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Just 18 months ago, you could walk into a Subaru retailer and buy a Forester, Crosstrek, Outback, or another new model the same day. That all changed with the microchip shortage and supply chain issues that plague all car brands. Subaru of America was hit the hardest of any automaker because they typically keep a lean inventory.
A new report from Edmunds says Subaru now has three of the ten hardest to find models in America. And the number one hardest-to-find model is a Subaru. The report also lists the average markup of the scarce models and finds Subaru is not selling these models with huge markups over the Manufactures Suggested Retail Price (MSRP).
The ten hardest to find cars as of April 2022
The number one hardest-to-find car is the next-generation 2022 Subaru WRX. It is followed by the Hyundai Sonata Hybrid, next-generation 2022 Subaru BRZ, Hyundai Tucson Plug-in Hybrid, BMW X4, Subaru Crosstrek, Honda Insight, Honda CR-V Hybrid, Toyota RAV4, and Hyundai Elantra.
An Edmunds report from 2016 revealed the days to turn for several popular manufacturers over 13 months. The report showed that the car brand with vehicles that spent the least time on a dealer lot was Subaru, with vehicles spending as little as 20 days on a lot before being sold. But the days to turn (DTT) are even fewer now.
photo credit: Subaru of Wakefield
2022 Subaru WRX
The all-new 2022 WRX is the hottest new car on sale today. Edmunds says, "On average, it spends less than a week on dealer lots before a lucky buyer scoops it up. Like its BRZ stablemate, the WRX was redesigned for 2022 and has a hardcore fanbase. Highlights of this sports sedan include rapid acceleration, composed handling, and, of course, an available manual transmission.
The average retailer markup over MSRP for the WRX is $595, and it spends an average of 6.8 days on the lot before it's sold.
2022 Subaru BRZ
The 2022 Subaru BRZ was a big hit, and Subaru of America sold out its allotment quickly. Subaru just reopened orders for the 2023 models this month.
Edmunds says, "BRZ is a pretty specialized sports car; the back seat is essentially useless, and the long doors and low ride make getting in and out a challenge. But it's also terrifically fun to drive even when you're not shifting at redline. This diminutive two-door is also new for 2022 and improved over its predecessor. Enthusiasts have been rushing to dealers to take ownership of the latest sporty two-door from Subaru."
The average retailer markup over MSRP for the BRZ is $316, and it spends an average of 7.4 days on the lot before it's sold.
2022 Subaru Crosstrek
The hot 2022 Subaru Crosstrek has been the hardest-to-find model for over a year. Edmunds says, "The Subaru Crosstrek is the Swiss Army knife of automobiles. Thanks to its comparatively tall ride height, standard all-wheel drive, and low-traction driving modes, it's more capable off-road than many other crossovers. The Crosstrek is also smaller than Subaru's Forester, so parking is easy, and its engines are pretty fuel-efficient too."
The average retailer markup over MSRP for the Crosstrek is $597, and it spends an average of 8.3 days on the lot before it's sold.
When will new car inventory improve?
There's good news for customers. Subaru Corporation gave its forecast for 2023, and it's good news for customers in the U.S. looking for its top three models and the hardest to find; Crosstrek subcompact SUV, WRX performance sedan, and BRZ sports coupe.
Subaru projects consolidated global vehicle sales of 940,000 units (up 28.1 percent from 2022)." Subaru expects shortages of parts and the supply chain issues will improve, and there will be significantly more new 2023 models produced for U.S. customers next year.
Through April 2022, the 2022 Subaru WRX, 2022 Crosstrek, and 2022 BRZ are now among the ten hardest to find new cars in America. The 2022 WRX is number one among all models.
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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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Comments
WRX isn't the hardest new
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WRX isn't the hardest new Subaru to find, the hardest would be a BRZ since as fast as the orders opened they were closed within the month. WRX'S are on dealer lots, the rear design is garbage. The second hardest Subaru to get these days is the Forester. If you order one good luck since Subaru keeps pushing delivery dates back
The dealership I work at had
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The dealership I work at had like 13 WRX's in the last month, but has all of their cars marked up 3 grand, and sold the one I had a deposit on out from under me, so I went to a dealership actually selling one for msrp, and they only had 3 in stock!
I work at a Subaru Dealership
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I work at a Subaru Dealership, BRZ are hard to come by. The 2023 order bank should open back up again in a month or so. All Forester's were build your own or purchased during transit. We currently have 2022 WRX on lot, a few Crosstrek's in transit available to be reserved. We sell at MSRP and have no hidden fees tag, dealer fee, sales tax that is all. Wish everyone the best on you Subi hunt.