Subarus are terrific cars. They really are. If you are lucky enough to hail from Colorado or Vermont, or have ever visited here, you know how popular they are, and for good reason.
Subaru’s are known for their standard Symmetrical All Wheel Drive (AWD) system, which distributes a semi-even power to all four wheels on a full-time basis. They are terrific vehicles in the snow and rain, and their AWD system is superb compared with other competitors AWD designs. At least that’s what many people think, but more on this later.
Subarus are recognized for their excellent safety ratings, as every Subaru has earned more IIHS Top Safety Pick + awards since 2013 than any other brand. No kidding. Now that is something to be proud of.
Subaru’s are also known for their reliability, and the stereotypical image of twenty plus year old rusty Subaru’s chugging down the road with peace-loving bumper stickers is iconic, especially in Vermont and Colorado, and in some cases, this may serve as a turn off to some buyers. Most people wholeheartedly love the brand, or they hate the brand and would never want to be caught dead in one. You choose.
So, let’s take a deep dive into the world of Subaru.
First, they are reliable, sort of. The brand claims that 96% of every Subaru built in the past ten years is still on the road today. Impressive, I suppose, until you learn that Porsche claims 70% of every Porsche ever built is still on the road, and this dates to 1948.
Subaru developed their first AWD vehicle back in 1972 and the brand equipped every vehicle with standard AWD starting in 1996. Note the rear-wheel-drive Subaru BRZ sports car that first appeared in 2013 is the only exception to this statement. Standard AWD is and was impressive, considering they only had but four models back in 1996, but now this seems less impressive given the number of AWD SUV or crossover options that exist nearly thirty years later.
In addition to their AWD prowess, Subaru is known for their boxer engine format, which is a horizontally opposed layout where the pistons move back and forth like two boxing gloves punching back and forth instead of an up and down motion like most engines. Fun fact, the other brand to commonly use boxer engines is Porsche in their rear and mid-engine sports cars, namely the 911 and the Cayman.
Why a boxer engine? Well, there are several logical arguments for this and some obvious drawbacks. It is a more efficient design meaning the horizontal layout allows for a lower center of gravity which helps fit the engine in to a lower engine bay and allows for a lower center of gravity on the car. This makes for better handling and better cornering, in theory. The boxer engine design also is said to produce less vibration than most inline or V shaped engine designs used by other manufacturers.
Now let’s discuss some drawbacks to the boxer engine and this design strategy. The engine design is not perfect. Some claim the boxer engine layout is more difficult to access and work on when compared with other traditional engine layouts. Fair point. Subaru engines are notoriously known for a particularly troublesome period between 1996-2010 when the head gaskets were known to repeatedly fail. Ask any owner of a Subaru from this period and they know all too well about the pains of this issue, as the repairs are not cheap, and the issue reoccurs even after replacing. This is perhaps the worst complaint heard when discussing the brand’s reputation and reliability over its long history, but one that most people are probably familiar with.
In addition to the failed head gasket design, excessive engine oil consumption is a commonly heard complaint in many models, as is a leaky timing chain cover. Carbon buildup is often reported that requires specialty cleaning to remove these deposits. Of course, no car is perfect, and carbon buildup and thirsty oil consumption are minor quirks when compared with the expensive head gasket repair and timing chain cover, however, the boxer engine can be more expensive to service and maintain and usually require a skilled mechanic to keep a high mileage Subaru running well.
Subaru was one of the first manufacturers to introduce the CVT transmission way back in 1988, and again in 2010 as their solution to increasing fuel mileage. Nowadays, the CVT is found on every vehicle throughout the Subaru lineup, minus the BRZ sports car. CVT transmissions are essentially a one speed transmission that adapts to function with different engine speeds like a big elastic rubber band. This works fine for most drivers, although performance-oriented drivers will usually complain about the nuances of the CVT. Anyone who has driven the early CVT transmissions from Subaru in many 2010-2015 models will attest as to how sluggish they feel and the loud drone they emit. The CVT is not a performance tuned transmission by any means, and they do not age well with documented CVT reliability issues, including extended warranty coverage up to ten years or 100,000 miles that Subaru quietly extended to customers to avoid mass complaints.
Subaru has a marketing campaign unlike most other car makers. They seemingly spend their advertising dollars on various pet causes and National Parks. If you have ever watched the Puppy Bowl or any number of nature programs on public television, then you already know this. The ads feature a family of dogs driving the car and proud of its acclaimed safety ratings. And if you are vegan or shop at organic grocers, chances are you may already have a Subaru, or you probably find yourself parked next to one every time you go grocery shopping. To further their environmentally friendly image, Subaru proudly claims to have a zero-waste auto manufacturing facility that is also designated a National Wildlife Habitat. Their American factory located in Lafayette, Indiana achieved this designation back in 2004 and was the first of its kind in the U.S., so environmentalists rejoice!
Earlier I mentioned their superb traction compared with other manufacturers systems, and while this is true, other brands have developed capable AWD systems that produce nearly the same results. If you are testing the Subaru AWD prowess with other brands in a controlled setting, the Subaru most likely wins. However, this is not always the case, and most buyers may never notice the difference or have no need for this. But if you live in Vermont or Colorado, or anyplace with a large amount of precipitation or snowfall, then you will recognize the benefits of the Subaru Symmetrical system.
Let’s discuss a brief history of the Subaru brand in the U.S., starting in 1968 with the quirky little 360 model with its rear-hinged doors and a lower starting price than the VW Beetle. Some of the first models, including the 360 were considered, “cheap and ugly”, but were also regarded as innovatively engineered. The 360, by the way, failed to meet Federal safety standards when it was introduced, but then again it also weighed less than 1,000 lbs.
In the late 1970’s, Subaru became recognized for their first AWD station wagon, which was innovative, and helped popularize the brand. Sponsorship of the U.S Ski Team helped promote the brand in wintry climates, and Car and Driver called the AWD wagon, “just about perfect.” The BRAT was first introduced in 1978 as a small farm truck built on its car platform with two rear facing jump seats in the bed. Later, in 2003, Subaru introduced its second car-based truck design called the Baja, this time with four doors. The Baja only lasted four years but featured a 42-inch bed with a U-shaped gate that flipped down to extend the tailgate. Both the BRAT and the Baja are cult favorites and are currently considered collectibles.
There are a couple Subaru models that have not aged well and may want to be forgotten. The first is the 1987 Justy economy car, complete with 66 horsepower and the first CVT transmission sold in the U.S. Another unpopular Subaru was the B9 Tribeca SUV that sold from 2005 to 2007 and 2008 to 2014. This seven passenger SUV was the brand’s largest SUV, was considered ugly until it’s 2008 redesign, and was not a crowd favorite. The symmetrical AWD and boxer engine layout was somewhat lost in a car this size as it was not as refined or as large as other SUVs in its class like the Toyota Highlander of this era. The 1992-1996 Subaru SVX was another forgotten Subaru model. This two-door coupe featured extremely controversial styling with windows that only partially rolled down and lackluster performance for a car that was designed to look like a sporty coupe but did not deliver on the “sport”. If you lucky enough to have ever seen one of these rare cars, you know exactly what I mean.
Now let’s talk about some of the more popular Subaru models. The entire Subaru lineup does not feel as sporty as some other brands like Mazda or Audi or BMW, but they are not trying for this. Conversely, they do feel more athletic when compared with other models from domestic carmakers and other Asian rivals. Some models like the Forester feel more athletic when compared with the Toyota RAV4 or the Honda CR-V, and the Forester is a terrific option when shopping for a mid-sized five passenger SUV. The Forester has been around since 1998 and was initially considered to be one of the very first “crossovers” but has developed more into a proper SUV starting with the 2009 redesign. It was Subaru’s second-best selling design for almost twenty-five years but has recently upstaged the Outback within the past year as their top-selling model.
The Outback is truly in a class of its own and perhaps one of the best all-around cars. It’s Subaru’s most famous car; the iconic Swiss Army knife of cars, as it does everything well. The Outback first debuted back in 1996 with Crocodile Dundee as the spokesperson. The Outback was essentially a Legacy station wagon with extra ground clearance and added plastic cladding to appear more rugged. It was considered innovative for the mid 90’s as an alternative to other SUV’s, and is not exactly a wagon nor is it a traditional SUV, so is it a “crossover”? Perhaps it is. However, you choose to classify it, the Outback may be the first car that comes to mind when you think of the Subaru brand. Both the Outback and the Forester are perhaps the two best-known Subaru models, but let’s discuss further.
The three row Ascent first appeared in 2019 and is a worthy competitor to rivals like the Toyota Highlander and Honda Pilot partially because it feels sportier and a little tighter than these models. It is considered a good car overall, although it is suggested you avoid the first two model years (2019-2020) due to bad engine design. The Legacy sedan offers standard AWD, something that most other sedan manufacturers do not feature, but that’s about all. Very few consumers buy the somewhat unimpressive Legacy sedan over its rivals like the Honda Accord or Toyota Camry, and that’s just a fact. Toyota, by the way, began offering optional AWD on the Camry starting in 2021, further diminishing the most compelling reason to consider a Legacy over the competition.
The Subaru Impreza is a great smaller class car when compared with its rivals like the Honda Civic or Toyota Corolla. Of course, AWD is standard unlike most of its competition, and the car has a certain sportiness to it that most buyers appreciate. The Subaru Crosstrek is a great small SUV or “crossover”, although many people will be surprised to learn it is a lifted Impreza with additional ground clearance, larger tires and wheels, and tinted windows to make it appear more like a SUV and larger than it is. The Crosstrek, since its debut in 2013, has proven to be a great car for many young buyers and people wanting the benefits of a smaller car with the ground clearance and styling of an SUV.
Subaru offers some performance models also, namely the two-wheel drive BRZ sports car that debuted in 2013, and the WRX and STI models. The BRZ is basically a Toyota with a boxer engine and is a favorite among the Japanese tuning crowds and drift circle performers for its agility and weight balance. Many enthusiasts, however, complain that the BRZ doesn’t have enough power to be a competitive sports car, which is why so many people seek aftermarket tuning for these models.
The AWD WRX and STI models are essentially rally-tuned sports sedans based off the Impreza line that have earned a cult like following since their inception back in 1992. They are equipped with turbocharged boxer engines that deliver impressive speed, a race-tuned suspension, superb traction, and excellent all-season handling. Both the WRX and STI offer tremendous all-wheel performance, a package that is unmatched by almost every other carmaker for the price, and a good set of winter tires on a WRX or STI make them safe and effective winter missiles.
In summary, Subaru makes a good car. They are undeniably safe, they offer full-time AWD, have mostly good reliability ratings, and have strong resale value because of these attributes. This can make purchasing a used Subaru a challenge, as they tend to cost more than other brands. There are pitfalls to watch out for when buying used as there are with every car, so do your research to avoid certain model years and be aware of the potential issues. As with any used car, be sure to have it inspected before you purchase by a trusted technician who knows the brand.
If you would like to learn more about Subaru, or want help with your next purchase, be sure to message us and we can help find the right Subaru for you!
