Study Says Subaru Is 3rd In Brand Loyalty With Forester And Outback The Top Models

Subaru is one of the top three car brands in customer loyalty. See how Subaru is doing something extraordinary with the 2021 Forester and Outback.

How loyal are Subaru Forester and Outback owners? A new study from IHS Markit reveals Subaru of America has the third most loyal customers of all mainstream car brands. In quarter one in 2021, the top five leaders in brand loyalty are Ford, Toyota, Subaru, Chevrolet, and Honda.

The study shows Ford retains 62 percent of their buyers who return and buy another Ford product. Toyota has a 61 percent retention rate; Subaru is third, keeping 59 percent of its owners. Chevrolet is fourth-best at 58 percent, and Honda fifth retaining 56 percent. The mainstream automotive industry average is 54 percent.

photo credit: Adventure Subaru

In the twenty-fifth annual IHS Markit Automotive Loyalty Awards, the 2021 Subaru Forester wins the small utility segment model award, and the 2021 Subaru Outback is the midsize utility segment winner. The two models have the highest customer retention rate in the small and midsize SUV segments.

IHS Markit says the Subaru Forester and Outback have loyalty rates of over 72 percent, while the segment average is just over 50 percent.

photo credit: Adventure Subaru

Why are the Forester and Outback popular?

The Subaru Forester compact SUV and Outback wagon/crossover owners are the most loyal because of the two model's value proposition in the SUV segments. They both provide excellent fuel mileage, standard all-wheel-drive, highest safety crash scores, utility, and cargo-carrying ability, and both are affordable.

In the IHS Markit Quarterly Loyalty Review webcast this week, the moderator said Subaru of America is pulling off something extraordinary. He said Subaru has fewer vehicle offerings (nine models) than any car brand but still manages to be in the top three in brand loyalty. Ford has thirty-four offerings, and Toyota has thirty-six models in its lineup, making it much easier to retain customers with more models for customers to buy.

The study reveals Subaru Forester and Outback owners are the most loyal in two of the most competitive SUV segments. When they are ready to trade in or buy a new vehicle, they return to Subaru to buy the Forester compact SUV and Outback midsize SUV models again.

What is the price of the 2021 Subaru Forester?

The 2021 Forester comes in five trim levels, and the base trim has an MSRP of $25,845, Premium ($28,845), Sport ($30,445), Limited ($32,445), and Touring ($35,945). Pricing includes $1,050 destination.

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.

Subaru is the number three car brand in customer loyalty, and they do it with only nine models in its lineup. The 2021 Subaru Forester and 2021 Subaru Outback are the two models with the highest customer retention.

You Might Also Like: The 6 Cities Where the Subaru Forester and Outback Sell Faster Than All Other New Cars

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.

Subaru Report - We’ve got you covered! Check back tomorrow for more unique, informative SUBARU news, reviews, and previews you can trust.

Leave your comments below, share the article with friends and tweet it out to your followers!

Photo credit: Adventure Subaru