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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  Dales Review - 2000 Subaru Outback
  By dale - January 26 - 5:56 am

  Fun to drive. Ive pushed the car hard, that is Ive driven it into a 3" ditch full of snow and it drove out and through the corn field with no problems. Ive push it to the limit of having the car on three wheels while going around cones and even one small rally run. Roll of house carpet fits. Tinting the rear windows really makes the car look sharp. I think the car has enought power for what it is.

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  You will love this car - 2015 Subaru Outback
  By southern_boy - January 25 - 10:55 pm

  This is the first Subaru I have owned and love it. It is comfortable, fuel efficient, quiet, and the build quality is better than anything I have owned. We looked at the Toyota RAV 4, and Honda CRV. Both were loud, under powered and clunky. The Outback drives extremely well, has a good sound system (not great), quiet, and solid. I too have not heard the noises that others have talked about, but would suggest that they not have their roof rack cross bars across the roof. The only Con I can think of is getting used to shifting from reverse to drive takes a second or so. I loved mine so much I recommended Subaru to my wife who ended up getting rid of her Toyota and trading it for a Legacy.

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  PZEV & rough starts - 2008 Subaru Outback
  By Ed - January 25 - 10:26 am

  For those of you considering the PZEV option you should be aware that when started cold some Subarus will produce excesive vibration, engine and exhaust noise. This is due to changes the ECU makes to the timing to quickly heat the exhaust catalyst to reduce emission gasses. Once warm, the car starts smoothly as you would expect. The sales rep asked us to wait in the showroom while he brought the car around for test drives so I didnt discover this characteristic until I started the car the morning after purchasing it. Otherwise the car does exactly what I expected and Im pleased with it.

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  Great Car! - 2010 Subaru Outback
  By subieconvert - January 25 - 10:20 am

  I had always liked the previous model of the Outback but wasnt sure about the new one. My son recently had back surgery and had a hard time getting into the low doors of the old Outback, so when we tried out the 2010 model we were thrilled to see that the access was no issue for him. This vehicle is comfortable and very satisfying to drive. The mpg is great with the CVT, but when you need power it is there. We recently drove the vehicle in the mountainous SW Pennsylvania region and had no trouble going up and down the roads. The overall mpg was still just over 27, which is incredible for a vehicle this size with AWD. I hope to have this vehicle for many years of safe, happy driving.

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  Nice Car - 2008 Subaru Legacy
  By John Marks - January 25 - 3:16 am

  I bought my Subaru Legacy about 3 months ago and I must say its a very great car for the price. Its the 4 cylinder Special Edition version. It has plently of power to merge on the highway and pass. It handles great at high speeds. I can only imagine what the GT version is like if this one has this much performance. I get 25mpg and thats 90% city driving. Highway I can get about 30mpg. I push it a lot since im a college student and love to accelerate. AWD is great in the rain, cant wait for the winter to really test it out again. Overall, great car and I would recommend it to anyone. Good quality all around.

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  Best car to own for my type of needs - 2005 Subaru Outback
  By hsusieb - January 24 - 10:00 am

  Since I bought this car I have used it for highway,offroad, mountian, and city driving. The cars performance and comfort is second to none.

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  A Pumkin - 2007 Subaru Forester
  By Ed Rogers - January 24 - 12:43 am

  This car is the 2007 model year 2.5XT with relatively low milelage. We are going to get rid of this car and should have no problem as it is the turbo in Rally Blue. Reason for moving on? Poor reliability. A leak .... head casket repair to the tune of a few thousand dollars. We added a gasket repair fluid and the lead ceased; cost- $22.00 dollars. Water pump replaced twice! Both required the timing belt had to be replaced (the last time it was $1200). Emission valve issues, X2!. Now told for second time the air pump has to be replaced ($900). Radiator blew at a welded seam. These repairs are in addition to the recommended preventative maintenance. The 2007 model currently has just 98K miles and has always been driven conservatively. The Subaru review stops here, but by comparison: Our 2005 Toyota Prius, now with 137,910 miles, still has the original brakes and only preventative maintenance has been required. Believe it or not, the Prius still has the original brakes (disc up front, drum at the rear). The interior has weathered better than any other car I have owned since 1975. The Forester turned into a pumpkin at just about 65K miles with two or three repairs needing to be repeated at about 30K intervals. To Subarus credit, the Subaru of America group paid $600 towards one of the timing belt repairs. Bottom line, this cars reliability went downhill very quickly. Our Legacy did a little better. We gave Subaru products a fair shake but will now purchase our nest two cars from competitors (hopefully our last new cars :). We hope this inside view helps others as they contemplate purchasing a Subaru these days.

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  Fast, Tough, and Versatile - 2005 Subaru Forester
  By Nick - January 24 - 12:06 am

  With a little one on the way, we wanted something a little bigger with that still offered reasonable mileage. Went with the TURBO due to our high altitude (7200ft) and plethora of mountains. Very peppy with our AVG MPG of 22-24. On backpacking trips weve taken it on unmaintained roads that are difficult to walk much less drive over. Our Forester handles them amazingly well. No problems to report. We change the oil every 3K and wash it every couple of weeks, thats it. We bought a 15 cu.ft. Thule box for long road trips. Fits great on the factory roof rack. The ride is much quieter than the 05 CR-V and the climate control had no problem with 115+ heat of Death Valley. Were very happy with it!

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  owner - 2006 Subaru B9 Tribeca
  By Jim - January 23 - 11:26 pm

  Rated as being one of the safest vehicles on the road. All wheel drive is beneficial in snow and wet conditions also. Speed and performance is good for this type of vehicle. Mileage is low - we get approx. 21 miles per gallon since owning the vehicle. Wife is driving vehicle. Im not too pleased with the appearance of vehicle, but is handy with hatch and seats that go completely down. Very reliable and no issues whatsoever with the vehicle. GPS system is a great option if you travel frequently. We use it quite frequently. Kids enjoy seeing movies and makes the longer trips bearable for us also. We simply run to the library and have them pick out a few cds to watch.

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  Very good - 2017 Subaru Forester
  By timothy krause - January 23 - 12:33 pm

  Very good