Skip to main content

Subaru Pitches New Outback To Outdoor Enthusiasts, See Who Really Buys It

Subaru builds the new 2020 Outback in America and they pitch it to outdoor enthusiasts, but are they the ones who are buying it?

Join us...    

In much of Subaru of America’s marketing of the all-new 2020 Outback SUV/Crossover, the Camden, N.J automaker pitches the new all-wheel-drive vehicle to outdoor enthusiasts. When the new sixth-generation model was unveiled at the New York Auto Show in April, it was done on a stage that resembled a U.S. National Park setting.

Subaru clearly has customers with active lifestyles in mind for the latest Outback, but who is really buying it? Peter Tenn, a planning manager for the Japanese automaker, described the new Outback to WardsAuto in a recent interview, as “an outdoors tool that can be used every day and taken anywhere.”

2020 Subaru Outback at the New York Auto Show

In Subaru ads, they show young, active, customers taking the new Outback with kayaks, mountain bikes, and it’s shown in mountain outdoor settings. But when we look at an occupational breakdown of who is actually buying the Outback, it reveals a very different story.

The number one occupation buying the new Outback is educators followed by health-care workers (a lot of buyers are nurses), and the third group are people in technology fields. These buyers are all informed consumers who come to the Subaru dealer “armed with a whole lot of technical information,” Tenn says.

2020 Subaru Outback

A large number of nurses are buying the Outback for it’s all-wheel-drive, all-weather capabilities. They need to get to work in all kinds of extreme conditions and they can’t be worried about getting stuck in the snow on the way to the hospital. Subaru Outback comes standard with Subaru’s Symmetrical all-wheel-drive that offers peace of mind.

According to Subaru, the average age of Outback buyers is 45, and the gender split is 52 percent male, 48 percent female. Seventy-eight percent are married, and the average household income is $75,000 to $99,000. These customers are looking for a vehicle that will not only get them to work in all conditions, but they are also concerned with safety.

Tenn says, Outback customers are all looking for a vehicle with top safety ratings and this is a common theme across demographic and psychographic lines. According to the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the 2020 Subaru Outback scores a top superior safety rating in its overall evaluation.

While it might be sexy to show the new 2020 Subaru Outback on a steep rocky trail in the mountains, most buyers are using it for everyday use and are more concerned with safety.

You Might Also Like: 2020 Subaru Outback Earns The Best Pedestrian Crash Prevention Ratings Among All Mid-Size Cars

Bookmark the TN Subaru page and be sure to follow the latest 2020 Subaru Outback model change reports on FacebookTwitterInstagramSubaru Report. Tweet your Subaru news tips to us @SubaruLegitNews and we'll give you a shout out! Check back tomorrow for more Subaru news and updates.

Watch Why Subaru Didn't Bring More Exterior Changes to 2020 Outback SUV and click to subscribe to the Torque News Youtube channel for daily Subaru and automotive news.

Leave your comments below, share the article with friends and tweet it out to your followers! See you in my next story where I am discussing how the new Subaru Ascent family hauler is doing after 2 years.

Watch this step by step guide of how to clean and restore your yellow headlights and click to subscribe to Torque News Youtube channel for daily thought-provoking automotive news analysis.

Photo credit: Subaru USA

Join us...    

Comments

Michaela (not verified)    November 9, 2019 - 7:45PM

1st off, I just purchased my 4th Subaru last month. Subaru wonders why they aren’t getting younger buyers, it is because they have such boring colors for the Outback! If it weren’t for all wheel drive and safety, I would have switched to another brand.for the last 3 years, I have written to you about letting us have the orange on Crosstrek or bring ing back the pretty Copper Orange they use to have! What is wrong with them? I am a 69 year old women and just hope before I Die, I can have an Orange Outback! May look at Cadillac’s next year ! I keep telling my dealership if they add orange next year, I will be in immediately to trade my new 2020 in!

Jim Walsh (not verified)    April 24, 2020 - 12:57PM

My 2020 Outback provides me with economical, reliable all weather transportation.
I like the ride height because it gives me a better view of the traffic around me, it offers ease of entry exit, and I can change the oil without jacking up the vehicle.
The wagon body allows carrying lots of cargo.
I could do without the black plastic body cladding all around the car. I find the touch screen based controls distracting and VERY difficult to use while driving. They should be outlawed!
However the Outback's ride and handling are ideal for me.