Subaru sales jump while many others fall
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Hot on the heels of the release of all-new 2010 versions of the Subaru Legacy and the iconic Subaru Outback, Subaru has just released its sales numbers for July.
Buoyed by new product and, get this, the interesting and novel idea of making inexpensive cars that are fun to drive and get splendid gas mileage, Subaru boasted some seriously good sales numbers.
How good? Subaru announced that the company had its best sales month ever with a 34% increase in sales in July. Subaru sold 21,839 units in July 2009, way up from the 16,271 units sold in July 2008. Subaru posted a -- wait for it -- 4% gain year-over-year, and Subaru sales for this past July showed a 17% increase over June 2009 Subaru sales.
How, you may ask, is a niche brand like Subaru, which is well-loved by a disparate group of fans ranging from fleece-covered Pacific Northwesterners to craggy New Englanders to Rocky Mountain states dwellers, not to mention the tuner and rally-racing crowd, selling cars hand over fist when other car companies are floundering?
One word: product. As someone who spends an inordinate amount of time behind the wheel of various makes and models, we have a soft spot for Subaru the same way we have a soft spot for all underdogs. It could be our Art School background, but we like things with some quirk to them.
We recently drove the $20,000 2010 Subaru Legacy and, with its standard all-wheel drive, upscale amenities and a drive that didn’t lull me to sleep, we were pleasantly surprised enough to recommend the Legacy to both the Toyota Camry and the Honda Accord and Civic buyer. High praise indeed.
When it comes to product, Subaru takes a road not only less traveled, but one where there is no asphalt at all. Look at the Outback. Subaru was the first to market way back in 1995, that’s 15 years ago people, with a non-SUV, tall wagon with all-wheel drive and extra-tough body cladding and styling. The original Outback was and still is sui-generis within automotive industry, and that is the reason why it continues to be not only a strong seller, but also, let’s face it, part of the soul of the Subaru brand.
We recently had a chance to test the new 2010 Subaru Outback and, while the vehicle has gotten a tad bit larger and quite a bit more luxurious, it still retains the quirky touches and Subaru-ness the buyer has grown to love, all while keeping a low base price and good gas mileage. If we owned an organic cheese farm and a few Golden Retrievers, we know the wagon for us.
-- Jon Alain Guzik
Jon Alain Guzik is editor in chief at Driverside.com