Are Subarus Good Cars? How To Make The Right Purchasing Decision
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Subaru is one of the better-known brands, and they are one of the most popular vehicle brands in the United States. They’re known for affordable and effective commuter vehicles that are reasonably effective for going on outdoor adventures, camping, or hauling a small amount of cargo to and from your destinations.
With a wide variety of different vehicles and often several models in each vehicle type, Subaru offers a few models for just about every kind of consumer.
Variety isn’t necessarily the same as quality though. Subarus are known for affordability, are they reliable, efficient, and safe?
In short, are Subarus good cars? Let’s take a closer look and find out whether a Subaru is likely to be a good option for you, or if you should skip it and try a different brand for your next vehicle.
Are Subarus Good Cars?
Reliability is one of the things that many consumers have heard Subarus lack. Objectively though, that isn’t true for all of their lineup or even most Subarus in general.
For one thing, plenty of Subaru models have good performance and reliability ratings and are considered highly reliable vehicles. Even in lines where there are some less-reliable model years, there are usually also highly reliable versions available new or used.
Like a lot of manufacturers, Subaru has had some off years that lowered their reputation and made a big impact on their long-term sales and who owns the vehicles.
That said, Subaru seems to be roughly middle of the road when it comes to reliability. RepairPal ranks Subaru 14th out of 32 brands and gives them a 3.5⁄5, which is above average, but not by much.
Subaru is also weighed down in reliability by a few known issues that can be expensive or difficult repairs. The most notorious of those problems is likely the head gasket issue, where Subarus are known to have a head gasket that gives, often under 100k miles, and can cause a range of serious issues.
In mild cases, the head gasket allows fuel and coolant to mix, reducing performance and using coolant. In the worst cases, the head gasket may go entirely and make the vehicle undrivable until the issue is fixed.
Unfortunately, replacing the head gasket also doesn’t permanently fix the problem, and the new head gasket is just as likely to fail as the original.
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Subaru Performance
In terms of performance, Subarus aren’t really anything special, but neither do they underperform.
Subarus tend to have about the power and performance you would expect from a vehicle in their price range. That is to say, they’re great commuter vehicles and can handle dirt roads, camping, and other moderate challenges, but they won’t be winning any races any time soon.
At least, they won’t win races without some modifications.
With a suspension system that’s not as smooth as some drivers would prefer but does an adequate job of evening out the bumps and engines that work but aren’t the biggest workhorses in the world, Subarus tend to be average. They aren’t impressive, and they aren’t disappointing, which works just fine for most consumers.
If you aren’t looking to be wowed, a Subaru is probably a good option. But if you’re looking for faster tighter turns or lightning acceleration, you’ll need to modify your vehicle.
Safety And Subarus
Safety is a big issue for a lot of Subaru’s core buyers since Subarus are often considered for commuter vehicles, family vehicles, and as a way to make taking family vacations a little easier.
That makes sense when you look at Subaru safety ratings because this is one area where the manufacturer really excels. The latest Subaru Outback won a Top Safety Pick + award from the IIHS, which shouldn’t surprise anyone when you look at Subaru’s safety record.
In fact, Subaru’s are probably among the safest vehicles in their price point, and they consistently get safety awards from rating agencies thanks to top-quality safety performance in and out of tests.
If you’re looking for a very safe and practical vehicle, Subaru is a good bet, across their entire lineup.
Of course, looking for the Top Safety Pick + winners is a good way to make sure you’re getting some of the safest Subarus.
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Subaru Average Cost Of Ownership
Subaru cost of ownership varies a little more than some other vehicle manufacturers, which is worth considering if you’re thinking about buying one.
Overall, Subaru tends to be an affordable brand to own. Lots of mechanics like working on them, and they use standard parts which help to keep maintenance and repair costs lower.
However, Subaru also has a reputation for a few big issues, like the head gasket problem we’ve already discussed. That’s a big problem for consumers who happen to buy a vehicle that has those issues because the cost of a single repair can significantly increase the average cost of ownership over the lifetime of the vehicle.
There’s a reason there are a lot of used Subarus for sale that are mostly in great condition, but which have 1 or 2 serious issues that need to be addressed. Plenty of owners chooses to trade up for a new vehicle instead of sinking more money into a Subaru that has one of their more expensive problems.
So, while the average cost of ownership is low, you’re also rolling the dice on Subaru’s known issues when you buy one.
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Final Verdict: Are Subarus Good Cars?
If you’ve gotten here and are still wondering if Subarus are good cars, you’re not alone. Our verdict on this brand is mixed.
On the one hand, Subarus tend to be affordable, and they get excellent safety ratings. They aren’t anything special in terms of performance and are slightly more reliable than the average vehicle.
On the other hand, Subarus have some expensive and serious known issues that they haven’t seemed to resolve, despite the issues having been around for years. And, while Subaru is a good generalist brand, their vehicles don’t specialize much, which also means that their line doesn’t tend to excel at anything but safety.
So, are Subarus good cars? Well, yes, they wouldn’t be as popular as they are if they weren’t. But they’re best for safety-minded consumers who can afford to save a little more in their ‘just in case’ car repair fund, but who want lower average maintenance costs in general.
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