Posted Monday, January 20, 2025 at 9:56pm

2026 Subaru Outback, with Hybrid Power and SUV Looks, Is Worth Waiting For

Long the unapologetic poster child for the station-wagon nation, the Subaru Outback blends in just enough crunchy charm to appeal to buyers who may never fully explore its off-road capabilities but take comfort in knowing they’re there if needed. The forthcoming new 2026 model appears to lean more in the direction of a traditional SUV, at least in terms of exterior design, proportions, and size, however.

Posted Thursday, January 16, 2025 at 9:50pm

With the 2026 Crosstrek Hybrid, Subaru Finally Gets It Just Right

There have been hybrid Subaru Crosstrek models before, but they were slightly different. The 2014–16 Crosstrek Hybrid was a relatively unsophisticated 160-hp hybrid that had a single 13-hp electric motor encased in its transmission that only netted a 2-mpg increase. From 2019 to 2023, the Crosstrek Hybrid became a more powerful and legitimate hybrid thanks to dual electric motors and a 5-mpg bonus. Unfortunately, it proved to be an expensive solution that only came as a plug-in hybrid that delivered 17 miles of range and was weak off the line due to its rather middling 148 horsepower.

Posted Thursday, December 5, 2024 at 10:19pm

Subaru tops Consumer Reports’ 2025 brand rankings as Detroit 3 struggle on reliability

Subaru for the second time in four years led Consumer Reports’ annual brand report card as domestic automakers struggled in a ranking that measures factors including vehicle performance, safety and reliability. The 2025 report card, issued about two months earlier than usual, is part of an updated data set released by Consumer Reports that packages all of its automotive rankings in one spot. The outlet on Dec. 5 also issued… Read More →

Posted Monday, November 25, 2024 at 9:40pm

How Subaru’s First Factory-Sponsored Team Won The Rebelle Rally

When you think of off-roading, you might picture a Jeep Wrangler, Ram 1500, or a Ford Bronco. Not a mild-mannered 2014 Subaru Outback, purchased for hauling kids around town and commuting to work. However, that’s exactly what two women in the 2024 Rebelle Rally piloted all the way to the podium for a first-place finish. Not only did driver Carey Lando and navigator Andrea Shaffer win the crossover segment in… Read More →

Posted Monday, November 11, 2024 at 9:53pm

Archive Road Test: 1998 Subaru Impreza 2.5RS, the First Rally-Inspired Subie

Wait a minute. Fun? In a Subaru Impreza? Are they kidding? Strange but true. Despite the televised pronouncements of Paul Hogan, a.k.a. Crocodile Dundee, fun and Subaru are two words that don’t form a natural electropsychological bond in the mind of the average enthusiast. Particularly when you attempt to weld the idea of driving pleasure to something as unlikely as a nearly invisible econocar. Over the years, we’ve come to… Read More →

Posted Tuesday, February 11, 2025 at 10:25pm

WRC Flashback: Rally Sweden’s Solberg-Gronholm epic, two decades on

The 2025 World Rally Championship campaign stops off in Scandinavia for the snowy stages of Rally Sweden this week, where… Read More →

Posted Monday, February 10, 2025 at 10:47pm

Defending ARA champion Semenuk delivers sparkling Sno*Drift win

Walking across the car park towards his Subaru first thing on Saturday morning, Brandon Semenuk caught some ice. Ordinary people… Read More →