Guess How Many Cars Subaru Has Sold In America In 50 Years?

Of all the Japanese automakers selling new cars in the United States these days, Subaru may not rank among the top. Not up there, at any rate, with Toyota, Honda, and Nissan. But it has a loyal following, with customers who keep coming back for more.

That’s how Subaru has sold… wait for it… nine million vehicles in the United States. That’s since it started operating here 50 years ago. And no matter which way you look at it, that’s a pretty big number.

The landmark vehicle is a 2018 Crosstrek – that jacked-up version of the Impreza that almost qualifies as a crossover. Dr. Hershey Garner bought the car at Adventure Subaru in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The radiation oncologist already owns a 2005 Baja, that oddball Legacy/Outback pickup that Subaru sold for five years in the previous decade.

“I’ve been waiting for the right Subaru to come along,” said Garner, “and found the perfect one on Adventure Subaru’s website, the 50th Anniversary Edition Crosstrek. It has all the features I was looking for, and the color and size are the perfect fit.”

Garner and his wife Denise are philanthropists and active members of their community. So to coincide with the purchase, Subaru donated on their behalf to Feed Communities, which promotes healthy eating.

Less Than Some, More Than Others

Subaru claims pride of place as the only automaker to achieve ten consecutive years of record sales in the US. It sold nearly 650,000 vehicles in the US last year for a 3.76-percent market share – its largest ever. (A decade ago, it was selling less than 200,000 per year.)

That’s considerably less than the 2.1 million that Toyota sold here in 2017 (for a 12.35-percent market share). In fact, Toyota’s sold more new vehicles in the US in the last five years than Subaru has in the last 50. Subaru’s figures also fall behind Honda’s 1.5 million (8.62% market share), or Nissan’s 1.4 million (8.35%). But it’s considerably more than Mazda’s 289k (1.68%) or Mitsubishi’s 104k (0.6%).