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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  You gotta luv it! - 2004 Subaru Outback
  By Coloradolefty - June 25 - 10:00 am

  My first Subaru. Value per dollar spent is the best of any car I have owned. It is a marvelously easy car to drive and its inclement weather capabilities are second to none. If you live in snow or wet weather climates, this is the car...very stable and sure footed on the road.

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  Excellent value family hauler - 2005 Subaru Legacy
  By Yatesjo - June 24 - 2:50 pm

  At one month we are very pleased with car after taking it on a couple extended trips. The handling is better than I expected on windy roads-far, far better than the Camry and Accord. Comfort is good, but the climate control acts bizarre and we often end up controlling it manually. The car feels solid and substantial, more like a European than Japanese maker. Cruise control has some strange ticks-jerky when going downhill, full throttle when accelerating. If you want blazing speed, go for the GT, but the base engine is adequate for brisk highway merges. The sunroof is huge and a treat for back seat passengers. Disappointing economy-27mpg is best so far even with all highway driving.

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  Not Lovin It - 2017 Outback 2.5i Limited - 2017 Subaru Outback
  By Lee H. - June 24 - 2:40 pm

  Ive owned this car now for four months and have about 2300 miles on it. Ive read the reviews on here and this is my take on the 2017 2.5i Limited with EyeSight: 2.5i engine is severely lacking . This engine only has 175hp, and for such a heavy car acceleration is terrible. Forget any kind of "fun" driving experience because you go from zero to sixty in over ten seconds - painfully slow if you are trying to do any kind of quick maneuver (which you must not do in this car lest you cause an accident). Honestly Subaru should not sell this configuration and should only do the 3.6R (which really isnt all that much better). The CVT transmission for the most part is sufficient, but again paired with this 2.5i engine, it is not a great transmission choice for a car lacking in horsepower. The "sport" shift paddles in the limited are a joke. Except for down shifting, there is no reason for them because they do not enhance performance in any manner. In fact if you use them, you cant really go faster than 65 - it is limited to about that speed, but if you go back into auto mode you can go faster. Makes no sense! I also am not getting the mileage promised on the sticker. It says 25 city but I am getting about 19 - not a great fuel savings for having to put up with a lackluster engine. For a Japanese car, the feature set is perplexing. The Starlink system is confusing with similar features offered in multiple apps, and some of the subjects offered like sports and stock info is redundant because if you have a smartphone you already have this. There is menu upon menu and honestly it is very convoluted. I have an iPhone and youd think in 2017 they would use Car Play and the voice activation assist Subaru provides is useless as well. You can do it faster manually than asking the car to do it. Also Perplexing is that there is no auto start available even as an option. In 2017 a $16k Chevy has auto start. You can however buy a dealer installed device, but thats another $600 or more and it is a bit confusing as there are two types offered. One that uses the existing remote (with extremely limited range) and one that is a separate remote (with a long distance range). If you opt for it the car promptly shuts off when you open the door which is very odd considering other manufacturers do not do this. Also some of these message boards indicate that you get the auto start with 2017 Limiteds. This is not true. The dealer has to "turn it on" and it costs you whatever they decide. One of the features that is supposedly superior is the symmetrical all wheel drive system. Ive owned Volvos, Fords and GM vehicles with AWD systems and have used them in heavy snow. I see no difference in Subarus system compared to other manufacturers and honestly before other manufacturers started offering it, that was Subarus niche, but now just about all car companies have AWD models and they all perform just as well as the Subaru. Also as reported the door locks are not programmable. All you can do program them to unlock all doors or just the driver when you grab the door handle. Otherwise the doors do not lock or unlock when placed in gear or when driving away. Also when the car is in reverse, the rear windows will not go down and you cant adjust radio volume. Again really stupid features! The radar cruise control feature is okay and works just as well as other cars Ive had - nothing special but the lane assist feature is annoying. The car over compensates and is very clunky. I never turn it on because of this. The lane departure warnings are extremely annoying and if you drive curvy roads it just adds to the annoyance factor. Same with the auto bright lights. If you use it, it constantly turns the brights on automatically and usually blinds oncoming cars because it cannot compensate for curves. Again I have to keep this off. Overall there is nothing special for this vehicle. If I had known all of this before I bought I would not have gotten this brand - there are a lot more negatives than positives and having had other vehicles with the same feature set as this Outback I can honestly say there is no compelling reason to pay the large sum of money I paid, and I feel a bit betrayed as this car has not turned out to be what it was promised. I will more than likely turn it in for something else once I have equity. Oh also the other real big detraction for me is that this car is extremely pedestrian and common. I chose the white and in my city there are THOUSANDS of Outbacks in white and other colors. I am not kidding when I say Ive gone up to the wrong car in a parking lot on more than one occasion!

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  I love this car - 2005 Subaru Forester
  By Carol Bevis - June 24 - 1:06 am

  I did my research through Edmunds, looked at CR and made my decision to purchase the 2005 Forester LL Bean. It has been a fantastic car, small SUV, perfect for everything. Great sunroof, nice leather seats, all automatic heater/air conditioner, and perfect size cargo area. Fuel mileage city around 26mpg. Cant wait to try the windshield wiper de-icer (actually I could wait). Never had a Subaru before and feel that this one is a true winner.

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  Like a bad marriage. When it starts breaking, DUMP IT. - 2005 Subaru Outback
  By freeskier118 - June 21 - 4:05 pm

  I loved my turbo Outback. It was absolutely bulletproof in the snow--unstoppable with snow tires. It was fun to drive with lots and lots of power. The interior is super comfortable. Unfortunately it did not love me back. Over the last year it was in the shop overnight at least 5 times for major engine and transmission repair. And on the turbo model, everything is more expensive to fix. A lot more expensive. If it would just hold together I would drive it into the ground. But in the end, its just not worth bankrupting myself. It was great for a fling, terrible for the long haul. Now I read reviews from Honda drivers complaining about a $700 timing belt replacement and just laugh.

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  Great value, decent mileage - 2012 Subaru Forester
  By hdlarkin - June 21 - 6:24 am

  The Forester replaced a 2006 Mazda5 plagued with rear suspension problems. Tempted by the 33 mpg claim, I looked at the new Escape, but couldnt find real-world mileage reports and, in August, dealers were asking $25K+ for 2WD. I found a 5-speed Forester for $18.5K, and bought it. The 27 mpg estimate didnt thrill me, but its actually done much better; at 4K up to 31 highway and ~22 city, though highway mileage drops quickly above 65 mph. This is a little better than the Mazda got, plus, with AWD, I can get out of the garage when theres more than 3 inches of snow, which was tough for the Mazda. I had a 96 Outback that held up very well for more than 100K miles, and hope this will as well.

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  Excellent Choice! - 2003 Subaru Forester
  By jmcdonald - June 21 - 2:00 am

  I researched long and hard for a new mini-suv and none compared to Subarus drive, interior, and special "extras" (ie, HUGE sunroof).Traveling the country on interstates, mountains, and trails through sunshine, rain, and snow, the AWD and handling has been exceptional, making for a fun and trusted drive.10K mi in 6mos and not a single rattle or problem. Even with only 165 hp, no problems passing or climbing hills. Love the interior styling and auto climate control--def. worth upgrading to prem leather pkg. Totally satisfied!

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  Great for the Northwest roads! - 2001 Subaru Legacy
  By greatnorthwest - June 21 - 2:00 am

  This is my first Subaru and all I can say is "WOW"! Since my vehicle was purchased in September I have grown to love it more. It handles excellent in the Northwest rain and snow. It has a peppy 165 HP motor, not bad for a 4 cylinder! I would highly recommend getting the auto-dimming/compass mirror. I bought one after the fact, installed it myself (piece of cake) and no more rearview mirror glare from trucks.

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  great little suv - 2007 Subaru Forester
  By Andy Swanson - June 21 - 2:00 am

  If you are looking for a practical, dependable, and overall fun car to drive the Forester is it. I wouldnt trade this car for a large SUV, because it does everything and more that the competition can, (and you wont go broke in the process). The premium package is worth the extra money. Im glad I upgraded, the MP3 jack is great, and so is the climate control and heated seats.

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  Great Fun and works great - 2004 Subaru Baja
  By CJoffe - June 20 - 2:53 pm

  The Turbo Baja is the all time sleeper. This car is fast as well as being tough. After a year we still love every minute of driving this vehicle. What people never realize until AFTER they own it is just how great the handling and ride are. With the exception of front legroom, the interior cabin size is great, with plenty of passenger space. The folding rear seats are very handy.