Subaru's Are Great Cars, But They Get Overlooked

Subaru started out as an aircraft research lab called Nakajima Aircraft Company. Later they became Fuji Heavy Industries and in 1954 made the Subaru 1500 (also called the P1), their first car. In 1958 the Subaru 360 came out with 16hp and was only 117 inches long. Subaru made various mini cars though the 1960's and 1970's. Subaru entered the U.S. Market in 1987 with the Justy, the first production car to offer a CVT transmission. In 1989 Subaru brought out the Legacy. It was was the largest car they had ever made and the first one that had a chance in the large car dominated North American market. The Legacy had optional all wheel drive and a 2.2L Flat-4 with 130hp or a turbocharged Sport AWD version with 160hp. In 1993 Subaru introduced the Impreza, a small sedan with optional AWD. The engines started with a 110hp 1.8L Flat-4, and later a 142hp 2.2L Flat-4 and a 2.5 RS version with a 165hp 2.5L Flat-4. That car was made from 1993 until 2001. In 2001 a new Impreza came out with Subaru's 2.5L Flat-4 Boxer engine and standard AWD. It was also available in a Wagon body style and there was an Outback Sport version that had added ground clearance. That Impreza went through 3 design changes. The first design was simple, but a bit boring. The second one was similar, but looked better than before. The final design change was when Subaru went crazy and put the B9 Tribeca grille on the front, making the car uglier than either previous design. The Legacy was first redesigned in 1994 and the Outback version with higher ground clearance was introduced. It was Subaru's first properly good car, it was well built, safe, solid, and better to drive than the Honda, Toyota, or Nissan competition. The second redesign of the Legacy, brought out in 2000,  was even better, it was very solid, safe, and much nicer in every way, engines, luxury, the way it drives, and space. The best version of the that Legacy is the top of the line Outback H6 VDC, which had stability control, side airbags, leather seats, and more luxury features. In 1997 Subaru brought out the Forester, a small SUV that had a low ground clearance and was built off the Impreza and had Impreza engines. The first generation Forester was a solid and dependable vehicle. In 2003 Subaru redesigned the Forester and created a great car. It drive very well, was safe, and could do almost anything its owners would need it to do. The XT version was very fast, it was basically an Impreza WRX in a larger, more practical body. The Subaru Baja was another great idea that never caught on. It was an Outback with a small pickup truck bed on the back and could have a 210hp turbocharged Flat-4 engine.

The new Subaru's are better than they have ever been. The new Impreza is great, but unfortunately it has become too heavy and its performance leans more towards comfort than spotiness. The WRX however is is faster and nicer than any version before, but the WRX STI has taken soft and comfortable too far, it's the first time I like the Mitsubishi Lancer Evo more. Unlike the Impreza, the Legacy is extremely good. The Legacy is an IIHS Top Safety Pick, it has lots of space, but what makes it really great is how it manages to drive better than every it competes with and is still very comfortable. The build quality is world class and it will of course be extremely reliable since its a Subaru. The Outback is just as good as the Legacy, it loses some of the Legacy's handling because of weight. Instead you get lots of extra space and more ground clearance for snow and some off-roading. The new Subaru Forester has been completely redesigned for 2009 and it's now a very competitive vehicle. The Forester drives very well, is an IIHS Top Safety Pick like every new car Subaru makes, has a lot of space, and costs under $21,000. The turbocharged XT trim level is extremely good too, it's fast and drives very well. The Subaru Tribeca is the one Subaru that isn't a good car. It is far to impractical and is pointless compared with Subaru's own Outback and the competitors. Subaru's biggest problem is their image of cheap and undesirable cars that turns some people off. They are one of the best car companies in the world.