The Best New Cars This Year And Why Subaru Gets No Respect

Even though Subaru is one of the smallest automakers, they were one of the top-ranked auto manufacturers with the best new models every year. But things have changed with the shift to electric vehicles. Now Subaru is the forgotten car brand.

In three of the top new automotive rankings of the best new cars for 2023, Subaru's best-selling three models, the Crosstrek subcompact SUV, Outback midsize SUV, and Forester compact SUV models, are not on any of the recent lists. In the Edmunds top-rated car awards for 2023, iSeeCars best cars for the money, and the U.S. News best cars for the money, the Subaru brand is left out in the cold.

photo credit: Schumacher Subaru

iSeeCars rankings

In the iSeeCars best cars for the money study, they list the new models that offer the best combination of a relatively low new car price with a long potential lifespan. The Subaru Forester (fifth) and Outback (sixth) are ranked behind the Honda CR-V, Toyota RAV4, Chevrolet Equinox, and Ford Escape. They say the Crosstrek is not rated yet.

Edmunds' new model winners

In the Edmunds top-rated winners for 2023, they pick the top six winners in each vehicle category for the best car, electric car, SUV, electric SUV, truck, and electric truck. Subaru has a tough road because they only have one new electric SUV, the Solterra, and no electric car or pickup truck to compete in this scoring.

photo credit: Schumacher Subaru

U.S. News best cars for 2023

In the U.S. News best cars for the money, they assembled a list of standout vehicles from twelve segments that offer the best combination of quality and value. Subaru has a better opportunity to make this list, but no Subaru subcompact SUV, compact SUV, or midsize SUV can be found.

Is the Subaru brand slipping with building cars that offer the best value?

photo credit: Schumacher Subaru

Subaru of America offers a lineup of all-wheel-drive vehicles packed with value. The 2023 Crosstrek, Outback, and Forester are value priced, provide excellent fuel economy, have the highest resale values, are inexpensive to insure, and are reliable models.

Subaru Corporation won't bring flashy new models every year that get the attention of the automotive media. Subaru does not follow the crowd bringing exciting new models to get media attention. They stick with a formula that works for the small automaker. The formula for its success is safety, fun-to-drive, all-wheel-drive, and affordability.

Subaru did bring the new Outback Wilderness and Forester Wilderness in 2022, but they aren't new for 2023. The 2023 Solterra EV is all-new for U.S. customers, but the electric compact SUV gets lost in the crowd because it collaborated with Toyota on the new all-electric model.

The 2023 Subaru Outback received new upgrades, but more changes are needed to be considered for this year's best new cars list. The 2023 Subaru Crosstrek and Forester are due for complete remodels for the 2024 model year and will arrive later this year. For the 2024 models, look for Subaru's next-generation SUVs to get the media's attention.

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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: Schumacher Subaru