Subaru is a Japanese automaker that specializes in cars that can go off-road, but those cars also tend to be safe and very reliable. Since Subaru has earned that reputation for making reliable cars, most cars in its lineup unsurprisingly have great reliability scores, but some still have higher scores than others.

Here’s a look at the most reliable Subaru model and why it’s not a surprise that it’s also one of the oldest options in the automaker’s lineup.

This is how reliable Subaru’s lineup is right now

iSeeCars gave a reliability rating to seven cars in Subaru’s lineup, and unsurprisingly, most models scored well. The WRX had the worst reliability score as it got a 7 out of 10. However, that was still high enough to make it the 23rd most reliable small sedan out of 51 cars. The Crosstrek PHEV came after, and it got a 7.1 out of 10. 

The regular Impreza and the wagon version of the Impreza were both tied as both got an 8 out of 10 for their reliability. Then there was a two-way tie for second place between the Legacy and the Forester. Both cars got an 8.1 out of 10. Finally, the Outback came out on top with its reliability score of 8.4 out of 10.

That great score also made it the sixth most reliable crossover SUV. It was close though as there was a four-way tie for second place between the Toyota Highlander, the Honda CR-V, the Hyundai Santa Fe, and the Dodge Durango. All four crossover SUVs got an 8.5 out of 10. Ultimately, the Honda Pilot won the segment as it got a reliability score of 8.6 out of 10.

It’s not a surprise that the Subaru Outback has the best reliability rating overall

The fact that the Outback was the most reliable Subaru model and it was almost the most reliable crossover SUV isn’t a surprise. All the other crossover SUVs that beat the Subie in terms of reliability share a similar trait with the Outback. They’re all fairly old SUV models that made their debut over 20 years ago. 

The Outback, in particular, has been around since the late ’90s, and that’s a similar story for the Durango and the CR-V. The Highlander, Santa Fe, and Pilot all made their debuts in the early 2000s. Since the Outback has been around for so many years, Subaru has had a lot of time to tinker with the car and listen to customer feedback. That allowed the automaker to fix issues as well as ensure issues won’t pop up to begin with. 

Other automakers likely do the same for their older cars, and it explains why these old models are so reliable. On the other end of the spectrum, the Subies with the worst reliability scores are only about a decade old. The current version of the WRX, for example, debuted in 2014, and the Crosstrek came out in 2013. 

The Subaru Outback also scored well in other categories

Not only did the Outback get a great reliability score, but it did well in other areas, and that ultimately was why iSeeCars gave the Subie a great overall score. Its overall score of 8.8 out of 10 is the highest out of all Subaru models. That high score also allowed the Outback to do well in other rankings.

For example, it was ranked as the second-best crossover SUV overall. The overall score takes into account two other categories, safety and value retention. The Outback got a perfect 10 out of 10 for safety, and it got an 8 out of 10 for its value retention.