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:

• 

  Excellent car - 2002 Subaru Outback
  By yuba4 - April 29 - 11:12 pm

  Suby has been reliable and a perfect fit for our requirements. Bought new in 2002, it now has almost 200k miles and is still a great car. Replaced head gaskets at 150k (common problem), but otherwise not many repairs. Her features and capabilities are a perfect match for our family of four.

• 

  Good, but needs improvements - 2002 Subaru Impreza
  By clarkma5 - April 29 - 10:00 am

  This is a fun car...but its hard to call it a real performance car. The suspension is too soft, the tires are too skimpy, and the shifter is too balky. For performance driving, the engines great, but around town its a bugaboo...with only 2.0 liters of displacement and a low 8:1 compression ratio, this engine is gutless until the turbo kicks in around 3k RPM. The interior is pretty mediocre, with lots of hard plastic, but build qualitys good and there are no major ergonomic flaws. Stereos bad, though...too heavy on bass and all the sound gets squished together. Hard to tell instruments apart! Still a good performance value for the money, though.

• 

  best performance around - 2002 Subaru Impreza
  By ohfreddie - April 29 - 10:00 am

  Thinking about getting the sedan? Think again--the wagon is the exact same except you can actually haul things! Extremely fun when the boost kicks in, and then the turbo just doesnt stop. Handling is perfect.

• 

  After 17000 miles - 2002 Subaru Impreza
  By Little Blue - April 29 - 10:00 am

  Ive had my WRX wagon for over 17,000 miles now...those ar TROUBLE-FREE miles!. I must admit (dont tell my wife!) that I love this car as much as the day I picked it up at Mastro Subaru in Tampa. It is the epitome of the Beach Boys song...fun, fun, fun. The automatic does have the much talked about turbo-lag, but to me, it is not a problem; this is a great, comfortable everyday driver that is practical...30 bags of mulch and a basketball set!

• 

  A supercar for the rest of us - 2004 Subaru Impreza
  By jokerman1 - April 29 - 10:00 am

  Im 45, with a wife and 2 young kids, and probably dont fit the demographic for this car. Nonetheless, its my daily driver, and its outrageous! Ive owned 2 porsches, 3 bmws, and many other cars - but Ive got to say this one takes the cake for value+performance. At first I was planning to remove the wing, but its growing on me and Ive decided to keep it. Ive never met a highway on-ramp I didnt like, and with this car daily driving is a real treat.

• 

  Dont buy a Subaru - 2001 Subaru Forester
  By dontbuyasubaru - April 29 - 10:00 am

  Dont buy this heap, nothing but trouble from day one. Check Engine light came on, took it to dealer (Car Mart Subaru in Wilmington) charged for 30K service when the car had 20K miles in order to fix light (came back on and is still on). AC is so-so. Wheel bearing replaced at 30k. Last week the rear view mirror fell off! Im going back to Honda, Ill never buy another Subaru,very poor customer relations/support.

• 

  Not my dream car - 2011 Subaru Forester
  By wndylu - April 28 - 8:26 pm

  Granted I have the basic plain jane model, but I am not impressed with the design and would not purchase another Subaru based off this car. The main complaint I have is the heater, there does not seem to be much warm air when put in the feet/defrost setting and when you put in feet only you get more heat coming out of the vents facing the side windows then anything. As far as I can tell there are not heat vents in the back seat and I can not seem to get the car warm. Dont even want to get started on the sterero...or the middle console. Very dissapointed with this purchase and am upset with myself that I did not take more time when making this purchase. Should have gotten more for $23200

• 

  8 years on: many major repairs - 2003 Subaru Legacy
  By tommchugh - April 28 - 6:42 pm

  Bought this car new in 2003 because of manual transmission,wagon&4wheel disc. Until 2006 this was a reasonable car for my wife to drive for errands and commute. 2006 brought out the true character, noticed the clutch slipping at 48K. Had moved, took it to a dealer in new location, need 3 part clutch and brakes, calipers and rotors for ~$4.2K. Brakes had never "chirped", pass. front rotor very thin. Subaru after much back and forth did the parts but not the labor ($2.4K) at 48,000 miles. Fast forward to 2011, front brakes rotors and calipers @ 8 K mi., and today at 88K same for rears + fluid flush because of heat damage. Called Subaru today, thanked for report. Will NOT buy Subaru again

• 

  Happy I bought the 2017 Impreza Limited hatchback - 2017 Subaru Impreza
  By Nitpicker - April 26 - 1:29 pm

  My husband says Im no fun to shop for cars with because Im so critical, so its very, very significant that Im so enthusiastic about the 2017 Subaru Impreza Limited hatchback we bought a month ago. (The price, $27,500, included some options but not the HK stereo.) We were replacing my 2001 Audi A4 turbo-charged sedan with all-wheel drive, and I wanted a vehicle that was safe, reliable, and had good visibility. (Im only 5 feet tall, so visibility was a big issue.) I also wanted a vehicle that could fit in our smallish garage but could carry lots of stuff. We narrowed down the contenders to the 2017 Honda Civic hatchback, the 2017 Mazda 3 hatchback, and the 2017 Impreza hatchback. We ruled out the Mazda right away; in order for my feet to reach the pedals, I had to sit with my elbows practically on top of the steering wheel. The Civic was nice, but visibility was better in the Impreza, and the Insurance Institute of Highway Safety had criticized the Civics headlights. (The Imprezas headlights are really good.) Granted, weve only had the car a month, but my initial impressions are really positive. Some of the features I especially like: blind-spot monitoring, lane-departure monitoring, wonderful visibility, smooth ride, being able to use regular gas, automatically adjusting lights. (If you turn the light stalk to "auto," the car automatically switches to daytime running lights or regular headlights, depending on the conditions.) Rear leg room is good (unlike in many vehicles this size). Handling is almost as precise as handling in the Audi was, and the brakes are nicely responsive. I also like not having to use a key. When we first bought the car, a keyless fob didnt seem like a big deal, but now its so convenient to unlock the car simply by walking up to it (when youre carrying the fob in a purse or pocket, etc.), and its so nice to have the car lock itself when you simply walk away from it (again, carrying the fob). My two main complaints are that the car is a little underpowered; for example, in my turbocharged Audi, I could zip around other cars. This car doesnt have the same "kick," but thats not a major annoyance. In fact, the so-so power is probably one reason the car gets good gas mileage for an all-wheel-drive vehicle. One other attribute that potential buyers might not like is that the seats are very firm. At first I thought the seats would be uncomfortable on a long drive, but they seem OK now. (I do wish Subaru had included lumbar adjustment, though.) All in all, though, I really like the car. Even though crash-test results for this car arent available yet, I felt confident about buying the car anyway because Subaru has such a great safety record, and Id read about safety enhancements that had been incorporated into the 2017 Impreza. Subaru has invested a lot in development of this vehicle, and the quality shows -- from the fit and finish, to the solid "thunk" when you close the doors. Because of all the money and work that had been put into development of the 2017 Impreza, I assume that reliability will be good. Some of the Subaru ads include the slogan "Confidence in Motion," and I do have a lot of confidence in this vehicle. Although I gave the car only four stars (instead of five) in some categories, Id give it five stars overall. If youre in the market for a new vehicle -- especially if youre a short driver -- I strongly recommend the Impreza Limited hatchback.

• 

  First Subaru "Love" the Sage Green - 2009 Subaru Forester
  By Bob - April 26 - 11:43 am

  Vehicle is only one week old, not sure how many miles will be put on during the first years travel. I am 68" had to wait for the 09 to get extra height. Love the head room even with the moonroof feature. Its mainly my wifes car. See all of you on the road.