Category: Subaru

Subarus have long been popular in Australia where they are appreciated for their no nonsense design and rugged build. Australian buyers virtually from the day it went on sale and there are now plenty on the used-car market. This time around we’re looking at the XV range from 2012 onwards. Subaru originally called it the Impreza XV but the Japanese specialist in all-wheel-drive models called the new generation released in 2012 just plain Subaru XV. The idea was to promote it as being a real AWD, not a pretender as… Read more

Subaru Liberty is a no-nonsense sedan or station wagon with a reputation for toughness and reliability. The Subaru Outback is based on the Liberty wagon and has increased suspension height, meaning it sits about midway between a conventional wagon and a 4WD. As more and more SUVs are really just 2WD vehicles with a taller body, Subaru Outback is standing out from the crowd. Subaru Liberty is sold as a four-door sedan and a five-door station wagon, with a significantly larger percentage of wagons being sold than in other models… Read more

Subaru Impreza is a stalwart of the Japanese marque’s range having been on sale here since 1993. Amongst other things it signalled that all Subarus from then onwards would be driven by all four wheels. This unique selling feature added to the brand’s reputation for safety. (Yes, we know the Subaru BRZ / Toyota 86 are rear-drive sportscars, but we reckon it’s highly likely that the other Subies will continue the AWD tradition just about forever.) The added traction provided by all-wheel-drive (AWD) makes Imprezas big sellers in Tasmania and… Read more

Subaru’s WRX, aka ‘the Rex’, is a moderately-priced high-performance Japanese machine that has been a huge success in Australia since it first arrived here in 1994. The WRX has tremendous performance from its turbocharged four-cylinder boxer engine. Grunt that’s backed up by excellent road grip thanks to a sophisticated all-wheel drive system. Some felt that the WRX lost some of its in-your-face personality in the early 2000s, but the MY2015 edition launched in March 2014, revived its bad-boy attitude. Models from that period are the subject of this week’s used… Read more

Every Subaru that is not a full-on sportscar (i.e. the BRZ) sold in Australia since the mid- 1990s has all wheel drive (AWD). So the Japanese company has lengthy engineering experience in this important aspect of on- and off-road drivability and safety. Subaru Forester was launched Downunder in 1997 as a smallish relatively mild looking station wagon, later it morphed further and further into a medium SUV in styling. Just in time for the rush of Australians to enjoy the practicality and ease of driving of SUV ownership. In this… Read more