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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  Be Aware of the TURBO !!! - 2005 Subaru Forester
  By marcel - March 21 - 10:00 am

  Great practical vehicle for snowy regions, comfortable and easy to drive. Blends into traffic, and surprises everyone with its eat my dust acceleration. Extremely maneuverable once you get used to the cars power, and breaking abilities, but start SLOWLY as the turbo power will really overwhelm you! Install a remote starter and your winter mornings will feel very cozy, with heated, seats, mirrors, and wipers. I drive alone most of the time, so removing the passanger, and rear headrests greatly improved visibility, which you need in order to handle the turbo in traffic. GREATEST ALL AROUND VEHICLE FOR THE PRICE.

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  subaru outback - 2004 Subaru Outback
  By Len Kitchen - March 21 - 10:00 am

  The only thing that I dont like is it is hard to get in and out of the drivers seat if you leave the seat in the drive position. Some would find that the power was lacking but I am fine with it. For the size of the car the fuel economy could be better. Everthing else like. It is a solid car that rides well and I have not had any problems at all with it. It goes anywhere and handles well and I would buy another one when this wears out which will be a long way down the road the way it is built.

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  Subaru Outback 05 - 2005 Subaru Outback
  By john bahn - March 21 - 10:00 am

  Recently leased this vehicle after taking a test drive. The test drive was outstanding and the car came to me exactly as I wanted. Love the leather interior and the handling is great...gotta watch the turns because it has a tendency to understeer but other than that its a fabulous car. Watch the leasing company, though. Their contracts are vague and quite frankly the leasing company I deal with doesnt know their own forms very well

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  My Bean - 2005 Subaru Outback
  By Dr. Don - March 21 - 10:00 am

  Just returned from a 1500 mile trip. It was a joy to drive. The ride was very comfortable with no outside noise. It has a lot of power and with the 5 speed transmission I got 25.8 mpg.

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  fast fun car electronics suck - 2016 Subaru WRX
  By Wayne Boucher - March 21 - 9:35 am

  I bought this car the day after Christmas and I love the handle and acceleration, I have a 2006 Miata 213,000 miles which I love and kept, the new Miata looks nice but driving it was very disappointing the new Miata is a dog because of the electronics. I wanted a manual transmission, yes corporate America not every is lazy and wants an automatic, some people like driving and hate cars that drive themselves. I love the acceleration of the car and the handling is awesome, once you shut off all the electronics crap that is. I hate the electronics, the hill assist I would not have bought the car if I could not turn hill assist off because it screws up driving the car, I shut the traction control off unless I forget, I wish I could shut off the antilock brakes, those suck. The airbags are dangerous, my daughter sits in the front and the airbags do not work by weight but by electric capacity and you cant shut them off so I am looking at how to disable them so my daughter doesnt get killed. The radio is the biggest piece of crap, it has 9 options which most of them try to connect to your phones internet, I want to delete those apps but cant. Touch screen radios in my option should be outlawed and I will be removing that crap radio from the car. They put a lot of annoying electronics in the car but if you search the net you can shut a lot of it off, wish I could shut off their annoying driving suggestions that come up when the car starts or its icy out, I know how to drive, dont need a car telling how to drive. On the plus the car has tons of room inside even in the back seat, more room than you would think for the cars size, they kept the interior simple which I like, I hate a lot of fancy crap, the truck is huge which is a plus because the new Miatas trunk was no bigger than a back pack. Acceleration is incredible, when you hit the throttle the car launches, it is more fun than the Lamborghini Galardo I drove because of the manual transmission. The handling is awesome too, not as nimble as the old Miata because it weighs 1000lbs more, it is still great for windy roads, lots of fun. I like the styling and you can get it real colors instead of just silver and black, I got bright blue, looks awesome. I wish I could have got a sun roof but they only came with leather and I will never own a car with leather so I will have to add the sun roof later. If you want a fun car try a wrx, they for people who like to drive, I like to drive and will never own a self driving car.

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  Vrroom Vrrroooom! - 2016 Subaru WRX
  By Kimberly Minton - March 21 - 12:55 am

  How to be a responsible driver! This car has got it all. Great ride, sleek, stylish and just plain FAST! Ive found I can get better gas mileage driving in sport mode when traversing Ca. Foothills and traffic. Im what youd call a very defensive driver. Way too many bad drivers out there. The similar design of the Impreza, this hot little car stays in incognito. Love, love, love this car!!!

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  Love my car - 2005 Subaru Legacy
  By margie - March 20 - 10:43 pm

  I live in Northern NY, snow covered curvy, mountainous roads. I love the way the car handles and brakes.

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  Love my car - 2005 Subaru Legacy
  By margie - March 20 - 10:43 pm

  I live in Northern NY, snow covered curvy, mountainous roads. I love the way the car handles and brakes.

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  High Expectations Were Met or Exceeded - 2016 Subaru Outback
  By Jim K - March 20 - 6:49 pm

  After reading every "expert" and "consumer" review that I could find, and after watching every YouTube video about the 2015/2016 Subaru Outback, I decided to order one in July. My wife and I picked up our Outback, October 9th. Before ordering, I was very concerned about the "wind noise" problems described in some of the 2015 reviews. Our car has no "wind noise" issues, and road noise, even at 70 MPH is subdued. Very quiet and comfortable cabin. We only have a little over 600 miles on the Outback so far, but that includes a trip to Sevierville, TN, from our home in the Upstate of SC. The route up I-26W, and I-40W have many high climbs and steep descents, including many twists and turns. The new Outback did a terrific job, easily handling the mountains. I used the Adaptive Cruise Control extensively during the highway portions of the trip, and it was amazing how well this feature worked. It is easy to turn on, and easy to set the distance between you and the car ahead. It reduces a lot of stress. For a car that is fairly big and heavy, the Subaru handled nimbly, both on the serpentine sections of I-40W in northwestern NC, but also in the narrow twisting road roads leading into and out of the Cades Cove section of The Great Smokey Mountains National Park. We are averaging about 23.5 MPG with the 3.6 H-6 in mixed driving conditions ( almost 50/50 city and highway). I am 511", and my wife is 411". The driver seat easily adjusted for both of our driving setups, and the "Memory Function" for our two driver seating positions, make it very easy for either of us to drive. We traded both of our older cars in on this new Outback, as we are retired, and think that we can get by with just one car. Some people complained about no height adjustment for the front passenger seat. While it might be a nice addition for the Outback, my 411" wife has no problem seeing out from that passengers seat. The Navigation system also got some negative comments the past year or so. I was happy with the Ford Sync system ( no nav display; written-spoken directions only), so I am really happy with the Outback Navigation System and Display. It only takes a few minutes to setup and save your various "destinations" to a "favorites" file. To test the system, we went to a very remote address outside of Sevierville, TN, near Lake Douglas. The Nav System guided us flawlessly to the destination. Some people also complained of the Voice Guidance being too intrusive. The volume of the Voice Guidance can be adjusted easily from the on screen menu. A truly nice feature of the Nav System, is the "next turn" display, showing up not only on the 7" nav display, but also in a display on the drivers dash, that also shows MPG, MPH, Trip A and B mileage, etc.(switchable from steering wheel controls). We took another couple through Cades Cove with us, and they were very comfortable in the back seat; plenty of legroom, and A/C-Heating Vents for the rear seat passengers, too. The rear seatbacks recline for additional comfort. Since we only have a little over 600 miles on the car, reliability and some other higher mileage issues cant be address yet. So far though, this is one outstanding vehicle, and it was worth the near 3 month wait to receive it. The "Owners Manuals" are extensive, and I read some of the material every day, and then go to the car to use what I have learned. I think that it will take a month to read, and understand everything. One cautionary note, the "keyless" functions of the car warn of the possible hazard to anyone who has a pacemaker installed, due to transmitting antennas located throughout the car. This could effect you or your passengers, so you may not want to go the "keyless" way. Our car was ordered with everything except the auto-dimming side mirrors. All in all, a really nice vehicle. Very pleased. **Updates as of 4/26/16 Mileage 9267 MPG Combined 23.9 Best HWY MPG 26.8 (70 MPH) Terrain - Rolling Hills to Flat I still consider the cabin "fairly quiet". The noise level greatly depends on road surfaces. I sometimes think that the cabin might be a little too noisy, but riding same roads in a Cadillac SUV, and a BMW X5, produce similar quietness levels; Concrete whistles, black top is quiet, and milled roads are aggravatingly loud! We have made 6 trips of 650 miles in a day, and the drive was not fatiguing. The seats are comfortable, and the adaptive cruise control is terrific. Coming into Atlanta from I-75 and connecting to I-85 via I-675 and I-475, is a nightmare of construction, and general craziness. I just stayed "right", out of harms way, and the adaptive cruise was terrific. I still rate the Navigation System as excellent. Just load up your "Favorites" and go. It sometimes takes a while to "search" for places, but not too daunting. However, its better to do your research online, find the restaurant or hotels address, and just enter it into favorites. Cant write more do to Edmunds software.

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  Pleased new Subie groupie - 2008 Subaru Outback
  By Frmr SUV ownr - March 20 - 10:33 am

  Previously owned a Ford Explorer so skeptical about power of 4cyl but you cant have it all and I have been pleasantly surprised with performance/gas mileage. Getting 20city/29 hwy and its plenty zippy for that king of economy. Brakes a bit unresponsive/long braking distance, taking getting used to but drove in the Carolina mountains and handled like a dream.