Subaru Has A New Streak Going But It's Not The Kind They Want

The 2022 Subaru Forester, Outback, Crosstrek, and other new all-wheel-drive models are hard to find because of record-low inventories for Subaru of America. Lean stockpiles contribute to the Camden N.J. automaker setting new records but not the kind they want. Check out five surprising facts you didn't know about Subaru. Thanks to Automotive News (by subscription) for some of the information in this report.

Subaru is on a new ten-month losing streak

Subaru of America (SOA) is on a new losing streak. In March, the Camden, N.J. automaker saw the 10th consecutive monthly decline in new vehicle sales. Most Subaru retailers are doing well because they sell used Subaru Forester, Outback, Crosstrek, and other models in high demand at record high prices. But new cars sales are dismal and dropped again. Check out the complete report on the highest priced used models here.

photo credit: Patrick Subaru

Subaru has the lowest incentives

According to data from TrueCar, Subaru of America has the lowest incentives among the top-selling automakers in the U.S. SOA is the only automaker with average new-vehicle incentives of less than $1,000 in the first quarter.

TrueCar says Subaru of America's incentives and dealer rebates are $837 per vehicle in March, down 34 percent from a year earlier, and $892 in the first quarter, down 32 percent from 2021.

Why does Subaru have the lowest incentives? Because of the high demand for new Subaru all-wheel-drive models, the Camden, N.J. automaker keeps inventory low, offers the lowest incentives and rebates of any automaker, and keeps the resale vehicle value high.

photo credit: Patrick Subaru

Subaru does not have the leanest inventory of new cars

Data from Cox Automotive revealed Subaru had less than a 25-day supply of vehicles throughout March. But the data shows Subaru doesn't have the leanest inventory. Last month, Kia, Toyota, and Lexus had leaner stockpiles of new cars.

All but two Subaru models saw month-over-month declines in March.

The 2022 Subaru Outback midsize SUV was down 19% from March 2021; Forester compact SUV down 69%, Crosstrek subcompact SUV down 4.3%, Ascent 3-Row family SUV down 21%, Impreza compact down 36%, and the WRX and WRX STI sports cars down 91%. The BRZ sports coupe was up 21%, and the Legacy sedan was up 12%.

New car prices are up from 2021

Even though Subaru CEO Tom Doll asked its U.S. retailers to sell at the Manufactures Suggest Retail Price (MSRP), the new 2022 Subaru Forester, Outback, Crosstrek, and other new all-wheel-drive model's prices are up. According to TrueCar data, the average new Subaru vehicle transaction price in the U.S. is $34,516, up 12 percent from a year earlier.

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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: top image Boise Subaru