Some depressing numbers

May sales:

 

Camry: 50,126 (now including some from the Subaru plant?)

 

Legacy (includes Outback): 7,159

 

Subaru total: 16,262

 

Could be worse...

 

Mazda6: 4,509

 

Saturn Aura: 4,784

 

Wasn't the Mazda6 the favorite in all the magazines for about six months when it first came out? And the Saturn gets all the buzz lately.

 

Seems the magazine reviews aren't worth much.

Saturn Aura is a really nice car...

 

Too bad is wrong wheel drive, otherwise a very nice, great interior finish (waaaay better than our Legacy), and a rebadged Opel Vectra....

 

Flavio Zanetti

Boston, MA

Subarus sell better during the fall and winter months. Id like to see the #s in november.

Subarus sell better during the fall and winter months. Id like to see the #s in november.

 

 

Subaru sells strongly in the winter and in the summer. July and December are the two biggest months for Subaru

Subaru doesn't ever sell "strongly".

 

They have less than 1% of the market in the US.

Mazda6 is now on its 5th model year without any major changes. New one comes out this fall that's a bit bigger. 3.5L 250+ HP V6, 6-speed auto, and AWD will be optional. See how the May 2008 sales compare against the Legacy...

How many Accords? I was really suprised yesterday to see that only 400 Accord hybrids were sold in May, vs. the 6000 Camry Hybrids. So I am curious to see what the regular trims sold & if it reflects the same pattern. Cause it is a boring looking car and they dont advertise.

 

 

 

The Subaru Impreza line, including the Impreza WRX, posted another double digit gain over last year with 3,981 units sold in May.

 

What is so special about the Impreza that it is selling. I know the X Games helped make this car an icon, but what trims are selling. The 2.5i? The wagon? Just curious.

The Accord was around 31,000, 4th best-selling car. This is down about 10%, probably because a new one is coming soon and because Toyota is pushing so hard for sales.

 

The Accord Hybrid has been a flop from nearly the day it was launched. People haven't gone for the concept of a performance hybrid. The Camry has much less power and much higher MPG numbers.

 

Chevrolet Impala 3rd at 35,000, with many to fleets.

 

And 2nd, also a big shock to me, is Corolla with 45,000. This includes the Matrix, but most are Corollas. And that's a very long in tooth design.

 

The Mazda6 hasn't sold well ever since the Mazda3 came out. It's the fairly smart older child with the genius brother one grade behind in school. As soon as the Mazda3 came out, everyone forgot all the good things they'd ever said about the Mazda6. That was in 2004.

 

Unless the new Mazda6 is awesome, I wouldn't count on a big gain from it.

 

And 2nd, also a big shock to me, is Corolla with 45,000. This includes the Matrix, but most are Corollas. And that's a very long in tooth design.

 

Maybe its because they get pretty fantastic gas mileage for the size car that they are, I dont care what the EPA says now. Maybe Subaru will benefit from people thinking they are buying Corollas when the new WRX sedan debuts.

Mazda6 and Mazda3 are fairly close in size, new one is going to rival the Camry and Accord in terms of size, and not the Legacy. That alone should help boost sales.

well subarus dont sell like accord and camry because Subarus are niche cars.. especially since they're trying to go up market. oh well

WARNING: Canadian prices ahead... (now THAT'S depressing)

 

Infiniti G35 Sedan starting from $39,990 (AWD from $43,390)

Subaru Liberty GT Limited starting from $40,295

 

So yes, in Canada Subaru is definately trying to keep it upmarket. Most people will not think too much about the AWD in the Subaru but will see that the price of a vehicle like the Infiniti is actually lower than the Subaru. There is the perception that Infiniti is a more premium brand, and that is something that develops in the mind of the consumer over a period of time. Subaru is still viewed as somewhat utilitarian even though the quality, and fit & finish is right up there. Viewing the Liberty from the outside it still looks somewhat plain (my wife thinks it's not different enough - too much like an Accord - NOT my words).

 

What will help sales; lots of time, word of mouth, advertising, good magazine reviews, awards, and lots of time. There needs to be an increased focus on brand awareness and positioning in the market in order for consumers to begin to understand and accept that Subaru is a premium vehicle with premium features that can stand up to the best that the other brands can offer.

doesnt really bother me, i like that subaru is still a somewhat less common and exclusive marquee. i like not seeing a ton of cars like mine on the road.

doesnt really bother me, i like that subaru is still a somewhat less common and exclusive marquee. i like not seeing a ton of cars like mine on the road.

 

And if they go under maybe our cars will be worth more.

YEah I'll take Camry in the Winter....I don't think so...

 

Who cares that they sold 50k...people who drive them are certainly not car people like us....they care about getting from a to b ...we care about getting there quicker and having more fun at the same time...

...

 

Sure it may be nice to drive a niche car (I drive a Saab, I know) but low sales numbers are bad for a car company. Low volume equals less on research and development and longer cycle times on redesign, and less aftermarket suppliers, and less performance parts, and higher costs for the stuff you do find.

 

Just because a car is popular doesn't make it bad. If Subaru's were more popular then most people would buy lower powered versions in bigger volumes allowing for further development of the higher powered, sportier, premium models, and even allowing for more models.

 

Take Audi as an example. They were relatively niche when the Audi 5000 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Audi_R8_%28road_car%29 (100 in Europe) hit the North American market and remained so for some time (see link for more info). They made a concerted effort to move upmarket (I'm not recommending that) and look at their lineup now. I know they are nowhere near as reliable (or so I hear) but they have a hell of a lineup with everything from smaller nice performing hatchbacks to full out high performance cars bordering on supercar status - AKA R8 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Audi_R8_%28road_car%29).

 

I for one wouldn't mind seeing Subaru expand and diversify along with being more successful with their numbers while sticking to their core values (AWD and reliability and relative affordability with super quality and good looks, etc.....).

Do not forget that Audi has VW behind. It is a luxury brand of mass market manufacturer.

 

Krzys

Who cares that they sold 50k...people who drive them are certainly not car people like us....they care about getting from a to b ...we care about getting there quicker and having more fun at the same time...

 

Subaru won't survive if they just sell cars to people like us.

Well, don't forget the Birkenstock 'Alternative Lifestyle' (ahem...) tree-hugging latte sippers from Vermont.

Yes, Subaru needs to ante up and put out some hardcore advertising and brand awareness program. A "Drivers Wanted" scale program would be a good thing.

 

Blow through the big bucks and get some sales; get some better sales and build some better cars.

 

Next generation Legacy will/should have:

300 HP:eek:

26 MPG combined city/Hwy:confused:

Looks to make Lexus and BMW owners envious:)

Build quality to rival any of the other guys:spin:

 

Or so I hope.

Subaru doesn't ever sell "strongly".

 

They have less than 1% of the market in the US.

 

Hmm, must be why I like driving it. I RARELY see another LGT.

...Foresters, Tribecas AND Outbacks out there. Everyone needs to realize that success for a car company is good and failure (low sales) is a bad thing.

 

Unless you want Legacy GTs (LGTs) to disappear altogether (in which case yours may become somewhat of a collector's item) we should hope to see more of these cars on the road, not less.

 

What if you see a lot of the regular Legacys around with few LGTs and even fewer Spec Bs? That wouldn't be so bad, would it? I'd like to see Legacys all over the place and I'd like to own one that was personalized by me (or a nice STI spec package from the factory).

 

Subaru's success will give you more selection and better product. It's NOT a good thing to be the only guy on the block or in town with a Subaru. Spread the word, get friends and family and everyone else to buy the regular stuff so we can have more options/features on the performance oriented models.

I live about 30 mins from the Camry plant in Georgetown and my husband works for Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America doing IT stuff. Let me tell you I get so sick of seeing Camry after Camry all day long. We counted 43 of just the newest model on our short 5 mile commute home from the store. I, on one hand am glad that I don't see Legacy every 2 seconds but on the other hand I don't want to see Subaru or the Legacy disapear either. I have turned a few people that I know into Subaru fans and hopefully I can keep doing that.

I had an 03 Mazda 6s, and really enjoyed it. When my middle son was in the market for a new car last year, he researched it and picked out an '05 LGT. He still loves it. When the Mazda needed service, he took me over to the Subaru dealer and we took a Spec B for a ride - I was sunk, and traded a few days later.

 

Spec B. is sooo much more car than the old 6 was, and I love the Alcantara seats! Better acceleration, as good in corners, more sure footed when the going gets rough or wet on country roads. Have had fun showing off the Subie to friends at school where I teach, and have made all my tuner students really jealous. Especially after several have had their doors blown off recently! Word of mouth is working well here!

 

I would love to see the Spec B go to a 300 hp STI version, but keep the very conservative styling and badging. Stealth rocks!

Maybe Subaru should advertise the Legacy GT for what it is as opposed to having a lame commercial featuring a whitebread couple looking at a car followed by a Sheryl Crow song...