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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  Interior options - 2013 Subaru XV Crosstrek
  By carscientious - January 20 - 3:03 pm

  The Crosstrek "limited" offers only two stereo head units-the standard unit w/o Satellite capability and the NAV system with SAT. As satellite users for several years, we made a dreadful mistake in buying this SUV without making sure the "Limited" version had SAT. Adding a mobile car unit is "cheesy" and takes up more room especially if you have a "Garmin" on the dash. An aftermarket unit can be quite pricey and can range $500-$1800 including installation. Our local Subaru dealer quoted $4500 for a new Subaru factory NAV system if available and requiring a new antenna if wiring is possible. Would have given up leather seats for cloth in order to get SAT. :-(

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  A Lemon of a Great Car - 2005 Subaru Outback
  By husker_soobie - January 18 - 4:40 am

  4th Soob. Bought it used at 2 yrs old with 40k miles Fast forward 4 yrs now at 100k. The last 2 yrs have been a nightmare. Brakes, headlight bulbs, CVs, spark plugs, axles, 2 Oxygen Sensors (in December 10, failed April 11 - part under warranty-not labor. The car was great to drive in inclement weather, & was a looker, it was a mess under the hood. Weve spent $2200 in the last 7 months. Took it in for brakes AGAIN last week only to find out that we had a bad head gasket. We used 3.5 qts of oil in 2000 miles! Estimates $1700, plus impending timing belt, water pump & steering pump $1200 more. Just traded for a new Forester. Praying this one isnt possessed by demons!

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  Rust its what makes a subaru - 2014 Subaru Outback
  By coffeelude - January 15 - 4:40 am

  Got a brand new 2014 Subaru 15 months ago, mostly satisfied initially with the ride. Have about 12000 miles on it so far. Some minor issues include uneven acceleration in the morning and weird jerking when changing from reverse to drive. A few months after I bought the car I noticed that the bottom exterior of the car was rusting. A few searches online and seems like we were not alone. Neither the dealer or Subaru customer service were interested in acknowledging the problem. They claim that it is normal for a 5 month old car to start rusting. I live in the Washington dc metro area where the winters are not extreme.

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  What a mistake! - 2010 Subaru Forester
  By what a waste - January 11 - 10:50 pm

  Ill make it simple. RATTLES,RATTLES,RATTLES. Doesnt really matter if it drives well or not. You are so distracted by all the rattles you really dont care. Rattles started in the rear of the vehicle. The dealership tried to convince me it was the license plate. Now beside the rattles in the rear of the vehicle, the front driver side and passenger side windows rattle/hum. Only person I would recommend this vehicle to is my friend who is totally deaf!

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  Good car, not great - 2003 Subaru Legacy
  By Ajluptak - January 10 - 10:00 am

  Car is OK in most respects ( handling, ride, etc. AWD system shines in poor conditions. Car is only adequately powered (165hp) and the AWD system is heavy, making the car sluggish. 4 spd auto trans geared too steeply for engine power, hunts in and out of gears. Fuel economy awful, 16 mpg average and my wife is not a leadfoot. If you can find a 5 spd manual car, get it. Lack of power should be fixed with the optional 5 spd auto and 250 hp turbo 4 in the 2005 car.

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  Nice Car - Seats are extremely uncomfortable - Cause Back Pain! - 2013 Subaru Forester
  By jhobes - January 3 - 11:31 pm

  I recently purchased a Subaru Forester Limited 2013 and it has been really tough on my back since I bought it. Of course, it felt great on the test drive, but now that I am driving it 84 miles per day, it is really causing aches. I try to stretch as much as possible, but this only seems to provide temporary relief. Getting back in to the car starts the cycle all over again. I splurged (out of budget btw) for the 2013 limited because Consumer reports said it was more comfortable to have power leather seats. So far, I have been disappointed. I previously owned a 2000 Lexus ES 300 and the seats were extremely comfortable.

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  Engine Noise and Hard Xmission shifting - 2010 Subaru Legacy
  By Eric Tanner - January 3 - 3:20 am

  1. Excessively LOUD Engine Noise, especially when first starting; 2. SHIFTING Gears – HARD, JOLTING, CLUNKING, CLUCKING and CLICKING: A. When shifting from Park to Reverse, most of the time (90%) there will be QUITE a big JOLT accompanied by a loud CLUNKING sound from under the car, and sometimes also a CLUCKING sound from under the rear; B. When shifting to Neutral and Drive, there’s not much of a Jolt; C. In general, Shifting from P to R to N to D and vice versa is always NOT smooth and there will always (100%) be a CLICKING sound coming from right under the car (like a cable snapping noise.) Suggestion and comment are welcome.

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  Total Waste of Money - 2009 Subaru Impreza
  By Sorry Customer - December 18 - 5:10 am

  Ive driven this car 7,000 miles now and its spent 6 days in the shop in 4 months. The tires have to be inflated every couple of weeks, it burns oil and the automatic shifts unpredictably. Drivers sun visor has been replaced 3 times, as it wont stay put and its broken again after only 2 weeks. On several occasions the car has refused to accelerate for several seconds when the pedal is depressed. There was a rattling noise going up hill that forced the dealer to completely reinstall the exhaust system and heat shields. The stereo system is so cheap its painful to listen to. This is the worst car Ive ever owned, a complete piece of junk. So much for Subarus quality reputation.

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  Not The Best Car Ive owned. - 2001 Subaru Legacy
  By caraddiction - December 17 - 12:58 pm

  Ok, Ive owned about 11 cars in the past 6 years. I bought this car (Less than 6 mo ago) to have something paid off to save money and get better gas mileage than my 2010 Nissan Xterra. It has failed me. After buying it while driving home the head gaskets failed even after they had been replaced already,2k to fix. Then cat started malfunctioning 900 bucks, head lights burn out in 2 weeks 13 dollars per headlight, I dont touch the bulbs while installing either. Only has 130k on it. It was even owned by a mechanic. I dont know if it was from poor maintenance or Subaru. Ive owned subaru in the past and this one has disappointed me tremendously. I am selling it asap.

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  Disappointed - 2001 Subaru Outback
  By DRPIV - December 7 - 2:00 am

  decent vehicle, do not expect too much. poor clutch, shuttering breaks, underpowered (significantly at low rpms, can barely climb steep grades), squeaks, squeals from day one. fine highway vehicle once rolling, smooth, strong enough once engine is revving.