Subaru Reviews
Almost every Subaru sold runs a flat "boxer" engine paired with permanent all-wheel drive — a combination the brand has stuck with for over 45 years, largely alone in the industry. Here's what road tests actually say about it.
An Engineering Identity Genuinely Its Own
Subaru's horizontally opposed boxer engine lies flat rather than standing upright like a conventional inline unit, keeping the car's centre of gravity lower and pairing directly with the brand's Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive system, which runs in a straight line from engine to rear differential for genuinely even weight balance. It's a formula Subaru has committed to since introducing Japan's first four-wheel-drive passenger car more than five decades ago, and today it's standard across virtually the entire range — only the rear-wheel-drive BRZ sports car goes without it. Porsche is one of the only other manufacturers still using the same boxer layout, in cars like the 911 and Cayman.
Reviewers consistently credit this combination with genuinely surefooted handling and stability, particularly in poor weather, where the permanent all-wheel drive pays off in a way part-time systems on rivals often can't match. It's worth knowing honestly that boxer engines have a reputation for costing more to maintain than a conventional inline engine, and some testers note this complexity shows up in servicing bills over time, even if day-to-day reliability holds up well. The summaries below cover what several independent testers actually found behind the wheel of each model.
Every Model, One Place
Rather than picking a single opinion and running with it, each review here pulls together several independent road tests and highlights where they agree — and where they don't. Pick a model below to see the full breakdown.