Subaru Isn’t Gouging Customers During The Chip Shortage But 6 Brands Are

Are the price of a new 2021 Subaru Forester, 2022 Outback, and 2021 Crosstrek and other Subaru models going up during the tight new car inventories? A new report from Kelly Blue Book reveals Subaru’s new model prices have gone up from 2020 but have dropped 2.6 percent from August 2021 to September 2021.

KBB reports with research data from Cox Automotive, the average transaction price for a new vehicle was up 3.7 percent (or $1,613) from August 2021. Subaru’s average new model price for August was $34,804 and dropped to $33,911 for September.

Only three car brands dropped prices from August to September, with Subaru pricing dropping the most (-2.6 percent), Ford prices went down -0.9 percent, and Volkswagen dropped -1.4 percent.

Four car brands with the worst new car deals

And some new car brands are gouging their customers. The report reveals the average transaction price for GM rose 7.4 percent, BMW up 5.3 percent, Toyota was up 5.0 percent, and Mazda up 4.0 percent from August 2021.

photo credit: Competition Subaru

Another study from Consumer Reports (by subscription) reveals ten new car models whose MSRP has risen the most. Hyundai and Kia dominate the list of vehicles selling the most over sticker price.

The ten car models with the highest percentage increase over MSRP

The Kia Telluride (20% over MSRP), Hyundai Accent (+20%), Chevrolet Spark (+18%), Kias Seltos (+18%), Hyundai Venue (+17%), Kia Carnival (+17%), Kia Sorento (+17%), GMC Yukon (+16%), Hyundai Elantra (+16%), and Hyundai Tucson (+16%).

Is it a good time to buy a new car?

It’s not an ideal time to buy a new car because of the recent vehicle inventory shortages, but savvy car shoppers don’t have to get gouged by a new car dealer. Research shows Subaru, Ford, and Volkswagen prices have gone down while most automakers are raising prices.

While Subaru of America has among the lowest incentives (manufacture rebates), Subaru retailers sell its new 2021 Forester, 2022 Outback, 2021 Crosstrek, and other new models closer to MSRP than any automaker. Subaru pricing dropped -2.6 percent from August to September, while most automakers have raised prices during the recent vehicle inventory shortage.

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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 Competition Subaru