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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  On Subaru 10...and FINAL - 2001 Subaru Legacy
  By Disgruntled - March 30 - 12:40 pm

  Ive owned 9 other Subarus. Each Subaru had over 200000 miles on them and ran incredibly well. I now own a 2001 Legacy GT Limited and have had nothing but problems since day one. The first month I had the vehicle, I had lost my brakes. The pedal wouldnt even move at all. This happened twice. Dealer "fixed" the problem each time. Since then Ive blown my engine because the head gaskets. There are SO MANY other issues Ive had since purchasing this vehicle. I hope this helps anyone looking at one. I WILL NEVER OWN ANOTHER SUBARU AS LONG AS I LIVE!!!

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  4th and final Subaru - 2010 Subaru Forester
  By hpntst - March 24 - 5:00 am

  I will never buy another Subaru. This Forester pings and knocks all of the time and they call it a characteristic of the engine. The tranny shudders when it shifts. Subaru is refusing to fix my car. NY State Lemon Law, here I come!

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  Subaru Forester 2011 Lemon - 2011 Subaru Forester
  By yukon13 - March 5 - 6:48 am

  I suggest never buying a Subaru. I purchased my first one strictly due to their perceived reputation. The 2011 Forester is poorly built. Body trim pieces have fallen off. Their is piston ring slap and it burns oil like theres no tomorrow. Service at Northtown Auto in Amherst NY actually said that this was normal and that Boxer engines are known for burning oil. After recommended oil changes at 3500 and 7500 miles, I was on my way to my 15000 mile change and the engined developed a low-end knock at 13000. Turns out, nearly all the oil was gone and theres not a single leak. Poor quality engine and manufacturing.

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  Forester - A lousy excuse for a car - 2003 Subaru Forester
  By Arty - March 4 - 10:00 am

  This car has average build and quality. With head gasket failures and oil leaks galore, how can you buy a vehicle with a reliability factor like that? Now that I own it, I find two other owners that have experienced at least one of the same symptoms/problems. Good bye Subaru, hello Saab 9/3.

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  Soft Winshield - 2017 Subaru Forester
  By Sam - March 1 - 6:23 am

  Purchased 2017 Forester in October of 2016 at Bob Moore Subaru in Edmond Oklahoma. Will never go back. RUDE. Heated seats do not function well. Either too hot or too cold. Drove an Outback loaner and big difference..much better. Drove to Denver in December of 2016 with snow and treatments on roads. My windshield has small chips and speckles all over it. The car grill, headlights etc have a few very light marks...the windshield is horrible...horrible. My two other cars, an X-5 BMW and GMC Yukon, which have over 100,000 miles, their windshields have nothing like this and have had much, much, much more exposure to harsh elements. Something is wrong with Subaru windshields!

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  Nice car wrapped around stinky infotainment - 2016 Subaru Outback
  By Ken - February 26 - 10:53 pm

  Nowadays, the infotainment system is a key part of the car. Ive got the latest generation (2016 Outback - Limited) system. It reeks of promise and delivers none. In fact, IT IS A ROAD HAZARD. Fiddling with the phone and the infotainment system will definitely cause frustration and I predict accidents. You can see glimmers of hardware capability. For instance, the AM radio has dynamic IF bandwidth control. (If the signal is good, the audio bandwidth opens up and sound much better.) But then alas, the software overcompensates for ruining the experience. For instance:L 1. Bluetooth gets confused and does not properly function. 2. The "tone control is bass, mid and treble" (should have been a full equalizer) 3. The APPS are trite and not updated. There are only 6 of them. 4. Mirrorlink offered promise, but their offerings miss the mark. Certainly not lastly, a phone screen CANNOT be cast onto the infotainment screen. I complained to the President of Subaru. He pushed it off on to a lower management person, who, (accolades to him) called me on the phone to resolve the issues. After our discussion, he said the radio software would not achieve the things we discussed for 2 years. He explained that new apps would be released April 15, 2016. None did. Id really like my money back. So, if you are looking for a car and infotainment is important. Shop elsewhere for the next 2 years. (Id give it three, based on the tardiness of releasing simple apps.)

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  2016 Outback Issues.... - 2016 Subaru Outback
  By Mike - February 25 - 9:15 am

  I purchased my 2016 Subaru Outback in September of 2015. After about 5 months a strange noise started to occur from the back of the car for which I thought was the muffler. The noise was intermittent so the dealership could not diagnose the problem but told me to premium gas, fuel additive as it could be engine pinging. Finally they did hear the noise and stated it was very loud evaporator pump for which they were going to replace. After picking up the car, they had changed out the evaporator valve assembly and added extra insulation. The noise is still ongoing and the noise has waken my baby up from a sleep, made people come outside from their camping trailers where fans were on to heat, but again I am too sensitive and am hearing this. To this point there has been no resolve, and now run the risk of loosing thousands of dollars if I have to get rid of the car. I have reached out to Subaru America with minimal help outside of listening and still no resolve or true assistance. The local dealership is trying all they can but are at the point looking to National Subaru to help diagnose or provide guidance which appears to be lacking. People like the look of the car and the features for which I agreed with but tell them my issues and they have moved onto look at other cars.

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  Nice Car, Too many Issues - 2008 Subaru Tribeca
  By Gerry - January 16 - 1:06 am

  Last car was a BMW X5. At first I thought the Tribeca was on par. NO way! Have had a number of mechanical issues which my dealer does not know how to fix -- front left tire loses air, center console foam compressed, high pitched noise at certain speeds. Subaru has shown no interest in addressing my issues. I was looking to install blue-tooth which is not a factory option. The proprietary cd/radio has made that challenging. Lots of noise in the cabin while driving. The ride is not as firm as the BMW X5. The back-up camera is a very nice feature and the heated seats work well. The less than 16 gallon gas tank is way too small. Gas mileage has been 15 city 18 highway.

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  DO NOT BUY THIS CAR! - 2012 Subaru Outback
  By Anonymous - January 10 - 3:31 am

  Around 120,000 miles everything major breaks and cost BIG $$ to fix. In 4 months we have had to sink $6,000 into this car to replace the clutch, head gasket, thermostat, etc. We bought this car new in 2012 because Subarus are known to last for 200,000-300,000 miles and we intended to keep it for a while. Normal repairs and upkeep are expected but this many MAJOR repairs in such a short period of time right after it turns over 120,000 miles is NOT right. Also, 80-90% of the 124,000 miles we have put on the car are highway miles. We will N.E.V.E.R. buy another Subaru.

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  What Happened ? - 2011 Subaru Impreza
  By diehard080 - January 4 - 3:40 am

  I am on my 4th Sube. To this day my 1st the 77 wagon, was the BEST. Why because it was built like a tank and not flimsy in any way . Yes I had to shift it to get to 4WD but that was good for MPG ! My 2006 Outback Sport was totaled after I was hit from behind on the FWY. So I get the chance to get the "latest" body style and updated changes- Wow I have to say many in this review section seem to be idealistic and have no experince with other subes or cars. Why ? This cars handling is weak and it gives way on quick turning, powerless in 0-60 over 10seconds ! and the interior is the most sparse I could concieve. They put all the $ in the 4wd system. Bad move as the rest of the car suffers.