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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  Overall Good car with recent issues - 2000 Subaru Forester
  By faithin14eva - August 4 - 12:19 am

  My husband and I bought this car in 2009 and it had 108,000 miles on it. Last year we hit a slight hiccup when our O2 sensor went. The garages near us had a hard time figuring out what the issue was and we eventually went down to the actual dealership and as soon as we described the problem they knew the answer. It is now a year later and my husband went to replace the rotors and brakes and discovered that the calipers, and inner and outer tire rods were bad as well in the front and the caliper on the rear driver side was bad as well. Now we have fixed all of this for around 400 and yet the brake system is still not working properly. More attempts to come to fix it.

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  172K Test Drive - 2000 Subaru Legacy
  By RobInIllinois - August 3 - 8:00 am

  I owned a 94 Legacy that I loved and ran to 200 K miles. This has been a disappointment. The Tranny failed at about 70 K and is failing again. Every winter the engine smells like gas as the metal fuel rail contracts. The head gasket is seeping oil.

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  Think Again - 2002 Subaru Outback
  By Trading It In! - July 22 - 2:00 am

  This car is not what it is what I would call a family friendly car. At best at 3200 miles it gets 20 mpg on the highway and 17 in the city. It appears Subaru went cheap and is riding on their reputation rather than giving us a safe car. It is designed so that you have to take your eyes off the road to check if you are in cruise, the windshield heater is on or off, if the wheel is tilted the slightest you cannot see the turn signal indicators. There is no safety hooks for the middle seat for a child restraint system. Only on the outboard. An unsafe vehicle for this reason. It mpg is not much better than a Ford Explorer.

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  2015 Outback not what it is advertised - 2015 Subaru Outback
  By Jim Lykins - July 8 - 6:12 pm

  This is my fourth Outback and the first one I have not been happy with. I have a limited and felt that I have been duped. When I was shown the car minus the GPS because they didnt have them yet the salesperson raved about how great is was, voice activated and intuitive. The voice activation is a joke, the voice recognition is a horrible. When I took it to the dealer to complain all they could do was say I was right, it didnt live up to the hype. It only give four preloaded catagories to use the voice recognition on. Also the emphasized the improved gas mileage over my previous Outbacks (2010, 2013). It is at least 3 mpg less.

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  NEED REPLACEMENT PARTS WAY TOO SOON - 2011 Subaru Outback
  By bunsen00 - July 1 - 7:30 pm

  Weve been driving Subarus for many years, and loved them. This is the 2nd 1 we bought new. I love my car, but upon last inspection I had to replace back brakes, rotors, and need new tires. This would be fine if it had 100,000 miles on it. But it is NOT alright when it has just over 31,000 miles on it. The serviceman wanted to know how long the vehicle sat because the rotors were so rusty. The car never sat! Weve had to replace rotors before, but never on anything that had less than 100,000 miles on it! I know I will think twice before going with Subaru after this, and I hope you all will too! Ive always recommended them to other people, but no more!

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  Junkie - 2002 Subaru Legacy
  By wew - June 24 - 4:20 am

  I had this subie for 9 months. It blow one head gasket. So I replaced both of them, after 700 miles it cracked a head. The head lights keep burning out. Wind noise is very loud. Its just a junkie car. Rust is coming in on the rear doors buy the seams. I wash and take care of my cars. But after 5 years and 85,000 miles its just junkie. I will never buy a sub again.

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  Buy it for comfort and space - 2002 Subaru Outback
  By ksolomon - June 18 - 10:00 am

  I have driven 70K miles in 18 months in West Michigan, mostly on the freeway. The car is exceptional in the snow especially with winter tires, it is quiet and comfortable on the freeway and grip is excellent. The tailgate is 43" wide and you can carry a 48" wide board on an angle. It also pulls medium size trailers effortlessly. My car has had only one problem, which was a blown fan motor caused by a faulty surge protector. Dealer service has been very good. My complaints are that the interior is pretty boring, the car is really slow, and I average only 22mpg.

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  Wish I bought a Honda Again - 2006 Subaru Impreza
  By I_wish_for_Civic - June 12 - 10:06 am

  Only 2000 miles on the clock and I already need the rear end rebuilt. Not very impressed since this is the first Subaru I bought, considering Ive had 8 Hondas with no problems.

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  Paint Issues - 2008 Subaru Impreza
  By 08 wrx dude - June 7 - 7:00 am

  I have recently purchased an 08 wrx 5- door back in September of 08. Since then I have had issues with the paint. With only having 7000 miles my wrx, my old 2006 impreza wagon with 20000 miles still looked brand new compared to my 08 wrx now. I am getting rust on my rear hatch and really bad road abrasion on the fronts of both rear passenger doors and both rear quarter panels. I am very disappointed that this is happening to a $25000 car!!!!!! The dealership has told me that SOA is not going to take action and fix my vehicle because it is normal "wear and tear" when it is clearly a warranty issue in the first place. Pretty much I have a great platform with a Hyundai shell. THE PAINT STINKS!!!

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  Snow slaying machine with a pathetic interior - 2012 Subaru Impreza
  By Jesse Nicola - June 7 - 5:34 am

  This is my first Subaru, and quite possibly my last. The issues have been plentiful. The interior rattles to high hell. I had to go to two dealers as the first tried to bamboozle me like it wasnt an issue. Internal fan was failing and the bearing was making more noise than a duck on meth, which the dealer claimed was normal. Seat heaters stop working, dealer claims thats a safety feature... my butt. Sensors in seat to detect if a passenger is in there FAIL when exposed to water. YOU SOLD THE CAR IN THE PACIFIC NORTWHEST WHERE IT RAINS YOU DUMB *&%$#! Not only does it fail... but it fails with the AIRBAG OFF! DANGER WILL ROBINSON! Power? Gutless. Takes off from a stop like a two stroke dirtbike, abuse the clutch or dont get going at all. Uphill stop and go traffic? Burn baby burn... WHY ISNT THEREA A SIXTH GEAR! Spins 3000 rpm at highways speeds. Ive not once hit the combined MPG. I drove it across the country, and even in the flattest parts of the country, with NO ROOF RACKS OR ACCESSORIES, car already warmed up, driving a full tank on cruise control... 31mpg. &#$#% Subaru. I wish some one else made a solid AWD car or Id never sell this off, even at a loss, and never look back.