Subaru is a Japanese car manufacturing division of Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd. They became well known in the automotive industry for their boxer engine layout which was used in cars such as the Volkswagen Beetle and Porsche 911. Another known feature of Subaru’s cars is that they consistently provide all-wheel drive capabilities.
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Subaru Car Reviews
Subaru Overview
Brief History
Subaru initially began as an aircraft research laboratory in 1917, 14 years later in 1931 the company was restructured and became Nakajima Aircraft Company, Ltd. The company would later become the main airplane manufacturer for Japan in World War II.
After the war, the company was restructured once again and became Fuji Sangyo Co. Ltd. The company began building motor scooters using left over aeroplane parts, but in 1950, the company was divided into 12 smaller corporations. Subaru was formed from a union between five of the twelve companies. The company was then named Subaru and produced its first car in 1954.
Subaru is a smaller company than many of its competitors, but the company has enjoyed great success despite this.
Model Range
Subaru has produced many vehicles. Some popular models include the Subaru Forester, the Impreza, and the Legacy.
Subaru Forester
The Subaru Forester is a medium 4X4. The third generation Forester is designed as a four-door estate and comes with a variety of engines to choose from and either a four-speed automatic transmission, five-speed manual transmission or a six-speed manual transmission. The Forester comes with all-wheel drive capabilities like all Subarus and was first produced in 1997.
Subaru Impreza
The Subaru Impreza is a medium family car that has been produced in four generations. The Impreza was designed to replace the Subaru Leone which contained the dated EA engine. Over all the generations, the Impreza has been available in four body styles. The Impreza was first produced in 1993 and since then has become very well known for its success in the World Rally Championships, despite being withdrawn from the WRC in 2008 due to economic problems.
Subaru Legacy
The Subaru Legacy is a large family car that was first produced in 1989. The legacy is available as a saloon or estate and has served as Subaru’s flagship car. The fifth generation model of the Subaru Legacy was introduced in 2009 and is only available in the UK with the estate body style.
Subaru WRX STI
The Subaru WRX STI is a specially designed medium sports car that has been used by the Subaru World Rally Team since it was created in 1992. It is the result of the fine tuning and development of the Subaru Impreza. Over the years it has taken the form of a coupe, a saloon, an estate and a hatchback.
Subaru Outback
The Subaru Outback is a large family car that has been manufactured since 1995. The Outback was designed in response to the high demand within the recent market for 4X4s. In its original form, the outback was essentially the Legacy estate with some added body cladding and a suspension lift. All Outbacks are still based on the legacy model however the legacy prefix was dropped for the fourth generation model which has seen success winning awards such as Motor Trend magazine Sport/Utility of the year award in 2010.
Subaru BRZ
Developed in conjunction with Toyota, the BRZ is a 2+2, rear wheel drive coupe. It's a hoot to drive thanks to its 2.0-litre boxer engine and low centre of gravity.
Subaru XV
The XV is Subaru's latest stab at the small 4x4 market, and it's not half bad. It's big and practical but it's let down by a truly appaling ride. It also fails to match its German cousins for desirability.
