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Subaru’s Razor Thin New Car Inventory And The 2023 Model Outlook

If you shop for a 2022 Subaru Forester, Outback, or Crosstrek, you won't find the new all-wheel-drive vehicle on retailers' lots this summer. See what's next for new car shoppers and the 2023 model outlook.

If you are shopping for a 2022 Subaru Forester, Outback, or Crosstrek, you know there are no new models to buy and drive home today. Subaru of America continues to have the tightest inventory of vehicles of any car brand. According to a report from Automotive News (by subscription), Subaru's new Forester, Outback, Crosstrek, and other models is at a three-day supply in July.

2023 Subaru Outback
photo credit: LCM Subaru

The data comes from Cox Automotive and the Automotive News Research and Data Center. Automotive New says, "Subaru still had the tightest supply, at three days, with other Asian brands also running lean because of their long supply lines."

It's not only Subaru. Analysis from Cox Automotive reveals overall new car supplies across America declined in July to 1.02 million vehicles, down by about 98,000 from where they stood a month earlier.

2022 Subaru Forester
photo credit: Budds Subaru

The only model found is the 2022 Subaru Ascent

A large Subaru retailer near Denver, Colorado, only has three new cars on the ground that have not been sold, all 2022 Subaru Ascent 3-Row family haulers. The 2022 Forester compact SUV and Forester Wilderness remain the hardest-to-get new Subaru model, followed by the 2002 Crosstrek subcompact SUV and 2022 Outback midsize SUV, and the Outback Wilderness trim level.

What's next for 2022 Subaru Forester, Outback, and Crosstrek shoppers?

Car shoppers who can wait are ordering the 2022 Subaru Forester, Outback, Crosstrek, and other models in the color and trim level they want from their Subaru retailer. How long is the wait? It takes about two months if a customer orders a new Outback, Ascent, or Legacy because they are manufactured at the Subaru plant in Lafayette, Indiana.

The Subaru Crosstrek and WRX performance sedan take about four months, and the Subaru Forester takes about six months to be delivered from the factory in Gunma, Japan.

What is Subaru's new model inventory forecast for 2023?

The inventory crunch is expected to ease next year for Subaru of America. Subaru Corporation expects shortages of parts and the supply chain issues will improve, and there will be an increase of 28 percent more new Forester, Crosstrek, and Outback SUVs produced for U.S. customers next year.

2023 Subaru models

Subaru of America has not announced the 2023 Forester compact SUV upgrades, but it should remain unchanged. The 2023 Subaru Crosstrek arrives this summer, and the newly-upgraded 2023 Subaru Outback, 2023 Subaru Ascent, and 2023 Subaru Legacy come this fall.

When will the 2023 Subaru Solterra all-electric compact EV be available? Find out in the new report below.

You Might Also Like: When Will Subaru Solterra Arrive? More Delays For The All-New EV

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 USA

Comments

Western New Yorker (not verified)    August 13, 2022 - 6:35PM

Very true about the ‘22 Forester - I placed my custom order on March 13th and expecting it the last week of Aug or first week of Sept. Just in time for the snowy winter.
-inaugural Subie owner

Cyn (not verified)    August 14, 2022 - 1:59AM

I ordered the Forester Sport in Dark Blue in June and just got a call from the dealer that I’ll be getting 2023 and that that colour is no longer being made. New sport colour is Sapphire Blue. Anyone else heard this too?