Let’s start off today’s discussion with an uncomfortable (or should I say “inconvenient”) truth – in absolute terms, Subaru isn’t all that popular at all.
The brand enjoys around 4% market share in the North American market, which has risen in recent years. Hardly the dictionary definition of popular – would you call an electoral candidate who gets 4% of the vote popular? Probably not.
Subaru is still very much a minor player in the automotive industry, and probably always will be. In a recent article, I went through the reasons why Subaru won’t extend into the luxury car market, for example.
If that’s the case, then why am I writing an article about the reasons why Subarus are so popular?
I guess I should clarify what I mean – Subarus are popular with a specific segment of the car buying market. In fact, Subaru buyers and owners are typically fiercely loyal (I should know – I grew up in a Subaru household, and have one myself now … my next car will probably be another one).
For example, a 2020 survey by JD Power found that Subaru drivers are the most loyal to their brand of all major automotive marques. This was calculated off the back of the fact that around two thirds of all Subaru buyers who traded in a car when buying their new vehicle traded in a Subaru; the least loyal brand was Fiat at around 10%.
While this is not exactly the most scientific study in all of recorded human history, it does provide some quantitative data to support the notion that Subaru buyers love their cars and keep coming back for more.
With that in mind, perhaps a better way to ask the question is “why does Subaru have such a loyal following with the people who buy its cars?”
In this edition of Car Facts, I’m going to explore some of the reasons for Subaru’s loyal following, and the brands enduring popularity with a specific segment of the car buying market.
Table of Contents
Reason 1 – Subaru Has A Niche, And Owns It
The first, and most important, reason for Subarus being so popular is that the company primarily caters to a specific niche/market segment.
If you just need “any old car”, then you don’t need a Subaru.
However, if you need a car that is dependable in inclement weather and road conditions (e.g. snow in winter, driving on gravel surfaces) and/or you like to indulge in an adventurous, outdoorsy lifestyle, then Subaru is pretty much the go-to choice.
This is why you typically see a greater proliferation of Subarus in locations where weather conditions are more challenging, particularly in winter, and/or where there is closer proximity to “places where you do outdoorsy things”.
For example, here in New Zealand you see Subaru Outbacks, Foresters and Legacies everywhere – particularly in the South Island with its more “rugged” road conditions and easier access to ski fields and other such locations. That’s because if you want a car that has the ability to effortlessly take you from driving around town in the week to hauling you up the skifield on a winter’s weekend, you buy a Subaru … it’s really that simple.
A couple of years ago my wife and I took our 5th generation Legacy on a two week winter tour of the South Island, and despite some challenging conditions there wasn’t a single bit of road, or gravel, or mud that it couldn’t handle. Had we taken something like a Toyota Camry, at the very least we would have had to stop on the ski field access to road to fit chains.
Although there will always be 4×4/truck buyers (e.g. those who are Jeep loyalists) they tend to be a bit different in terms of buyer persona and profile to the average Subaru buyer. I don’t believe you’d typically see much cross-over between the two audiences.
Subaru’s niche positioning is largely the consequence of its ubiquitous, nearly range-wide, very effective AWD system. I won’t go into all the specifics of how Subaru’s AWD system works, suffice it to say that on cars like the Outback and Forester it really is one of the best in the business (perhaps only Audi’s Quattro system comes close, but then again you have to spend so much more on buying and maintaining the car).
Adding on to the AWD aspect is the fact that most Subarus, like the Outback and Forester, are practical in terms of body shape and dimensions. You get fairly generous kit and specifications, along with the advantage of a car-like driving experience versus a proper 4×4/truck.
If you want a go-anywhere wagon or SUV because you like to get off the beaten track or , you can toddle on down to your local Subaru dealer and know that anything on the lot – with the exception of the BRZ – is going to fit the bill.
This makes Subaru the natural leader for this particular market segment/niche.
Subaru’s marketing also plays to this particular audience, with advertisements and ad campaigns that typically speak to the spirit of adventure and the great outdoors, as well as the dependability of the “Symmetrical AWD” system. When the going gets tough, you can always get going in your Subaru.
For example (and excuse the terrible video quality) here is an old ad from the early 2000s that Subaru released in New Zealand, which is entirely focused around the fact that “Special Conditions Apply” – i.e. you can depend on your Subaru in the wet, dirt, snow and anything else that might come its way. Even the background music, Total Control by The Motels, is a nod to the total control that the AWD system offers:
Here’s a later version of a Subaru commercial (once again for the NZ market – I’m using these examples, as I distinctly recall them all these years later) about ‘confidence in motion’ and the fact that you can always depend on the certainty of your Subaru getting you from A-to-B in a world of uncertainties:
Reason 2 – Subarus Are Typically Well-Rounded Cars
Another reason why Subarus are popular is that you tend to get a nicely-rounded package in terms of safety capability, performance, practicality, reliability and running costs.e.
If I consider my fifth generation Legacy, for example, it does everything pretty well. For a 2.5L car it has reasonable fuel economy (particularly when cruising on the open road). It is enormously practical with ample space in the wagon boot, good rear leg room, decent safety equipment considering its age, and it does drive rather well. It has also been impeccably reliable in the three years I have owned it.
I could trade it in on a more economical wagon like a Toyota Avensis, but then I would lose the AWD capability and the superior driving experience.
I could go for an older, higher mileage turbo Audi wagon with Quattro AWD and probably enjoy a sportier driving experience, but incur higher running costs.
If you go somewhere like Reddit and search through threads on why people like their Subarus, outside of the off-road/bad condition capabilities, a very common theme is that owners like the fact that they have a ‘one-size-fits-all’ car that does everything they need.
Come for the capabilities of a Subaru, and stay for the fact that it does everything else to a competent standard as well.
It also helps that Subarus tend to hold their value reasonably well compared to other brands, particularly models like the WRX and Outback that are constantly in-demand. While a Volvo or Audi might be a more luxurious alternative, you have to contend with far more stinging depreciation (learn more here in my article on why the WRX holds its value so well).
Reason 3 – The Subaru Community Is Strong
Another reason for Subaru’s brand loyalty is that there is a strong community, particularly in North America.
For example, ‘NASIOC’ (North American Subaru Impreza Owners Club) despite Impreza being in the name, is a highly active online community for Subaru owners and enthusiasts.
There also tend to be active local communities and groups wherever Subarus are sold, for example in New Zealand ‘ClubSub‘ is a popular destination for news, advice and general discussion.
I don’t have any statistically meaningful way of measuring the community size and engagement for Subaru relative to other brands, but it does seem at an anecdotal/observational level that Subaru owners like to mingle both online and offline, and help each other out.
Recap – Why Are Subaru Cars Popular With Their Loyal Fans?
As mentioned in the intro to this article, in absolute terms Subaru isn’t actually a particularly “popular” auto manufacturer, at least not if you go by sales volumes alone.
However, the brand does have a loyal following of customers who keep coming back to buy Subaru cars, over and over again.
The primary reason for this brand loyalty is that Subaru cars are the go-to option for people needing a go-anywhere vehicle that offers good manners on the road, respectable performance, fair running costs and plenty of practicality. There is a good reason you see Subarus everywhere in parts of the United States with bad winter conditions, or in New Zealand where every second car in the skifield car park with be an Outback or Forester.
The ever-present AWD system and aggressive marketing thereof has helped Subaru to win a loyal fan base.
It also helps that Subarus tend to hold their value fairly well, offer a compelling total ownership proposition, and there is a strong community of like-minded owners.
As a Subaru fan myself, these are all reasons why the brand is the top of my shopping list!
