The Obligatory Subaru Monthly Sales Thread

CHERRY HILL, N.J., Nov. 1, 2006 -- Subaru of America, Inc. October sales totaled 15,404 units. This total brings Subaru sales year-to-date up two percent from the previous year.

Subaru sold 1,278 units of the Tribeca mid-size SUVs during the month of October. The company also posted 6,078 units of Legacy vehicles for the month, with Subaru Outback posting 4,214 units of that model line total. Subaru Forester posted a gain with 4,290 units, up two percent from the same period last year, while Baja posted 549 units, up 17 percent, for the month. Subaru Impreza continues to post tremendous sales with a gain of 10 percent over the previous October, totaling 3,209 units.

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Its amazing how the Baja keeps selling better even though they stopped making it.

down 8% overall this year however

Subaru sales down 8 percent

By MAX SHOWALTER

mshowalter@journalandcourier.com

Subaru of America Inc. saw total domestic sales decline by 8 percent in October when compared to the same month a year ago.

A report released today shows the company sold 15,404 vehicles last month, versus 16,744 sold in October 2005.

Through the first 10 months of the year, Subaru sales total 164,290 - a 2 percent increase over the January-October period of last year.

Among vehicles produced at the Subaru of Indiana Automotive Inc. plant in Lafayette, only the Baja showed an increase in sales in October.

The sport-utility truck attracted 549 buyers, which represents a 17 percent increase over the 468 units that were sold in the same month a year ago. SIA discontinued production of the Baja earlier this year.

Sales of the SIA-built B9 Tribeca, a mid-size sport-utility vehicle, dropped by more than 800, from 2,093 in October of last year to 1,278 units last month.

Subaru registered a 14 percent decline in sales of the SIA-made Legacy line, which includes the Outback models, from 7,086 in October of last year to 6,078 units last month.

Sales of Japanese-made Subaru vehicles in the United States posted increases in October when compared to same month in 2005.

• The Impreza showed a 10 percent gain, from 2,923 units to 3,209.

• Sales of the Forester rose 2 percent, from 4,208 to 4,290.

Subaru of America is showcasing two new versions of its all-wheel drive 2007 Forester compact SUV this week at the annual Specialty Equipment Market Association Show in Las Vegas.

The new models offer exclusive interior features and enhanced standard equipment.

Changes include a a new front bumper and unique black mesh grille, anthracite black fabric upholstery and an automatic climate control system that replaces the manual climate control system.

down 8% overall this year however

 

Subaru sales down 8 percent

Oh, big time. With such marketing and product planning.

Besides, economy is slowly sinking anyway...

Hmmmm, Tribeca sales approaching Baja sales.....

They should reintroduce BL/BP based Brat. Two seater light pickup rocket (Brat XT). I am sure that would sell better than Baja.

But SOA rarely gets it right...

Oh, big time. With such marketing and product planning.

 

Besides, economy is slowly sinking anyway...

Maybe, but some people are still making money.

Went to Michael's Toyota last weekend with a friend. There was a line to see a salesperson. They have so many people piling in that they have a person working at a counter baking fresh cookies and providing free drinks.

The weird thing is, I don't really know of a "fantastic" Toyota product.

The weird thing is, I don't really know of a "fantastic" Toyota product.

Yup. Not a single car of interest. Meeeeh.

I'd rather drive a Honda or Mazda.

SOA could learn a thing or 2 from Toyota when it comes to advertisment and promotions. Unfortunatelly we never got that part right.

Great products in the showroom floors and no one to look at them....

Subaru Marketing is just not there....

SOA could learn a thing or 2 from Toyota when it comes to advertisment and promotions. Unfortunatelly we nover got that part right.

Great products in the showroom floors and no one to look at them....

Subaru Marketing is just not there....

Please use your communication channels to complain about. I keep sending comments on subaru.com, but it's getting old...

It is a shame that they have - or could easily have - fantastic products and they can't sell them.

Please use your communication channels to complain about. I keep sending comments on subaru.com, but it's getting old...

 

It is a shame that they have - or could easily have - fantastic products and they can't sell them.

I actually had meetings with the head of US marketing...

Their excuse is the funds... SOA is still a small company in comparison to the rest.

Most of the help is coming from FHI and they are as conservative as it can get...

They are not willing to buy the market for few years till the brand name gets out there and that is whats hurting them.

Buying the market = Special leases, low APR and subsidised cost...

Acura, Infiniti and Lexus did that initially and now they can charge premium for their crap because people know and trust the brand....

Did you ever mention the issue of LGT manual wagon?

Why no special orders at least? If someone wants to buy the car, why not make one (especially if it's already made at the plant for Canadian market).

Last year Tribeca did very well due to this approach, name got out there. We ran out of cars to sell. Then they turned aroubd and flooded the market without any specials and now we just look and admire our inventory....

And they wonder what happend!!!!!!

Did you ever mention the issue of LGT manual wagon?

 

Why no special orders at least? If someone wants to buy a car, why not make one (especially if it's already made at the plant for Candian market).

Yes, But that trim did not do so well in General. They can not build just one or 2 cars for special oreders. It is cost prohibitive....

I am a Wagon Junkie myself and I can not get what I want....

Yes, But that trim did not do so well in General. They can not build just one or 2 cars for special oreders. It is cost prohibitive....

But it's a fallacy. They were selling like 30 LGT manual wagons per month in MY2005 (source: SOA's customer representative). Ok, not a huge number, but considering they did not advertise it and it was first model year, they should have given it another chance!

This is really stupid, at least for the fact, that WRX wagon is a good seller. When these young people graduate to bigger cars they have no upgrade option in Subaru family (no, OB, even XT, is not an upgrade for a sporty wagon).

WRX has been on the market only 4 years. This is JUST TIME for original WRX owners to move on to bigger cars.

I am sure if they kept LGT manual wagon the sales in 2006 would double if not more.

But it's a fallacy. They were selling like 30 LGT manual wagons per month in MY2005 (source: SOA's customer representative). Ok, not a huge number, but considering they did not advertise it and it was first model year, they should have given it another chance!

 

This is really stupid, at least for the fact, that WRX wagon is a good seller. When these young people graduate to bigger cars they have no upgrade option in Subaru family (no, OB, even XT, is not an upgrade for a sporty wagon).

 

WRX has been on the market only 4 years. This is JUST TIME for original WRX owners to move on to bigger cars.

 

I am sure if they kept LGT manual wagon the sales in 2006 would double if not more.

I am one of those guys....

Btw, I am looking for another LGT MT wagon - when they appear on the market for sensible amount of money they sell in no time now. Because the word got out and some people actually seek them and pay nice $$$.

True True...

http://www.dealerfusion.com/search.asp?mode=detail&dealerlist=001014&startid=&inventoryno=1006417

True True...

 

http://www.dealerfusion.com/search.asp?mode=detail&dealerlist=001014&startid=&inventoryno=1006417

Nice. But it is listed as an auto!!! Making it harder to find?

Nice. But it is listed as an auto!!! Making it harder to find?

I know. I asked them to change it, but freaking idiots. Good help is hard to find these days.

Note to myself, fix it in the morning....

I am gonna take off. It's getting late and I am still in the office.

BTW. What r u doing up at this hour?

Good night/Good morning.

I've proposed a solution to the "low volume" argument on the turbocharged, manual trans Legacy wagon before.

Re-define the spec B into what it should have been since the beginning. A sport package, like it is in the rest of the world. (DUH!! SOA!)

Legacy Spec B should be *any color offered* GT sedan or wagon, with a 6MT standard, Auto no-cost optional, Bilstein suspension (revised springs, too), 20mm rear sway bar (like JDM GT already has) 18" wheels, and aggressive bumper cover standard. Maybe even the Subaru 4-piston brakes like the WRXs get, or black brembos... Sell it for an appropriate price increase but not 6-10k more, marketed like a sport package.

Don't treat it like a holy grail car. Let people test drive it, offer the same incentives as the GT. Get a bit of inventory out there, so that people can buy them (Local dealer STILL has no 07 Legacy GTs on the lot, and it is NOVEMBER!, and they wonder why they don't sell, indeed!)

GT (drop the nonsense limited moniker, since cloth is gone.) should have the 5MT standard, 5EAT cost optional, and 17" wheels. 5EAT standard on the wagon, if needed, as long as 6MT Spec B wagon is available with said performance options. Personally, I'd put the 20mm sway bar, and better dampers, and WRX/22b-style brake calipers on the current GT rotors on the GT, and up it even further to Bilsteins, Pinks, and Brembos for the Spec Bs. Leave the softer settings for the forthcoming 3.0R Legacys.

Same with taupe interior... do what you must in terms of pairing taupe interiors with paint colors, as long as Spec B gets BLACK interior on all paint colors. I still think the option to choose should be available, as it was in 2005, though.

All Legacys get memory seats, and NAV becomes a build-to-order or dealer installed option on any Legacy GT or Spec B, regardless of transmission or body style.

Put some nice colors on the palette (bring some sort of red back, Regal blue also, and a nice green might be nice, too), get some incentives going to move the cars, and get them into the hands of drivers, and seen on the streets. Reza makes good points on this.

The downward spiral continues.......

The Tribeca continues to be an absolute disaster.

The downward spiral continues.......

 

 

The Tribeca continues to be an absolute disaster.

People seem to like em though. Have yet to hear complaints.

Subaru registered a 14 percent decline in sales of the SIA-made Legacy line, which includes the Outback models, from 7,086 in October of last year to 6,078 units last month.

Yikes