Subaru Just Had Its Best Sales Month Ever

If you noticed extra foot traffic at your local Subaru dealer in March, that’s because the company just posted its best sales month of all time. Subaru’s popular Outback and Forester crossovers deserve much of the credit, but some of the company’s massive showroom success may come from an unlikely place. The Solterra EV posted an outrageous 158.7-percent increase in March 2025 compared to the same month last year, while year-to-date sales of the adequate crossover are up a staggering 172.9 percent. Although the 3,131 Solterras sold so far this year pale in comparison to the 49,865 Foresters, it’s nonetheless a signal that Subaru is doing something right in the marketplace.

Record Sales For Forester And Crosstrek, Too

At 22,570 units sold, March was the best-ever sales month for the Forester small SUV, which was redesigned for this model year with a few more convenience features baked into largely the same recipe. We liked the 2025 Forester well enough the first time we drove it, finding its familiarity soothing and coming away impressed with its baked-in ruggedness and comfort. Consumers seemingly feel the same, and their ardor for the Honda CR-V rival will likely only increase when the Forester Hybrid hits the market sometime this spring.

The Crosstrek also enjoyed its best March ever, with its 18,169 units improving on last year by 13.6 percent. The aforementioned Solterra also enjoyed record sales for the month of March, unsurprising given its surging popularity in the first quarter of the year. In fact, every single Subaru model except one saw year-over-year increases for Q1 2025. The sole loser was the three-row Ascent, while every other ‘Roo enjoyed big wins. Even the Legacy four-door sedan – a body style whose death has been greatly exaggerated – posted a 31.9 percent sales increase in the first part of the year, while its March 2025 outpaced 2024 by an impressive 53.2 percent.

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What Happened With The Ascent?

So if everything’s so rosy at Subaru, what’s going on with the Ascent? Part of the problem may be the mid-size crossover’s age. Debuting for the 2019 model year, the Ascent is now the oldest car in Subaru’s lineup and one of the oldest three-row SUVs in its segment. Nevertheless, it’s a solid, reliable option that enjoys consistently high resale values, so we’re not sure where the beef is for the model’s Q1 sales. It could perhaps just be down to age, and unfortunately, the Ascent may not be slated for an update any time soon – the next big redesign in Subaru’s queue is the 2026 Outback, which will adopt a taller, SUV-like stance to face off against the Honda Passport.

That said, it’s not hard to understand why Subaru is doing so well in the American market. March 2025 was only the latest in a string of 32 consecutive months of sales growth, owing in part to the brand’s reputation for reliability and versatility by being the least-recalled automaker in 2024. And in an apparent bid to keep sales high amid looming tariffs, at least one Subaru retailer is holding a big sale to hedge against the impending 25 percent levy on imported cars and parts.