Mazda and Subaru revealed sales numbers for the first quarter of 2025, with each brand posting record numbers for the month of March. Mazda sales jumped by 16.1 percent compared to March 2024, while Subaru saw a 16.6-percent increase. The massive gains might have something to do with tariffs.
Mazda North America moved 43,097 vehicles in the month of March, the most in the brand’s history. The CX-50, the CX-70, and the CX-90 all saw record sales, and even cars like the Mazda3 sedan and the MX-5 Miata increased sales by double-digit percentage points. Meanwhile, cars like Mazda3 hatchback and the CX-30 were down by double digits. The aging CX-5 was down only slightly year-over-year. Overall, Mazda sold 43,097 vehicles in March 2025, versus just 37,119 vehicles during the same month in 2024.
| Model | March 2025 | March 2024 | YOY Change (%) |
| Mazda3 Sedan | 2,516 | 1,881 | 33.8% |
| Mazda3 Hatch | 1,014 | 2,138 | -52.6% |
| MX-5 Miata | 501 | 174 | 187.9% |
| MX-5 Miata RF | 421 | 412 | 2.2% |
| CX-30 | 8,666 | 10,697 | -19.0% |
| CX-5 | 12,801 | 13,789 | -7.2% |
| CX-50 | 9,687 | 4,654 | 108.1% |
| CX-70 | 2,452 | 19 | 12805.3% |
| CX-9 | 0 | 2 | -100% |
| CX-90 | 5,039 | 3,353 | 50.3% |
| Total | 43,097 | 37,119 | 16.1% |
Subaru of America managed to sell 71,478 vehicles in March, beating the company’s previous single-month record of 70,039 cars set in August 2019. The Crosstrek, Legacy, and Outback were the biggest gainers, each posting double-digit percentage increases compared to March 2024. The Forester had its best month ever, selling over 22,000 units. Every model saw increases in sales compared to the same month last year, save for the Ascent and the WRX.
| Model | March 2025 | March 2024 | YOY Change (%) |
| Ascent | 4,584 | 5,174 | -11.4% |
| BRZ | 334 | 273 | 22.3% |
| Crosstrek | 18,169 | 14,527 | 25.1% |
| Forester | 22,570 | 21,045 | 7.3% |
| Impreza | 3,049 | 2,836 | 7.5% |
| Legacy | 2,540 | 1,658 | 53.2% |
| Outback | 17,539 | 13,501 | 29.9% |
| Solterra | 1,154 | 446 | 158.7% |
| WRX | 1,539 | 1,837 | -16.2% |
| Total | 71,478 | 61,297 | 16.6% |
Troy Poston, senior vice president of sales at Subaru, credits the record month to “retailers’ unwavering dedication to delivering outstanding service” and “building relationships through reliability and customer satisfaction.” But there might be another reason for the boon in sales: tariffs.
The Trump administration tariffs, set to go into effect on Thursday, target all foreign-built cars and car parts, including vehicles coming from Japan. Vehicle pricing is expected to rise by $3,600 on average, according to analysts. Models from Mazda and Subaru are expected to be among the most heavily impacted.
A smartly informed consumer would, theoretically, want to avoid paying more for a car if they had the chance. So it’s likely many prospective buyers decided to make trips to the dealership before the tariffs come into effect, avoiding the inevitable increases in price.
That’s just speculation right now, of course. We won’t know the true impacts of the tariffs until later this year, when current inventory dries up. But something tells us these gains will be short-lived—and not just for Mazda and Subaru. The whole industry is about to go through a major shift.