Is Subaru Finally Getting Back To Normal After A Long Dry Spell?

Is Subaru finally returning to normal after a long dry spell in the last two years? Things are improving for Subaru of America (SOA) as the automaker did it again in May with another sales increase. SOA reported a sales increase last month, continuing the upward trend in 2023. Subaru says sales were up 28.2 percent in May, the tenth consecutive month of month-over-month sales increases for the Camden, N.J. automaker. The upward sales trend results from all models except for one are up for the month compared with last year. The BRZ sport coupe had the most significant jump in sales, followed by the Impreza compact and Forester compact SUV. SOA reported 54,531 new Subaru vehicles were delivered to customers for May 2023 compared with May 2022, when they had 42,526 sales. "We'd like to thank our retailers for going above and beyond in this tenth consecutive month of sales growth, with a 28 percent increase compared with May 2022," said Jeff Walters, President, and Chief Operating Officer, Subaru of America. Outback is on top again as the top performer in May. The newly upgraded 2023 Subaru Outback midsize SUV increased 16.5 percent in May, with 17,146 models sold compared with 14,724 in May 2022. The Outback is still the top performer in the lineup. Outback is now up 1.5 percent in the first five months of 2023. Outback leads all other models with 65,178 midsize SUVs delivered to customers in 2023. In May, the 2023 Subaru Forester compact SUV is second in SOA's lineup. The Forester was up an impressive 92.5 percent, with 10,582 models sold compared with 5.496 in May 2022. Forester is now up 17.8 percent in the first five months of 2023. Forester has 50,641 models sold in 2023. The Crosstrek continues its upward trend. The hot Crosstrek subcompact is back up in May. As a result, Crosstrek was the third-best performer by volume, up 5.7 percent, with 10,456 sales in May compared with 9,894 in May 2023. The Crosstrek is now up 5.0 percent for the year's first five months. Crosstrek is second in the lineup behind Outback year to date, with 62,328 models sold. The refreshed 2023 Subaru Ascent is the fourth best-selling SUV in the lineup, with 6,505 3-Row SUVs delivered to customers in May. The Ascent picked up the pace again and was up 20.4 percent compared with the 5,402 models sold in May 2022. The Ascent is up 7.6 percent in the first five months, with 27,252 models sold this year. The 2023 Subaru Impreza compact sedan and hatchback had another significant surge in April, up 126.0 percent, the second largest percentage of increase of any model before the next-generation hatchback arrives this spring. SOA delivered 3,939 compact models to customers in May compared with 1,743 sales in May 2022. Impreza is now up 33.9 percent in the first five months of 2023, with 16,337 models sold in 2023. The Subaru WRX stays hot. The 2023 Subaru WRX was up 3.6 percent in May, with 2,771 performance models delivered to customers compared with 2,674 sales in March 2022. The WRX is now up 174.9 percent in the first five months, with 13,047 models sold in 2023. The 2023 Subaru Legacy midsize sedan has been down all year. Legacy is down again, with 2,058 models delivered to customers compared with 2,392 sales in May 2022. The Legacy sedan is down 6.8 percent in the first five months, with 9,613 models sold in 2023. Legacy is the only nameplate down year to date compared with 2022. The 2023 BRZ sports coupe is no longer the bottom dweller in SOA's lineup, with 638 sales in May, up an impressive 217.4 percent for the month. BRZ had 201 sales in May 2022. BRZ is up 44.9 percent in the first five months of 2023, with 2,130 sport coupes delivered to customers. The all-new 2023 Subaru Solterra EV, in its sixth month of sales, had 436 compact electric SUV sales in May. SOA delivered 2,398 Solterra EVs to customers in 2023. "Heading into summer, our sales momentum continues, and we significantly exceeded our May 2022 results," said Troy Poston, Senior Vice President of Sales. "As the road-trip season gets underway, our adventure-ready vehicles and Subaru Wilderness lineup continue to capture the imagination of consumers looking to explore the open road." The Outback overtakes the hot Crosstrek to lead the lineup in the first five months. SOA has delivered 62,328 Crosstrek subcompact SUVs to customers this year, compared with 65,178 Outback models to move into first place. The Forester compact SUV remains in third place with 50,641 sales this year. You Might Also Like: Consumer Reports 7 Roomiest and Most Comfortable Compact SUVs - 2 New Subaru Models Are Top Picks

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: Subaru