Subaru Annual Sales Figures

Lex Luthor

I was at my local dealer the other day and just chatting with one of the sales guys and he was telling me that Subaru typically sold 500 units/per annum, countrywide. How can dealers survive on these sales figures...???

This year they have shifted 225 units to date :eek:

The garage I was at sold about 25% of them and they have 3 full time sales people, service manager and about 3-4 other staff.

I know its an exclusive club, but I never thought that exclusive.

Its a pity that the general public don't know more about cars such as the legacy as if they could afford to splash out on advertising, I'd sure they'd shift more

unkel

Soon people will start to understand that the Impreza diesel is one of the best value for money cars and they will start to buy them. Remember it took years for the Octavia to start selling in big number after it was released about a decade ago?

Petrol Subarus are finished though...

Berty

What ^^^ he said!

Look at the 2010 Octavia VRs which Im seriously considering encouraging my employer to buy.

The dealership(200mtrs) from my door is the only dealer covering Limerick/Clare/Tipperary and Limerick.

Looking at those figures above Im wondering how the Subaru dealership in Limerick, tucked away in a quiet industrial estate manages.

EPM

Cant believe that i'm not seeing any Impeza diesels on the road. Test drove it at the start of the year and bar the cheap interior it was fantastic. And the legacy is the biggest bargain in its class. When will people learn?

But the dealers will have their work cut out when the new model is launched...

bazz26

Poor marketing aside I think the other problem is that Irish motorists are conservative. They like to stick to brands they know. I think to most Joe Publics a Subaru is just too quirky for them. Mention things like boxer engines, 4wd, frameless doors, etc and they automatically think that's not for me. Also your typical Subaru owner probably tends not to be in a to b transport. I would say they are the Japanese equivilant of what Saab were before GM ownership.

But to be fair Subaru were never a volume seller and their range of engines and trim is pretty limited compared to the likes of Ford, VW or Toyota for example. I think if they go down the road of being a volume seller then they will become less quirky and more main stream.

TomMc

The New Legacy Tourer is on sale in the UK. With the Lineartronic CVT the 2.0L petrol should still only be circa E630 per year in road tax, (and also the 2.5L according to the German website), although the UK one is rated at 196g/km CO2, so this would be around the E1050 mark.

http://www.subaru.co.uk/Subaru_co_uk/ViewMenu.qed?menuid=M0M0M3

With no more Impreza WRX sales on the horizon, the dealers better hope the diesel models capture a larger slice of the market or else single mark Subaru dealers will be a thing of the past in Ireland. But I'm sure the boxer diesel will catch on when the wider public realise there is a world beyond VAG, Ford and Toyota. Diesel power and AWD is the perfect accompaniment for Irish roads and the overtaxed Irish motorist.

I'm sticking to my petrol Legacy though and its replacement, and will buy a two year old example in the years to come. What cost me almost 40K new in '05, is only worth about 10K now. It's madness buying new, so I won't be doing so again.

Absurdum

bazz26 wrote: »

Poor marketing aside I think the other problem is that Irish motorists are conservative. They like to stick to brands they know.

I disagree. Hyundai, Kia, Skoda, etc. have increased their market share massively in the last 15 years or so despite having a dodgy image in the past. I think marketing is the main reason, Subaru didn't capitalise on the rally success here the same way they did in other markets. Also, I think the new Impreza is plain ugly and uninteresting. In the minds of the average motorist, it has nothing to set it apart from a cheapo Hyundai or Kia. All IMO

TomMc

Absurdum wrote: »

I think marketing is the main reason, Subaru didn't capitalise on the rally success here the same way they did in other markets. Also, I think the new Impreza is plain ugly and uninteresting. In the minds of the average motorist, it has nothing to set it apart from a cheapo Hyundai or Kia. All IMO

The rally success helped to build a cult like status (following) for the Impreza WRX & STI. That is what kept them going up to now, more than anything else, even in Ireland which is a very conservative market. It was not having a diesel option which limited expansion to a more mainstream manufacturer down the years. Now that they have and a more interesting Boxer engine at that, with more petrol-like characteristics coupled with AWD, they set it far apart from the generic Jap or Korean stuff and alot of the more popular European offerings as well. But then the average joe/motoring public buy new cars on looks, badges, image and running costs, not ability or engineering. Ignorance is bliss over here. Often penny wise and pound foolish.

Saab Ed

Absurdum wrote: »

I think marketing is the main reason, Subaru didn't capitalise on the rally success here the same way they did in other markets.

I'd say Rallying is part of the problem for Subaru and not part of the solution. Far too many twats drive Imprezas like they stole them and it just lends itself to a poor image. Thats the reason why there has never been a fully fledged road going version of any Ford, Citroen, Skoda or Peugeot rally car in the last 20 years, because they risk destroying their image by having too many wanna-be Petter Solbergs driving like spanners with the corporate logo of one of the above plastered across the top of their windscreen. Anyway winning Rallys is not a profitable exercise as any Ford will bean counter will testify . If you want to sell lots of cars then you either have to make a really exceptional product in the class ( Focus/5-series etc ) or drizzle that sells on warranty i.e anything from Korea.

Lex Luthor

TomMc wrote: »

The New Legacy Tourer is on sale in the UK. With the Lineartronic CVT the 2.0L petrol should still only be circa E630 per year in road tax, (and also the 2.5L according to the German website), although the UK one is rated at 196g/km CO2, so this would be around the E1050 mark.

http://www.subaru.co.uk/Subaru_co_uk/ViewMenu.qed?menuid=M0M0M3

With no more Impreza WRX sales on the horizon, the dealers better hope the diesel models capture a larger slice of the market or else single mark Subaru dealers will be a thing of the past in Ireland. But I'm sure the boxer diesel will catch on when the wider public realise there is a world beyond VAG, Ford and Toyota. Diesel power and AWD is the perfect accompaniment for Irish roads and the overtaxed Irish motorist.

I'm sticking to my petrol Legacy though and its replacement, and will buy a two year old example in the years to come. What cost me almost 40K new in '05, is only worth about 10K now. It's madness buying new, so I won't be doing so again.

looking at that new legacy tourer, I'm glad I picked up the outgoing model recently. This is not a step in the right direction for the styling...

Thing is, it'll probably appeal more to Joe Public so maybe will do well for them

JHMEG

SIMI give all the stats, including sales by maker here:

http://www.simi.ie/statistics/national_vehicle_statistics.aspx

-Chris-

This is everyone sub-500 cars this year.

When you think that you'd expect an individual salesperson to sell 100-200 new cars (depending on what make you sell) per year.

When you think about it like that, you wonder how any of the brands below are able to maintain a whole dealer network when there are barely the figures to sustain one or two salespeople...


CHEVROLET - 276
MINI - 240
SUBARU - 230
LEXUS - 206
JAGUAR - 185
ALFA ROMEO - 147
SAAB - 94
LAND ROVER - 88
DAIHATSU - 62
DODGE - 48
CHRYSLER JEEP - 32
PERODUA - 20
JEEP - 13
PORSCHE - 10
MG/ROVER - 4
CADILLAC - 0
ISUZU - 0
SMART - 0
TATA - 0

Damien360

Looking at the 10 sales Porsche made makes me think of the dealer on the Belgard Road. The company I work for insist we get our cars serviced in Belgard Motors and their service centre is in a building across the road from their main sales outlet. Early this year, I could'nt find the place so I pulled in to Porsche (right beside service outlet) to ask directions. I was greated at the door by 2 very lonely sales people with a big smile and a welcome. When I said "sorry lads, just looking for Belgard service", each of their smiles dropped to disappoinment. I barely held in my laugh. Must be really bored at the moment with the boom now gone bust. Made me wonder, how many customers actually turned up in Mondeos to buy a Porsche.

ShadowHearth

Wll i am a big fan of subaru, but problem is.... the new model looks like ARSE!

Then they killed WRX cars with new tax system...

Absurdum

Damien360 wrote: »

Looking at the 10 sales Porsche made makes me think of the dealer on the Belgard Road. The company I work for insist we get our cars serviced in Belgard Motors and their service centre is in a building across the road from their main sales outlet. Early this year, I could'nt find the place so I pulled in to Porsche (right beside service outlet) to ask directions. I was greated at the door by 2 very lonely sales people with a big smile and a welcome. When I said "sorry lads, just looking for Belgard service", each of their smiles dropped to disappoinment. I barely held in my laugh. Must be really bored at the moment with the boom now gone bust. Made me wonder, how many customers actually turned up in Mondeos to buy a Porsche.

those 10 probably include the 4 2009 cars they have for sale on their site with zero mileage too, really is a massive turnaround considering the Panamera and Cayenne Diesel are only recently out

-Chris-

Damien360 wrote: »

Looking at the 10 sales Porsche made makes me think of the dealer on the Belgard Road.

They're lucky enough to be multi-franchise, which is the same for most of these brands, but even if you had the Volvo/LR/Jag franchise that's still not a massive pie to take a slice of.

Damien360 wrote: »

Made me wonder, how many customers actually turned up in Mondeos to buy a Porsche.

I'm surprised they're servicing Fords, it's not one of their brands. Is it a Belgard Fleet vehicle, how come your company insists on this?

pburns

Some good points made above. Most people who hear I have a Subaru assume I am some sort of middle-class over-grown boy racer. They are best known in this country for the baseball-hat/pimplefaced brigade. It's not like the UK where they have quite a strong image amongst the country/horsey set.

I'd love to buy another Subaru but they're making in difficult. New Legacy is a dog's dinner. Haven't seen it the in flesh yet but in pics it is beyond woeful. Add to that increaed sized, weght (resulting in worse peformance and CO2 than the old model). Plus they've lost little oddities like the frameless doors.

Only decent looking Subaru ATM is the Forester IMO and I'm not even into SUVs. They also need to up the BHP of the 2.0D to stay up with competition.

BostonB

Its not s desirable brand. They are ugly. Theres lot of competition from strong brands and better looking motors. Hardly rocket science.

Berty

Thinking of Subaru again.

I had considered the Legacy as a car to go for, then the Octavia VRs changed that then the option of buying a 2009 Mondeo Titanium X Sport from the UK with 6000miles for €25k-ish changed all that again.

Im not surprised Lexus sales are so low. Thinking of my "local" lexus dealers..................I dont have one! :rolleyes:

Im not surprised Tata and Cadillac sales are also low. I mean, I would love a CTS.

Isuzu was a surprise. Possibly if they change their trooper shape in any way they might get a modern day buyer.

Saab.......................................well fvck it I can buy a Vector Sport in the UK landed here for €21k(1200miles) so why would you pay Saab here €46k for the same thing.

testicle

The Alfa figure is kind of ironic...

L1011

-Chris- wrote: »

This is everyone sub-500 cars this year.

When you think that you'd expect an individual salesperson to sell 100-200 new cars (depending on what make you sell) per year.

When you think about it like that, you wonder how any of the brands below are able to maintain a whole dealer network when there are barely the figures to sustain one or two salespeople...


CHEVROLET - 276
MINI - 240
SUBARU - 230
LEXUS - 206
JAGUAR - 185
ALFA ROMEO - 147
SAAB - 94
LAND ROVER - 88
DAIHATSU - 62
DODGE - 48
CHRYSLER JEEP - 32
PERODUA - 20
JEEP - 13
PORSCHE - 10
MG/ROVER - 4
CADILLAC - 0
ISUZU - 0
SMART - 0
TATA - 0

this is getting silly now - which dealer still had unregistered MG Rovers lying about and who in their right mind bought them? :eek:

At least some of these brands are almost always co-located (Chevrolet with Opel, Alfa with Fiat, etc). Others aren't so it really can't be going well for their dealers!

As someone mentioned above - Subaru's image here is fairly heavily affected by the standard image of those that wear Subaru jackets - thats not going to help them sell cars to different markets.

unkel

pburns wrote: »

I'd love to buy another Subaru but they're making in difficult. New Legacy is a dog's dinner. Haven't seen it the in flesh yet but in pics it is beyond woeful.

Ah, come on. All Subarus ever made are ugly, but agreed - recent ones are a good bit worse than average. Then again, nobody ever bought a Subaru for its looks, did they?

I'm still confident that the Impreza will start selling in much bigger numbers soon. Ugly as fook, but amazing value for money for a competent car. And 4WD as a free bonus

Cookie_Monster

They're not all bad looking.

I actually quite like the current legacy saloon looks. The new one is awful.
Still dithering on whether or not to drop 30k into one though...

thirtythirty

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

They're not all bad looking.

I actually quite like the current legacy saloon looks. The new one is awful.
Still dithering on whether or not to drop 30k into one though...

Currently all subaru look dated. How many times has the megane been reinvented now? What have subary done - changed the shape of the lights slightly!? They need to get the lead out and deliver something nice.

Damien360

-Chris- wrote: »

I'm surprised they're servicing Fords, it's not one of their brands. Is it a Belgard Fleet vehicle, how come your company insists on this?

They will service anything. Our company is owned now by a larger corporation and they buy the fleet from them hense they insist on service here for all. Our company cars were purchased before any buyout by larger company.

They do an ok job but our accountant complained bitterly about cost for all our cars including VW's from them. Must dig out the comparisons with Ford garage that I always used. Main dealer vs main dealer is only fair comparison.

-Chris-

Damien360 wrote: »

They do an ok job but our accountant complained bitterly about cost for all our cars including VW's from them. Must dig out the comparisons with Ford garage that I always used. Main dealer vs main dealer is only fair comparison.

Unless you have a service contract with them get your accountant to talk to GTI Direct. A few of the fleet companies use them to great effect - half the labour charge and no effect on warranty or resale value.


You might get some brownie points if you can save the company a few quid! :P:D

MYOB

MYOB wrote: »

this is getting silly now - which dealer still had unregistered MG Rovers lying about and who in their right mind bought them? :eek:

Perhaps there were some of the newly built MG F LE 500s sold here. In saying tha if there were "new" MG ZT or ZS diesels still knocking about at ultra cheap prices I would be tempted.

Tragedy

K&C at least were selling a couple of MG TF LE500's.


PS: Go to England and get a minded ZT CDTI, tis what I did. Half the price of an Accord and if someone offered me a swap - I wouldn't

Anan1

spottyelephant wrote: »

Currently all subaru look dated. How many times has the megane been reinvented now? What have subary done - changed the shape of the lights slightly!? They need to get the lead out and deliver something nice.

The problem with producing more mainstream cars is that they're beginning to alienate their existing customer base. I have a 2008 (old model) Forester, and I don't think i'd have any interest in the current car. I would buy a current Outback when the time comes, but they might have ruined that too by then. I wouldn't be surprised if I ended up keeping my Forester for a long time. Which brings us to another problem for Subaru - having once bought one, owners tend to hang on to them. I had an interesting chat with the owner of Barkel Subaru in Glenageary a while back, he said when they first took on the franchise they were selling lots of cars. After a while, though, they reached the point where anyone who wanted one already had one. Nobody saw any reason to change their cars, and nothing much ever went wrong with them. That's great for owners, but not so good for dealers, importers or manufacturers.

Tragedy

Does that not lend itself to a small(1man) sales team, and a bigger servicing department?
Subaru's are bulletproof, but the older a car gets the more servicing/parts it will need - so excellent aftersales should provide a good steady income to the Dealer.

Lex Luthor

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

They're not all bad looking.

I actually quite like the current legacy saloon looks. The new one is awful.
Still dithering on whether or not to drop 30k into one though...

i'd say you'd get a new one for a lot less than 30k

Tragedy

Tragedy wrote: »

K&C at least were selling a couple of MG TF LE500's.


PS: Go to England and get a minded ZT CDTI, tis what I did. Half the price of an Accord and if someone offered me a swap - I wouldn't

I may well do so in a couple of years, fine buses

thirtythirty

Anan1 wrote: »

I had an interesting chat with the owner of Barkel Subaru in Glenageary a while back, he said when they first took on the franchise they were selling lots of cars. After a while, though, they reached the point where anyone who wanted one already had one. Nobody saw any reason to change their cars, and nothing much ever went wrong with them. That's great for owners, but not so good for dealers, importers or manufacturers.

I know him v well, spent my youth riding around in his wrx's!

Anyway i personally think the fact that subaru barely change their cars is a contributing factor to why people are slower to trade in for a new one - the new one's just don't create enough desire over their current ones! Impreza's fall into two age categories for me - the ones with the squinty headlights, and the ones with the roundy headlights! There isnt really any other distinguishing change that i can think of that would ever make me change from roundy headlights to newer roundy headlights.

I take your point that you, and im sure some others, dont want the styling to change (i was the same with the mark iv golf, i think they should have evolved that shape rather than revolutionise it entirely), but the simple fact is the masses will be more attracted to better looking cars.

Also, subaru could do with a touch more advertising.

Cookie_Monster

Lex Luthor wrote: »

i'd say you'd get a new one for a lot less than 30k

how much is a lot less do you reckon? looking to get in jan/feb though, not now.

any idea when the new saloon is out. Though I presume that the low volume means they won't exactly have heaps of them left to clear once it does.

Lex Luthor

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

how much is a lot less do you reckon? looking to get in jan/feb though, not now.

any idea when the new saloon is out. Though I presume that the low volume means they won't exactly have heaps of them left to clear once it does.

put it this way....I got a new tourer diesel for 27.5k recently for cash and the saloon is listed at 3k less (includes metallic paint)

Cookie_Monster

Lex Luthor wrote: »

put it this way....I got a new tourer diesel for 27.5k recently for cash and the saloon is listed at 3k less (includes metallic paint)

:eek: wow.

must start to look into it a bit more activily so.

Lex Luthor

Cookie_Monster wrote: »

:eek: wow.

must start to look into it a bit more activily so.

it was part of an anniversary special and they claimed to have 20 of each model on special offer of 3k less than list.
Its not being advertised right now but you can only ask...

Cookie_Monster

Lex Luthor wrote: »

it was part of an anniversary special and they claimed to have 20 of each model on special offer of 3k less than list.
Its not being advertised right now but you can only ask...

Saw that on the site alright.

Might drop in to a dealer on Sat if not too hung over:)
Have a car to trade so might not get as good. Though with the second hand market the way it is, could probably shift it handily enough at the moment.

They make it sound like those 20 cars are already in the country. ie won't have a choice or extras/ colours etc.

Can you drop me a PM of what extras/options you got on that for what price if you don't mind, also which dealer was it?

Anan1

If it's any help, I bought a Forester from Castle Subaru in Bray last year and found them good both at the time and since. There's a nice, helpful, family-run feel off the place.

Cookie_Monster

Anan1 wrote: »

If it's any help, I bought a Forester from Castle Subaru in Bray last year and found them good both at the time and since. There's a nice, helpful, family-run feel off the place.

Thats where I'll be going. Live in Cabinteely so is the handiest to start with anyway

regedit

Berty wrote: »

What ^^^ he said!

Look at the 2010 Octavia VRs which Im seriously considering encouraging my employer to buy.

The dealership(200mtrs) from my door is the only dealer covering Limerick/Clare/Tipperary and Limerick.

Looking at those figures above Im wondering how the Subaru dealership in Limerick, tucked away in a quiet industrial estate manages.

I second that. Was thinking of the Mazda6 (2.2) but...
Anyway, putting down a deposit for a Silver Octavia diesel RS (facelift) next week. Dealer meeting on Friday so the price should fall. Great car

JamesM

Anan1 wrote: »

If it's any help, I bought a Forester from Castle Subaru in Bray last year and found them good both at the time and since. There's a nice, helpful, family-run feel off the place.

I bought a Legacy - good people to deal with.
Jim.

Lex Luthor

I bought from C&R, Clondalkin, but you'd be better off starting with your nearest dealer and working out.

I called a few of them before buying and found them all very helpful. Big change to what I was used to with Alfa

BigEejit

Subaru dont have the same image in the UK that they do in Ireland. As was mentioned earlier its down to the type of driver of that marque people see regularly and numptys driving like lunatics with that marque on every available surface will of course leave a mental image.

I see some WRX's over here but mostly Legacys and Foresters, they have a great reputation for reliability, but also that they are thirsty (bit like a Petrol Accord). I have them on a mental short list of cars I will be checking out if my own car ever needs replacing.

TomMc

While the Legacy, Outback and Forester generally appeal to a different demographic than the Impreza, in the UK you will still find that WRX and STI models alone accounted for more than half of all Subaru sales. So if the former still have appeal, the latter isn't effecting it as much. But then again the standard of driving over there is much better or at least police enforcement of road traffic laws, so the negative stereotype of the Impreza adult boy racer isn't as pronounced.

In Ireland with the motorist so heavily taxed, running costs dictate buying patterns more than anything else. Until Subaru added a diesel option, they were simply too expensive to run for the average budget conscious motorist. Most new car buyers value image and economy over ability and refinement, so a low-spec 1.9 TDI (fwd) Audi has more appeal because it comes in the same bodyshell as a high-spec 3.2 Quattro. And with its posher furnishings, the more upmarket ambience is more valued than a rivals driving prowess. The penny-pinching and snobbish motorist, will prefer costume jewellery over the real thing, if it is perceived as a status symbol of sorts or something to impress the neighbours, by their own poor value system. But now with the introduction of the Boxer diesels, Subaru really highlight how overpriced many of its competitors are, especially the more uppity ones.

Lex Luthor

TomMc wrote: »

But now with the introduction of the Boxer diesels, Subaru really highlight how overpriced many of its competitors are, especially the more uppity ones.

its really amazing the difference in price when you look around...

how many estates out there offer 4wd? I priced and looked at many rivals to the legacy estate and could not get value for money on any of them when you compare them to the legacy...

When I tell people how much I paid for the car, they are amazed...you wouldn't get an Astra estate diesel for the money I paid for the Legacy..

pburns

Lex Luthor wrote: »

its really amazing the difference in price when you look around...

how many estates out there offer 4wd? I priced and looked at many rivals to the legacy estate and could not get value for money on any of them when you compare them to the legacy...

When I tell people how much I paid for the car, they are amazed...you wouldn't get an Astra estate diesel for the money I paid for the Legacy..

Yeah, especially some well speced '09 cars (wire grill, leather on some). I've daydreamed (briefly) trading my 08 saloon for a slightly higher spec 09 estate and keeping it forever. Dunno of any other car that suits my day-to-day needs or the roads I drive on better for any money (compliant suspension, AWD grip, adequte power). Financially stupid to trade a car so soon though.