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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  Very Disappointed for Many Reasons - 2016 Subaru Outback
  By Lisa Smith - March 17 - 11:13 am

  There are so many things that are disappointing to me with this car. Some off them include: after 6 different trips to 2 different dealers I learned that the random hesitation I was experiencing was due to a bad coil pack on a spark plug. The reason it took me more than 15 hours of drive time back and forth to the dealers is because the computer they have running the car randomly decides when it wants to save error codes. For my mechanical issue the engineers who created the computer felt it made sense for it to only hold my error code when the check engine light came on for the exact same reason in 2 consecutive ignitions. My cylinder 1 misfire was impossible to duplicate by the dealer until I made the 6th trip to dealer and I just got lucky because the engineers who created the computer felt it is not necessary to store my previous misfire error codes. Another disappointment is the hatchback. It will not release unless the vehicle is in park and all the doors are unlocked. So, I am guessing the engineers who created this have never dropped a child off at ball practice or been in a slow moving school pick up lane before. If they had they would know you never put your car in park and unlock the auto lock doors before your child jumps out to grab their bags from the back and you quickly get out of the way of the next family dropping off or picking up. I also absolutely hate the keyless FOB. it is my first time owning one and I will never purchase it again. You cannot lock the car with the FOB inside. As a human I should be able to decide when I want my car locked and when I dont regardless if I have a key inside or not. I could elaborate more on this but this may just be a personal preference thing versus an engineering mistake. It is ridiculous to me that this car does not have one dedicated USB for charging a phone when it is not running. Their is no possible way that 1 cell phone can draw enough power to damage a car battery if it is not running. The fuel mileage has been disappointing too. I have never averaged more than 25 mpg regardless if it is combined driving or not. Lastly, the dealership I bought my Subaru from was a joke. Lou Fusz in St. Louis could have cared less about my random misfire problem. They did nothing to help me troubleshoot my random glitch and poor performance and they eventually just blew me off as did Subaru themselves when I called them. They simple said it is covered under warranty but the caveat to that is that it is ONLY covered if they can get the problem to duplicate at the dealer. Finally the second dealership, Webster Groves Subaru in St. Louis helped me to say that I should go to an auto parts store and ask them to do a code reading on it when the check engine light came on given that the car does not store any of the information after I turn the engine off. Needless to say, I do not LOVE. my Subaru....

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  Suspension is a little hard as are the interior plastics - 2013 Subaru Outback
  By theooutback - March 16 - 8:45 am

  This is our second Outback, the first being a 2006. Whats nice - the interior styling, the very good AWD, and FINALLY rear air vents (at least in the Limited) that have been available on non-US Outbacks for years. But they did stiffen things up a bit and this is described by some professional reviewers as improved handling. In real world driving, it means that imperfect pavement (really normal pavement these days) is always there with you. Its not bouncy, just hard. Which brings me to the interior plastics - tap on them with your nails to get a knock on the door sound. The materials seem fairly cheap aside from the seating surfaces. A lesson from recent Toyotas?

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  Good and Bad - 2016 Subaru Legacy
  By SCamp - March 5 - 6:48 pm

  Like many, theres many things I like about my Legacy. Conservative styling and a car that I can actually see out of are benefits. Road and wind noise are disappointing. Ride can be harsh. At 22000 miles I ended the time with the OEM Goodyear tires and greatly improved the ride. Navigation lags, often telling me to turn too late. Rattles, squeaks, and pops everywhere in the interior deemed as "normal". I would accept in a 1986 Plymouth Horizon, but not here. Decent handling, good braking, adequate acceleration. Overall pleased with fuel economy. I would feel much better about my purchase had Subaru sweat the details. Dealer support has been fine.

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  Very Roomy Sedan - 2011 Subaru Legacy
  By fisheagle - January 31 - 7:45 am

  From start i filed a complaint at the dealership about the car poor road handling.The car bounced on the road the suspension felt harsh.Dealership argued "there is nothing wrong with the car"A letter to SOA head office did not produce any results.I took it upon myself to replace the shock absorbers at nearly 20k miles there were clear signs of wear on tear on the struts.Much to my surprise the struts was the same company that supplied the OEM front and rear struts!The handling increased marginally.The rear end still bounces.The idle drops to below 500 rpm when coming to stop.Uneven idling.Going down hill cruise control does not work. Dealer nothing wrong with car.My last Subaru!

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  Turns out looks really arent everything - 2014 Subaru XV Crosstrek
  By t krause - December 20 - 3:03 am

  I was sold on the look of this car and Subarus reputation. My experience was rather poor. The battery died every few months. Subaru couldnt find anything wrong. If theyd told me that they put in a low-quality battery and it was a common problem then maybe Id have believed them and kept the car. They then suspected a faulty remote start - that they had installed when I bought it. It was at the dealership for about 2 weeks - when I finally just asked them what theyd give me for it is when they really started trying to fix it (mind you I had it for 2 years and it only had about 7600 miles on it). The other cons are minor: the radio quality was noticeably poor when the heat or air conditioner was running because the noise from the blower was so loud. A great sound system wasnt something I really cared about, but the noise from the blower was so loud you couldnt hear any sound from the radio at all when the heat/air was on. You had to put the heat/air at full blast in order to get a comfortable temperature inside the car. The most distressing problem was when you would shift from reverse into drive. There was a strange delay that Ive never experienced in another car. When it was ready it would "pop" and the acceleration was faster than you were expecting. It just had a weird feeling to it, not smooth.

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  Dont do it! - 2003 Subaru Forester
  By g green - December 14 - 3:33 am

  Car is awful. Had to replace wheel bearing, 2 head gaskets, clutch at 55,000 and am told my transmission is going, emailed Subaru about concerns and was told that is normal and I could purchase an extended warrantee-- yeah that will help after the fact. I have the hill hugger feature that freezes up and wont let you move.

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  Good but not Car and Driver car - 2010 Subaru Outback
  By bob_bj - December 5 - 12:26 am

  I have had Subarus and this is not the top car of its time. I bought the car more as of being loyal to Subaru than the performance. It is a roomy car and will get you from point A to point B but not with performance of previous Subaru like my Subaru Outback 2005 Auto. The CVT transmission is good for fuel saving but not performance. When you rev your engine the acceleration is more of a small little moped than a big car with a lot of power. The engine is underpowered for this big of a car. The appearance of the new OB is relatively nice. I like the interior better than exterior. Interior is nicely done and does not feel so cheap. Exterior looks more like GM or Ford car now. Need a bit spice.

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  Excessive oil consumption - 2011 Subaru Forester
  By pardosa - November 30 - 12:13 am

  Like many others on this site, weve been plagued by excessive oil consumption, beginning with the light coming on unexpectedly, and the dealers telling me that all Subarus use oil between changes. I have never, ever, experienced this with any other model car Ive driven, except late into its life, like 185,000 miles, and then only a quart between changes. This is much worse. I would happily join a class-action lawsuit, and will certainly never buy another Subaru

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  Clutch issues - 2002 Subaru Legacy
  By krussell - November 19 - 4:23 pm

  I had to replace the clutch in 2008 and now am told I need another clutch! Quoted price is $1000 this seems ridiculous to me. HELP!

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  Wish I could take it back - 2013 Subaru XV Crosstrek
  By themed3 - November 12 - 7:39 pm

  Too bad theres no 90 day return policy. But first, there are some things to like about this car. The stereo and blue tooth work well. The all wheel drive is nice. Ok, Im out. Really, my disappointment in this car boils down to one single thing: a 200 lb tongue weight limit on the trailer hitch. The thing is pictured in marketing materials with trailer hitch bike racks, etc. But a 200 lb limit? Thats like a rack and maybe 2 bikes. Forget cargo carriers. I had 300 lbs on my Honda Accord and I thought that was whimpy, but really who puts a trailer hitch on an Accord (besides me)? As boring as the CRV was, Im kinda wishing for a little Honda back in my life.