Why Are Buyers Walking Away From the New 2025 Subaru Forester?

The next-generation Subaru Forester sales are still falling. It's now a significant trend. Is there something wrong with the all-new 2025 Forester? I'll explain what is happening and why all-new Forester sales are on a significant downward trend.

What's up with the new 2025 Subaru Forester?

One thing that is not up is the new 2025 Forester sales. In fact, sales of the next-generation 2025 Forester compact SUV have been down and have dropped for five consecutive months.

Is there something wrong with the newly remodeled 2025 Forester? In this report, I'll explain what is happening and why all-new Subaru Forester sales are on a significant downward trend.

Until June 2024, Forester sales were on an upward trend, and it was the top-selling vehicle in Subaru of America's all-wheel-drive lineup. But not after the new 2025 Forester arrived.

The next-generation Forester is showing a decrease in demand. The new Forester should be selling well because of its complete redesign, and it's an excellent compact SUV. However, the opposite is happening.

Subaru of America is not saying why Forester sales are down.

Troy Poston, Senior Vice President of Sales at Subaru of America, says, "Our vehicle lineup, including Crosstrek and Forester, comfortably fits the needs of more and more drivers. We look forward to closing out the year successfully and to welcoming in a great New Year with our Subaru family."

Five consecutive months is a significant trend.

The Forester's sales have dropped for five consecutive months, as SOA reports that they delivered 14,843 compact SUVs in November compared with 15,089 models in November 2023—a sales decrease of 1.6 percent.

It's not a massive drop in sales, but the Forester's drop in November marks the fifth consecutive month of sales decline for the compact SUV.

The drop in sales coincides with the arrival of the all-new 2025 Forester in July. Since then, the Forester has been in a downward spiral.

Here are the last five months of Forester's decline in sales performance.

July -26.4%
August -12%
September -13.9%
October -13.2%
November -1.6%

Despite Forester's sales drop, The new compact SUV was the second-highest-selling carline in November, with 14,843 vehicles sold. In contrast, the hot Subaru Crosstrek, which appears unbeatable, achieved its best November ever with 16,948 vehicles sold, a 13 percent increase compared to November 2023, and it's the fifth month in a row that Crosstrek is the top performer by volume.

The Crosstrek's success is the Forester's loss.

Did you catch that? The Forester dropped in the last five months, and at the same time, the Crosstrek has been Subaru of America's top model in sales for the past five months. Is there a direct correlation between Crosstrek's increase and Forester's decrease?

There is a direct connection.

Here is the reason why. Forester buyers are older than all car buyers' median age. The average age of a Forester buyer today is 62 versus 60 for the auto industry. The Crosstrek appeals to a younger demographic; however, many older buyers are purchasing the Crosstrek. Read my report here for more details.

A younger demographic uses the Crosstrek to escape the city on the weekends. They use the small SUV for mountain biking, hiking, camping, and trips to the beach. The Crosstrek is a hit with active customers.

However, something surprising is happening because another demographic is purchasing the Crosstrek, too.

It's not just for the camping crowd.

I recently wrote a report that the Crosstrek is confounding dealers. The next-generation Subaru Crosstrek is attracting older buyers. Empty nester in their 60s are now purchasing the new Crosstrek.

Jeff Williams, the Subaru National Retailer Advisory Board chairman, spoke with Automotive News recently.

Williams says, "Or we see it go the other way, where some retirees that have had several Outbacks or Foresters and now it's just the two of them, and they're empty nesters, and they don't need the big car anymore; they want to downsize a little bit and to do so, they look at the Crosstrek."

The Crosstrek is blurring demographic lines.

"It's been interesting. I didn't anticipate the second scenario happening as often as it does. I thought the car would appeal more to the younger buyer, and it's appealing to both. It's appealing now to older buyers who are buying more Crosstrek models. The demographic still skews younger, but (more) of the baby boomers are buying that vehicle as well, which is, I think, extremely interesting," Williams says.

Many buyers are paying cash for their new Subaru.

And there's more going on at Subaru retailers. The older Crosstrek buyer has more cash reserves and doesn't have to finance their new car. Williams says, "But it's a changing market. We've seen many cash buyers over the last 18 to 24 months. There's a lot of money in the market, for sure."

Older buyers are looking at the Forester, seeing its price tag, and then checking out the more affordable Crosstrek. The older demographic doesn't need the larger Forester because they don't have kids to haul around.

Subaru Crosstrek has everything they need.

The 60-something-year-old buyer can get a less expensive Crosstrek all-wheel-drive small SUV with all-weather capability, enough room to carry what they need, and it's more affordable. They can get a quality vehicle without breaking the bank.

Why spend more if you don't have to?

Check out the price difference.

The 2025 Forester had a significant price increase. Here is the new pricing.

The 2025 Forester comes in five trim levels:

Base - $31,115
Premium $33,415
Sport $35,915
Limited $37,415
Touring $41,810

Pricing includes destination and dealer fees ($1,420).

It's important to note that Forester Wilderness is a carry-over model with no changes for the 2025 model year. The price is $36,340, including destination and delivery fees.

What is the price of the 2025 Subaru Crosstrek? The 2025 Crosstrek comes in five trim levels:

Base - $27,115
Premium - $28,365
Sport - $30,915
Limited - $32,815
Wilderness - $33,915

The 2025 Crosstrek pricing includes destination and delivery fees ($1,420).

Conclusion:

The 2025 Forester is an excellent compact SUV. Despite its drop in sales, Subaru of America is not worried. The popular Forester's five-month drop in sales performance has a lot to do with the economy. Many seniors look at the Forester and compare the price with the Crosstrek and can get an excellent all-wheel-drive vehicle for about $5,000 less—and even more so on the upper Touring trim level.

Which one would you buy?

Are you checking out the next-generation 2025 Forester or will you consider the 2025 Crosstrek instead? We want to hear your thoughts. Click the red Add New Comment link below and join the conversation.

I am Denis Flierl, a Senior Torque News Reporter since 2012. My 30+ year tenure in the automotive industry, initially in a consulting role with every major car brand and later as a freelance journalist test-driving new vehicles, has equipped me with a wealth of knowledge. I specialize in reporting the latest automotive news and providing expert analysis on Subaru, which you'll find here, ensuring that you, as a reader, are always well-informed and up-to-date. Follow me on my X SubaruReport, All Subaru, WRXSTI, @DenisFlierl, Facebook, and Instagram.

Photo credit: Denis Flierl via Tucson Subaru

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