Subaru Recovers Slowly - The Hot New Forester Is Still The Fast Model

The 2021 Subaru Forester arrives, and the compact SUV continues to be the story. See why it stays the hottest model.

The remodeled Subaru Forester has been the standout model for the Camden, N.J. automaker all year. With the 2021 Forester models arriving, the compact SUV continues as the only model in the stable of all-wheel-drive vehicles to have positive sales in 2020 compared with last year.

Subaru of America reports they delivered 17,261 Forester models to customers in August, up 1.1 percent compared with the same month last year. Subaru's next best selling model, the Outback, was down 13.2 percent with 14,856 sales, and Crosstrek was down 34.9 percent. The Ascent family hauler had the best month of 2020 but was down 9.6 percent.

Customers who have been shopping for a new Forester, Outback, Crosstrek, or Ascent know, finding the color and trim they want has been an issue. Inventory is still an issue for Subaru of America. A report from Cox Automotive shows at the end of July, Subaru had the third-lowest inventory level (38.5 day supply) of any automaker only trailing Toyota (34.4) and Lexus (35.3.)

Subaru of America recovers slowly after the global pandemic. The Camden, N.J. automaker reports 57,885 vehicle sales for August 2020, a 17 percent decrease compared with a record August 2019. Tom Doll, President, and CEO, Subaru of America, says, "Our retailers are continuing to sell at very high levels of sales efficiency given their (low) on-ground inventory levels.

Will customers find the color and trim level they want? Jeff Walters, Senior Vice President of Sales, said, "We expect improving inventory, and the arrival of 2021 models at our retailers will further improve our sales results in September and the fourth quarter."

Even with low inventory levels, customers are snatching up almost every new Forester compact SUV they can find on retailers' lots. The automaker has delivered 118,434 Forester models through August, making it the top-selling Subaru model in 2020.

The 2021 Subaru Forester is the all-wheel-drive model many customers are choosing now. The hot small SUV offers buyers the right mix of rugged and soft. Why is the Forester the hot model and getting hotter? Check out how it's both rugged and soft, and the two areas where it could improve to be even better. Check out our assessment of the newly-remodeled Forester here.

You Might Also Like: The 2021 Subaru Forester arrives in five trim levels, but which model is the best? Check out the two standout trims.

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 and the founder of 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: Subaru