Subaru Shows Positive Signs - The New Forester Continues To Stay Red Hot

The 2020 Subaru Forester continues to stay hot even though all other models in the all-wheel-drive stable except for WRX STI, had negative numbers in May. Subaru is recovering from the coronavirus epidemic after retailers were shut down. In spite of that, the sizzling hot Forester compact SUV had a record May and was up 11.4 percent compared with the same month last year.

Subaru of America delivered 17,859 Forester SUVs in May compared with 16,028 the previous year. In contrast, the all-new remodeled 2020 Subaru Outback wagon dropped a whopping 36.8 percent compared with the same period last year. Forester moved even farther ahead of the wagon as the Camden, N.J. automaker delivered 66,370 Forester SUVs year-to-date versus 52,055 for the Outback wagon.

Subaru reported 51,988 vehicle sales for May 2020, a 19 percent decrease compared with a record May in 2019 (63,972). Subaru reported year-to-date sales of 213,199, a 23 percent decrease compared to the same period last year. Subaru will be hard pressed to hit twelve consecutive years of sales records after three months of declines. But Subaru is showing signs of recovery.

Why is Forester the hot model?

The 2020 Forester could be the best value proposition among all Subaru models. We compared the newly-remodeled Forester with the Crosstrek compact SUV and Outback wagon. The 2020 Forester has the most cargo-carrying ability, the best visibility with larger greenhouse windows, it’s taller than Crosstrek and Outback, and some customers prefer Forester’s higher sitting position.

It also comes with a new Rear Seat Reminder designed to help prevent child and/or pet entrapment. The system alerts the driver to check the rear seat before exiting the vehicle. This is not offered on Crosstrek or Outback.

Compared with the competition, the 2020 Subaru Forester is the only compact SUV with standard all-wheel-drive and is more fuel-efficient than most of its front-drive competitors, like the Toyota RAV4 and Honda CR-V.

Subaru is showing signs of recovery and the redesigned 2020 Forester is a big reason why. Subaru has positioned itself well with a lean, niche lineup of all-wheel-drive SUVs that appeal to a broad range of shoppers. They also don't have any unicorns. Check out the story below.

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Denis Flierl has invested over 30 years in the automotive industry in a variety of roles. All of his reports are archived on our Subaru page. Follow Denis on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Subaru Report. Check back tomorrow for more Subaru news and updates at Torque News!

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Photo credit: Subaru