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Do Subaru dealers mark their 2022 Forester, Outback, Crosstrek, and other new models well above MSRP? Not all Subaru dealers, but some are. A new report from Jalopnik says some Subaru retailers are marking up the 2022 Subaru Outback Wilderness way above the Manufactures Suggested Retail Price (MSRP).
Subaru of America puts the new 2022 Outback Wilderness price at $38,370, including destination and delivery fees. The report says a large Subaru retailer in Orange County, California, is marking up the Outback Wilderness nearly 20 percent ($7303) above MSRP.
Irvine Subaru has a large 2022 Outback midsize SUV inventory and shows fifty-four models available for sale, but they are in transit from the factory in Lafayette, Indiana. They show twelve models are the more rugged Outback Wilderness trim levels, also in transit from Subaru of Indiana Automotive. Each new Wilderness model is priced at $45,673.
photo credit: Subaru letter - Jalopnik
The substantial dealer markups have caught the attention of Subaru of America President and CEO Tom Doll. This week Doll sent out the letter above to its retailers asking them to "honor the Love Promise in all customer interactions." The letter from Doll says Subaru has received many customer's letters and emails "voraciously complaining about sales of Subaru models at prices above MSRP."
photo credit: Irvine Subaru
The same Subaru retailer has one 2022 Subaru Forester Wilderness trim level in stock and asks $40,798 for the all-new compact SUV. The MSRP is $34,195, including destination and delivery fees. This is $6,603 over Subaru of America's MSRP.
One letter received by Subaru of America written to the company's newly-appointed Vice President of Customer Advocacy, Renee Rhem, is seen below.
The customer writes, "I'm writing to you as a very satisfied Subaru owner of almost 20 years, but I have concerns as I'm planning on buying my next Forester. The "Low Inventory Surcharge" of $4,000 - $6,000 is puffing a new car out of reach for me. I understand the supply chain problems and issues around getting parts, but this is troubling. Are you planning on eliminating this tax soon? I'm certainly hoping you'll be changing this so I can once again look forward to my third new Forester."
Subaru President and CEO Tom Doll says Subaru takes pride in NOT doing what a typical car dealer would do and giving new cars huge markups. He says it goes against the H.E.A.R.T. (honest, empathy, appreciation, respect, trust) pillars which is the foundation of the Subaru brand.
While some Subaru retailers are marking up their new 2022 Forester Wilderness and 2022 Outback Wilderness trim level way above MSRP, not all Subaru retailers do this. It's nice to know Subaru of America does not condone the practice of gouging its customers.
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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
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