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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  Canadian STi - 2004 Subaru Impreza
  By omgreg - October 6 - 10:00 am

  Its GREAT ! The acceleration and handling are amazing and its ride and mileage is pretty good for a daily driver, although you can almost watch the gas needle move during "spirited" driving and the seat does get a bit uncomfortable for journeys over 4 or so hours.

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  MySTI - 2004 Subaru Impreza
  By sneadc - October 6 - 10:00 am

  I traded a 2002 WRX for this car because I wanted to avoid the turbolag. I surely does that! I love the car and consider it the best pure performance vehicle Ive ever owned. Strengths are power, power, and more power. The ride is firm and fuel econ is fair as expected. Lack of available floor mats is a disgrace for a $32000 car but that is nit picking a great performance auto.

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  Great Forester Fun to Drive - 2016 Subaru Forester
  By uncle Milty - October 5 - 9:07 pm

  Great car to drive, very user friendly. Simple, all wheel drive is second to none. I purchased a car from East Hills Subaru my salesman name was James Hoppe, very helpful and understanding. Took the time to show me the car.

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  Love my Subarus - 2006 Subaru Forester
  By SubieGuy - October 5 - 4:20 pm

  This is my third Subaru, my first two being Imprezas that I loved. I needed something with more cargo room, so why not an Impreza-based SUV? I was originally looking for an Outback Sport but drove the Forester and fell in love. Shes comfortable, full of features, relatively fast, gets great mileage (for an SUV) and actually FUN to drive.

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  I Bought My 2017 Legacy for Safety features - 2017 Subaru Legacy
  By Peter Cole - October 5 - 3:55 am

  I was looking for a sedan that would be significantly safer than my older cars. It wasnt a matter just of airbags and protection in a crash. My old car had air bags, so how much safety would a few additional bags add? What I wondered was whether any of the ACTIVE safety features really work by keeping you out of accidents in the first place. I only compared cars that already have top government and insurance safety ratings. It soon became clear that a few cars really stand out: among the sedans, the Volvo S60 (great but far too expensive), the Mazda 6 (but only the top of the line model) AND, the eventual winner, the Subaru Legacy (a car I was not considering when I first started looking). In all cases, what you get depends which OPTIONAL safety features you buy. My list of desired features included a rear camera (available on almost all cars and soon to be required on all cars), warnings when you stray out of lane (very common but far from universal) and indication of when a car in in your blind spot. I also wanted more advanced features such as for the car to intervene if an accident is on the verge of happening, by automatic braking etc., both driving forward and in reverse. An additional feature that really intrigued me was adaptive headlights, headlights that aim to the left or right when you turn to your driving path is illuminated. I also liked lane assist and adaptive cruise control. The first gently keeps you in your lane on the highway, and the second keeps you the right distance behind the car in front of you. In addition to these core safety features, I was also interested in a car with reasonably modern electronics. I hoped for an easy integration of my car and my iPhone. Of course, seat comfort, economy and a generally pleasant driving car were important as well, but I hoped that most new cars would be OK in those respects. Style, color etc. were on the bottom of the list, but still in mind. My general evaluation is that the 2017 Legacy exceeds expectations with regard to safety. I love the rear view camera and the beeps when I stray out of lane. I hope the active crash protection works. I have seen demonstrations on You-Tube, but I would rather not need it in real life. When the salesman was demonstrating the car, he put it in cruise control while following another car. When that car stopped at a light, so did the Legacy! That was pretty impressive, but I have no desire to duplicate the experience routinely. I do use the lane assist all the time. It works. You can see how we are moving toward self-controlling cars. The safety feature I am most disappointed with is adaptive headlights. I dont think I see into curves any better than I would otherwise. The headlights are fine as such, but I see no advance over conventional headlights so far. So for safety, I would give the 2017 Legacy, equipped with all the safety features, an A Minus. I am happy. It really is much better than earlier cars, but more improvements are clearly possible. The improvements so far do seem to justify buying a new car if your old one lacks most of these features. Electronics is another story. Here the 2017 Legacy has the feel of 2007, not 2017. Yes, you can make an iPhone or Android use the sound system as a hands-free, but the built in GPS system feels old fashioned compared with Google Maps on my iPhone. It has been announced that the 2018 will integrate with Apple Car Play, but judging from the Impreza, which has those features now, that is not much better. Most people prefer Google Maps to Apple Maps, and that is not available in 2017 or in 2018 apparently. I am not sure any car on the market really gets this right. Maybe we have been spoiled by our phones. The cars have a way to go to catch up. What I can praise is the upgraded stereo on the Limited trim level. The sound is great. It is possible to listen to Pandora and get a wide choice of music (if you dont mind using up your data plan on your phone, the source of the Internet connection). Overall, though, the electronics are really not up to date, but then there are few cars that are up to date, and it is possible to achieve what you want with the present system. It just has an out of date feel. Regarding general comfort and ergonomics, I find the front seats comfortable but not in the same class as my 2002 Volvo S60s seats. The back is spacious and reasonably comfortable. The instruments are a bit overwhelming because current cars have so many features that in principle one might want to turn off. Since in fact, I dont want to turn off crash protection etc., I actually dont pay attention to a lot of switches, and I find the car easy to operate. There is excellent visibility and a small turning ration. The car is easy and pleasant to drive (like most Japanese cars). The bottom line is that I am very happy with the car. I am glad I bought all the extra safety features.

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  Snow monster, off road ability, MPG :) - 2013 Subaru Legacy
  By solarwinds - October 4 - 7:26 pm

  The Legacy is the best Sedan out there. Great MPG, eats snow up, and go off road, through mud, anything the height can handle... The CVT is good and delivers good shifts and MPG. Car looks good and you can feel the road. I had a camry and Altima lease and they are boring and poor performance and heavy feel. The Legacy feels great when you go AWD wheel drive... My Brother got an outback and its fantastic. Subarus are a 1500, to 2500 more then the others but you get a diffrent car. Boxter engine AWD, handling... Vs. In line transverse 4 banger like all the rest... MPG is 25.5 for me but when I drive conservatively you can get 28 city and up to 33 hwy for AWD... Safety small overlap test...

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  2005 Forester - 2005 Subaru Forester
  By Traci - October 3 - 9:00 am

  We really enjoy our new car, we love driving Subarus. We had a Impreza Outback Sport and loved it also but just needed more room for the family.

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  Best kept secret in mid-size cars - 2013 Subaru Legacy
  By carbr8r - October 1 - 5:05 pm

  Very worthwhile investment. With 3,000 miles on the car, I am getting 33 MPG on the Hwy and 21 in the city for a combined 27 MPG. I got the navigation with Eyesight and the Harman Kardon stereo and it makes for a much more attractive dash layout. This car is a blast to drive! The boxer engine has a nice note under heavy acceleration. The seats are very comfortable front and back. The HVAC works excellent, and the controls for the Bluetooth, nav, handsfree, and audio system are very easy to learn and use. Steering is tight and responsive. Build quality is excellent - no rattles or squeaks at all. And snow? This car loves it! It sticks to dry, wet, or slippery roads like glue.

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  Outstanding SUV! - 2008 Subaru Tribeca
  By bn2002bn - October 1 - 9:46 am

  The first Subaru weve owned and we love it! We were looking at the Honda Pilot(booring look), Toyota Higlander Hybrid(cheapo interior, drives like truck), GMC Acadia(drives like a bigger gas guzzling truck),Acura MDX (liked this but not as much as the Subaru for lots of little reasons not to mention value). The Tribeca immediately stood out. The build quality is excellent. The vehicle exudes confidence between the engine, all-wheel-drive, skid control, and all of the other safety features. The flat engine is extremely smooth even during hard acceleration(almost flooring it). The 3rd row is a little cramped but we only have 2 kids and arent going cross-country in it either. Great car!

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  Refined vehicle - 2006 Subaru Outback
  By Nate - October 1 - 9:06 am

  Definitely a step up from the previous generation Outbacks, a lot of thought went into improving the interior design and materials. The H6 pulls nicely, very smooth motor. Would like to see better fuel economy, a mix of hwy/city is giving between 18-20.