The 11 Ways You'll Know If You Are A Real Subaru Fanatic Or A Fake

If you are a Subaru owner, congratulations. Here are eleven ways to know if you are a real Subaru fan or a fake.

First of all, congratulations that you are now a Subaru owner. The Subaru culture is as close to a cult as you can get, and you now need to know what it takes to be an indoctrinated "fan" (fanatic) of the brand.

A Subaru is not an ordinary automobile. You are now officially a part of a culture that loves its cars more than they love its own family. Your Subaru is not just a car to commute to work; it's your best friend. If this fits you, you might be a Subaru fanatic. Here are eleven ways you'll know for sure if you are a real fan or a fake.

photo credit: @livelle.co

You will call your new Subaru vehicle a Subie.

Subaru owners are some of the most passionate car owners around. Owners love to drive and talk about their Subaru vehicles. It doesn't matter which vehicle you have from the Japanese automaker. You can own an Impreza, WRX, Crosstrek, Forester, Outback, Ascent, BRZ, Legacy, Solterra, or Baja. Subaru owners affectionately call their vehicle a Subie or Scubi.

You need to love stickers.

We've all seen the Subaru Forester or Outback loaded up with stickers on the back. This can't be explained with any reasonable explanation. Subaru of America even encourages adding more stickers to your vehicle. They contribute to the phenomenon with their "Badge of Ownership" with "Loyalty" numbers and 48 "Lifestyle" icons. If you spot an older Subaru Outback or Forester with no stickers, it's unusual. So get ready to sticker and badge up your new Subaru.

photo credit: @thebrynnn)

You prefer a 6-speed manual over the CVT automatic transmission.

Subaru purists prefer to drive a 5-speed or 6-speed manual gearbox over the CVT automatic. However, Subaru dropped the 6-speed manual in the Outback and Legacy in 2015 models and Forester in 2019 because they now offer EyeSight driver assist technology as standard equipment on the three all-wheel-drive cars. All 2024 Impreza and 2024 Crosstrek models are only CVT automatic models. You either own or will buy an older model to get a manual gearbox.

You'll love the Subie Rumble.

The Subaru Boxer engine has a unique sound, and WRX/STI drivers like to make their performance cars even louder by installing custom exhaust systems. It's called the "Subie rumble," and WRX/STI owners are proud of it.

photo credit@Subiewoo

If you buy a new 2023 Subaru Forester, Outback, Crosstrek, or WRX/STI, you know many other drivers on the road already dislike you. It's because the perception is that you drive too slow, your Outback is full of stickers, you don't know how to drive, and your WRX/STI is too loud. If you are in a long line of cars looking to merge into slower traffic, don't be surprised if they don't let you in. But you love your Subaru and don't care what they think.

Subie owners park by Subie owners.

When parking your Subie in any store parking lot, you look for another Subaru to park next to. Subaru owners always park next to other Subarus whenever possible, even if it means parking farther away from their intended destination.

You have a social media account for your Subaru.

You will change your profile picture on all your social media accounts, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, with a picture of your car and let the world know it's one of, if not your greatest, love on the planet. You will show off your vehicle whenever you get a chance.

Snow is your friend

The first time it snows, you must be the first person on the road and take your unbelieving friends out for a ride. Show them why your Subaru is even more fun to drive on wet, gravel, snowy, and muddy road conditions. Even better, take a video clip of yourself doing donuts in the parking lot and post it on your Instagram page.

photo credit: @elliecrosstrek

You always have two sets of tires.

You remove the all-season tires and replace them with snow and winter-rated tires every fall. You don't wait in line at the tire store after everyone else waits until the season's first snowfall. You will be ready in late October.

Your Subaru will be dirty more than it's clean.

Subaru fans take their vehicles off-road, and their cars won't sit in the garage when muddy roads exist, just like snow Subaru fanatics love playing in the dirt with their all-wheel-drive vehicle. Your Subaru SUV will be dirty more than it's clean.

photo credit: @abi.lafleur

You will own more than one Subaru vehicle.

Do you own a Subaru vehicle? Well, congratulations to you and thousands of other owners out there. But true Subaru fans own two Subaru models and maybe more. First, you will have your daily commuter, and then you'll own a WRX, BRZ, or an older Subaru project car in your garage that you are restoring or modding out.

You will own a rooftop tent or mountain bike carrier for your Subaru.

photo credit: @atobar14

Getting away from the city on the weekends is not a want; it's a need. You aren't sitting home watching Netflix; you are out exploring and getting away from civilization. You didn't buy your Subaru Crosstrek, Outback, Forester, or another all-wheel-drive vehicle for commuting and using to haul groceries on the weekend. You will sleep in the back of your Subaru SUV if you don't own a rooftop tent.

If you are a Subaru owner, congratulations. These eleven are how to know if you are a real Subie fan or a fake. Let us know in the comment section below if we need to include any.

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Denis Flierl has invested over 30 years in the automotive industry in a consulting role working with every major car brand. He is an accredited member of the Rocky Mountain Automotive Press. Check out Subaru Report, where he covers all of the Japanese automaker's models. More stories can be found on the Torque News Subaru page. Follow Denis on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

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Photo credit: main image Subaru of America via @sunnynsonic