How Long Can Subaru Keep This Up?

Subaru is rolling along quietly, and no one seems to notice. They have two significant achievements in October. I’ll explain those and more in this report. 

It’s 27 in a row and another best-ever for Subaru. 

Subaru of America (SOA) is on a roll, and no one has noticed its impressive run. The first achievement is that SOA announced 27 consecutive months of yearly month-over-month growth. Impressive, for sure.

For the past 27 months, Subaru has consistently increased its sales compared to the same month in the previous year. This impressive feat in the automotive industry demonstrates sustained growth and customer interest.

The Camden, N.J. automaker also announced it was the best-ever October sales performance for the 2024 Crosstrek subcompact SUV. The Crosstrek is on fire and leads the entire lineup of all-wheel-drive vehicles.  

President and COO of Subaru of America, Jeff Walters, said, “October was a notable month for our retailers, partners, and the entire Subaru family. We achieved twenty-seven consecutive months of sales increases, helped thousands of shelter pets find homes through Subaru Loves Pets events, responded to hurricane recovery needs, and celebrated significant race wins with the Subaru Motorsports USA team. These collective efforts are what inspire us to be More Than a Car Company, pushing our commitment forward as a team.”

SOA reported year-to-date sales up 5.2 percent over the first ten months of 2023.  Subaru is rolling along quietly and keeps piling up impressive sales this year. If Subaru can finish the year strong, they’ll have close to 700,000 sales to finish in 2024—the best sales since the pandemic crippled the auto industry.

SOA also reported 54,552 vehicle sales for October 2024, an increase of 1.5 percent compared with October 2023 (53,772). Subaru isn’t setting its sales performance on fire but keeps steadily gaining monthly. 

According to Automotive News, Subaru of America’s sales are helped by rising inventory, which means more vehicles are available for customers and sweeter deals, which attract more buyers with attractive pricing. These factors and two extra selling days in October have contributed to Subaru's strong sales performance. 

The Subaru Crosstrek is SOA’s top model again.

The next-generation Crosstrek achieved another record, recording its best October ever with 15,928 vehicles sold, a 15.7 percent increase compared to October 2023.

With two months to go, the hot Crosstrek subcompact SUV is set to be the best-selling model in SOA’s all-wheel-drive lineup this year. Crosstrek now has 147,775 total sales compared with the second place Forester with 143,529 sales in the first ten months of 2024. 

The Outback midsize SUV was SOA’s second-highest selling nameplate in October with 13,549 vehicles sold (up 9.3%), and the all-new 2025 Forester sales increased to 13,431 (down 13.2%) vehicles sold “as production continues to reach full capacity,” says Subaru.

The Outback falls to third place in sales performance in the first ten months of 2024. SOA has delivered 139,882 Outback to customers so far this year. The Outback was the automaker’s best-selling model in 2023. Can Outback catch Crosstrek and Forester in two months to be the top model? Stay tuned.

Here's the rest of the lineup.

The Ascent was up 0.6% in October, WRX increased 15.3%, and BRZ increased 25.4%. In addition to the Forester, the Impreza (-6.1%), Legacy (-23.5%), and Solterra (-10.9%) were the other three models that decreased in sales in October. 

What’s next for Subaru?

The 2025 Subaru Crosstrek is set to arrive this month. The significant change is the Crosstrek Premium trim level gets a new 2.5-liter Boxer engine upgrade. It should help improve Crosstrek sales even more. Find out more in my report here.

The 2025 Impreza compact hatch arrives before the end of the year and is a carry-over model with no changes or upgrades. Read my report here. 

The 2025 Subaru Ascent is arriving at retailers now with two new trim levels. Subaru added two new Ascent trim levels for 2025: Bronze Edition and Onyx Edition Touring. Check out my report here for complete details. 

I expect Subaru of America to keep rolling and finish the year on an upswing. They hit a grand slam home run with the new Crosstrek Wilderness. With the Premium trim getting new power upgrades, the subcompact SUV is even harder to beat. 

I am Denis Flierl, a Senior Torque News Writer since 2012. I’ve invested over 13 years in the automotive industry in a consulting role, working with every major car brand. I am an experienced Rocky Mountain Automotive Press member. You'll find my expert Subaru analysis here. Follow me on my X SubaruReport, All Subaru, WRXSTI, @DenisFlierl, Facebook, and Instagram.

Photo credit: Denis Flierl via Competition Subaru