Car Brands Americans Consider First - Subaru Now Scores In The Top 5

What are the top-five car brands considered first by new car shoppers in 2022? A new report from Kelly Blue Book’s Brand Watch survey reveals new car buyers’ shopping behavior to determine how a brand or model stacks up with its segment competitors on a dozen factors key to a consumer’s buying decision. Affordability is a significant factor.

KBB’s quarterly consumer perception survey offers two versions of the study; one covers the luxury car market, the other covers affordable cars. Ford took the lead in the mainstream (non-luxury) brand study. The luxury brand study was not available at the time of this report.

photo credit: Schumacher Subaru

The top-five affordable car brands buyers consider first

Ford takes the top spot at 33 percent of new car buyers considering the brand. Toyota comes in a close second at 32 percent. They are followed by Chevrolet (24%), Honda (24%), and Subaru ties with Hyundai for the fifth spot at 13 percent.

The report says 66 percent of shoppers looked at an SUV, 35 percent considered a pickup truck, and cars earned a look from 31 percent of shoppers. Minivans brought up the rear at 4 percent.

2022 Subaru Forester Wilderness

Will Subaru offer a compact pickup?

Subaru does not currently have a pickup truck in its lineup, and it’s a glaring hole that the automaker has not filled. Will Subaru offer a compact pickup in the future? Subaru Corporation is struggling to manufacture enough of its popular all-wheel-drive SUVs to keep up with demand. Don’t look for the Japanese automaker to offer a pickup anytime soon. You can read a complete report here.

Subaru’s popular all-wheel-drive SUVs

Subaru is shopped most for its 2022 Forester compact SUV, 2022 Outback midsize SUV/crossover, Crosstrek subcompact SUV and 2022 Ascent 3-Row family SUV. All Subaru models except the BRZ sports coupe come standard with Symmetrical all-wheel-drive, 8.7-inches of ground clearance, they are fuel-efficient and affordable.

Subaru affordability

The report says new car shoppers consider Subaru vehicles because of their affordability. How affordable are Subaru vehicles like the 2022 Forester, Outback, Crosstrek, and other new models compared with other mainstream (non-luxury) automakers? While the average new non-luxury car is $43,072, a Subaru vehicle is $35,231, nearly $8,000 less than the U.S. average.

What is the price of the 2022 Subaru Forester?

For the 2022 model change Forester comes in six trim levels; The base Forester starts at $26,320, Premium ($29,320), Sport ($30,890), Limited ($33,000), new Wilderness ($33,945), and Touring ($36,420). Pricing includes destination and delivery fees ($1,125).

What is the price of the 2022 Subaru Outback?

The 2022 Outback comes in eight trim levels; the base trim is priced from $27,845, Premium ($30,270), Limited ($34,720), Touring ($38,620), Onyx Edition XT ($36,270), new for 2022, Outback Wilderness ($38,120), Limited XT ($39,120), and Touring XT ($41,070). Pricing includes $1,125 destination and delivery fees.

What is the price of the 2022 Subaru Crosstrek?

The 2022 Subaru Crosstrek comes in five trim levels for customers. The base trim is priced from $23,570, Premium ($24,720), Sport ($27,920), Limited ($29,420) and Crosstrek Hybrid ($37,895). Prices include destination and delivery fees ($1,125).

What is the price of the 2022 Subaru Ascent?

The 2022 Subaru Ascent base starts at $33,420, and Premium trims begin at $35,920. The new Ascent Onyx Edition starts at $39,120. The Limited trim starts at $40,720, and the top-trim Touring has a starting MSRP of $46,570. Pricing includes destination fees.

The second-best overall fuel efficiency

Affordability has to include fuel mileage. The EPA says Subaru models rank second-best in the U.S. among U.S. automakers with a gas-powered lineup. Honda has the most fuel-efficient lineup after Tesla, which has an an-all-electric fleet. You can read the complete fuel efficiency report here.

New car shoppers consider SUVs like the 2022 Forester, 2022 Outback, 2022 Crosstrek, and 2022 Ascent because of their affordability, standard all-wheel-drive, fuel efficiency, safety, and resale value.

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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: main image Schumacher Subaru