Why SOA blows

Okay,

 

I work at a Subaru dealership. In the four months since I started selling cars, we have only gotten two Legacy wagons allocated to us from Subaru. Both sold within 3 days of coming off the truck. In that same time, we've gotten (and sold) probably 50 outback wagons, if not more. And it wasn't just our dealership. In late November, a customer wanted a Diamond Gray Limited Legacy wagon. We tried to do a locate, and among all 63 New England dealerships, there was only one available.

 

Basically, Subaru doesn't make many legacy wagons now. So they obviously don't sell many. But if they made more, customers would buy them, because we end up selling legacy customers Outbacks just because we can't even get the Legacy.

 

Not one of Subaru's finer moments. The good news, at least, is that I bought my LGT wagon before they quit making them!

 

http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/showpost.php?p=16544910&postcount=183

agreed on that. we have received two 2007 LGTS so far..one was a sold order that took about 3 months to arrive and the other is a diamond gray wagon that we currently have.

 

NONE have been available on allocation sheets for the district since early fall. we simply cant get them or find them available.

 

like that dealer, we end up switching customers to Outback models..the XT switches well from a lgt wagon if they are wanting a manual anyway, but the sedans would do well if they were simply available.

 

i think for 2006 we only ever had two..an atlantic blue automatic and a black 5mt.

And think about it - the guy is in NEW ENGLAND!!! Not in some middle of nowhere where everybody drives domestic trucks.

 

Next to Oregon/Washington it's supposed to be the kingdom of Legacy wagons!!

i would have thought they might do better up that way with the outback and forester compared to the legacy models due to better ground clearance...deeper snow and the legacy might tend to be propped up in the air by a lot of packed snow underneath it and get stuck whereas with the outback model, the higher ground clearance should allow it to get through deeper stuff without any clearance issues...

Yeah, perhaps, but it's not like NE get several feet of snow everyday.

 

"People are strange".

I drove 100 miles to get my 07 GT wagon. Very hard to find. I'm lucky the search only took 4 dealerships and 2 days. My car had been at the dealership for 18 hours before I bought it.

I haven't seen a single Legacy GT, or Legacy wagon at the local dealer. One 2.5i limited sedan in newport blue. THAT IS ALL. Since August. Yeah. One.

 

If this is SOA's way of gearing toward a Legacy Sedan / Outback Wagon breakdown. It is a bad way to "prep" for it, and that is a bad idea anyway.

 

Sorry to hear that SOA's head is still firmly planted where no sunlight arrives. 2005 was still the pinnacle model year, and although I am happy that I have a 2005, and didn't spend the premium for a new car in a configuration I would be less happy with...

 

...there is still no real reason besides beetleheadedness*, for SOA to be bungling this like they are. it is rediculous, and sadly, their increased sales are probably not ammending their attitude. As long as they can focus on imprezas, foresters, and outbacks, they can ignore legacys, and try small and futile measures to correct their schnozz mistake on the Tribeca.

 

*- Beetleheaded is a synonym for stupid. (name that reference... )

I drove 100 miles to get my 07 GT wagon. Very hard to find. I'm lucky the search only took 4 dealerships and 2 days. My car had been at the dealership for 18 hours before I bought it.

 

 

I can't stop:

 

http://legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php?t=51487

Yeah, perhaps, but it's not like NE get several feets of snow everyday.

We haven't gotten even a foot of snow so far....

come to CT @ Suburban Subaru they have a ton of legacys (didnt see many wagons) but they had sedans in every color/style combo you could ask for...

East coast SUCKS for Subaru's. It's a well known fact.

That's weird.

 

I checked my local dealer, Carter's, and they have 3 2007 GT sedans and 2 2007 GT wagons. All automatic.

And think about it - the guy is in NEW ENGLAND!!! Not in some middle of nowhere where everybody drives domestic trucks.

 

Next to Oregon/Washington it's supposed to be the kingdom of Legacy wagons!!

48% of all Subarus in north America are in New England. In 40 towns in MA, Subaru Legacy/Outback is the #1 model registered. So I'd be surprised if anywhere else in NA has more.

I'm telling you, SOA is PURPOSELY killing the Legacy, switching over only to outbacks.

 

Why is beyond me. They are the SAME ******* car with different suspension.

You know I like the Legacy wagons alot...but there is a reason that so many other wagons from other manufacturers have dissappeared...they don't sell very well, period.

Ford/Mercury no longer makes any wagons except the Outback clone they call the Freestyle. Lexus canned the IS300 Wagon, Toyota canned the Camry wagon, etc.

Subaru is not a very large car company with unlimited cash reserves or a multitude of car lines, if it makes them economically stronger to eliminate the Legacy wagon then they probably should. I would just hope that by doing so they bring us more of the things people want on the cars Subaru producesd; ie: STI versions of the Legacy, Forester and Tribeca. More current goodies in the cars; Bluetooth, parking sensors, stereo options, Intergrated Homelink, DVD, Navigation, etc.

Does SOA allocate models based on past sales history of that model? My dealer, out here in the sticks, has already received five '07 LGTs...and has two used '05s in the lot.

i would have to check on that. I know we get a big list of everything available for our district and since have been the top in sales for a couple years in our disctrict, we usually have first pick. I am not sure what determines what vehicles the district has available though...

You know I like the Legacy wagons alot...but there is a reason that so many other wagons from other manufacturers have dissappeared...they don't sell very well, period.

Ford/Mercury no longer makes any wagons except the Outback clone they call the Freestyle. Lexus canned the IS300 Wagon, Toyota canned the Camry wagon, etc.

Subaru is not a very large car company with unlimited cash reserves or a multitude of car lines, if it makes them economically stronger to eliminate the Legacy wagon then they probably should. I would just hope that by doing so they bring us more of the things people want on the cars Subaru producesd; ie: STI versions of the Legacy, Forester and Tribeca. More current goodies in the cars; Bluetooth, parking sensors, stereo options, Intergrated Homelink, DVD, Navigation, etc.

 

Opie has it right. Outbacks and Foresters sell because they are marketed and classed as SUV or light trucks.

 

I'm sad to see the Legacy wagon dissapear as well, but you can not fault Subaru for discontiuning something that does not sell in the US. Suabru is making a smart business decision. Compare this to the thousands of unsold Chyslers that are sitting in their lots right now.

 

Perhaps your time is better spent trying to get your friends and family to buy wagons instead of SUVs and CUVs. This would help broaden the wagon market and possibly help Subaru bring the Legacy wagon back to the US.

I'm 90% certain I've seen many times more Legacy non-Outback wagons on the road than sedans.

 

Why don't they discontinue the sedan if they are going for economical decisions?

I'm telling you, SOA is PURPOSELY killing the Legacy, switching over only to outbacks.

 

Why is beyond me. They are the SAME ******* car with different suspension.

 

If it does not make sense it must be about money. I believe Outbacks have better margins.

 

Krzys

Yes, but could be about someone's personal money. Corporate politics.

Opie has it right. Outbacks and Foresters sell because they are marketed [strikethrough]and classed as SUV or light trucks.[/strikethrough]

I'm sad to see the Legacy wagon dissapear as well, but you can not fault Subaru for discontiuning something that does not sell in the US. Suabru is making a smart business decision. Compare this to the thousands of unsold Chyslers that are sitting in their lots right now.

 

 

Outbacks and Foresters are marketed at all. Legacy, hardly.

 

When most car company's main line cars and biggest sellers are four door sedans, why is the Legacy sedan one of the lowest selling lines subaru has, followed only by the non-outback wagon, when the outback wagon outsells BOTH Legacy formats at least 4-to-1. The Ford Freestyle is a flop compared to Ford's sedans, and those sedans are at almost legendary leves of boring. But they are marketed.

 

The other reason, especially outback vs. legacy, is that the Legacy doesn't get 6 cylinders. That sells to mainstream buyers who want more than the base model. Not everyone wants "turbocharged" or thinks that turbos are reliable enough, regardless of the reality that they are. When Accords and Camrys sell with V6s, as well as the Fusion and Milan, with AWD... The Legacy should have 6 cylinders as an option. It has been a notorious omission, and very likely detrimental to sales. 2008 is three years late, and thousands of dollars of revenue short. no one to blame but SOA. Everyone else gets a Legacy H6 option.

 

If you want more than a 4-cylinder, but not necesarily a turbo, and are considering a Subaru, what choices do you have?

 

Outback or Tribeca. Outback is much less contraversial looking, and not much less practical, and is very well known and established.

Legacy is nearly as well branded, and side by side on the lot, is obviously nearly identical, but lower; but doesn't offer the engine option.

 

You CAN blame subaru. Dare I say, you should. They are the ones who have more control over how these cars are configured, marketed, and stocked than ANYONE else. Certainly more than the customers who can't buy the Subaru they want. If they want to sell cars, they have to do those things right. I think they have been making a merely adequate to downright poor job on those points. It isn't SOJ or FHI in Japan. They have the Legacy H6, and the Legacy wagon is one of their best sellers. Partly cultural, but also partly because it is avialable in the format which the customers can choose what they want.

 

Just because chrysler is stupid, and ignored Lee Iacocca, and built up an inventory reservoir based on inflated sales numbers when their cars came out and were selling well, and now demand has tapered off, doesn't mean that it excuses other companies for making different bad decisions, or under-supplying cars.

 

Just goes to show that few car companies are interested in making and actually selling cars anymore. It is bureaucratic, and they have shifted from catering to the customer to trying to get the customer to cater to the company's convenience (less configuration, more cost cutting... things that benefit the bottom line, not the customer's satisfaction.) Doesn't work that way.

 

Addition: if it is about margins, and the Legacy isn't profitable enough, than why not work to fix that by ADDING value, rather than cutting it???

 

How would a Legacy with VDC, and all the accoutrements of the top-end Outbacks.. (which all fit, BTW...) and a 3.0R, marketed at similar prices to the outback, not be competetive?

 

Since when is the only option to cut costs? How about offering MORE of what people want? And either charge what the market will bear, or pull back the price to increase the value, and sell even more? (if you can get them to the dealerships...)

Outbacks and Foresters are marketed at all. Legacy, hardly.

 

When most car company's main line cars and biggest sellers are four door sedans, why is the Legacy sedan one of the lowest selling lines subaru has, followed only by the non-outback wagon, when the outback wagon outsells BOTH Legacy formats at least 4-to-1. The Ford Freestyle is a flop compared to Ford's sedans, and those sedans are at almost legendary leves of boring. But they are marketed.

 

The other reason, especially outback vs. legacy, is that the Legacy doesn't get 6 cylinders. That sells to mainstream buyers who want more than the base model. Not everyone wants "turbocharged" or thinks that turbos are reliable enough, regardless of the reality that they are. When Accords and Camrys sell with V6s, as well as the Fusion and Milan, with AWD... The Legacy should have 6 cylinders as an option. It has been a notorious omission, and very likely detrimental to sales. 2008 is three years late, and thousands of dollars of revenue short. no one to blame but SOA. Everyone else gets a Legacy H6 option.

 

You CAN blame subaru. Dare I say, you should. They are the ones who have more control over how these cars are configured, marketed, and stocked than ANYONE else. Certainly more than the customers who can't buy the Subaru they want. If they want to sell cars, they have to do those things right. I think they have been making a merely adequate to downright poor job on those points.

 

Just because chrysler is stupid, and ignored Lee Iacocca, and built up an inventory reservoir based on inflated sales numbers when their cars came out and were selling well, and now demand has tapered off, doesn't mean that it excuses other companies for making different bad decisions, or under-supplying cars.

 

Just goes to show that few car companies are interested in making and actually selling cars anymore. It is bureaucratic, and they have shifted from catering to the customer to trying to get the customer to cater to the company's convenience (less configuration, more cost cutting... things that benefit the bottom line, not the customer's satisfaction.) Doesn't work that way.

 

+1. I took the liberty of copying your post there:

 

http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/showpost.php?p=16548858&postcount=198

 

I hope you don't mind.

 

You CAN blame subaru. Dare I say, you should. They are the ones who have more control over how these cars are configured, marketed, and stocked than ANYONE else. Certainly more than the customers who can't buy the Subaru they want. If they want to sell cars, they have to do those things right. I think they have been making a merely adequate to downright poor job on those points. It isn't SOJ or FHI in Japan. They have the Legacy H6, and the Legacy wagon is one of their best sellers. Partly cultural, but also partly because it is avialable in the format which the customers can choose what they want.

 

Subaru does not control what the American public wants to buy and drive. Americans purchase different cars than the Europeans, Japanese...etc. Therefore car companies sell different models and they are marketed differently.

 

Sit down and compare an American car magazine and a Eurpean one and you'll begin to see the basic philosophical differences between them.

 

I'm done with this discussion.