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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  My subaru is dead :( - 2000 Subaru Impreza
  By Accurateimage - August 12 - 10:00 am

  Countless tranny problems that SOA ignored, had them since the beginning and one the car hit 60,000 miles which is the warrenty they basically told me to kiss there rears, WOULD NEVER BUY ANOTHER SUBARU AGAIN FROM THE CONSTANT TRANNY PROBLEMS, THE CAR HAS BEEN SITTING FOR 7 MONTHS NOW BECAUSE I DO NOT HAVE AN EXTRA $1200 EVERY 30,000- 40,000 MILES TO FIX THE OUTPUT SHAFT PROBLEMS IN THE MANUAL TRANSMISSION WHICH IS A COMMON PROBLEM THAT SUBARU DOES NOTHING ABOUT!!!!!

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  1998 FORESTER S - 1998 Subaru Forester
  By suejane - July 31 - 2:00 am

  many small problems from clocks going out, gas gauge not working properly, temperature gauge not working and unable to locate problem, numerous oil leaks. will be purchasing new car; definitely not a FOrester!

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  RT REAR WHEEL BEARING 6TH AND COUNTING - 2001 Subaru Forester
  By RIchard Kane - July 29 - 2:40 pm

  First right rear bearing went bad 2,000 miles after I purchased the car two years old used. Since then, it has been replaced four more times and now needs another one replaced. Worst part is that the bad wheel bearing causes that tire to wear much more quickly. With AWD all four tires must match. Thats a lot of tires. $$$

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  blowin in the wind - 2001 Subaru Forester
  By gina - July 19 - 4:56 am

  Not only has my check engine light been on FOREVER, my major complaint is this is the most uncomfortable vehicle Ive ever owned. Wow, the seat is KILLER on my back if Im in it over an hour. Cup holders are cheap and in the way? What were they thinking? This car blows all over in any kind of wind. Heat is great, gas mileage is less than great. Radio is not great either. So far Im at 130,000 and I havent had to put too much work into it, but the comfort factor is zero! Oh my aching back!

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  Legacy GT ( NOT) - 2010 Subaru Legacy
  By gal50 - July 13 - 7:33 pm

  I owned an 05 legacy GT with an automatic, and traded it on an 2010 Legacy 3.6 Premium. BAD MISTAKE!!! The new Legacy GT doesnt come with an automatic anymore, REALLY BIG MISTAKE!!! I dont like manual transmissions, but like the performance of the turbo 4, so the only choice I had was the 3.6 6 cylinder, if you have a turbo 4 Legacy GT hold on to it, the gas mileage and performance of the 3.6 cant come close!!! WISH I STILL HAD MY 05 GT!!!

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  Big mistake buying this 2001 Subaru L.L. Bean Edition - 2001 Subaru Outback
  By louisville1 - July 5 - 3:13 am

  Nothing but problems with this car and expensive to fix. I wish I had never seen it for sale just a year ago when we paid $7,000 and have added another $4,000 in repairs. Engine lights, overheating, noises, bearings, misfiring, and on and on. It was over heating and the repair shop installed a new radiator for $500 and then two days later the car over heats and blew out the head gaskets. Were selling this as JUNK, which is what it is. We were always Toyota people but shifted to Subaru when Toyota put profits ahead of customer safety and screwed their customers. Now what do we do?

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  Nice Rig......BUT!!! Update - 2011 Subaru Outback
  By Elliott Steele - June 29 - 3:51 am

  I bought a 2011 Outback 3.6R with 24K miles on the tout of Consumer Reports, and the fact my nephew has been driving a used 2006 for years while going to college. The only negative feedback I found was from a friend who owned a Legacy. She loved the vehicle, however it developed the problem of everything stopping periodically for no apparent reason and Subaru could never resolve the problem. I should have leaned more to her experience for my choice! At about 42K miles, periodically, my Outback wouldnt shift out of 2nd gear when in auto mode requiring me to go to manual mode to shift out of 2nd. This problem progressively got worse to the point I took it to the dealer. That was nearly three months ago, April 19, 2016. Luckily, the problem repeated when the technician took it for a test!! Supposedly the transmission has been replaced THREE times, the last a brand new one after two factory rebuilds. Most or all control modules have also supposedly been replaced. Even the factory engineer was called out, and the problem even stumped him. The last I heard over a week ago, the main computer was to be cleared and reprogrammed. To date 7/17/16, I havent heard from the service manager, so I am assuming that didnt work either. I have to say the dealership has treated me well by providing a new Legacy loaner. The only other negative points are the moon roof is too noisy when open, with or without the deflector and it pulls to the right after installing new tires which I was told by dealer is a design by Subaru, even though it didnt do so prior to new tires and the Legacy Im driving doesnt pull either??? Otherwise, as a hiker, gold panner, and hunter, I think the Outback is a nice rig, but even if it is fixed, can I trust it??? Well, after nearly 7 months and $10K (on extended warranty so dealer ate it), the problem ended up being that Discount Tire installed 235/65R/17 on left side and 235/60R/17 on right side! This was supposedly found by one of the engineers asking if tire size had checked. When I bought the car, the rotors were required to be turned (something I forgot to mention on original review) which the dealer (Subaru of Las Vegas, NV) did at no cost to me. When I got the Outback back after shifting problem, it again had pulsations when applying the brakes. This time the dealer (Hohl Subaru in Carson City, NV) charged me $182.00 to inspect and troubleshoot, and of course the rotors needed to be replaced. I had Discount Tire replace all four tires (after them trying to change only one side & me having to make a scene) immediately on getting Outback returned. Then, after getting quote from brake shop to fix the front rotors, I took the Outback to the local Toyota dealer and traded it in on a Tacoma quad cab TRD Off Road. What a great rig! The Outbacks off roading capabilities are limited.

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  Disappointing - 2012 Subaru Impreza
  By knahs25 - June 10 - 6:12 pm

  Third Subaru I have owned. Less power than my 2004 Impreza with no significant increase in miles per gallon (got 28 mpg on 2004 and getting 30 mpg on this). There is a really stupid gague to let you know how to drive to get better mileage - shows I get good mileage going downhill and bad mileage going up hill. Still not designed for a short people - sliding armrest helps but still about 2 inches too short. I dont think the low profile is going to get me through a whole lot of deep snow. I wouldnt have gone with this except for Consumer Reports high rating. Wish I had gone with the Hyundai Elantra GT instead which is almost the same car dimension wise (interior and exterior).

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  Poor stock tires for wet/snow. Paint chips fast - 2016 Subaru Impreza
  By Deborah H. - June 3 - 4:58 am

  I bought for the AWD but for safety in the wet/snow I replaced the poorly rated ( for wet/snow ) stock tires. ($800)Horrible paint chipping after a mountain trip with less than 6000 miles. ($2000 estimate for paint repair Subaru will not stand behind). Poor audio quality. Great rear visibility. Love the paddle shifting. Like the hatchback. I would never buy again due to paint quality and failure to stand behind their product . Back to Honda or Toyota.

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  Worst Car I Ever Loved - 2005 Subaru Outback
  By Pilgrim 54 - May 29 - 4:53 pm

  North western PA winters were no match for the Sube. Foot of snow; no problem. Need lots of ground clearance, fine. Need service...good luck. Yes you WILL need service. We bought ours new and sold it after 4 years. Had numorous problems with the cruise control operation. Replaced the timing belt tensioner TWICE! On the way to the dealer when we were trading it in we were having second thoughts till the check engine light came on!!