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From the “Again. Still.” files, comes word that Hyundai and Subaru are once again the sales kings in terms of month-on-month improvement. Hyundai‘s numbers jumped 47 percent compared to last August, on C4C-fueled increases in Accent, Elantra and Santa Fe sales. Even Genesis sales about doubled. Hyundai’s total sales volume topped 60k units, an all-time record for the Korean brand. Subaru‘s sales were up over 50 percent, led by the Forester’s 76 percent gain. Only the Tribeca failed to improve on last August’s sales, falling 8 percent.
55 Comments on “August’s Sales Winners: Hyundai And Subaru...”
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Strip out the share of the 7ook sales Cash for Jalopies generated, and all does not appear well.
It’s simple math.
In fact, this is going to turn out to be an ugly, ugly remainder of the year for all automakers.
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=aTPMWckSNdkI
“Dealers are saying as soon as the program ended everything stopped dead,” he said. The demand was “a total pull-ahead” of sales that would have been made in future months, not a permanent rebound in the market, Casesa said.
Yes it was a pull-ahead, anyone with two brain cells to rub together could have told anyone else that little salient fact.
Which explains fully well why Washington DC types went with it (and car dealers, too, apparently).
My local Hyundai dealer has only got a few Sonata’s left. No other dealers in town are that empty.
Re the whole C4C program…. well, Socialism lives on…. until there isn’t any of someone else’s money to borrow (read: steal) and redistribute.
I don’t know if this has been brought up before, but it looks like Hyundai doesn’t separate sales of the Genesis sedan and the coupe?
I know that Toyota combines sales of the Matrix/Corolla and Ford just calls every truck “F-Series”, but the two Hyundais labeled “Genesis” appeal to completely different sets of the population.
Shouldn’t they get their own sales line?
1) It is a pull-ahead
2) It’s good to pull-ahead more than your competitors
3) I suspect the sales increase at Subaru was due to many buyers believing Subaru to be an American brand.
@ wsn
Subaru is an Australian brand, everyone knows that (ie. Crocodile Dundee)
…but seriously, why is Subaru doing so well?
I bet GM wished they’d kept their stake in Subaru now. And Chrysler’s plan to sever ties with Hyundai also looks foolhardy.
menno:
Re the whole C4C program…. well, Socialism lives on…. until there isn’t any of someone else’s money to borrow (read: steal) and redistribute.
Yep, $3b divided by 150 million tax payers meant we were all robbed of twenty bucks (less than that if you consider 1/2 of tax income is corporate). I didn’t hear many people complain when Dubya took $152 billion from higher tax payers (like me) and gave $500 to lower tax payers (like not me).
Subaru was blowing Legacies out at 199 a month and Imprezas at 179 a month, on nothing down, no first month payment, sign and drive specials.
That probably had something to do with it.
C4C aside, it will be very interesting to see what happens to Subaru as the previous gen Outback is replaced by the new one in the sales mix.
So last month when the Genesis sold the same # as Avalon, you called sales “anemic” at 2000+ units.
This month, at 2300, you compare to a year ago when the cars were just hitting the showrooms and sound impressed (a little?).
Trying to understand…
I had never seem the car in the pic (Elantra Touring?) before and I gotta say it looks pretty good. Since they beat the Mazda3 with the ugly stick, and the Astra is extinct, this should be selling well!
# sitting@home :
September 1st, 2009 at 4:13 pm
Yep, $3b divided by 150 million tax payers meant we were all robbed of twenty bucks (less than that if you consider 1/2 of tax income is corporate). I didn’t hear many people complain when Dubya took $152 billion from higher tax payers (like me) and gave $500 to lower tax payers (like not me).
———————————————-
If you are a “higher tax payer”, chances are that you paid $100 for C4C and some other “tax payers” didn’t pay a dime.
$20 or $100 may not sound like a lot, but:
1) It’s not the only tax in that you already pay $50k per year in all kinds of tax already.
2) It’s not the only tax in that there will be more bailouts in the coming months.
…but seriously, why is Subaru doing so well?
I’d hafta go back and look but this is the 2nd?, 3rd? or izit 4th straight month of improved Subaru sales. And yet, every month, there’s this incredulous raise of the eyebrow in here.
Yes, the above mentioned finance deals might have had something to do with it. More importantly, the Forester is one of the best vehicles in its class and the sales are proof of that. And while some here will carp on the Outback’s drawbacks, it too is the defacto station wagon now sold here in the states.
I’d be really curious as to how Subie’s sales break down by state. You can’t drive a mile in let’s say Colorado and not run into half a dozen of them. Thus, the company has pockets (mini-regions?) of dedicated buyers. Perhaps word is getting out that Subaru’s making some good vehicles these days (the Tribeca notwithstanding).
RetardedSparks :
September 1st, 2009 at 4:40 pm
I had never seem the car in the pic (Elantra Touring?) before and I gotta say it looks pretty good. Since they beat the Mazda3 with the ugly stick, and the Astra is extinct, this should be selling well!
————————————-
It looks better in person. When I first saw it, I was pleasantly surprised. Looks like a 90s Accord wagon, only more refined.
grog, there may be another reason (my theory only):
People who buy Subaru cars are very practical people. They are as rich as those who buy Volvo’s or low end BMW’s. But since they are non-pretentious, they manage their finance better and thus aren’t affected by the recession.
I too would love to see more Subie data. Down here in FL the only ones you see are WRXs with coffee can exhausts.
Their recent marketing seems to focus on their core customers: peace loving hippies and wanna-be rally drivers. Unlike other companies that want to appeal to the masses, Subie is cashing in on their bread ‘n butter.
Good for them, they make interesting cars: wagons with turbos and AWD, what piston head doesn’t love that combo? They are like an affordable version of Saab before GM ruined that fine brand.
Good job Subaru. Now get back into World Rally, you sake drinking surrender monkeys.
wsn – My wife and I, both Subaru people of long standing (with preference for 5-speed versions), do indeed try to be “very practical” and to make wise spending decisions. But no way are we affluent enough to consider Volvos or BMWs, even if we wanted to. Our ’03 Legacy L SE wagon was bought new with zero-percent financing and cost us about $20K all in. We use it in much the same way as a 1970s family might have used a Volvo 4-cylinder wagon (although the AWD Subie is more fun to drive), whereas a luxury-car buyer interested in a new Volvo would likely treat it more gently.
All that said, however, we wouldn’t be candidates for the new Legacy wagon, even if it were offered in the US. It’s just too non-Subaru-like.
“Good job Subaru. Now get back into World Rally, you sake drinking surrender monkeys.”
LOL!
Comment of the day!!! The World Rally part.
There’s a fine line between quirky and soulless.
Subaru cars used to be heavy on the quirky side and started to mainstream their design (Forester is a prime example). While there’s all sorts of squawking each time they do this, they’re really opening themselves up to a much larger purchase base, but they’ve been smart. As opposed to creating bloated designs that mimic Americana they cars are still edgy and have clean lines. This along with a strong quality perception and a tendency for 4 cylinders over 6 has them in the right place at the right time.
The new Legacy has gone pretty darn generic though so it will be interesting to see if people consider them over other similarly bland cars.
The Pleiades has been doing well for the last few months here, as has Audi (relatively). Perhaps AWD is just hot right now? People got used to it in SUVs or their parents’ SUVs, now they’re buying sedans and smaller cars?
Some context is needed here.
In August, Subaru sold a total of 28,683 units in the US.
During the same period, Toyota sold 54,396 Camrys.
It’s just not a lot of cars. Subaru is definitely a niche player. They’re a small drop in a very large bucket of a market.
The Genesis is spanking the Lincoln Taurus.
Last month, the Lincoln Taurus was down 42.1% to only move a pitiful 1,370 units. The Genesis moved 2,316 UP from 1,177 last August.
So far this year, the Lincoln Taurus has sold 11,036 units while Hyundai has sold 14,269 Genesis’
ohsnapback:
Yes, Subaru was advertising some lease loss-leaders, but remember, in order to qualify for a C4C trade-in, you first had to have a clunker that qualified, and then you had to buy or lease a qualifying new car.
And if you chose to lease: minimum of FIVE years.
Needless to say, not many people went the lease route when they C4C’ed.
VW in fact had a Jetta 5-year lease they were advertising, but not even they had many takers.
No, Subaru’s success with C4C (and their recent track record in general) has more to do with their very good reputation for reliability, resale value, price/content value (updated flying V excepted), and all-wheel drive capability in snow states.
Domestic Hearse, I did not know that one had to lease a car for a minimum of 5 years under CFC.
Thanks.
@ Domestic Hearse,
I also wonder if folks who are buying more efficient vehicles still want the security of AWD that they had in their dino-juice guzzlers…but in a smaller size and at a sub-Audi price.
P71 – the Genesis, IMO (a very important emphasis on the IMO; I wouldn’t want to be accused of not clarifying that), is a much more substantial car than the Taurus at approximately the same price.
In fact, you can get into a base V6 Genesis for less than 30k, and the base Genesis sedan has leather and all luxury appointments standard, unlike the Taurus.
Oh, and it’s rear wheel drive, the way God likes cars.
Here are some numbers that make sense. Subi is growing rapidly but still a tiny player.
http://www.autoblog.com/2009/09/01/by-the-numbers-august-2009-cash-for-clunkers-edition/
ohsnapback :
September 1st, 2009 at 6:15 pm
P71 – the Genesis, IMO (a very important emphasis on the IMO; I wouldn’t want to be accused of not clarifying that), is a much more substantial car than the Taurus at approximately the same price.
In fact, you can get into a base V6 Genesis for less than 30k, and the base Genesis sedan has leather and all luxury appointments standard, unlike the Taurus.
Oh, and it’s rear wheel drive, the way God likes cars.
Well, here’s the problem with your analysis: load each model up with the typical options (nav, roof, top sound system, etc), and the Taurus comes in at $38,735 with AWD; the Genesis comes in at $39,250.
And God may like rear drive cars, but here in Denver, He has a bad habit of tossing them into ditches in five inches of snow.
In fact, you could save two grand on the Taurus and stick with FWD, and still have a far more usable winter car than the Genesis.
At Wilkins Hyundai and Subaru, we have Hyundais and Subarus.
Wow, that jingle came into my mind… for the second time this year!
****And God may like rear drive cars, but here in Denver, He has a bad habit of tossing them into ditches in five inches of snow. ****
It’s not God that tosses RWD cars into the ditch….it’s poorly chosen tires and lousy drivers.
and
If Subie is a niche player, then so are Mazda and VW … both of whom got outsold in the US last month by Subaru.
IMO Subaru’s performance is a result of doing a great job with their core markets. Back in the early 90s, when Volvo prices began to escalate dramatically, I added Subaru to my Volvo store. The brand did an excellent job of keeping those Volvo customers in the fold whose incomes weren’t keeping pace with Volvo prices. Today Subaru still has that market, plus they’ve added the tuner crowd with the WRX/Sti product.
Finally, a little respect for Audi … with the fourth biggest increase (after Kia, Subaru and Hyundai) it’s unlikely their performance had anything to do with CFC!
in july I traded my 2008 honda accord coupe v6 for a 2009 subaru impreza 2.5i (base). you’re probably wondering why? don’t get me wrong…i loved my honda and i had nothing to complain about except i couldn’t afford the 400 a month payment anymore. I leased my subaru and i pay 100.00 a month for 36 months. I love my subaru almost as much as my accord. anyways a month later i’m extremely satisfied. if after 3 years and nothing majorly goes wrong with the sub..then i’ll probably buy a subaru after the lease is over. i will say this…the civic and corolla can’t compete with the base impreza…for around 18k (about msrp) can you get AWD, cruise, all wheel disc brakes, 170 hp, fun to drive… NO. i’ve driven the corolla, boring interior boring drive…snooooooooooooze. civic drives nice but i felt closed in and i HATE the dash. believe me i wanted a civic more than an accord but the civic had me running. the cobalt, focus are POS!!!! chrysler…i wish my italian bretheren would do the world a favor and kill them already.
And God may like rear drive cars, but here in Denver, He has a bad habit of tossing them into ditches in five inches of snow.
Not if you know how to drive…
gottacook :
September 1st, 2009 at 5:17 pm
wsn – My wife and I, both Subaru people of long standing (with preference for 5-speed versions), do indeed try to be “very practical” and to make wise spending decisions. But no way are we affluent enough to consider Volvos or BMWs, even if we wanted to.
I want to like Subaru’s, but I am bothered by their trim level pricing. The last time I looked at a Legacy, the “$20k” became $29k with 2 mouse clicks. Sorry, but I’m not paying that for a Subie.
I have bought 2 certified pre-owned BMW’s, both of which cost me less than a V6 Accord or mid-level Legacy.
I have bought 2 certified pre-owned BMW’s, both of which cost me less than a V6 Accord or mid-level Legacy.
Not to be obnoxious, but I bet those BMWs cost you far more over the life of the car. OTOH, you get to drive a BMW….
“The Genesis is spanking the Lincoln Taurus.
Last month, the Lincoln Taurus was down 42.1% to only move a pitiful 1,370 units. The Genesis moved 2,316 UP from 1,177 last August.
So far this year, the Lincoln Taurus has sold 11,036 units while Hyundai has sold 14,269 Genesis’”
Does Hyundai break down Genesis sedan sales and coupe sales into two different categories? NO
I would hope for Hyundai’s sake that they would be able to move a turbo/V-6 coupe and V-6/V-8 sedan in greater numbers than the single V-6 sedan (Ecboost’d versions are very few and far between at the moment).
ZekeToronto is my second bit of anecdotal evidence that “Subaru buyers are the people who used to buy Volvos”. I heard this from a salesman at Stevens Creek Subaru a few years back. Subarus tend to breed enthusiasts (not fanatics) – on the strength of my first Legacy wagon, which will turn over to 270k miles this week, I bought the second.
Good on ya, Zeke, may your decision keep you comfy and eating strawberries all winter.
slateslate :
September 1st, 2009 at 7:47 pm
****And God may like rear drive cars, but here in Denver, He has a bad habit of tossing them into ditches in five inches of snow. ****
It’s not God that tosses RWD cars into the ditch….it’s poorly chosen tires and lousy drivers.
Partially, but I don’t care WHAT tires you put on a powerful, RWD car – it’s going to be borderline unusable from November to March here in Colorado. Even the state troopers park their Crown Vics and switch to Expeditions in the winter.
P71_CrownVic :
September 1st, 2009 at 10:14 pm
And God may like rear drive cars, but here in Denver, He has a bad habit of tossing them into ditches in five inches of snow.
Not if you know how to drive…
Bullcrap. I grew up in the midwest and lived in Iowa for four years and in Colorado for 15, so I KNOW how to drive in snow.
Meanwhile, I have two cars – a FWD Focus, and a RWD Volvo 740 wagon. The
Focus does fine unless there’s over 10 inches of snow, in which case you shouldn’t be driving anyway.
But the Volvo…I’ve tried winter tires, 100 pounds of sand in the back, you name it, and that car still sucks in any snowstorm. It barely gets up our street if there’s over three inches of snow – and here in Denver, that happens rather frequently. And forget about taking it to the mountains during the wintertime.
I’ve also tried rear-wheel-drive performance sedans purposely in the snow, to see if they fare better than the Volvo. I tried a Mercedes E550 last winter after a four-inch snowstorm, which we get pretty much every week or so in the winter here. It was a nightmare – even with traction control, the mild hills behind the dealership practically stopped this $70,000 car in its tracks. Meanwhile, I tried the AWD version and it did just fine.
Repeated the same thing with the Chrysler 300C, and the BMW 335 – same results. The RWD versions were awful.
Do me a favor – don’t grade my driving unless you know me.
jet_silver wrote:
Good on ya, Zeke, may your decision keep you comfy and eating strawberries all winter.
Cheers–it worked just great for quite a few winters, but in the late 90s the business was changing (and not for the better in my books) so when I got an unexpected, but generous, offer, I sold out and left the car business for good.
Having grown up in dealerships, I missed it terribly for a few years–I completely identified with that line in Iacocca’s autobiography where he talked about measuring his life in model years–but today the decision to change careers is looking mighty fortuitous.
I’m a lawyer now (ducks) … but strictly property law (real and intellectual) … no keeping baddies out of jail or messy divorces or unsavoury ambulance chasing here ;-)
The new mainstream begins to emerge. Hyundai is just totally on a roll with these mainstream sales. I wonder what Toyota thinks about all this. Well…
Toyota probably thinks : good thing we got Subaru stock.
Pricing a new 2010 taurus limited fwd vs. the hyundai genesis isn’t even close when u figure what all u get with the taurus that isn’t even available with the genesis. The genesis loaded up is at 40,000 while the taurus limited is right at 38,000 plus it has BLIS ,heated and cooled both front seats ,not just cooled driver like on genesis. Heated rear seats not available on genesis. Motion massage front seats not available on the genesis. the gps/radio/bluetooth is second to none either. I sat in a new taurus last week at a dealer and i was very impressed with it. Both outside and inside were nice, and it looks much better in person to me.
Subaru was blowing Legacies out at 199 a month and Imprezas at 179 a month, on nothing down, no first month payment, sign and drive specials.
Nope, they were asking for around $2G down, give or take my memory.
As someone who was wanting to take advantage of said lease, but was limiting first year costs to a certain amount…I know.
I picked up an Impreza w/ $0 down and Subaru Friends and Family Pricing for $242 a month.
I’ve always wanted a Subaru, and finally the opportunity was there for me.
I agree that Subaru is getting many of the customers who would have bought a Volvo or Saab in days of old. Also, some practical minded folks realized that all the reasons they thought they just had to have an Cherokee or Explorer for are met rather nicely by a Subaru.
That said, Subaru remains a niche brand. Good on them for staying true to their niche and serving it well. Volvo and Saab blew it big time when they went chasing up market fashion dollars.
Also, I wonder how many Audis get traded in on Subarus? My few friends who have bought or leased Audis were most certainly not repeat customers for the Audi brand.
I traded out my 1998 Isuzu Trooper on a C4C deal on a fully-loaded Sonata Limited. When all was said and done, with ObamaCash, 3k rebate and a generous dealership (IMO) selling price, I got a car that stickered for $27k and got it for $17k. And you wonder WHY Hyundai did so well during C4C?
I looked at Subies, but as soon as you added options you ended up at $29k with a small discount.
I will, eternally miss my Trooper during Wisconsin winters. Good thing I still have an 03 Sorento with Torque-On-Demand like the old Trooper for shlepping in snow.
To my mind, the Hyundai/Kia sales numbers are this month’s real story, even more than Ford’s uptick and Subaru’s surge.
H/K is now within spitting distance of overtaking Nissan as the #5 auto company in the U.S. After a renaissance period Nissan is treading water at best–look at the long-in-the-tooth Sentra and the ghastly new Murano. Hyundai and Kia, on the other hand, are establishing fast-improving reputations for style and (gasp) quality. Just compare the Versa with the Soul. The Altima was a midsize style leader not long ago. The new Sonata looks poised to take over that role.
I never imagined buying a Korean car but recently purchased a Kia Rondo–it’s a really smart, well-sorted design. Toyota and Honda are right to be worried.
If this month was anything like the first six months, the Hyundai/ Kia numbers are being pushed by the usual suspects: fleet sales and incentives.
Fleet sales also have pushed the Koreans’ share growth. Hyundai’s fleet sales have jumped from 17.4 percent last year to 30 percent through June (though it’s aiming for 19 percent for the year), and Kia’s from 26 percent to 34 percent, says Bobit Business Media.
http://www.autoexecmag.com/current_articles/feature_aug09_02.html
Most of the other automakers are either holding the line or else are cutting incentives compared to a year ago, but Hyundai has been increasing its use of incentives. http://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/topix/?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20090901006373&newsLang=en
I don’t blame Hyundai for doing this at this moment. As a short-term measure, this might help them to establish a greater presence in the market that helps them over the long haul. But these moves are pushing the numbers, and if they do it for too long, then they’ll just be copying the old ugly ways of Detroit.
@RetardedSpark/Dave M. : I went the CPO BMW route as well (cheaper then a new V6 Accord!) – so far after 6 years of ownership, I’m out of pocket (specifically for repairs) $300. Granted, these are 2 DIY items, so there’s no labor involved. The stealership would be 5 fold to 10 fold in pain….
@FreedMike – in the deep stuff, turn off the traction control. I can use my BMW as a snow plow (anything over 5 inches, and I’m scooping), but if the traction control is on, it doesn’t move. While it’s do-able, I’d prefer an AWD truck/suv – it’s just not fun to have to think about driving that much for daily commutes (granted, it happens rarely even here in the snow belt of Southern Ontario), but it is a hoot when everyone leaves the roads in the evenings. All things being equal, I do believe that FWD is a bit more intuitive in the snow then RWD, but I find RWD much easier as you can use the rear tires to help modulate your cornering…
Dave M.:
Not to be obnoxious, but I bet those BMWs cost you far more over the life of the car. OTOH, you get to drive a BMW…
No offense taken. But, actually, they haven’t. I’ve had a few small things covered under the new car warranty (typically 1 year left on a 3 yr old off-lease car) and one repair (wiper motor) covered under the CPO warranty that would have cost me $500. Otherwise I do all my own service – fluids, brakes, etc. I don’t find parts for BMW’s any more expensive than parts for Hondas or Toyotas (I have no experience with major things like motors, transmissions, significant bodywork, etc). If I had to bring the car to a dealer for every little thing then, yeah, maybe I couldn’t afford drive a BMW!
2Goldens, just go ahead and get real snow tires on a 2nd set of alloys (I used http://www.tirerack.com – see the video in the link someone else did, above for results….). That’s what we’ve done for all of our FWD cars here in northern Michigan and we do 99% as well as the folks with AWD, except in the absolute worst conditions – at which it’s time to say “stay home, have hot chocolate and read TTAC all day – no work for me!”
Hey, I have two Newfoundlands…. Goldens are sweethearts, aren’t they? In fact, had I not been able to find a Newfy breeder, I’d have two Goldens, myself…
Bullcrap.
No, Mikey…it’s not.
AWD is a crutch used by people who have deficient driving skills. If you cannot drive a modern day, RWD car in the snow, then you shouldn’t be driving.
I LIVE in the mid-west…and drove for three years a RWD, V8, car (see screen name) with NO traction control or a locking diff. I NEVER GOT STUCK ONCE. But you would be amazed at all of the FWD/AWD/4WD cars and trucks in the ditch here in the Twin Cities.
In fact, I don’t even use 4WD in my new vehicle…the locking diff and all-season tires work just fine in the heavy deep snow.
AWD is a crutch used by people who have deficient driving skills.
I’ll believe you when RWD cars can compete with AWD in rallies. Certainly rally drivers don’t have deficient driving skills by any measure.
P71_CrownVic :
September 2nd, 2009 at 12:03 pm
AWD is a crutch used by people who have deficient driving skills. If you cannot drive a modern day, RWD car in the snow, then you shouldn’t be driving.
Sure, you CAN drive a powerful RWD car in snow, but if AWD makes that car work better, why be a snot about it?
Oh, I forgot…you’re a legend in your own mind.
If being able to safely drive a RWD car in the snow makes me a legend…then so be it.
Sure, you CAN drive a powerful RWD car in snow,
Well…then we are in agreement. I originally asserted that AWD was un-necessary…and you just confirmed that…which is a switch from what you posted earlier:
God may like rear drive cars, but here in Denver, He has a bad habit of tossing them into ditches in five inches of snow.
Partially, but I don’t care WHAT tires you put on a powerful, RWD car – it’s going to be borderline unusable from November to March here in Colorado.
but if AWD makes that car work better, why be a snot about it?
How does it make it work better?
-Does the car stop sooner? No…in fact it will stop later because the AWD system will hide how slippery the road really is, thus the driver will drive faster.
Does AWD help you turn better? No…
So…your $2,000 AWD system is only good at helping you start off…
However, your $500 set of snow tires will get you going just like AWD…AND they will help you turn and STOP. Add to that the fuel penalty you get from AWD, the eventual repair costs (we are talking about Ford here), and it is a complete waste.
AWD is a disguise for poor driving skills. People drove RWD cars for MANY years…even before the vast expansion of that limp-wristed FWD system we see so much today.
In 98 I purchased a subaru legacy wagon from a subaru/audi dealer, a year later they were no longer selling subarus. Their subaru mechanic went out on his own, the dealer was kind enough to give him the subaru customer list and he sent mailings out to let all the subie owners in the area know he was out there. I have gotten to know this guy quite well now and he had a vey interesting story about why the dealer dropped subaru. Apparently they were the biggest volume audi dealer in the state and when the new A4 was out someone in Audi USA HQ noted they weren’t increasing their sales anywhere as much as other dealers. Audi sent some spies to the dealership to see if they were doing something wrong marketing the A4. The problem was people were coming in to see the A4, walking across the sales floor to see the Subarus and too many were driving out with a Subaru. The owner of the dealer was given an ultimatum by Audi, get rid of the Subarus, they made lots more money on the Audis so they ditched subaru!