Don’t Worry, Subie Newbie – We’ll Help You Pick The Right Subaru For Your Next Adventure
If you’re shopping Subarus, you’re likely familiar with the company’s brand image of “love” and the market this company has always catered to: drivers who care about the environment, value sustainability and community involvement, and, of course, National Parks.
Subaru—Subie to insiders—has a vehicle for just about every lifestyle, from family cars to sporty performance cars to sensible crossovers. The Ascent is great for families who love road trips to the mountains. The WRX is perfect for those who value all-wheel drive from a sporty perspective, and the Solterra is one of three new EVs with a 3-row model coming soon—so there’s quite a bit to choose from.
This story is 100% human-researched and written based on actual first-person knowledge, extensive experience, and expertise on the subject of cars and trucks.
Why Do So Many Subaru Owners Love This Brand?
A relatively small and independent Japanese manufacturer, Subaru has become well-known for its cost-effectiveness, crazy high resale value, safety ratings, and inspiring love among drivers for including all-wheel drive standard on all its vehicles (except the BRZ sports car). This made its sedans and SUVs very capable on snowy, muddy roads when average cars were simply not capable.
The one thing about Subaru owners is you’ll be hard-pressed to find one that isn’t borderline (or completely) obsessed with it. As a Subaru owner myself, I can confidently say it’ll be difficult to convince me to buy anything else after my Forester finally kicks the bucket.
Ready to join the Subie cult? Let’s take a brief look at each model and discuss what makes them unique so you can pick which one would look the best in your driveway.
WATCH: Subaru Goes Uncharted in its Newest Electric SUV: The 2026 Subaru Uncharted
The Outback is a Classic, and Great for Nearly Everyone
The Outback is the quintessential Subaru. It’s a smaller SUV with the cargo space, rear seat room, ground clearance, and ease of exit/entry we all value in a car that we expect will do it all. It’s been a huge hit since it was introduced, so when Subaru redesigned it for 2025, the company had to be careful not to offend its fans.
With a lot of research, customer discussions and thinking about what they value too, Subaru’s engineers crafted what many think is the best Outback yet; it maintains its original proportions but with a bit of added headroom for more interior volume. It has a new, sharper look on the outside, a new multimedia system and a better organized center console with larger cup holders. There’s a cool new cargo organizer in the rear and the roof rails were reinforced to hold up to 800 lbs. of weight for roof-top camping, and each rail can hold up to 200 lbs. of weight for things like awnings or hammocks.
RELATED: Which Subaru Wilderness is Right For You?
All Trim Levels, from Basic to Luxury, Are Competitively Priced
One of the many great things about the Outback is the pricing. The base model Outback, which still comes with amazing safety features and creature comforts, starts just under $35,000.
The priciest but most luxurious model, the Touring XT, comes with every bell and whistle Subaru offers for just $47,995 – making it a lavish bargain. The Wilderness model, which adds all-terrain tires and other off-road features, is priced from $44,995.
All trim levels (except the XT model ) come with a 2.5-liter four-cylinder Boxer (or “flat”) engine that produces 182 horsepower with a CVT (continuously variable transmission) to keep the AWD Subaru efficient. If you opt for an XT model, you get 260 horsepower from a 2.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder.
RELATED: The 2024 Subaru Solterra is a Beautifully Rugged All-Electric SUV
The Outback’s Off-Road Prowess Inspired the Wilderness Models
Aside from campers, hikers, families, and your grandparents, the Outback is also adored by off-roaders. The ground clearance, reliability, and AWD impressed trailblazers as it flawlessly kept up with modified Jeeps and other four-wheelers.
Subaru acknowledged the niche market and gave way to the Wilderness trim, which comes with a factory lift, bigger and more aggressive tires, a rugged look, and underbody guards – all for $39,960 MSRP. The Forester and Crosstrek also have a Wilderness trim.
The Forester Wilderness is just as rugged, with a budget-friendly price of $34,920, and the Crosstrek is priced at $32,195.
READ MORE: Hyundai Santa Fe Hybrid Review — A Car So Good My Husband Wants One ASAP
A Crosstrek is Perfect for Singles and Small Families
If the Outback and the most diminutive Subaru, the Impreza, had a baby, it would be the Crosstrek. The Crosstrek has the ground clearance, design inspiration, and rugged abilities of the Outback, but the size, cargo space, and efficiency of the Impreza.
I say “small families” because a Crosstrek has legroom, but not very much trunk space to accommodate a stroller, diaper bag, and all of your camping gear. Though, you could easily make it work with a cargo box or roof basket up top. Just be prepared to exchange a few miles per gallon.
Like the Outback, it’s also a tremendous bargain. The base model Crosstrek is just $26,995, while the Limited is $33,795. The Wilderness trim is the priciest model of this baby SUV. The Crosstrek was also the company’s first hybrid in 2020, and the current lineup includes two hybrid models, the Sport and Limited.
If you’ve got a college-bound teen and want a safe, inexpensive, reliable, and fun car to take them safely to and from campus, the Crosstrek is definitely worth a serious look.
RELATED: 10 Things My Family Loved About the 2024 Subaru Crosstrek Wilderness
The Forester is a Capable Compact SUV
The recently redesigned Subaru Forester is a roomy, comfortable, and capable mid-sized SUV that’s great for parents and campers alike. It’s one of those cars that’s pretty decent at everything. Except for moving quickly. The Forester is a lot of things, but quick isn’t one of them.
Size-wise, it’s a happy medium between the compact Crosstrek and the Outback. It’s a little bit taller than the Outback, too, so the visibility feels a lot more open. The Outback, Crosstrek, and Forester have identical ground clearance figures, making the Forester just as easy to get in and out of.
The Forester also comes in a Wilderness trim, with all the off-road-ready goodies as the Crosstrek or Outback Wilderness. Like its relatives, it’s also a great bargain – ranging from $29,995 to $41,595.
READ MORE: The Ultimate Off-Road Hybrid Showdown: Toyota RAV4 Woodland vs. Subaru Forester
The Ascent is Made For Families who Explore
If you’ve got a family and need a 3rd row for cargo or passengers, the Ascent is the Subaru for you. It’s the largest and most expensive gas-powered car in the lineup, but with the priciest trim level being $51,995, it’s one of the most affordable 3-row SUVs on the market. It has all the features people love about Subaru – including a long list of standard safety features.
The Onyx Edition also comes with waterproof seating, which is a must for those with small children. It makes cleanup a breeze.
If you’re considering an Ascent because of the third row, be aware that, as a grown adult, it wasn’t very comfortable at all. I had to sit sideways to keep my knees from being pressed into my chest. It’d be perfect for older children out of car seats, though.
The Ascent comes in eight trim levels, ranging from seven to eight passengers with the option of two bench rows, or two captain’s chairs as the second row and a bench third row.
READ MORE: The 2025 Subaru Forester Hybrid is At Home Among the Trees and Hills
The Impreza is an Incredible Value
As a mom, the Impreza hatchback would be the car I would buy my teen. It’s seriously affordable while coming with the undefeated AWD system that Subaru’s famous for. It also includes the Subaru EyeSight even at the base trim, and gets over 30 mpg – for just under $26,595 MSRP.
The RS, which is the sportier cream-of-the-crop trim level, has an MSRP of $29,495.
Plus, it’s adorable. A fun, safe, efficient, and attractive compact car? If I were young, single, and looking to buy my first car, I would look seriously at the Impreza.
If not for single youngins, this would also be a great commuter car for those who live in areas that experience snow and rain on a regular basis, or small city families who find parking a challenge.
READ MORE: The 2024 Honda Prologue is the Golden Retriever of SUVs
The Legacy is Gone—But You Can Buy Them Used
The Legacy was the brand’s only sedan, discontinued after 2025, and it was meant to appeal to those who want a more “upscale” experience from the other models in the lineup. Although one of the more fancy models to choose from, it doesn’t take away from Subaru’s mission to deliver a quality product at a reasonable price.
The base model started at $26,810, and the top-of-the-line Touring XT cost a shocking $40,110. Every model except for the Touring XT has the standard 2.5-liter four-cylinder. The Touring XT has the 2.4-liter turbo-four-cylinder that’s in the Ascent, Outback XT, and the WRX.
If you want a Subaru that feels more like a Lincoln, be sure to test drive a Legacy. You can find them used for a very reasonable price.
If a Sports Car is in Your Sights, Look to the BRZ
The BRZ is Subaru’s only rear-wheel drive two-door sports car, and it feels like a refined roadster. There’s no turbo under the hood, but the tuned 2.4-liter four-cylinder Boxer engine paired with either an automatic or a six-speed manual is plenty powerful.
The rear seat is tiny in the BRZ, so it’s obviously not ideal for the kids, but it would make for a fun yet efficient weekender. If you don’t have kids, the visibility and safety features make it an attractive daily driver.
The tS version is the model’s best, and it fetches a price of $35,860, pitting it up against the likes of famous canyon cutters like the Toyota GR 86, with which the BRZ shares its DNA, the Mazda Miata MX-5, Nissan Z, or Honda Civic Type R.
A WRX Brings Rally Readiness for an Affordable Price
In case you haven’t followed rally racing, Subaru is a champion in the World Rally Championship thanks to the engineering behind the WRX and WRX STi. The STi has been discontinued and is being configured as an EV, but the winning DNA still shines through the modern WRX.
At the base level, Subaru’s AWD system is paired with a tuned version of the 2.4-liter turbo four-cylinder engine that’s in the Ascent, Outback, and Legacy XT. Instead of 260 horsepower, the enlightened engine generates 271 horsepower. The rally-ready six-speed manual transmission turns this sleek sedan into a rocket.
The base model WRX is $37,750, making performance relatively affordable. Especially since it has plenty of cargo space, car-seat-ready rear seats, all of Subaru’s best safety features, excellent visibility, handling, braking, steering, and acceleration. The top-of-the-line model, the GT, is a reasonable $44,215.
If you’re looking for a car that can haul the family, the groceries, handle all four seasons, and do autocross competitions in the same 24 hours, the WRX is for you.
Let’s Talk About the Subaru Solterra EV
If you’ve ever seen a Solterra and thought it looked suspiciously like a Toyota bZ4X, that’s because it is—sort of. The Solterra, translated from Latin to mean “Sun and Earth,” is the brand’s first EV as a result of a wonderful partnership with Toyota.
Like the Toyota, the Solterra’s AWD and battery size give the EV a moderate range of around 220 miles, making it perfect for around town or short commutes to and from work. Especially since the Solterra has the ability to charge faster when it’s cold out. Subaru’s version also comes with 14 more horsepower if that’s important to you.
Subaru also brags that the Solterra is “more equipped” at a lower MSRP than Toyota’s AWD version of the bZ, which is true. All three trim levels of the Solterra are AWD, while Toyota’s two trims can be either front-wheel or all-wheel drive.
Don’t Forget About the Trailseeker and Uncharted
The Solterra will be joined in a short time by the Uncharted and the Trailseeker, both EVs designed to do all the Subaru things: trail ride, cruise city streets and best of all, leave a small footprint. The Uncharted is based on Toyota’s C-HR platform, while the Trailseeker is built on the Toyota bZ‘s platform. And, we hear, a three-row version—likely Subaru’s version of the now all-electric Highlander—is coming soon.
If you’ve only just started your Subaru journey, it’s nice to know that when you decide it’s time to trade up or trade down to your second or third, there’ll be another Subie there to fill the spot. Judging by other Subaru owners and their dedication, that’s what you’ll want to do, too.
More About:Car Buying