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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  River Rats Review - 2002 Subaru Outback
  By River Rat - December 7 - 2:00 am

  This is my third Subaru. The first two gave me over 200,000 miles each. This Outback is the best of both worlds. Its comfortable on long trips and commutes, and is very competent in the wet and snow. Every feature is well thought out and useful. I shopped for two years before deciding once again that a Subaru is the most car for your money.

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  Be prepared to visit the dealership often!!!! - 2016 Subaru Forester
  By Loves to drive - December 6 - 4:23 am

  I have to say I want to love this car but in less than 1 month of owning it we already had problems. The interior is comfortable and the drive is very nice. We bought this car for the safety ratings. Its our 1st time venturing away from Toyota. In week 1 the engine lights started going on when you turned the car on. Multiple lights were on showing different issues. My husband took the car back to the dealership and the sensors were replaced. We were told this was a known issue and the problem was fixed. Yesterday we received a letter from Subaru saying the CTV transmission was not filled with enough fluid. Guess we are going back to the dealership. This is a total disappointment! Be forewarned.

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  Oil Consumption - 2012 Subaru Impreza
  By csl12 - December 5 - 4:26 pm

  We bought the 2012 Impreza after our 2004 was totaled. We also own a Forester and have owned 3 others. We have had check engine, oil pressure, and low oil warnings 7 times in two years. In particular, weve had low oil 5 times within the past 7 months and only 7,000 miles. The car is definitely burning oil. Dealer agrees its burning oil and is not leaking. It doesnt leak "enough" and is considered to be "normal" by the service manager. As a 25 year Subie owner, I am EXTREMELY DISAPPOINTED in the vehicle and Subarus inaction. I doubt well be another Subie- but I do LOVE my 2010 Forester (before the engine change!!!)

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  2015 XT Touring - Day 1 - 2015 Subaru Forester
  By evanworld - December 5 - 3:14 pm

  Full disclosure: the cars been in my driveway for a day and these are first impressions with more to follow. I obsess on research before I buy and in this case started with a crush on an Acura AWD which quickly faded before I moved on to a BMW 3-Series Xdrive. The idea of a Forester came out of left field and became viable after a test drive. I fell in love with the excellent visibility, easy access and turbo engine (I owned an 05 Legacy wagon GT manual and it was a rocket). The hook - 20K less than a Bimmer and better AWD than its competitors.

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  Impreza 2.5i M5 Wagon - 2006 Subaru Impreza
  By ZB - December 5 - 8:20 am

  We just purchased an 2006 M5 2.5i wagon. This will be my wifes car and she has enjoyed the first 500 miles. We love the redesign for 2006, really like the side impact air bags, and the new lights look and work great. Interior is well built but the drivers seat is slightly uncomfortable for my 63" size during longer trips; a tiltable seat cushion would fix this problem. Better fuel economy would be nice, but AWD is a trade off. We live in snow country and AWD is a nice safety feature as are the airbags and Subarus other safety features. We are very pleased so far with our Subaru.

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  Great car, worst Bluetooth possible - 2013 Subaru Impreza
  By dylismith1 - December 3 - 9:09 pm

  I consider Bluetooth a safety feature. This Bluetooth does not synchronize with the phones contact list. You need to manually enter each contact. For each, you need to manually enter the phone number by scrolling a thumb wheel for each number, and then you say the name. When I said "Larry" it told me I had to have 2 syllables. When I said "Drywall John" it said it was too similar to "Larry Cell"! You cannot input the name, so for a list of phone numbers, you get numbers but no associated names. It would not recognize my wifes voice since it only knew my voice. When we renamed contacts using my wifes voice, it would no longer recognize my voice. This system is an embarrassment to Subaru.

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  Fun, safe, defies bad weather - 2008 Subaru Impreza
  By Jeb - December 3 - 7:03 pm

  OK, Ive heard all you drivers of other makes talk about performance and fuel economy; this is a very competitive market segment. But, if you could give up very little speed and gas mileage, in exchange for top safety ratings, reliability and engineering, would you do it? Now, factor in rain and snow. Not only is Subaru the best bad weather vehicle that is practical for daily driving, it will outperform the rest of the market segment when road conditions are tough. The symmetrical AWD system does not introduce any of the instability or inefficiency cause by the systems that divert power off-axis. Pick a nasty day and go drive one to see for yourself.

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  An uncovered gem - 2004 Subaru Forester
  By dcisive - December 3 - 2:00 am

  The handling was superb and I enjoy not having the nose dive when braking. The heated seats and entire defrosting system is outstanding in bad weather (even wiper defrosters...who would have thought?) The car is just a blast to drive and I cant wait to get into it in the morning for my commute. When I need to get in front of someone I dont even have to give it a thought..it gets done in a second. The boost of power is simply stunning. The wind noise is lower than my premium Toyota Avalon XLS at highway speeds, and the seats offer more support. All in all I am one happy camper.

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  XT Premium - 2004 Subaru Forester
  By xtpremium - December 3 - 2:00 am

  Traded an 01 Outback for the 04 XT with the Premium package. The vehicle is very comfortable to drive in. The power is amazing. There is nothing I dont like about this car. It handles with precision in all elements, including ice and snow. No other SUV in this class came close to the offerings this has. I also very much like the safety rating based on crash test results. Excellent buy.

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  cant get any better than this - 2004 Subaru Impreza
  By tekfoc - December 3 - 2:00 am

  if you want a car that can do it all this is the car for you.new to the u.s. but not new to the world.a car with real life combat exspieriance called world rally raceing.I strongly recomend that you have alot of driving time with performance cars.and please dont buy your kid this car,you will have lots of trouble.