UPDATE: 2026/06/06 12:00 EST BY DAN CLOUGHER
Why Buyers Are Holding Out For Hybrid Options
Information looking at the wider hybrid crossover market has been included.
Subaru’s US sales snapped back in May, reversing a string of weaker months that had trailed 2025 levels – a year in which the brand also finished down about 3.6% compared with the prior year. The latest rebound came on the back of continued strong SUV demand and growing interest in hybrids, as buyers increasingly adjust to higher fuel prices at the pump.
The Subaru Forester in particular is feeling the full effects, as it posted numbers its Mazda CX-5 rival can only dream of. The CX-5 was just redesigned for 2026, but saw sales dip in May as it awaits the arrival of a hybrid option. Nevertheless, Subaru isn’t fully out of the woods since, on a year-to-date basis, its overall sales remain down compared with last year, even as momentum begins to rebuild.
2026 Subaru Forester Hybrid driving front 3/4Subaru
Forester Remains Sales Champion At Subaru
Base Trim Engine
2.5L H4 ICE
Base Trim Transmission
8-speed Lineartronic CVT
Base Trim Drivetrain
All-Wheel Drive
Base Trim Horsepower
180 HP @5800 RPM
Base Trim Torque
178 lb.-ft. @ 3700 RPM
Base Trim Fuel Economy (city/highway/combined)
26/33/29 MPG
Infotainment & Features
8 /10
The Forester itself is still fresh, having only been redesigned for the 2025 model year, and that timing has clearly helped. And the addition of a hybrid variant with the redesign has given Subaru a timely boost just as overall demand at the brand has wobbled. In May, Forester sales jumped 26.8% year over year to 19,577 units, while the smaller Crosstrek, which picked up an improved hybrid option for 2026, rose 10.2% to 17,409 units.
Together, those two SUVs did most of the heavy lifting for Subaru’s monthly performance, pushing total US sales up 10.4% to 57,748 units – the first month this year that Subaru’s sales were up compared to 2025, on a monthly basis. Interestingly, buyers also seem to have rediscovered the WRX, with the sports sedan’s sales surging 147.9% in May to 1,195 units.
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It wasn’t all good news, though. Outback sales barely budged, edging up just 0.4% to 11,258 units, although a hybrid version expected for 2027 should provide a lift down the road. Meanwhile, the Ascent, BRZ, Impreza, and all-electric Solterra all posted steep declines.
Why Buyers Are Holding Out For Hybrid Options
2025 Mazda CX-50 and Hybrid AWD badgeMazda
Hybrid versions of models like the Forester and CX-5 don’t offer more cargo space, more seats, more tech or necessarily cheaper running costs, while they do typically cost a little more. What they do offer, though, is much better efficiency, and generally a sprinkle more performance too, and by the looks of things, those are the two traits that buyers appreciate the most. Not only are they willing to pay more for them, but they don’t mind waiting, either, as demonstrated by the slow-down in CX-5 sales while it’s combustion-only.
Right now, the decision to wait for a hybrid makes more sense than ever, mainly thanks to:
- Gas prices soaring north of $5
- The slow-down in EV uptake, with more buyers preferring to opt for hybridized transport rather than full electric
- Recent removal of EV incentives will likely send previous electric-only customers looking toward hybrid models
- Strong resale values of mainstream hybrid models
Some automakers have taken this current desire for hybrid models as a signal to drop combustion models altogether, with the latest Toyota RAV4 being a notable example. Subaru and Mazda haven’t opted for such an approach just yet, but if interest in combustion models continues to decline, it’s likely others will follow in Toyota’s footsteps.
Mazda CX-5 Watches On With Envy
2026 Mazda CX-5Ian Wright/CarBuzz/Valnet
In contrast, CX-5 sales slipped in May, down 17.9% to 7,805 units. Year to date, the picture isn’t much brighter, either, with volumes off roughly 6.2% to 53,003 units, though the redesigned model only hit showrooms around March. Looking further out, Mazda is set to give its traditional bestseller a meaningful lift with the arrival of a hybrid option, likely next year. The automaker deliberately pushed it back to ensure its first fully in-house hybrid system meets the driving dynamics and refinement expectations that define the brand.
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The rest of Mazda’s lineup paints a different story. Every other model saw sales rise in May, compared to the year prior. Mazda reported total US sales for the month of 39,066 units, up 35%. One of the standouts was Mazda’s other compact SUV, the Mazda CX-50. Priced closely to the CX-5 but already offering a hybrid variant, it surged 107.2% in May to 14,897 units, underscoring just how critical electrification has become in today’s market. Like the Forester, the CX-50 is built in the US, while the CX-5 continues to be sourced from Japan – an arrangement that may also be playing a role amid shifting tariff pressures.
2026 Mazda CX-5 screenIan Wright/CarBuzz/Valnet
CarBuzz Insight – Why This Matters
Subaru’s strong May, powered by the hybrid-equipped Forester and Crosstrek, shows buyers still crave efficiency without fully committing to EVs. Mazda is learning the hard way as the CX-5’s lack of a hybrid is costing it sales while the CX-50 Hybrid thrives.
Automakers would be wise to accelerate hybrid rollouts. With the real possibility of oil prices remaining elevated and EV demand going nowhere fast, hybrids deliver the right mix of capability, lower fuel costs, and immediate buyer appeal.
