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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  Subaru - 1998 Subaru Forester
  By duck123 - June 15 - 10:00 am

  A fun car to drive

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  My fourth Subaru - 2003 Subaru Legacy
  By Vince Toman - June 15 - 10:00 am

  I havent had this particular car long but it is my 4th Subaru and I know what to expect. So far, this vehicle has met all of my expectations of fit and finish and overall performance. I expect the winter driving experience to meet all of my expectations as well. I picked this car up on Tuesday and drove it 1200 miles to Ohio without a mechanical problem. There was some wind noise at speeds around 45 mph that I didnt expect and when I returned, I mentioned this to the dealer and they were able to correct that by adjusting the glass track and replacing a mirror gusset (?). It now has the quiet ride I anticipated.

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  Fun wagon - 2004 Subaru Impreza
  By BLUWRX - June 15 - 10:00 am

  I shopped around for something w/awd, with decent gas mileage, and some good power for around 25K.This is it! Fun to drive, great safety, decent room for ski or golf gear. Got the short throw shifter, autodim mirror, arm rest ext. (should be standard), bumper cover, extended warr. All for the price I expected. Im very happy so far, with exception of the stereo.

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  What a great surprise! - 2003 Subaru Baja
  By 2 Bees - June 15 - 5:06 am

  My husband brought his Subaru down to the states from Canada 10 years ago.In South Florida it was an "oddball" to say the least. When we moved to Las Vegas it was in much better company but getting old. While in the dealership for service we watched the Bajas get unloaded, once I saw the yellow one I was hooked! Between the quality and finish I love this car. (No, its not a truck!) What a blast dashing through the Las Vegas wash in this vehicle, great for off road adventures! I now participate in art festivals and only a minivan will out do this baby. We had a kayak carrier built we love everything about our Baja!

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  Scooby Bean - 2002 Subaru Outback
  By dude - June 14 - 4:16 pm

  Great handling and very smooth engine. Very fun to power around corners. Subarus dont seem to mind being driven hard.

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  consecutive day recalls - new mod curse - 2010 Subaru Outback
  By bergerb2 - June 14 - 2:13 pm

  The plague of a new vehicle. A first - back-to-back recalls on consecutive days. The car is living on a reputation it no longer deserves dealer still tries to bleed 3,000 mile oil changes - when manual is 7500 miles.

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  Love my Subie! - 2011 Subaru Legacy
  By kmaurer - June 13 - 6:46 pm

  This is my second Legacy. I previously owned a 2008 2.5i Limited. This is a great car! Powerful, quiet, stunning, roomy... the list could go on and on! My 6 friends fit easily in the back. The Satin White Peal paint is wonderful, and I usually dont like white cars. Transmission is very smooth (5-speed), and the 6-cylinder delivers more power than you could ever need. Cant wait for the first road trip! The "eco" gauge is dumb and doesnt make much sense.

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  10,000 miles follow-up - 2005 Subaru Forester
  By kb - June 13 - 1:56 pm

  After 10,000 miles my 05 Forester XT Premium 5M is still wonderful. I average 24.7 mpg city/highway with a 5 day-a-week 100% city commute. So far best mpg 33.4, worst 15.2. The car is an excellent value, lots of standard features, great handling and excelleration. All better than its primary competition, like the CRV, Rav4, and Liberty. I looked at them all, including more expensive vehicles like X3, Touareg, and 4Runner (any anything else you can think of). Its a little difficult to pack all my gear into, including my dogs crate, but it can be done if you were any good at Tetris. I use a roof box, a Thule Cascade 1500.

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  Lemon - 2005 Subaru Legacy
  By D&C - June 13 - 10:00 am

  We look around for a new car fro almost 4 months before we both the gt. We have know 158,000 km on the car and have replaced 4 turbos and are on our 3 engine. At 120,000 we had a the last turbo replace and then moved again. 18,000 km later the engine had a broken piston and needed to be rebuild once again. Phoned Subaru Canada they told us that they could see that we had a lot of bad luck with the car as all records are kept on there computers. But because we moved and lost our maintenance records and only could show them the records for the service work that we did after the new turbo was put in they did not help us. We have had rebuild but are not trusting the car any more and traded in.

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  Great Car - 2007 Subaru Legacy
  By Legacy Owner - June 13 - 10:00 am

  After logging 47,500 miles, I can say that this is a great car. I almost went with the Fusion, but am glad I purchased the Legacy instead. The AWD is great in the snow and the mp3 player input has helped me get through too many traffic jams. The only issue with the car is that it is a bit low on torque, but the manual shift mode mitigates that. Other than routine maintenance of changing tires, brakes, battery, and the other usual stuff all cars require, I had the interior door handle break in the dead of winter ($15 replacement). My gas mileage went from 23.5 mpg to 24.5-25 mpg after changing the tires from the stock set.