New Subaru Forester Is Now The Top Model - Move Over Outback

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The 2021 Subaru Forester is now the number one selling model in the stable of all-wheel-drive vehicles. The compact SUV just passed the Outback.

Subaru of America reported year-end sales, and the Forester compact SUV just passed the Outback wagon as SOA’s best-selling nameplate in its all-wheel-drive stable of vehicles. Forester has been in the lead most of the year and finished 2020 with 176,996 total sales, well ahead of the Outback with 153,294 vehicle sales.

Outback was the top model in 2019 with 181,178 sales, just ahead of Forester with 180,179 models delivered to customers. But in 2020, Forester moved well ahead of the popular wagon. Even during a challenging year with COVID stopping production, Forester finished 2020 down 1.8 percent, while Outback slipped 15.4 percent compared with the previous year.

In December, new 2021 Forester models arrived and were down 2.6 percent as Subaru made the change from 2020 to 2021 models. Forester finished December with 16,006 vehicles delivered to customers compared with 16,436 units in December 2019.

The 2021 Forester should stay on top as the compact SUV gets upgraded curve-adaptive LED headlights and high beam assist that was previously only available on Limited and Touring trims. The new lights will improve safety ratings on lower trims with the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), and they will significantly improve visibility when driving at night.

New for 2021, Premium trims now come standard with keyless access, push-button start, and fog lights. For 2021, the popular Sport trim adds blind-spot detection with lane change assist and rear cross-traffic alert that is currently optional on 2020 models.

What is the 2021 Forester pricing?

The 2021 Forester comes in five trim levels, and the base trim has an MSRP of $25,845, Premium ($28,845), Sport ($30,445), Limited ($32,445), and Touring ($35,945). Pricing includes $1,050 destination and delivery fees.

The Subaru Forester is now Subaru of America’s number one selling model. The compact SUV is built at Subaru Corporation’s Yajima factory in Japan, and new models are arriving now. Subaru should have ample supplies of new 2021 Forester models, so customers can now find the color and trim level they want.

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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: Subaru

Submitted by Manny (not verified) on January 6, 2021 - 8:46PM

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Subaru ruined the outback by turning it into something that feels like a minivan, has a useless built-in roof rack, and looks hideous with all that plastic cladding. To make matters worse they only offer the Touring trim with poop brown interior. They're lucky no one else offers an affordable wagon in this country anymore.