The 7 Recommended Subaru Models By Consumer Reports And 2 That Aren’t

Does Subaru make the best new cars? Earlier this year, Consumer Reports ranked 32 car brands based on the Overall Scores of their models, including road tests, reliability, satisfaction, and safety. Subaru came out as the car brand that makes the best vehicles.

A new ranking from Consumer Reports now has Subaru as the best mainstream (non-luxury) lineup of vehicles for 2023. Subaru has a top mainstream brand score of 79, followed by Mini (79), Honda (77), Toyota (76), Mazda (75), Kia (73), Hyundai (71), Dodge (68), Volkswagen (64), and Nissan (63) round out the top 10 best car brands.

In a new video below, Consumer Reports recommends seven Subaru models, the 2023 Outback midsize sedan, the 2023 Crosstrek subcompact SUV, the 2023 Forester compact SUV, the 2023 Ascent 3-Row SUV, the 2023 Impreza compact car, the 2023 Legacy sedan, and 2023 Solterra EV. The all-new Solterra is the latest CR-recommended Subaru model. The 2023 Subaru WRX sport. Sedan and 2023 BRZ sport coupe are the two models still not recommended by CR. Check out why below.

What sets the Subaru brand apart?

In addition to getting the highest road test scores, reliability, owner satisfaction, and top safety scores, all Subaru vehicles come standard with the brand's Symmetrical all-wheel-drive. In addition, the Forester, Outback, Crosstrek, and Ascent have 8.7 inches of ground clearance, the SUVs have X-Mode for additional all-weather performance, and Forester and Outback now have the rugged Wilderness trim levels for outdoor enthusiasts.

What do owners say?

Seventy-nine percent of 2023 Forester owners answered "definitely yes" to the question asked by the Consumer Reports Annual Auto Survey "Considering all factors (price, performance, reliability, comfort, enjoyment, etc.), would you get this car if you had to do it all over again?" Seventy percent of 2023 Outback owners said they would buy the exact vehicle again.

In addition to getting the highest road-test scores, reliability, owner satisfaction, and safety, Subaru vehicles are affordable, get the best fuel efficiency of any gas-powered lineup, and retain their value better than other brands.

Subaru's WRX performance model scores the lowest and is not recommended by Consumer Reports.

Consumer Reports says the 2023 Subaru WRX has a predicted reliability of 2/5. CR says, "We expect the 2023 WRX to be less reliable than other new cars. This prediction is based on Subaru's brand history and the previous models of the WRX." The WRX is not on Consumer Reports' recommended list of sports cars.

Consumer Reports says the 2023 Subaru BRZ is being tested, but the Toyota GR86, made alongside the BRZ, has a predicted reliability score of 3/5. CR says the 2023 BRZ sports coupe "is expected to have about average reliability compared to other new cars." But they still need to put it on the recommended list.

The 2023 Subaru Forester, Outback, Crosstrek, Ascent, Impreza, Legacy, and Solterra are the seven new models recommended by Consumer Reports in its annual report card of "Which Car Brands Make the Best Vehicles?"

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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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