Parkers.co.uk – For The Smarter Car Buyer

Home
Parkers.co.uk
Menu
Cars Vans & Pickups Saved Cars
Site Search

Click below to find information on all Subaru ranges, read Parkers reviews and road tests, access owner reviews for in-depth knowledge of what the car is like to own. Parkers is your one-stop-shop for everything Subaru related.

Subaru Ranges

Most popular Subaru reviews

  • Subaru Crosstrek SUV (2023 onwards) Review

    It’s an improvement over the XV – but it doesn’t go far enough

    Subaru Crosstrek SUV (2023 onwards) Review
    Parkers rating: 2.2 out of 5 2.2
    New price: £35,995 - £38,100
    PROS
    • Four-wheel drive
    • Tough interior
    • Should be reliable
    CONS
    • Lack of physical controls
    • Coarse engine/CVT combo
    • Not that efficient for a mild hybrid
    Read full review
  • Subaru Forester SUV (2025 onwards) Review

    Interesting, rugged and still outclassed by its best rivals

    Subaru Forester SUV (2025 onwards) Review
    Parkers rating: 3.7 out of 5 3.7
    New price: £39,995 - £44,100
    PROS
    • Exceptionally practical and spacious
    • Tough and durable build quality
    • Standard four-wheel drive and off-road ability
    CONS
    • Sluggish performance, particularly on motorways
    • Uninspiring to drive with soggy steering
    • Noticeable wind noise at higher speeds
    Read full review
  • Subaru Outback Estate (2021 onwards) Review

    Left-field choice feels like a throwback to the 1990s

    Subaru Outback Estate (2021 onwards) Review
    Parkers rating: 2 out of 5 2.0
    New price: £40,495 - £46,145
    PROS
    • Spacious interior
    • Comfortable seats
    • Excellent high-speed cruiser
    CONS
    • Unimpressive performance
    • Not particularly efficient
    • Frustrating CVT gearbox
    Read full review
  • Subaru Solterra SUV (2022 onwards) Review

    Subaru's new EV doesn't trouble the top of the class

    Subaru Solterra SUV (2022 onwards) Review
    Parkers rating: 2.9 out of 5 2.9
    New price: £52,505 - £55,505
    PROS
    • High-spec interior
    • Comfortable and solid to drive
    • Toyota build quality
    CONS
    • Subaru warranty less generous than Toyota
    • Limited practicality
    • No entry-level model available
    Read full review
  • Subaru XV SUV (2017 onwards) Review

    Capable off-road, but the XV is off the pace for a compact SUV

    Subaru XV SUV (2017 onwards) Review
    Parkers rating: 1.8 out of 5 1.8
    New price: £27,465 - £34,260
    PROS
    • Capable off the road
    • Simple, hardy cabin design
    • Should prove reliable
    CONS
    • Noisy, inefficient, gutless engine
    • Expensive to buy and run
    • Soundly outclassed by the opposition
    Read full review

Latest news

Subaru (スバル?) (/ˈsuːbəruː/ or /sᵿbˈɑːruː/;[3][4] Japanese pronunciation: [sɯ.ba.ɾɯ])[5] is the automobile manufacturing division of Japanese transportation conglomerate Fuji Heavy Industries (FHI), the twenty-second largest automaker by production worldwide in 2012.[6]
Subaru cars are known for the use of a boxer engine layout in most vehicles above 1500 cc. Most Subaru models have used the Symmetrical All Wheel Drive drive-train layout since 1972. The flat/boxer engine and all-wheel-drive became standard equipment for mid-size and smaller cars in most international markets by 1996, and is now standard in most North American market Subaru vehicles. The lone exception is the BRZ, introduced in 2012, which uses the boxer engine but instead uses a rear-wheel-drive structure. Subaru also offers turbocharged versions of their passenger cars, such as the Impreza WRX and the Legacy 2.5GT. The 2.5XT trims of the Outback and Forester also include a turbocharged engine.
In Western markets, the Subaru brand has traditionally been popular among a dedicated core of buyers. Marketing is targeted towards specific niches centered on those who desire the company's signature drive train, in particular the outdoors enthusiast and affordable sports car markets.[7]

Subaru has been around a lot longer than you might think. Its first car was the 360 of 1958 - a Kei car that was designed to work best in the narrow streets of Tokyo, where parking was at a premium. From there it grew its range, and when it launched the flat-four powered Leone saloon in 1972, it gained the USP of offering 4WD on all its mainstreams cars.

In 1992, it launched the Impreza, which did a great job of casting it onto the world stage, thanks to numerous rally victories. In 2012, it launched the BRZ, in collaboration with Toyota, which ended up being its first non-4WD model in three decades. In recent years, Subaru's focus in the UK has shifted from high performance to crossovers - where its 4WD technology fits in perfectly.

Back to top