Skip to main content

Add new comment

Consumer Reports Recommends 5 Subaru Models, One They Don’t

Consumer Reports says Subaru makes the best vehicles over all other car brands, but which models are the best among the 2022 Subaru Outback, Crosstrek, Forester, Ascent, Impreza, and Legacy?

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.

Subaru (overall brand score of 81) scored ahead of Mazda (78), BMW (78), Honda (77), Lexus (77), Audi (75), Porsche (74), Mini (74), Toyota (74), and Infiniti (72) are the top ten automakers.

Consumer Reports tested six Subaru models, the 2022 Outback midsize sedan, Crosstrek subcompact SUV, Forester compact SUV, Ascent 3-Row SUV, Impreza compact car, and Legacy sedan. They recommend five models and one they don't. Here are CR's overall test scores for each of the six Subaru models.

2022 Subaru Forester, 2022 Subaru Crosstrek, 2022 Subaru Outback

The 2022 Forester is the highest Consumer Reports recommended Subaru model, with Legacy, Crosstrek, and Outback above 85. Impreza is also recommended, with a score of 81.

2022 Forester overall score of 90
2022 Legacy overall score of 87
2022 Crosstrek overall score of 86
2022 Outback overall score of 85
2022 Impreza overall score of 81

2022 Ascent overall score of 60

The 2022 Subaru Ascent is the only Subaru model tested by Consumer Reports that is not recommended.

2022 Subaru Forester, 2022 Subaru Crosstrek, 2022 Subaru Outback

Consumer Reports doesn't recommend the 2022 Ascent and gives then 3-Row SUV a reliability ranking of just 18 points and says there are five trouble spots. CR says the transmission, power equipment, brakes, in-car electronics, and climate system are unreliable, giving it a 1/5 in predicted reliability.

Subaru gets the highest road test scores

Subaru Outback, Crosstrek, Forester, Ascent, Impreza, and Legacy get the highest road test scores of any car brand, with an overall score of 89. The next closest automakers are Audi and Porsche, with road test scores of 88.

Should SUV shoppers stay away from the refreshed 2023 Subaru Ascent?

The Subaru Ascent was an all-new model for the 2019 model year, and as with many new cars, there are "bugs" to work out. It is a problem affecting many automakers when they launch an all-new model.

The 2019 Subaru Ascent had more problems than any other model in the automaker's lineup. In 2022, the automaker has corrected the transmission and most other issues in 2022 Ascent 3-Row SUVs. There have been no significant issues with the 2022 Subaru Ascent models and zero recalls.

What's next for the 2023 Ascent?

The 2023 Subaru Ascent 3-Row SUV is refreshed with new features and upgrades for U.S. customers. Check out the complete report below.

You Might Also Like: Meet The 2023 Subaru Ascent With Significant New Upgrades And Features

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.

Subaru Report - We’ve got you covered! Check back tomorrow for more unique, informative SUBARU news, reviews, and previews you can trust.

Leave your comments below, share the article with friends and tweet it out to your followers!

Photo credit: Subaru

The content of this field is kept private and will not be shown publicly.
  • Allowed HTML tags: <em> <strong> <cite> <blockquote cite> <ul> <ol'> <code> <li> <i>
  • No HTML tags allowed.
  • Lines and paragraphs break automatically.
This question is for testing whether you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.