What Would Subaru Do Without The Forester?
What is going on with the Subaru Forester? It's the sizzling hot model in Subaru of America's (SOA) all-wheel-drive lineup. I've been saying it for over a year now. The Forester compact SUV now has 14 straight months of yearly month-over-month growth. It's the smokin' hot Forester that leads the way for SOA.
Check out what happened in April, and then I'll dive into the past fourteen months. And the best is on the way.
The Main Highlight For April Is Forester
The hot Subaru Forester compact SUV remains the top nameplate in SOA's all-wheel-drive lineup. The Forester is the top-performing Subaru model again, and it's not slowing down ahead of the all-new next-generation 2025 model.
You Just Took The Aging Subaru Forester On A Sizzling Hot Run Before It Leaves Town @SubaruReport @torquenewsauto photo @SmithtownSubaruhttps://t.co/SSq0Nw7Q4a#subaru #forester #subaruforester #foresterwilderness pic.twitter.com/xJhEn9pAEc
— Denis Flierl (@DenisFlierl) April 4, 2024
In April, the Forester remained the top seller, with 17,850 vehicles sold, a massive 85 percent increase compared to 9,651 models delivered in April 2023.
The hot Forester has the highest percentage increase year to date of any Subaru nameplate. SOA sold 66,396 Forester models in the first four months, compared with 40,059 in 2023, and is up 65.8 percent for the year.
No Other Subaru Model Can Touch This
Let's review what I call a fantastic run for the Forester compact SUV. The last time that the Forester was down in sales was February 2023, when it dropped 10.9 %. Since then, it's been on an impressive fourteen-month sales run of continual increases.
Here is When The Amazing Run Started: the Forester Sales In 2023
- March +56.2 %
- April +57.4%
- May +92.5 %
- June +34.2%
- July +87.5%
- August +45.9%
- September +48.6%
- October +29.5%
- November +63.8%
- December +15.7%
And It Continues In 2024
- January +24.8%
- February +48.4%
- March +105%
- April +85 %
What Would Subaru Do Without The Forester?
Troy Poston, Senior Vice President of Sales at Subaru of America, says, "As new models make their way to our retailers, we are confident that customers will be able to find Subaru vehicles like the Forester that continue to be the industry's top-rated models for safety even as the bar continues to be raised."
Speaking Of Safety
In the latest updated front crash prevention test from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, the 2024 Forester is rated the best among compact SUVs. It's the only small SUV with the highest "Good" score. Read my report here.
Subaru Forester excels in the New IIHS Test, and all other small SUVs score poorly. @SubaruReport @torquenewsautohttps://t.co/HglQtbxrG6#subaru #forester #subaruforester pic.twitter.com/HO2NpsrQzu
— Denis Flierl (@DenisFlierl) April 25, 2024
My takeaway from Subaru Forester sales is that Forester has been keeping SOA on an upward trend for at least fourteen months. Without the compact SUV, SOA may have been in the red a few times. Instead, it's in the black.
I've observed that the hot Forester is the most impressive model in the all-wheel-drive lineup. The 85% increase in April and the 65.8% increase for the year is by far the best performance of any SOA nameplate.
But Wait, There's More Coming
What's next for Subaru? And as I reported in my recent Subaru sales performance report, the Forester compact SUV could get even hotter. The all-new, remodeled next-generation Forester arrives this spring with considerable upgrades over the 2024 model.
The All-New Subaru Forester Hybrid, More Questions And New Answers @SubaruReport @torquenewsautohttps://t.co/fY2ZWFOxbv#subaru #forester #foresterhybrid #subaruforester pic.twitter.com/JD0HTkwJSj
— Denis Flierl (@DenisFlierl) May 1, 2024
A New Forester Hybrid Could Launch It To New Heights
The redesigned 2025 Forester arrives soon, but a year from now, a new Forester Hybrid will make its U.S. debut. That could propel the Forester further up the mountain with outdoor enthusiasts. Check out my recent report here.
Overall, before the new Forester arrives, I would give the Subaru Forester an A. With a Forester Hybrid, I'll give it an A+.
What About You?
What grade would you give the Subaru Forester? Click the red Add New Comment link below and let us know.
Thanks for reading, everyone. I hope you enjoyed this Subaru Forester sales performance story. See you tomorrow for my latest Subaru Report.
Watch 2025 Subaru Forester | From Consumer Reports
I am Denis Flierl, a top Torque News and Subaru reporter since 2012. I’ve invested over 13 years in the automotive industry in a consulting role, working with every major car brand. I am an experienced Rocky Mountain Automotive Press member. You'll find my expert Subaru analysis here. Follow me on my X SubaruReport, All Subaru, WRXSTI, @DenisFlierl, Facebook, and Instagram.
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Photo credit: Subaru