forester with the 5-speed manual transmission in Sept ’05. After 3800 miles, it has three annoying, potentially dangerous characteristics. The engine races uncontrollably during cold starts after the clutch is released, it bucks when throttle is lightly depressed, and engine speed cycles when slowing to a stop with clutch depressed. The cold start problem is dangerous, as the car will accelerate briskly and unexpectedly to 20 MPH. I haven’t run into anything yet, but I caution other drivers about this condition. The dealer is cooperative but unable to fix the problem. Subaru says all ‘06 Forester 5-speeds do this. They are working on a fix, but nothing yet.

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  Subaru Forester 2013: Meh... - 2013 Subaru Forester
  By gber - July 4 - 1:31 am

  I purchased my Subaru in Feb, 2013. The Subaru does very well in poor driving conditions - I used it through 3 snowstorms. Get the winter package - heated seats and windows. But in regular conditions, the Subaru disappoints. The engine is geared to punchy in city driving, which I like, but on the highway, the engine is all noise, and little pickup. Once up to speed it is fine. Gas mileage has yet to crack 21mpg in mixed driving. Which brings me to the handling. On city driving it is fine, but at highway speeds, the steering wheel vibration is pronounced - I gather from the forums that this is rather typical for Foresters. Overall, a boring, but competent vehicle.

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  Wish I had considered this purchase more carefully - 2013 Subaru XV Crosstrek
  By CC - June 27 - 3:40 pm

  While I liked the appearance and style of this small crossover, it is not nearly at the level I expect from a car so well considered by so many. What do they see in this car that I do not? Far from spacious, there is not much room in here. It is not very comfortable to drive, even with the premium leather interior, no where to rest your elbows really. There is a very flimsy layer of carpet in the trunk area, carries over when you fold the seats down, the carpet actually sags on the support bars. The leather is also paper thin on the arm rest and already ripped. The loud ungodly blowers of the heating/air climate control system are terrible and I cant make business calls when I am driving because of the background noise. I wind up saying what?? the whole time. This is a hard pill to swallow. The 33 MPG highway...sounds super inflated and I have never see milage that good, even though 80% of my driving is on the highway. The worst thing about this car is how I work out of my trunk and I can not see anything at night...never even gave it a thought about how important A LIGHT WOULD BE in a trunk, nor did I ever think to check really when I bought it...a hatchback with no light in the back!!! Its a bizarre shortcut. It annoys me to no end that I need a flashlight to prepare for my day/bring product for work in and out of the car. Why did Subaru make a car with no interior hatch lighting? It is not going to win any races, but I could live with that if it had great gas milage. I had a Volvo XC previously, so when other reviews said this car is great in the snow...I believed them. Not so, I have had more white knuckled trips in this feather weight...not to mention you need running speed to make it up hills since it is so light. My Volvo could have pushed this little guy up the hills! It ate snowstorms and spit them out. Bottom line: Im not a big believer in reviews after reading this cars. Did I mention the paint will come off if you lean against it? It had 2 large rust spots on the roof already before it hit 40k, and chips all over it that I had a detailer fill. He said he filled 55 chip marks, pebbles on the road take the paint off this car. So disappointing. Cant wait to unload it. Sorry Subaru, this is a fail.

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  Bad inside - 2015 Subaru Forester
  By mark405 - June 26 - 9:22 pm

  This is what I dont like inside my Subaru Forester 2015. I have it 2weeks . The two vanity mirrors has no lights. The seats are to small and hard.Console is to small and set to far back between the seats.Passenger seat up to high no adjustment to bring it down.Buttons on passenger door dont light up and back doors to.Trunk light not bright enough.Dash is rough hard to wipe clean.Front windshield not top tinted. When sun comes in you cant see out.Car locks dont lock by themselves you have to lock doors. Glove box has no light.when you get eyesight it takes away the eye glass holder.screens are to small. Back up camera should beep. More to follow next week.Good luck if you buy this car.

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  Failing Headliner!!! - 2013 Subaru Legacy
  By Annette - June 20 - 2:13 pm

  The headliner began to fall away from the rear window 2 weeks after the warranty was over. The car was leased and Subaru (after some hassle) paid to have a new headliner installed. The car is leased and I dont know if they would have covered it if I had owned it. No one seemed upset or even too interested in it. Expensive repair!!!

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  Zippy car, crappy mirror - 2013 Subaru Impreza
  By ric25 - June 10 - 9:08 am

  Was very surprised at the performance and handling of the car. Great fun to drive on curvy roads even with the CVT (and I say that as a former Porsche owner). The hatchback model has very good use of space. Can carry a lot of cargo for trips. The hatchback also has good visibility, with no major blind spots. But a couple complaints: The side mirrors are flimsy plastic POS. After 6 months of ownership, fallen off 3 times, broke the last time. As other mentioned, the audio system is horrible. The paint scratches very easily. The car sits too low to the ground, keep scraping the bumper on driveways.

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  Starting Issues - 2012 Subaru Forester
  By raf1801 - June 8 - 10:46 am

  Random starting issues at 5000 miles. Dealership cant duplicate the problem so the issue remains unsolved. Am afraid to drive this vehicle very far anymore.Am afraid of being stranded . Vehicle is also reluctant to start when the temps get below freezing. The owners manual gives instructions how to try to start the vehicle if these random starting issues occur. I wonder sometimes if they knew in advance these problems might occur with this type of vehicle. Therefore the need to put these instructions in the manual.If had known in advance about these problems I never would of bought this car. Im stuck for now with a car I hate and am afraid to drive very far if it even starts. Buyer beware

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  Starter motor broken at 40K - 2009 Subaru Outback
  By rosenbom - June 7 - 5:28 pm

  I am from the country that produces worst cars possible and I had 3 cars there but neither of those got its starter motor broken at 40K as my NEW Subaru Outback 2009 I bought less than 3 years ago here in US. I LOVED my Outback but this problem ruined everything. Guys at Subaru Service informed me that starter motor almost dead and I have to wait about 3 weeks for new one! This is my worst auto experience. I wasnt imagine things like that here in US.