Skip to main content

Subaru has a great reputation since the automaker has a lot of great and capable cars in its lineup. On top of that, since Subaru equips all of its cars with all-wheel drive as a standard feature, they are also well-known for being great options for off-road adventures. That said, it can be challenging for car shoppers to find the right Subaru for them, so here’s a look at the three best Subaru vehicles on the market right now.

3. The Subaru Forester

MotorTrend ranked the models in Subaru’s lineup, and the Forester came out in third place. The car critic reviewed the 2022 version of the SUV, which currently does not have a review for the 2023 model. The Japanese automaker refreshed the Forester for the 2022 model year, which helped it get an overall 8.8 out of 10 score. This made it the second-best option in the segment.

Overall, the Forester is a solid compact SUV that starts at about $26,500. Its best qualities have to do with its interior, and its worst qualities have to do with its performance. There’s only one engine option: a 2.5-liter four-cylinder that gets 182 hp. This engine makes the Subaru slow compared to its rivals and doesn’t handle it well.

It gets about 30 mpg combined, but the car critic complained that Subaru doesn’t offer a hybrid option. The Forester has good ride quality, though, and drivers have excellent visibility in the car. Plus, the Subaru SUV is spacious as it has 29 cu-ft of cargo space without folding any seats down. With the seats folded, it tops out at about 74 cu-ft.

2. The Subaru Outback

The second-best Subaru car is the Outback, a station wagon that competes in the midsize SUV segment. The Outback starts at just over $28,000, and MotorTrend gave the 2023 version a score of 8.8 out of 10, which made it the best option in the segment. The Subaru wagon starts with the same 182-hp engine that the Forester starts with, but the Japanese automaker also offers a 2.4-liter turbo four-cylinder engine that gets 260 hp.

Just like with the Forester, the standard engine is slow, but the optional turbo engine has a different issue as it feels “unrefined.” Subaru gave the wagon two 7.0-inch touchscreens, and the car critic didn’t like their functionality too much. However, the site liked the number of standard features the company gave the wagon. 

The Subaru Outback has plenty of standard smart safety features, and they were improved in the most recent model year. Like with many other Subaru, the Outback is also well-equipped for adventuring. Its interior is also large and comfortable, with a good amount of cargo capacity. With the seats folded, it maxes out at 76 cu-ft. 

1. The Subaru Crosstrek is the best Subaru vehicle to buy

The best Subaru vehicle, however, is the Subaru Crosstrek. It competes in the subcompact crossover segment, and the car critic gave it an overall score of 9.2 out of 10. That made it the best option in the segment. It starts at just over $23,600, making it one of the more affordable options in the lineup, and the fully loaded Subaru Outback costs a little over $35,000. The Crosstrek is a “fun, rugged, and cool” SUV with many standard features. 

Its standard engine is a 2.0-liter four-cylinder that gets 152 hp, but it has an optional engine that gets 182 hp. Subaru also offers a plug-in hybrid version of the car, but it’s expensive, starting at about $37,000.

Related

2024 Subaru Crosstrek Shoppers Like 1 Trim More Than the Rest