The Subaru Story

You can find UGears models at: ugearsmodels.com/?...
When we think of Japanese car manufacturers, we think of the big three - Toyota, Honda and Nissan, but there are plenty of other manufacturers helping Japan punch way above its weight in the global automotive market, and plenty more Japanese companies that tried and failed. Subaru was one of the few survivors and like Mitsubishi was born out b of a heavy industrial past. Through frugal management they’ve managed to carve out a niche as the purveyors of sensible four-wheel drive cars, and sometimes not so sensible four-wheel drive cars! Where did they come from, what missteps did they make, and what’s next?
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Sources:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subaru
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subaru_...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fuji_Ra...
ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/SUBARU
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en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subaru_360
ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E3%82%...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of...
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en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subaru_XT
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www.nytimes.com/1993/07/24/bu...
www.theatlantic.com/business/...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subaru_...
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en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_R...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subaru_...
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en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daihatsu
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daihats...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subaru_...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subaru_...
web.archive.org/web/2012121811...
web.archive.org/web/201212160...
• Subaru XV SUV review -...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subaru_...)
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#bigcar

[@dariusharjmandi1825]

Finally the story of the best car I ever owned. It made those icy snowy winters tolerable

[@OutsideTheTargetDemographic]

My father bought a 1983 Subaru GL wagon in Louisiana, a FWD 1.8l CARBORATED station wagon. That wagon stayed with us for 19 years of his United States Air Force service, getting us through the forests of Germany (where it saw the Berlin Wall fall), dried lake beds of California (where the space shuttle lands), Alps of Italy (and Vince, Rome, and the Almafi Coast), and desert of Texas (where no humans should ever be) before he sold it to a college kid. It had 180k+ miles on the clock, and he claims all he had to do to it was replace the clutch plates twice in that span. Reliable, do all, trustworthy service. He has replaced it with a Dodge Stratus, new off the lot, who's transmission shit the bed within a month of ownership. Since then, he has had 4 Subarus, through Anchorage Alaska, Pennsylvania, and now Ohio. One of those, a 2018 6MT Forester, now sits in my driveway, receiving a fresh wash and wax today, as it turns out. I get 31.5mpg during the summer in a 4WD, trailer-pulling, family mover. Here's to Subaru. 😘🍷

[@absenthurdle5666]

@@OutsideTheTargetDemographic i got a 2004 subaru outback with the 5 speed manual because i hate automatics and ive been the 1 and only owner on it!

[@OutsideTheTargetDemographic]

@@absenthurdle5666 Noice. 🤓👍

[@1969Risky]

Living in regional Australia, Subaru Brumby's were always the first choice for farmers looking for an all wheel drive ute. The Brumby can take any beating given to it. Plenty of farms still drive unregistered Brumby's as paddock bashers. They are treated harshly but they do so much in return. I hope Subaru make another Brumby down the track. They are the best bush bashers around.

[@mafiousbj]

With the amount of electronics and plastic in modern cars, the time for things like the Brumby has passed sadly...and no chance any government would approve a car like that for sale nowdays (lacking safety features which add weight and complexity).

[@1969Risky]

@@mafiousbj Given that Subaru use the one platform for many of their vehicles I don't think it'd be hard to make a modern Brumby as reliable as the old one.

[@mervynstent1578]

Pity parts ain’t ready available like Toyota Nissan & Mitsubishi and not many Subaru specialist in Australia

[@mafiousbj]

@@1969Risky my point is that truly reliable and easy to repair cars are gone for many reasons, both regulatory (emissions, safety, etc) and economic (5 year buy cycle, charging more for services/spare parts, planed obsolescence, etc). The best bet would be for Subaru to make a rural focused vehicle like a buggy/utv that's not road legal so you can get away with tons of simplification. Car brands can make that bare bones reliable car if they want...they just don't see business there (sadly for us).

[@1969Risky]

@@mafiousbj Yeah that's true. Mind you I drive 2 20yr old utes which are still going strong.

[@Kevin-mx1vi]

I ran Subarus for almost thirty years until I retired, my first being a 2 litre Legacy, bought because I needed a car that was reliable above all else, and it didn't disappoint. It was even quite cheap to run because unlike the Fords and Vauxhalls I'd had before *nothing ever went wrong with it* ! Later I had a WRX, which was both a lot of fun and very practical in everyday use. At normal traffic speeds it gave me very similar fuel economy to supposedly more economical cars, while having some *serious* performance when I wanted it. Probably my favourite was a top of the range Legacy Spec B 2.5 litre. Totally practical, very comfortable, fast, and cornered like it was on rails. No Subaru ever let me down and they were all a joy to drive. They "just work". 😄

[@OutsideTheTargetDemographic]

My father bought a 1983 Subaru GL wagon in Louisiana, a FWD 1.8l CARBORATED station wagon. That wagon stayed with us for 19 years of his United States Air Force service, getting us through the forests of Germany (where it saw the Berlin Wall fall), dried lake beds of California (where the space shuttle lands), Alps of Italy (and Vince, Rome, and the Almafi Coast), and desert of Texas (where no humans should ever be) before he sold it to a college kid. It had 180k+ miles on the clock, and he claims all he had to do to it was replace the clutch plates twice in that span. Reliable, do all, trustworthy service. He has replaced it with a Dodge Stratus, new off the lot, who's transmission shit the bed within a month of ownership. Since then, he has had 4 Subarus, through Anchorage Alaska, Pennsylvania, and now Ohio. One of those, a 2018 6MT Forester, now sits in my driveway, receiving a fresh wash and wax today, as it turns out. I get 31.5mpg during the summer in a 4WD, trailer-pulling, family mover. Here's to Subaru. 😘🍷

[@sevay696]

Its funny because I here a lot that subaru amd reliability d'oestrogène go in the same sentence. But as I look more and more about subaru everything is saying its a reliable brand pf cars. Thats why my next car is surely a subaru wrx. As you said its economic and it has the power when you need it! I cant wait to join the subaru family

[@MoultrieGeek]

If more promotional videos were as interesting as Ugears I'd sit through more of them. Great work, I've owned 2 Subarus in the past and I loved them but their current slate looks and drives like re-badged Toyotas. Too mainstream and predictable for a company that used to be as quirky as Saab. Pity.

[@BigCar2]

I think they're cool, but then as you can tell from the stuff I make, it's my sort of thing. They are moving into the mainstream in the US at least.

[@mertcalc3259]

Do you still use a Subaru

[@ashleyward2735]

That's because they are mostly using Toyota parts stuff now

[@salihahzem]

@@ashleyward2735 Exactly; even the clickers sound the same as Toyotas when you lock or unlock the doors.

[@jonnycando]

If I may be the Devil’s Advocate…if you get a Subaru made of Toyota bits, you ought to get Toyota reliability too….one would think anyway.

[@philippelupien7109]

Low center of gravity boxer engine as in a Porsche, full time four wheel drive like an Audi, Manuel transmission like nobody else these days and priced like a base Volkswagen. What’s not to love?

[@mertcalc3259]

Brand lost it's soul therefore even Mazda's are more fun to drive today. Bland styling. Expensive to maintain. Ascent is the SUV with the least customer satisfaction rate in the US. Below average fuel economy.

[@samisuhonen9815]

Headgaskets. A very annoying flaw considering it is a boxer engine. So you can't just lift the engine cover off while the engine is in the bay. You have to remove the entire engine, which is extra hard on the turbo models, as there is just more stuff to detach before you can get the engine out. Then you got to remove both sides of the engine covers, and replace the stock cardboard mush gaskets, and throw in proper aftermarket ones. And now attach the engine again. But still, the boxer is a great engine... After you do this fix. Which just annoys me to the max. WHY did Subaru never fix the issue, despite knowing it is there? A proper headgasket is not expensive to make, or buy. It is extremely hard to replace because of the boxer design. Why the fuck do they keep putting in terrible ones??? Anyway, as I said. After you fix the one issue with the engine, these cars can do 300k or 400k kilometers quite easily. If you just check, top off, and change the oil properly. And if you don't attempt to push the boost higher than stock. A lot of people buy a subaru impreza WRX. And because it is VERY easy to just plug it into a computer and change some software to make the car produce 300, 400 or 500hp... they do it. Sure, they will win a few drag races before they grenade the engine or the trans. And then they complain how unreliable subaru is.

[@floydblandston108]

My Dad and Uncle bought the first Subaru 4wd wagon to arrive in our area for their wives, a few years before the US Ski Team made the same decision. Dad said the Subaru 4wd did more for women's liberation than anything done before- at least in our snowy, icy, dirt and mud road area of Vermont.

[@blueballsbkueballs]

Good old men, we don't do them anymore

[@EngiNetion]

A story of my favourite automaker by my favourite automotive related channel, really cool!

[@mezzasegolas]

Was going to comment just that :D I'm the proud owner of an Impreza sports wagon, it's a ridiculously quicky car designed by a bunch of crazy mofos, to quote Doug deMuro

[@douglas_drew]

My first Subaru was a 1982 GL Wagon because I simply had to get through SNOW!!! My second was a 1985 XT Turbo Coupe because I needed a bit more GO through the SNOW!!! Since then I have had more Subarus than I can remember, usually at 250k-300k intervals, my current being a 2018 Crosstrek that now has just over 100k and I must quit this comment and go put front rotors on so I can get it to go SLOW!!! With any luck my next car will be a Subaru Solterra.

[@alliejr]

That little 1980s Justy was the first car offered in the U.S. with a rubber-band CVT (that everyone now hates). 😬

[@rturner4205]

A funny story with me Is concerning Subarus. Part of it is the fact that basically anybody who had a hand in helping me grow up and mentor me have a Subaru. An old friend's family had a Forester. My Mother bought a Legacy. And I now own a Forester that I love to death. This brand basically has a special place to me. Oh, And I also work for a Subaru Dealership.

[@OutsideTheTargetDemographic]

My father bought a 1983 Subaru GL wagon in Louisiana, a FWD 1.8l CARBORATED station wagon. That wagon stayed with us for 19 years of his United States Air Force service, getting us through the forests of Germany (where it saw the Berlin Wall fall), dried lake beds of California (where the space shuttle lands), Alps of Italy (and Vince, Rome, and the Almafi Coast), and desert of Texas (where no humans should ever be) before he sold it to a college kid. It had 180k+ miles on the clock, and he claims all he had to do to it was replace the clutch plates twice in that span. Reliable, do all, trustworthy service. He has replaced it with a Dodge Stratus, new off the lot, who's transmission shit the bed within a month of ownership. Since then, he has had 4 Subarus, through Anchorage Alaska, Pennsylvania, and now Ohio. One of those, a 2018 6MT Forester, now sits in my driveway, receiving a fresh wash and wax today, as it turns out. I get 31.5mpg during the summer in a 4WD, trailer-pulling, family mover. Here's to Subaru. 😘🍷

[@rturner4205]

Ha! I always love seeing the last of the Manual Foresters coming in for service. Funny enough, That old friend that had a Forester was in the Air Force. They were stationed up in Eastern Washington where I'm from.

[@weronikaiwanciow7438]

how do u like it workin there?

[@rturner4205]

@@weronikaiwanciow7438 It's decent.

[@nicolaebreaban8154]

I love your channel, not only because of the awesome videos that you make, but also because you are such a cool person. Thank you for all the work you do and for being a decent human being!

[@ramblingrob4693]

Sad thing to say

[@DavidHall-ge6nn]

A friend of mine got T-boned by a speeding truck in her Subaru and walked away with minor injuries. She won't drive anything else now. I remember their ad campaign with horrifically damaged wrecks being hauled to the bone yard with the tagline, "They lived." Memorable and effective, in my opinion. I appreciate and admire your support of the Ukrainian business UGear. I'm going directly to their website to do some Christmas shopping. Wonderful video, as always. Slava Ukraine! 🇺🇦

[@BigCar2]

Thanks David - don't forget to use the link in the description!

[@mertcalc3259]

Do you mean she won't even drive a Volvo?

[@matthewbowen5841]

I'm almost entirely certain that Subarus don't greatly exceed the NHTSA side impact standards that apply to every passenger car offered for sale in a given year. They certainly weren't known for better than average safety through the beginning of said ad campaign, which didn't even coincide with a redesign of the Legacy/Outback platform. It's genius marketing, but it really isn't based entirely in reality.

[@Colonel_RamRod]

Luckily I've never had an accident in any of the 5 I've owned. It's just a family thing for me, when everyone shows up at my grandparents for dinner I've counted 7 or 8 subarus. They're reliable, safe, and easy on the eyes as well. Almost tearing up a little but love is what makes a subaru, a subaru ❤❤❤

[@IansModRite]

I rolled my 2001 Outback a few years ago at highway speed. Walked away with a bruise on my shoulder from my seatbelt. Subie for life.

[@SeanRosairo]

The 4wd really made Subarus incredibly popular in Canada, for the most part people here like smaller cars so Subarus hit a very important market here.

[@chrispnw2547]

As a regular viewer, my mind instantly thought 'something looks different in the background but I don't know what it is 😆'. As someone who grew up with most of the generation of cars you cover in your stories, it must be said 'You really do your homework!'. The ability to take fact-points and weave them into an entertaining story is truly a gift many aspire to do but, few can deliver. I studied in Lafayette, Indiana, USA where the Subaru vehicles are manufactured and Subarus are ever-present in the snowy regions and college campuses (true). I thought Subarus marketing to the LGBT community was a myth but thanks for clearing that up fro us. Thank you for the content and have a great weekend.

[@BigCar2]

Thanks Chris. There's some interesting extra bits if you follow the source links in the description.

[@BigCar2]

Find out more about UGears models at: ugearsmodels.com/?BigCar Ad removed at 10:47 because of a copyright claim. Erratum: Malcolm Bricklin is from the USA, not Canada.

[@runoflife87]

They sold 'em as Russian company back in the day lol.

[@claudiobizama5603]

Funfact: another of their weirdly quirky cars was the Subaru Outback Sport Utility Sedan. Basically, the Outback was just an off-roadier version of the Legacy Wagon. But for some reason, they decided to also make one based on the Legacy Sedan. The Outback SUS didn't lasted long, unsurprisingly.

[@rturner4205]

You could actually get an outback sedan until 2007-8 then it became either you got the Legacy Sedan or The Outback if you wanted a wagon.

[@iffracem]

In Australia the "Legacy" is called a "Liberty", and the "Outback" was as you say a slightly more "rugged" looking Liberty, not really off-road, but better for the many many crap dirt roads we have here in rural Australia, always a wagon though, not a sedan.

[@TofersCarTales]

Outstanding content as always and one of the absolutely most appropriate and interesting sponsorships I've ever seen. Incredible work sir.

[@lloydbrock2711]

I've got a Levorg. Not everyone's cup of tea but I've made it my own with a few subtle tweaks. I think it's one of the best looking estates out there. Extremely capable, very safe, versatile, and someone would have to pay me alot of money to take it off my hands. I absolutely love it.

[@Low760]

They should have just called it an Impreza WRX estate.

[@felixjones9198]

My missus had an Outback and I agree that their estate cars (AKA wagons in Australia) are the best looking out there. I've been a Mitsubishi Evo driver for 10 years but I love Subies too.

[@jdmguy44]

Always really liked the Levorg. One of the very few estate cars that interests me. Subaru have always been good at producing cool wagons though.

[@mattm7252]

I wish they would sell the Levorg in North America but I think they are worried it would cannibalize whatever sales were remaining for the Impreza hatch. Oh well I have 3 Subaru's and love them so much!

[@alanlangley7246]

They are good looking cars .

[@WombatMilk]

I learnt so many little facts about Subaru in the US domestic market. Super interesting, thank you!

[@endorphinity]

Double gratitude - Ukrainian Subaru owner 's here. Interesting and very well done, as usual.

[@BigCar2]

Best car to have there at the moment I would think.

[@gabrielriveros4284]

In Chile, Subaru is a pretty known brand since the days of the Rex, Brat and Leone and, even if they only use bóxer engines (more expensive to have and repartir) and have less fuel economy than other cars, the owners of Subarus love them. Also we, plus the US and Canada were the only countries where they offered the Baja. My fathers first car was a used first gen Legacy around 99’ just before i was born. Nowadays even if we are not getting the new BRZ at least we can get the WRX Wagon

[@zeroelus]

It's interesting to read about how they've done in other LatAm markets where there's so many different terrains and weathers that you'd think an AWD car good for snow, sand and everything in between would sell well. Here in Mexico they've been pretty much unknown and didn't have any real presence. Around 2005-2010 a bunch of importers started to bring their cars over, but getting parts/service was a nightmare. Only until 2015 did they formally establish here, I strongly suspect under the help of Toyota, and in 2018 they probably weren't doing too well since they slashed a bunch of models that didn't sell that well here to only focus on 5 models: The forester, XV (crosstrek), the WRX, STI and the BRZ, since then they where doing quite well, barely being able to have cars on the showroom since they keep selling out. Un abrazo desde el norte de México.

[@Ildskalli]

Yeah, Subaru is a legendary brand around here. It's strongly associated with _cuicos_ as well, which is a pretty good thing to have in Chile, especially when they're priced a lot lower than Audi or BMW. I still miss my Impreza 2.0 Hatchback, had to trade it for something else because I kept bumping into rocks and other crap here in the countryside (it rides too low) 😭

[@verttikoo2052]

Wow 😮 Those wooden cars looks amazing 😮

[@nonamesplease6288]

The Tribeca was called the Tribeca B9 in the US. It didn't really help sales that Subaru put the word "benign" right in the name of the vehicle. Subaru realized their mistake and quickly removed the B9 from the car's badge.

[@borisreid3053]

In 70's and 80's Subaru Leone was the most popular car in Israel. It was a real craze. Partly because of boycott by big car manufacturers like Toyota, Honda or Mitsubishi. It was a love story. Looking at old pictures, you can see mostly Subaru on the road. The Legacy, because of tax rules, used 1.6 engine, which was definitely too weak. The new wave of love was the XV/Crosstrek. The shear amount of these on the road is impressive.

[@stevecallagher9973]

Ahh yes plenty of fond memories of the 1990 GT Legacy as one of my mates had one, it had a lot of tweaks and was quite good at hill climbs! The Imprezza was in my view a massive undershoot due to its cramped interior but it was good at rallying....

[@tng2057]

I encourage everybody to listen to an early 80s Japanese pop song sang by Tanimura Shinji, called ‘Subaru’, widely available on KZbin. This was a mega hit in Japan and Asia and probably the most iconic 80s Japanese pop song. If you watch/ listen to this song preferably with lyrics subtitles you would think this song would be super fitting for Subaru car adverts. I bet Fuji Heavy Industries could not afford buying the royalty of this song.

[@merikblackmore]

or you could listen to Pleiades by King's X

[@helloperson6431]

Excellent video as always. The SVX always looked cool to me, and the WRX is a legend.

[@TheKitMurkit]

And the baja is so cool. Too bad, that car manufacturers have to cater to quantity not quality.

[@helloperson6431]

@@TheKitMurkit It is pretty cool. It is very similar to the holden crewman, tho the crewman had a bigger bed on the back. Both are very eye catching, especially today.

[@Noah_E]

I own a 1992 SVX LS-L and it gets a lot of attention, but is terrifying to drive on major roads. The belt lines of most modern vehicles are higher than its roof meaning it is "invisible" to a lot of traffic. It's roof is lower than the mirrors and bottom of the rear window on my Forester XT. You can't see much of what is around you because all you see is the sides of other vehicles so I worry about other cars merging into me the whole time.

[@helloperson6431]

@@Noah_E that does sound incredibly nerve racking.

[@retromemories8522]

Always thought the SVX is what a 90's interpretation of the DMC-12 should've looked like.

[@jamesm90]

I've had three Subaru Legacys and Outback they get a lot of love and respect from their owners. None ever let me down.

[@Kacpa2]

Subaru's focus on just he right things and "playing legos" with their parts and drivetrains makes for perfect storm where you get a fun versatile and sporty station wagon, that has no issues of german "counterparts" and being a bargain on 2nd hand market. They did have minor blunders that stained some of their reputation leading to mockery about headgasket issues when it only affected single engine variant for brief period of time(tho one of biggest in volume as it was 2.5 EJ naturally aspirate motor used in Outback, Legacies and Foresters.) Other one being in early run of their boxer diesel in tail end of 4th generation Legacy with cracking crankshafts due to defect, which was completely resolved 2 years later, but it made people fearful of choosing it in later models even tho it's was very reliable after initial revisions. Both of these events got Subaru tag of unreliability from burned or uneducated owners in the matter(2.5 EJ headgasket issues is permanently fixable with little research by using WRX STi gasket instead, but people kept replacing it with same parts and Subarus reaction was somewhat delayed)

[@Low760]

The fact you can swap so many parts from a mid 10's Impreza into a gc is what I like about them m

[@Kacpa2]

@@Low760 Its also a godsend with repairs and modifications. Many upgrades both oem(sti) and afternarket fit several models like suspension, brakes, short throw shifter linkages, rims.(same bolt pattern for 30 years now).

[@nicksmith8557]

Stumbled upon your channel recently and now I'm hooked! Just wanted to comment that your promotion of Ugears is great. Supporting a great Ukrainian company at this time is a very admirable thing. Thank you.

[@BigCar2]

Glad you're enjoying the videos Nick!

[@chris-townson]

Great stuff. I'd love to see a video for the XT and SVX. We had both and they were so unique with some very quirky features that I think people would be interested in.

[@nadeemchaudhry6585]

Long awaited and very much appreciated. Another brilliant video!! Thank you

[@practicalshooter6517]

You keep on mentioning Subaru 4wd, but they are AWD, very different systems. Also, Paul Hogan is the man that made the turn for Subaru, he was able to sale Subaru to the American market.

[@spacecowboy2483]

Almost 25 years ago, with my own eyes, I saw a Justy traverse an off road stretch of loose sand on a beach like it was driving on pavement, all the while passing by a Mitsubishi L200 pick up that had gotten stuck and its driver, who was staring in awe at the scene 🤣. Great cars the Subarus!

[@DeanoBanksy]

Didn't even know they were still around, only ever see the older Impreza WRX's around. Just seen their current UK lineup..oh my how tragic.

[@pedward1313]

One of your best videos by far, thanks so much!

[@mtumasz]

I remember renting Subaru Justy in 1994 to drive from Kent to Reading Festival. Sadly I cannot find a single photo of that model. It was tiny, it looked like a bar of soap yet it still had AWD

[@WieDrDerJonge]

The SVX didn't share it's 6 cylinder engine with the Legacy.

[@verttikoo2052]

How about miniseries of those wooden cars? Backstory and making?

[@Daren_PNW]

That'd be neat! They also seem to have a charming period feel to them as if they're early 20th century and steampunk meshed together.

[@positrondesign6514]

When I was a kid the Gas station across the street sold Subaru 360's. In college I had to deliver Pizza in horrible clapped out Subaru's. Thank goodness I trust Subaru enough now that I drive a WRX.

[@michaelblake8837]

Another great video! Thought I'd comment today to say that your added humour and relaxed presentation came across well a bit like when you've done 'optional extras' videos. Keep up the good work and thank you 👍🏻🙂

[@BigCar2]

Thanks. Glad it’s becoming a little less like I’m reading a script!

[@Chris391971]

Even today, the Impreza is still a very sought after rally car!!!

[@indopleaser]

wow his guy won a prize with that comment. not to seem negative but Subarus dont even make rally cars. haha

[@ianholmquist8492]

@@indopleaser yes they do kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y4XViqabmstrhKc

[@johnkkkj]

@@indopleaser Subaru still rallies just not in WRC! Go check out some videos and see for yourself. The old ones are sought after because they are classics now.

[@timjohnson67]

Thank you for another well thought out and informative video. You certainly know your stuff and deserve many more viewers.

[@trwsandford]

I’ve always liked Subarus. One I’d like to have is a Brat. I’d do an engine swap to a modern turbo boxer engine, but do no body work at all. Just rust stop, and a clear coat to preserve the patina. The interior of course would be restomod, with a bunch of modern touches.

[@JK061996]

15:55 another result of this partnership was the 4th gen Subaru Justy, a rebadged Daihatsu Sirion. Interestingly the Daihatsu was available with AWD while the Subaru wasn't.

[@backhandahooker]

As a 3x Subaru owner you absolutely made my day with so many interesting details of Subarus past. Thank you!

[@glennnel3570]

A superlative presentation. Thank you so much. Your endorsement of UGears is not only empathetic and generous but also well considered in light of your subscriber profile. Commendable, on every front. Well done, and thank you. KZbin would benefit from more of your ilk.

[@richardcrossley5581]

Not only an interesting history of Subaru, but an interesting product placement as well. Keep up the great work!

[@markw4263]

I just bought my first Subaru (a Crosstrek) and it’s been great. At 70, this could well be my last car and it’s been a very nice experience. 5he build quality is impressive and I like the emphasis on safety and the built in safety systems have been easy to adjust to.

[@edwinreid8355]

I went to a Boarding School in Highland Perthshire back in the late 90's & early 00's where there was at least a couple of kids parents, the school janitor ( his work vehicle was a Brat Pickup ) & even the school's founder had a Subaru Estate, Impreza AWD or some model. In general they seemed to be a fairly common sight up that way. The original Impreza Turbo was my preference over the Lancer Turbo.

[@reneschoon8428]

My second car was a GLF-5, such a beautiful and reliable car! I looooved the frameless side windows... My dad drove a Legacy to pull his caravan. Great cars. In the Netherlands not very cheap though...

[@kfh123]

"Brat", "Corona", "Bighorn" here are some interesting model names (:

[@OutsideTheTargetDemographic]

My father bought a 1983 Subaru GL wagon in Louisiana, a FWD 1.8l CARBORATED station wagon. That wagon stayed with us for 19 years of his United States Air Force service, getting us through the forests of Germany (where it saw the Berlin Wall fall), dried lake beds of California (where the space shuttle lands), Alps of Italy (and Vince, Rome, and the Almafi Coast), and desert of Texas (where no humans should ever be) before he sold it to a college kid. It had 180k+ miles on the clock, and he claims all he had to do to it was replace the clutch plates twice in that span. Reliable, do all, trustworthy service. He has replaced it with a Dodge Stratus, new off the lot, who's transmission shit the bed within a month of ownership. Since then, he has had 4 Subarus, through Anchorage Alaska, Pennsylvania, and now Ohio. One of those, a 2018 6MT Forester, now sits in my driveway, receiving a fresh wash and wax today, as it turns out. I get 31.5mpg during the summer in a 4WD, trailer-pulling, family mover. Here's to Subaru. 😘🍷

[@henktulp4400]

Subaru engines are great!!!!.... A girl came to my workshop with a rather run down Volkswagen T3 campervan.... it’s engine worn/leaking/rattely.... (1.8 watercooled flat four petrol engine) and asked my advise... without hesitation I said I’ld fit a Subaru engine.... Next day she came back and told me to make an estimate... I was very modest regarding the condition of the van and told her I’ld be ‘improvising’ the engine in it... I fitted a 1.8 flat four Subaru engine from a scrap car and it transformed the van!!!! Powerful,economic,reliable and quiet!!!!!..... (compaired to the previous VW contraption....)

[@splittin2atoms]

love your channel, thanks for all the hard work. One minor thing is that after every video of yours that i watch, i have to block about 5 channels of my starting page that have top gear clips and other road trip super car content. Your channel is the only car related channel i watch but yt algo keeps trying.

[@Stephenb033]

Another great video and a heart warming piece of promo too.

[@KristianK9755]

Hi mate! I am an 2011 Subaru Impreza owner!Thank you very much for this episode!🍻🍻

[@shaywhelan1]

Thank you for supporting U Gears. They are such wonderful products.

[@adrianrutterford762]

Wonderful video thanks

[@NLBassist]

Great vid! That Subaru vs. Volvo ad is extra quirky, cos it has the Volvo lay out and lettering. Or it's very close. Love it.

[@stuntmonkey00]

Myself and friends came of age during the 90's, and that meant Honda (in North America). Everybody had a Civic and everybody's mom drove an Accord. 6 years ago I thought I was going to get another Honda but then I realized that Honda had stopped making the kind of car I liked. Conservative styling, great visibility, straightforward ergonomics... the Subarus of the past 6 years years have almost been like throwbacks to the great days of the 90's, while Honda and Toyota go off chasing non-nonsensical trends and abandon form-follows-function design.

[@LonewolfWRX]

Great video! I never really seen a video of Subarus history like this. I’m glad you didn’t really dip into the rally aspect of Subaru as much as other videos do so seeing this was very refreshing because I didn’t know its true history apart from its rally history.

[@BigCar2]

That was the goal. The rally stuff is always talked about, but I wanted to show the whole company.

[@WarriorsPhoto]

Good videos with wonderful story telling. The way you tell stories is like an old grandfather around the fireplace 🔥. Thank you sir.

[@BigCar2]

I get it - I’m old! 😜

[@WarriorsPhoto]

@@BigCar2 Glad there’s a sense of humour about that. 😂 🤣

[@Just-a-guy926]

I had a DL 4 WD wagon just like the green one in your video. I drove that thing all over our farm. 😊

[@rudelchw]

Thanks, great story .. I'm so glad to be subscribed to your channel ... gteertings from an Outback owner 👍

[@harkinsclark1417]

My Sambar mk4 did 400'000 miles before I killed it by hitting a tree, the reliability and low cost of ownership is one of the key reasons my company is successful today 🙂.

[@ziginox]

Gotta point out an errata. The SVX's 6-cylinder (the EG33) was unique to that car. The Legacy didn't even receive a six cylinder until 2000, after the EG33 had been discontinued. They instead received the EZ series of engines, also used in the ill-fated Tribeca. I'm also really disappointed you didn't mention the whole reason for Subaru's foray into small 4WD cars! In 1970, the Tohoku Electric Power Co. sent a special request to Subaru to build one of their wagons with 4WD, as a potential replacement for their aging Jeep fleet. The Jeeps were not comfortable for cold weather use, lacking much in the way of weather sealing. Two prototypes were built for testing, which succeeded. A Subaru 1300 wagon equipped with 4WD was shown at the 18th Tokyo Motor Show in 1971. Eight of these in total were built. When the Leone was introduced in 1971, replacing the 1000/1300, part-time 4WD became a production option.

[@Daren_PNW]

Subaru, the main manufacturer that was in my car garage of the Gran Turismo videogames 1-3, ahhhh. Wonderful clip! And _very cool_ company sponsor today! I loved models growing up... maybe I need to pick this one up.

[@BigCar2]

I was really surprised at the sort of stuff uGears have.

[@01FozzyS]

Love the channel, love the story even more. Have owned a WRX and Forester and love them both!

[@MrLurchsThings]

Subarus (or Soobies) have always been popular here in Australia, even if at times just a solid underrated brand. Be it the early 4WD Wagons and the Brumby, the explosion of the WRX Impreza, or the current crop of Outback’s, Foresters, or XV’s. I’d love a Liberty B4 one day. A fairly forgotten but underrated car.

[@graemebell8391]

Good video,At the time, as of mid 80s bought the Justy,one of the first 4wd, hatchback, had a few more since, Impreza and XV as of today, reliable but early ones, had poor quality finish,but has improved,thanks for the video for another good one

[@bullnukeoldman3794]

Well done. Good and informative video.

[@Kill_All_Politicians]

My man big car, I love your content! I have watched every of your videos. But I love my Hondas too, especially the Jazz, especially the 1984 version. Retro Hondas are insanely hot. I bet you will love them!

[@PurpKing4377]

great episode

[@endrizo]

the 5 stars logo has more story than that.. every star represents the 5 companies or divisions that joined forces in the new company

[@nickwebb9290]

Another enjoyable and in depth programme 👍 Did I hear a rumour a few years ago that Subaru had stopped importing the Impreza to the UK? Love the Ugears models and there are some great ideas for Christmas presents amongst their range 😁

[@robbflynn4325]

We have a 2019 Forester Premium bought new in November 2018. Now has over 70,000 miles, zero problems and we always get over 30 mpg. It really is a great all round compact SUV.

[@TheKitMurkit]

My 2006 forester runs on LPG (propane gas) and has only minor problems

[@OutsideTheTargetDemographic]

My father bought a 1983 Subaru GL wagon in Louisiana, a FWD 1.8l CARBORATED station wagon. That wagon stayed with us for 19 years of his United States Air Force service, getting us through the forests of Germany (where it saw the Berlin Wall fall), dried lake beds of California (where the space shuttle lands), Alps of Italy (and Vince, Rome, and the Almafi Coast), and desert of Texas (where no humans should ever be) before he sold it to a college kid. It had 180k+ miles on the clock, and he claims all he had to do to it was replace the clutch plates twice in that span. Reliable, do all, trustworthy service. He has replaced it with a Dodge Stratus, new off the lot, who's transmission shit the bed within a month of ownership. Since then, he has had 4 Subarus, through Anchorage Alaska, Pennsylvania, and now Ohio. One of those, a 2018 6MT Forester, now sits in my driveway, receiving a fresh wash and wax today, as it turns out. I get 31.5mpg during the summer in a 4WD, trailer-pulling, family mover. Here's to Subaru. 😘🍷

[@louisbeerreviews8964]

@@TheKitMurkit lpg is

[@viorelnegru9710]

They are very good cars, but they failed with the diesel boxer engines.

[@ca9968]

Other than the cylinder head issues, the Impreza WRX and WRX STi models are still some of the most entertaining Toyota Corolla type cars that money can buy! Big bang for not so much buck...well, they used to be anyway...

[@MrNegativecreep07]

Unfortunately I'd put money on Subaru being the next big manufacturer to pull out of Europe. The boxer engine struggles to meet emissions and fuel economy standards, and they're a very rare sight on the road these days.

[@mertcalc3259]

Only EV's will save Subaru in Europe however they don't have indigenous EV platform and they use Toyota's EV platform now . Their first electric model is a rebadged Toyota and uses Toyota's e-TNGA platform.

[@baronvonjo1929]

@@mertcalc3259 I'm a Toyota fan boy but the Solterra/bz4x is kinda a dissapointment. I appreciate they tried be the first to make a "affordable" ev offender type thing but overall it's not promising. If they don't get more out for Subaru to use I wouldn't be surprised if they leave Europe.

[@BigCar2]

There's very few sales. I agree, it might happen (or they might be rolled into Toyota sales).

[@matthewbowen5841]

I have a strong suspicion that Toyota farmed the bz4x/Solterra development largely to Subaru. Toyota has been very public about their lukewarm support for full EVs, and lots of the engineering seems much more "21st century Subaru half-baked" than Toyota. Not to mention the major wheel-off recall/stop-sale, with Subaru's longstanding wheel stud fracturing issues. Maybe I'm off base, but it makes sense for Toyota to hedge its bets by letting Subaru pour money into a platform and technology that Toyota doesn't see much potential in, similar to the BRZ/FRS/GT86/86/whatever it's called this week at Toyota.

[@mertcalc3259]

@@matthewbowen5841 Toyota owns the platform (e-TNGA) so that means development is done by Toyota. Even bZ4x and Solterra's steering wheels are identical. Solterra is just a rebadged version of bZ4x.

[@MuniTechnology]

I'm an original owner of a factory-ordered 2010 Forester with a manual 5spd trans. I drive it like a senior citizen and the center viscous coupling failed at 70K miles. You would think a car from a company that prides itself on AWD could get more from it's AWD system. Otherwise a flawless car, but I'm not happy.

[@orthancsmorkaingenjorsbyra6009]

Me and my engineering students really enjoy your films. Well done.

[@VanderJam]

Should've talked about the Paul Hogan marketing campaign. Those commercials are my first memory of Subaru and still define Subaru to me today.

[@Rammstein56]

At Subaru it was technicians who ruled the company, not marketeers, the only other mass producing company that has been managed like this I can think of were Citroën in their heydays of 2CV and DS. A friend always stated that if you put an Impreza GC8 on a ramp you can see where the money had gone and that there was no money left to design a sexy body.

[@gunnimikki]

WHAT! The gc8 is the sexiest

[@evelinedijkstra7236]

@@gunnimikki I have one. For years now, tucked away in a dry storage, a WRX STI Type R, Version V limited edition. Converted to LHD and fitted with the six speed gearbox. Bought it when they were still affordable.

[@gunnimikki]

@@evelinedijkstra7236 lucky!

[@ply34]

Excellent video; very good story telling and clips put together. I've been a happy Subaru BRZ owner since 2013. I've been considering Foresters, Imprezas, WRX for sometime because of the Subaru's reputation (and the STi's WRC success) but had previously gone with Mazdas (3, 6). The Ukranian working wooden models look quite interesting; thanks for introducing that to your viewers. Slava Ukraini!

[@enki9013]

As part of Russia.

[@louisbeerreviews8964]

@@enki9013 Ukraine isn’t part of Russia look it up

[@Weird.Dreams]

Let's all buy those models for ukrainian kids (the ones that haven't been used as bullet sponges by the ukrainian nazi army).

[@fantastic1921]

Been waiting for this one. 👌🏼👌🏼

[@Danger_mouse]

10:07 Fun fact VIVIO is a loose Roman number name for the Kei Car engine size VI VI O, or 660cc 🙂👍 The late Colin Mcrea drove one in the Safari Rally one year. Ive owned 2 Suburbs, my father owned 2 x Burmby (Brat) utes and my eldest son has an RS Legacy in our driveway right now. They made great cars over the years, but I fear that their cars have gotten old and fat, like perhaps some of their customers have, and they are no longer the exciting rally focused cool company they once were. It make me a little sad actually.

[@robertwestinghouse4098]

Excellent as always. One thing I thought I read (?), there was/may have been a sharing of technology between Alfa Romeo and Subaru. Alfa got the 4-WD (see the Alfa Panorama - I think) and Subaru got the AlfaSud Boxer engine tech....but I could be wrong.

[@BigCar2]

I didn't read that anywhere, but I could have missed it.

[@robertinferno7862]

@@BigCar2 Alfa Romeo boxer engines has nothing to do with Subaru engines. I'm a mechanic, I know all engines. Alfa Romeo tried something with Nissan (ARNA) but the product was a terrible car with a dull design and the Alfa Romeo 33's boxer engine.

[@floydblandston108]

It's been too many years that when yet another Subaru ad says 'built with love', I mutter under my breath; "...and very little steel". They are.....'ok'- as simple and easy to repair as modern cars are capable of, but still pretty 'tinny'. They are definitely not Toyota quality, but my daughter's 2005 'Saabaru' is still a great ride at 190k miles, understanding it got there with fanboi level care and attention.

[@taurinwilson5772]

Love the channel great video. One correction, at about 9:45 you mention that the SVX was "given the same 6-cylinder engine as the Legacy". The 3.3 liter 6-cylinder engine in the SVX was never shared with the Legacy. Anyways, thank you for another excellent video.

[@VintageVigilante]

I learned to drive in 2007 in my dad's Forester 2.5. What a perfect car. Despite looking a bit fugly in basic spec, it drives so well and can withstand proper abuse. Steering is so sharp for an SUV and it corners flat. The car is still driving fine to this day despite hauling itself and my family over most of the mountains in South Africa. I recently borrowed it and took it through the harsh Cederberg Mountain range with a group of friends. It didn't miss a beat. Great cars, these.

[@mrmocki]

I owned a Subaru GLS station wagon, which I now know, thanks to you was a leone estate. In rural lincolnshire they were the go to farmers car , and when I later bought a “L series “ 2.2 turbo estate , the local boy racers were not impressed when a old farmers car thrashed their escort xr3 s from the lights , and as for car park races , no one else could charge up gear in reverse ! Oh how the switchable 4wd was a thing of fantasticness

[@akmt9114]

I live in Alaska. land of the Subie. Cars are like gold here, always sell for good money.

[@SharpblueCreative]

My father had a fair few Legacy’s - we lived on a farm so it was practical due to 4WD - then he got the Impezza later on.

[@maldridge7630]

Excellent video 👍 I especially like Ugears.

[@maciejszumny6919]

Great video.

[@Emppu_T.]

Adored the XT ever since i saw one in town as a youngster. And I've always found their cars wither really sturdy lr thwir offshoots really quirky. Fantastic video.

[@mark_u]

Subaru is indeed the "master of reuse". All of its vehicles - apart from the BRZ, current gen Impreza, Soltrerra, and of course the rebadged Daihatsus - are using the same dash design! :D

[@gregmesemondo1401]

Toyota Camry built by Subaru has a better statistical reliability than any other Camry. Been to the factory when they were made together with Camry and Legacy. Amazing place.

[@walterkopatz288]

Brilliant research ...thank you. Cheers from Switzerland, the Subaru Land :)

[@JeffKing310]

Very interesting video - great recap of a quirky brand. I think Bricklin the car was Canadian but Bricklin the person was American. I’ll definitely use the link to shop Ugears. Thanks Andy!