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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  Nothing but a great ride - 2006 Subaru B9 Tribeca
  By Roy McGrew - April 9 - 4:10 pm

  Our Tribeca just turned over 12,000 happy miles. Its truly a great car. Over the last 2,000 miles we have averaged 20.4 mpg. The state-of-the-art aluminum boxer engine is powerful and very smooth. It makes good horsepower, but being only 3.0 L, the torque is rather low for hauling a 4100-lb auto. This means it downshifts quite a bit under load. But hey, if you are on a road where it hunts, or you dont like where it shifts, you can hush up and shift it yourself. The "Sport shift mode" works great. Ride, handling, and braking are very good. We have the two-seat model and there is loads of room in the second seat. Styling is also a plus - it doesnt have the truck look.

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  Super commuter car! - 2005 Subaru Impreza
  By Rob - April 8 - 8:23 pm

  We compared this 2005 Impreza RS2.5 to the Civic SE and couldnt believe the difference. MUCH better handling, power, and performance. This is my commuter car and it is perfect for just that. Quiet interior, superb handling; a lot of fun to drive. Build quality is solid with a great looking interior. How can this car and the Civic be in the same price category?

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  Great car, horrible gas mileage - 2005 Subaru Outback
  By jchoi - April 8 - 6:23 pm

  This is my first AWD vehicle. It was great this winter where we had over 85" of snow in New England. Unstoppable. Fun to drive, great interior, great utility, and good looking vehicle. Gas mileage from mixed city/highway is about 17mpg. With a rather small gas tank, cruising range is only about 270 miles before you have to fill up again. My wife is the primary driver of the car and drives very conservatively so its not like shes always in boost. My friends 340hp S6 wagon gets about the same mileage. The XT is great but it is by no means an S6.

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  Worse Car I ever owned - 2005 Subaru Baja
  By bearbryant1 - April 8 - 12:45 pm

  this has to be the worse car i ever owned. and would never purchase another Subaru ever again and would suggest that you never purchase one you would save more money on repairs if you got a mercies Benz or a BMW cause it will cost the same to repair.

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  Oh So fun! - 2005 Subaru Impreza
  By STIHUNY - April 8 - 10:00 am

  I love my STI. The best performance for your money!

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  VDC at 4 years - 2001 Subaru Outback
  By dgduris - April 8 - 10:00 am

  I have owned this car since new. It has given me 66k miles of uninterruped, luxurious service. While unremarkable outside, the interior frequently causes passengers to remark: "This is a Subaru? !" The leather, wood trim and 220 Watt MacIntosh Stereo are all on par with the far more expensive cars my non-snow-belt inhabiting friends drive. The recent addition of Ultra High Performance All Season Michelins has had me fall in love with the car all over again as the handling is improved to GT level and the road noise is drastically reduced. I would change only the control for the dual sunroof and add headlight washer jets to make this car perfect.

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  Glad we decided to test drive - 2009 Subaru Legacy
  By Michael - April 8 - 2:23 am

  My wife and I love our Subaru Limited. We have had it for 3 months and no buyers remorse here. Handling - no comparison with other models in its class. Steering and overall comfort is wonderful. Test drove Altima, Accord and Sonata. Though the others each had their perks and overall better gas mileage, the AWD and wonderful drive sold it for us. 3-4 MPG less was not an issue with so many other nice features. The vehicle turns on a dime and handles great in the rain. I cant wait to see how it handles under winter conditions. The HK sound system is great too but was not a reason to buy. The car sold itself for us.

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  AFTER 21000 MILES - 2005 Subaru Impreza
  By BOB - April 7 - 3:43 pm

  I actually have a 2002 wrx wagon. Thought you might like the impressions from someone whos had one awile...This is an excellent car. I have had no repairs, just scheduled maintenance. Two minor recalls. Clutch feel isnt the best. Some shudder, especially at cold engine temps. Everything else is fine.

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  10 Years in the Family - 2006 Subaru Outback
  By Pike - April 7 - 10:07 am

  To start, the Subaru was my mothers car for almost 10 years and she had bought it barely used with less than 2000 miles on it. Though this is not my car, I have driven it for several thousand miles over the past decade. My biggest complaints with this vehicle are its atrocious steering feel, terrible fuel economy, sub par reliability, obstructive visibility, and cramp inducing seats. Other than that the Outback is pretty average in all other categories. The steering feels loose and the wheel rotates several degrees before the wheels respond. It is a feeling similar to large sedans like a Lincoln Town Car, or offroad capable SUVs like a Jeep Wrangler. If the steering was looser for offroad purposes I would not mark it down, but the Outback is not capable of tackling anything more than a dirt road. The owners manual also warns you that it is not designed as an offroad vehicle. As a result, the car feels a lot heavier and less nimble than other vehicles in the same size category. Second, fuel economy is terrible. It averaged 17 in the city and 26 on the highway for average fuel economy of 22 mpg. This is 2 mpg better than the epa rating, but still worse than contemporary RWD V8s or AWD cars with similar power. Speaking of the AWD, it takes a huge toll on the suspension and steering elements after 10 years. We had to replace a part of the front axel shaft and cv joint as it had worn down and was creating a grinding noise at highway speeds. Parts like that should not wear out in under 60k miles. All other cars we have owned have not had any mechanical failures until reaching over 100k miles. This car was also subject to the Takata airbag recall and the dealer says that we will need to wait another 6 months before it can be fixed after waiting a year already. The final issue is the interior comfort and design. The materials of the interior are mostly cheap hard plastics with a few soft touch panels. The seats were as uncomfortable as you could get in a car. I would develop pain in my lower back and legs after driving or riding in it for about an hour. It is the only car I have experienced this even though I have done 5-11 hours non-stop (except gas) in other vehicles. Blind spot visibility is also poor as the front head rests and side pillars make it difficult to see anything out of the back seat side windows if you are backing out of a parking spot or checking the blind spot. To conclude, the 2006 Subaru Outback 3.0R is a very average wagon that I did not look forward to driving.

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  This car is OUTSTANDING - 2003 Subaru Legacy
  By twincities25 - April 6 - 11:16 am

  No problems. Great MPG. I have the special edition L series which includes a fantastic sunroof and upgraded wheels. I bought the 5 speed for better acceleration and good MPG. The best MPG I have gotten was 30 (highway). I baby this car and always have the routine maintenance done. I live in a snowy/icy area so the All wheel drive is definitely appreciated. I have never driven a more reliable car. I still get compliments on the car even though it is more than five years old now.