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:

• 

  Subaru 05 Outback Sudan - 2005 Subaru Outback
  By Richard Llewellyn - February 18 - 4:06 pm

  Handles like a dream in the ice and snow, does not silp or slide and tracks very well

• 

  Forester XT - 2004 Subaru Forester
  By Tate - February 18 - 10:00 am

  The Forester XT is a fantastically fun vehicle. It shares many components with the 300 hp WRX STI, and it shows. With the 2.5 turbo, the turbo lag is minimal- -a fantastic engine and suspension. Some components feel a bit cheap, like the seats and the doors, but they evidently are better than they feel given the crash test ratings. Up at the higher elevations in Colorado, power is still plentiful, and the auto transmission is well matched, allowing for easy kickdowns and running the engine to redline when needed. Overall, its great fun to drive with good reliability so far--a real sleeper in station wagon guise.

• 

  Dont waste your money - 1998 Subaru Forester
  By jackie w - February 18 - 10:00 am

  Never waste your money on a Subaru! After the 60,000 warranty went up we had transmission failure twice!!! The dealer never could seem to fix our car and we had difficulty finding anyone to work on Subarus and those who do have said they have had problems and one mechanic even said they were complete junk. Also the Forrester was not as good in the snow as we anticipated. Dont waste your money. Go with a Toyota or Honda!

• 

  2010 impreza Outback sport - 2010 Subaru Impreza
  By aherrmann17 - February 18 - 3:03 am

  This car burns oil. The scheduled maintenance for my region is every 7500 miles for an oil change. The outback sport however decided to develop rod knocking due to lack of oil in the engine. CA state law does not allow a car to burn 4.5 quarts of synthetic oil in 7500 miles. Highly dissatisfied with this car. I would not recommend it to anyone.

• 

  Best looking Impreza ever brought 2 USA - 2000 Subaru Impreza
  By Jay Olson - February 17 - 6:46 pm

  Very sharp, attractive car draws attention from everyone. A blast to drive. Very easy to control, with a little bit of understear. Great low end torque allows it to hang with cars such as the Eclipse GST and GSX from a stand still. Holds its value very well. People that own it dont want to sell it. If you are looking for more horsepower, there are many easy bolt on upgrades available, or you can always do a motor swap. Auto transmission is good, but not recommended if you are thinking about adding a lot of power to it. I purchased my Impreza RS brand new, and now Subarus are just about all I will drive. Oh, and the AWD is great on a track, street, or in the dirt.

• 

  First week with my 2010 Legacy 3.6R Lim - 2010 Subaru Legacy
  By idmd - February 16 - 4:36 pm

  Ive had the car for a week and its wonderful. 3.6R feels strong and smooth, 5-speed auto is spot on, and the car overall feels very well constructed and ridged without sacrificing ride quality. Has a sporty feeling overall. Interior room is superb (Im 65") and materials feel very high quality. iPod/iPhone integration could be better as its inconsistent (some touch screen buttons are inaccessible at times when they should not be). The NAV system also is not the most intuitive system out there but is very good. This car definitely looks better in- person compared to pictures where (for whatever reason) it tends to look awkward at times. Not so in real life.

• 

  Legacy a great value, different and fun - 2010 Subaru Legacy
  By Robert Vance - February 15 - 2:50 pm

  Subaru Legacy is a great value. The interior is roomy and the trunk is sized for most everyday things. Big rear seats fold flat for longer items. The power driver seat has a ton of settings… I am still working on dialing in that perfect seat setting for me. The paddle shifters for the CVT are fun to use. The flat-four engine revs nicely and the lower center of gravity helps keep the car balanced in corner. Mechanically it sounds good too. Subaru Legacy has the best features of many of the others but with the advantage of standard ALL Wheel Drive...it’s a great mix of economy, comfort, and everyday drive-ability. Plus it had above average resell value & economical insurance.

• 

  Beautiful little SUV with room - 2018 Subaru Crosstrek
  By Stephen Salisbury - February 15 - 1:42 pm

  I am a swap driver for Hyundai and Nissan. Although they both make a great product, they can not compare to the crosstrek in mpg and AWD system.

• 

  2018 Subaru Crosstrek Premium w/CVT - 2018 Subaru Crosstrek
  By Jose Martinez - February 14 - 4:05 pm

  This 2018 Crosstrek is a GREAT CAR, it rides and handles great especially on curvy roads like mountains due to its STANDARD AWD. Fuel economy is really really GREAT, went to Lake Arrowhead and got an average of 30 MPG. Also all the safety features, we purchased our with the Eyesight feature and works great when combined with the cruise control. So far our car has performed great and given us great fuel economy and not to mention the overall safety of 5 stars. Would greatly recommend anyone to test drive the 2018 Crosstrek if your looking for a Crossover/SUV of that size, Im 60" tall and there is plenty of leg/knee room in the rear seats when I sit in the rear and thats leaving the front drivers seat at my position of driving.

• 

  So far so good - 2018 Subaru Forester
  By M Mosely - February 13 - 2:29 am

  Shift slips from drive into other gear too easily. Otherwise, works well. Visibility is FANTASTIC. I am short and the car seat raises me up high so I can see over front bumpers, and the blind spots are almost eliminated. Safety devices are GREAT. All work well and easily. Quality of inside looks a little cheap. Driving seat is not well padded. When back seats are collapsed forward, the cargo floor is not flat. The heater and fan controls are poorly designed. The computer features require study to learn. On the plus side, besides the amazing field of vision is the great handling, tight turn radius and smooth breaking. Acceleration is better than adequate. Parking is easy. The safety features work extremely well. Parking is easy. All I all, a wonderful car