Why are there so many Subarus in American films?

[Composer62]

I've noticed for ages now that Subarus, (especially Foresters), appear in LOADS of American films. Do they spend a fortune on product placement or are they just the "go to" car in the USA ?

They even appear in animated films like "Inside Out" amongst many others.

Can we have a competition to see where we can spot them ?

I think you'll be surprised once you notice them.

An obvious one is "Baby Driver" but they seem to be everywhere.

[Snow and Rocks]

Probably mostly because there are (genuinely) a lot of Subarus in America.

It's particularly noticeable in mountainous states like Colorado for example, where, for pretty obvious reasons Subarus are everywhere.

Edited by Snow and Rocks on Sunday 25th June 20:07

[MadmanO/T People]

This is all down to the popularity of Subarus in America in general, especially in regions which experience heavy snowfall such as New England, Colorado, and the Pacific Northwest.

I recently started a thread inquiring as to the reasons behind the huge disparity in the popularity of Subarus in America versus the UK and Europe.

You can find it here....

https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...

[joropug]

In a similar vein, every detective/police drama set in the uk seems to have the lead character driving a 80s-90s Volvo or Saab.

It actually winds me up, I can't remember the last time I saw one on the road and yet they are so disproportionately represented in such dramas!

[jayemm89]

I seem to recall, possibly incorrect now, that Subaru outsold VW and Merc combined in the USA.

Here they're a niche brand, over there they were shifting something like 800,000 cars a year.

[Hugo Stiglitz]

I've owned three Foresters and one Legacy sportswagon. Absolutely fantastic cars. I've never really understood the British obsession with German cars.

Edited by Hugo Stiglitz on Tuesday 27th June 05:44

[ATG]

Yup, it's been a popular brand in the States for years. Back in the very late 80s/early 90s I remember mates' parents buying Legacies. Dunno if it is the same across the rest of the Americas, but they were/are also big in Argentina. The latter was my cousin's wife's family business. Had pictures of themselves shaking Colin McRae's hand at some promotional junket, which seemed a bit incongruous at the time.

[belleair302]

Loads in Montana, Wyoming, Utah and the ski resorts. They take the punishment and the adverts on TV are very good. For filming in a rural area a truck or an outback would be a logical form of transport. In April 2023 Subaru sold 51,000 vehicles. Outback, Forester and Cosstrek are the sellers.

[Sheepshanks]

Snow and Rocks said:

Probably mostly because there are (genuinely) a lot of Subarus in America.

It's particularly noticeable in mountainous states like Colorado for example, where, for pretty obvious reasons Subarus are everywhere.

You see plenty of ‘em in Florida.

It’s a cheap car there. Same with things like Honda CR-V - Honda UK seem to have delusions of being almost “prestige” - in the US they lease (more like our PCP than what we know as leasing) for buttons.

[Composer62]

Thanks everyone. That's all very interesting.

I had no idea they were such a massive brand in the USA. They're pretty niche here in the UK.

I guess they're just ingrained in the culture to an extent now. So much so, they're even in animated films as they were part of people's growing up.

[GliderRider]

In addition to all the practical reasons for owning a 4x4 in states that see a lot of snow, there is also the fact that Subaru actively aimed their marketing at lesbians, and that lesbians were four times as likely to buy a Subaru than other makes, so its a nod to them. Why lesbians buy Subarus

[Greg_B]

GliderRider said:

In addition to all the practical reasons for owning a 4x4 in states that see a lot of snow, there is also the fact that Subaru actively aimed their marketing at lesbians, and that lesbians were four times as likely to buy a Subaru than other makes, so its a nod to them. Why lesbians buy Subarus

I had never heard about this until last week, and now here it is again. I’ve never noticed that slant in their general marketing campaigns - which if anything seem to be aimed at dog-owning families - but maybe there is something to it.

[samjaynz]

Wait until you come to New Zealand, every second car is a Subaru Legacy, Outback or Forester (particularly in the less urban South Island).

There's nothing else you can buy here - particularly given the proliferation of affordable ex-Japanese imports - that is so well-suited to the local conditions.

You get a nice driving car on-road with ample space for the dog and 2.4 kids, and the ability to go skiing, deal with crappy roads, gravel access roads and inclement weather in one package. They tend to be fairly reliable, and parts are cheap for the common models.

The nanosecond our family wagon - a 5th generation Legacy - dies, I'll be out buying another. We've done 50,000km in the last three years in it (as hadn't been able to travel owing to Covid so just did lots of road trips). It's been through the wars and never skipped a single beat ... epic car and I love it to bits.

[Dylano]

Very surprised to be reading this, I always thought Subarus were very niche in the US, in fact I didn't even think they had a dealer network and any Subarus over there were just their equivalent of grey imports!

[WY86]

Sheepshanks said:

You see plenty of ‘em in Florida.

It’s a cheap car there. Same with things like Honda CR-V - Honda UK seem to have delusions of being almost “prestige” - in the US they lease (more like our PCP than what we know as leasing) for buttons.

Its buttons because of the length of lease, When i was in America back in 2015 there was an add running on the radio for a qashqai for $99 a month but was on a 10 year leases.

[remedy]

I seem to see at least 1 beetle in most films. Usually its getting crushed during a car chase but more often than not it's just lingering in the background.
I often thought it was some unwritten rule in film making to have at least one in the reel somewhere.

[dundarach]

joropug said:

In a similar vein, every detective/police drama set in the uk seems to have the lead character driving a 80s-90s Volvo or Saab.

It actually winds me up, I can't remember the last time I saw one on the road and yet they are so disproportionately represented in such dramas!

It's a lazy writers way of telling you everything about the character.

They're safe, sound, dependable, easily angered whilst remaining in control, ready to be flirted with, love the job, hate the job etc.

[Crook]

dundarach said:

joropug said:

In a similar vein, every detective/police drama set in the uk seems to have the lead character driving a 80s-90s Volvo or Saab.

It actually winds me up, I can't remember the last time I saw one on the road and yet they are so disproportionately represented in such dramas!

It's a lazy writers way of telling you everything about the character.

They're safe, sound, dependable, easily angered whilst remaining in control, ready to be flirted with, love the job, hate the job etc.

See also any masculine / cool character in US films / series will be in an old Bronco / Blazer and now sometimes Cherokee Grand Wagoneer.

[Greg_B]

Sheepshanks said:

It’s a cheap car there. Same with things like Honda CR-V - Honda UK seem to have delusions of being almost “prestige” - in the US they lease (more like our PCP than what we know as leasing) for buttons.

In Canada the AWD is a big selling point. But the Crosstrek is the big seller these days because of that combined with it being a cheap car. Competes with the Corolla, Elantra, Forte. Hondas are more expensive here. They have made a nice comeback considering that in the early 2000s they were very much a niche car and had a reputation that wasn’t great due to chronic engine woes.

[Rich_AR]

Subaru's are very popular here in BC, Canada. I think the Outback is one of the best sellers in the Pacific North West. As stated, AWD, winters and half decent pricing means they are a popular choice. Even have one myself, Impreza WRX estate aka wagon for mostly winter use.