Chart Of The Day: A Decade Of January Market Share Improvement For Winter's Auto Brands

Timothy Cain
by Timothy Cain

Subaru and Jeep are consistently two of America’s fast-growing auto brands. Aided by expanding portfolios and clearly understood branding, Jeep volume jumped 41% in 2014; Subaru sales shot up 21%.

Are any two auto brands more easily identified with winter than Subaru and Jeep?

As the U.S. auto industry grew 14% in January 2015, Jeep sales were up 23%; Subaru volume rose 24%. Together, they accounted for 8% of all new vehicle sales in America in the first month of 2015.

Since January may be the most Subaru and Jeep-like month of them all, the accompanying chart showcases their market share improvements in the month of January over the last decade.

Timothy Cain is the founder of GoodCarBadCar.net, which obsesses over the free and frequent publication of U.S. and Canadian auto sales figures.

Timothy Cain
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  • Anti121hero Anti121hero on Feb 28, 2015

    My jeep is a blast in the snow, granted it's old and lifted and has work done to it. I haven't shoveled or plowed my driveway all winter long (in CNY) and I've never had an issue. In my experience, subaru drivers tend to be the worst in winter, going far too slow for conditions that aren't that bad.

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    • Golden2husky Golden2husky on Feb 28, 2015

      @burgersandbeer When the roads get slippery with snow, the commuter traffic slows to conditions. The high speed outliers can't speed due to the clot of cars traveling at 25 or 30. The "too slow for conditions" driver however, can drive too slow, causing unnecessary lane changes and extra risk for those who are forced to pass. As always, the variation in speeds present the greatest risk.

  • APaGttH APaGttH on Feb 28, 2015

    Fascinating. In yesterday's "what brand has the least number of vehicles you'd buy" question Subaru was roasted over and over again by the B&B. Lots of former owners complaining about oil consumption, head gaskets, bearings, and other fragility wound in the storied brand. I've long believed that the reputation of the live forever Subaru is a big fat myth, but they just keep growing.

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    • TW5 TW5 on Feb 28, 2015

      My grandmother had a GL10 from the late 80s. It was a reliable tank, and I learned to drive stick in that car. Wonderful thing it was. The GL was built well before the Outback craze and the rally era of Subaru. If you look back that far, you'll find reliability and competent engineering. Like looking back to Mark II Volkswagens, which actually were reliable and capable of reaching 186,000 miles with relative ease. Management decide if cars will be reliable in this day and age. We'll see if Subaru have mended their ways in another half-decade.

  • Dr_outback Dr_outback on Feb 28, 2015

    Subaru's are reliable. The head gaskets were an issue and the replacement parts were updated. I had a '00 Legacy with a left head gasket leak at about 160k miles. A droplet of coolant would form at the rear of the left head. Not really a catastrophic issue. So I just let it drip. From my experience, the real issue that Subaru has/had is poor dealer service departments and owners that are too cheap to do the necessary preventative maintenance.

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    • APaGttH APaGttH on Feb 28, 2015

      Agreed on poor dealer service - that is what I found on the Legacy and that is what we're finding today on the Impreza. On the Impreza the level of care it is given tetters on the ridiculous. It has 72K miles on it and the catalytic converter is failing - we're working with the dealership. My other half's Forrester is bare bones base model with the most basic engine and I would speculate not a single option (unless roof rack and cross rails were an option, that's it). I don't know what I'll do when the Forrester goes to retirement. The other half isn't into cars and not the most careful in parking lots (there is bumper rash on all four corners, she managed to back into a rock wall even after I had a backup camera installed - I love you honey but...) I don't see me every buying a "new" car again - seems pointless - let someone else take the depreciation hit. But for her I think I'll have to find something "pre-dented" so my OCD brain doesn't weep inside. Whole different issue...

  • George B George B on Feb 28, 2015

    I'm glad Subaru and Jeep offer niche vehicles for people who want/need to be able to apply power to all 4 wheels. The problem is this capability comes with extra cost throughout the life of the vehicle. Yesterday the Dallas area experienced its one day of significant snow for the season and lack of more capable cars wasn't the problem. The problem was that 1) the major highways in the Dallas area use elevated lanes that get covered with ice and 2) semi tractor trailer trucks get stuck on the ramps, blocking traffic for everyone. For example, the High Five Interchange. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/High_Five_Interchange I drove home slowly on major surface streets where the snow was melting as fast as it fell. Even the least capable RWD classic muscle car could have made that 30 mph drive and even the most capable Jeep was going to be stuck on the highways when trucks jackknife.

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    • Slance66 Slance66 on Mar 02, 2015

      @Lorenzo We definitely do. My 328xi is good in the snow...but not at the depths we've had. My wife's AWD RX350 still struggles to get up my steep driveway. Also, the snowbanks on the corners of the roads are higher than the roof of my BMW. It is potentially deadly. Also, the frost heaves and potholes are staggering. No coincidentally, I am looking at getting a Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk to replace the BMW. If I lived in Dallas, I would be keeping the 3-series.

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