Rumors That Subaru Is Slow To The Show Are Wrong

Subaru of America (SOA) is cool this fall after a hot summer, but they aren't cooling off much. Some critics say that Subaru needs to keep up with the transition to EVs, but the automaker is doing well with only one electric model. They have a surprise hot model, and they just made it fifteen straight months of sales increases. Check out the results of each model. Some are hot, and some are not.  

SOA announced its 15 consecutive months of increased sales, with 53,772 vehicles delivered to customers for October 2023. That's a 10.7 percent increase compared with October 2022 (48,568). The Camden, N.J. automaker cooled a little from September, when they were up 16.5 percent. 

SOA also reported year-to-date sales of 520,995, a 15.9 percent increase compared with the same period in 2022. Subaru is on pace to hit 625,000 in sales for the year. 

"October was a resounding success with our fifteenth consecutive month of sales increases, a testament to the strength of Subaru vehicles, retailers, and values," said Jeff Walters, President, and Chief Operating Officer, Subaru of America. 

By the numbers

Subaru of America had six models that were up in percentage of increase in October compared with the same period in 2022.  

The Subaru Forester is the hot model again and has been the top seller for four consecutive months.

Just as in July, August, and September, the 2023 Subaru Forester compact SUV is again the number-one selling all-wheel-drive model for Subaru of America. Forester was the top performer by volume in October for the fourth month, with 15,479 model sales and an increase of 29.5 percent over October 2022.

The 15,479 Forester models delivered to customers compared with 11,954 in October 2022. Forester is now up 33.4 percent in the first ten months of 2023. Forester has 121,824 models sold in 2023 and remains in third place and inches closer to the new Crosstrek.

The Subaru Crosstrek moves up to number two. 

As Subaru changed the model to the all-new 2024 Crosstrek, sales of the subcompact SUV are up in October, and Crosstrek is the second best seller in the lineup. Crosstrek sales were up 0.9 percent, with 13,768 models delivered to customers in October compared with 13,635 in October 2022. 

The Crosstrek is now down 0.5 percent for the year's first ten months. Crosstrek is second in the lineup behind Outback year to date, with 128,400 models sold in 2023. Look for the Crosstrek to challenge Outback for the top spot as the all-new 2024 Crosstrek Wilderness arrives at U.S. retailers. 

Outback slips to third place.

The 2023 Subaru Outback midsize SUV is the third-place performer in the lineup, increasing 3.4 percent in October, with 12,396 models sold compared with 11,992 in October 2022. Outback is now up 15.2 percent in the first ten months of 2023. Outback still leads all other models this year, with 135,277 midsize SUVs delivered to customers in 2023.

The Ascent drops again.

The 2023 Subaru Ascent is the fourth best-selling SUV in the lineup, with 4,374 sales of the 3-Row SUVs in October. The Ascent sales dropped 13.0 percent compared with the 5,029 models sold in October 2022. The Ascent is up 0.4 percent in the first ten months, with 51,255 models sold year to date.

The new Impreza cools off this fall.

The Subaru Impreza compact hatchback decreased in October after being up in September. Impreza is the fifth best-selling model as SOA delivered 2,662 compact models to customers in October compared with 2,861 sales in October 2022. Impreza is now up 17.0 percent in the first ten months of 2023, with 29,826 compact models sold in 2023.

The Legacy sedan continues its comeback.

The 2023 Subaru Legacy midsize sedan was up again in October and is the sixth best-selling model. The Legacy was up an 88.1 percent increase in sales, with 2,662 models delivered to customers in October compared with 1,155 sales in October 2022. The Legacy sedan is up 19.0 percent in the first ten months, with 21,794 models sold to customers in 2023. 

The WRX can't keep up the pace.

The 2023 Subaru WRX sales dropped 14.7 percent in October, with 1,420 performance models delivered to customers compared with 1,664 sales in October 2022. The WRX is up 52.9 percent in the first ten months after a fast start at the beginning of the year. SOA has sold 21,994 sport-tuned models this year.

Another best-ever month for Solterra.

The Solterra EV now has four record months of sales. SOA delivered 1,210 compact electric SUVs to EV customers in October. In October, Solterra had its best sales month so far. SOA has delivered 6,973 Solterra all-electric models to customers in the first ten months of 2023. The Solterra is on pace to sell nearly 9,000 all-new EVs to U.S. customers. 

The BRZ is in last place again.

The 2023 BRZ sports coupe is still the bottom dweller in SOA's lineup, with 291 sales in October, compared with 278 sport coupes delivered in October 2022. BRZ was up 4.7 percent in October and a 34.9 percent increase for the year, with 3,652 sport coupes delivered to customers.

The big news is that the aging 2023 Subaru Forester that is due for a remodel is the top seller for the fourth consecutive month and is up 29 percent. Who says the Forester needs a complete redesign? 

Thanks for reading, everyone. I hope you enjoyed this Subaru story. See you tomorrow for my latest Subaru Report.

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I am Denis Flierl, a 12-year Torque News senior writer with 20+ years of Subaru and automotive journalism experience. I enjoy bringing you, the Subaru fans and customers, the most up-to-date Subaru news, reviews, and new model information. You'll find the latest Subaru stories on the Subaru page. Follow me on my The Dirty Subaru website, Dirty Subaru blog, SubaruReport, All Subaru, WRXSTI, @DenisFlierl, Facebook, and Instagram.

I’ve got you covered! - I cover all Subaru all the time - It’s called the “Subaru Report.” Check back daily for my expert Subaru analysis!

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photo credit: Subaru USA