(July 31, 2019) Subaru of America has announced the two-millionth sale of its iconic Forester SUV in the U.S. The company’s consistent annual sales growth helped Forester achieve the milestone in under a third of the time that it took to reach the one-millionth sale set in June 2013.

The two-millionth Forester was sold at Ruge’s Subaru in Rhinebeck, New York, to Brian Gerber, a repeat Subaru customer. After taking delivery of his new Forester, Gerber was greeted by Kristin Ruge Hutchins, president of Ruge’s Subaru, along with facility staff and Barron Butler and James Foley from Subaru Distributors Corp.

A pillar in their local business community since 1935, the Ruge family is now in its third-generation of ownership at its Subaru store. As part of its Love Promise commitment, Ruge’s Subaru works with Northern Dutchess Hospital and the local Meals on Wheels.

Known for its large capacity with a small footprint, the Forester was added to the Subaru line-up in 1997. The first-generation Forester was an alternative for customers who wanted the same performance and versatility as the Outback, but in a smaller vehicle. The Forester came standard with many of the same features as its larger counterpart, including a 2.5-liter BOXER engine, Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive and 7.5 inches of ground clearance. The Forester was marketed with the advertising tagline, "Sport Utility Tough, Car Easy.”

The small SUV has won numerous awards, including Motor Trend SUV of the Year in 2009 and 2014. Forester has also been an Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) Top Safety Pick for 13 years running. Renowned for its reliability, 97 percent of Foresters sold in the last ten years are still on the road today.

The all-new 2019 Forester offers the most advanced safety, features, design and capability in its 22-year history, and comes standard with Subaru’s legendary Symmetrical All-Wheel Drive and award-winning EyeSight Driver Assist technology. e fifth-generation Forester earned the IIHS Top Safety Pick+ award, the highest possible safety rating from IIHS, when equipped with Steering Responsive Headlights. e 2019 Forester is offered in five trim levels and has a starting price of $24,295.

On July 2, Subaru of America reported its 91st consecutive month of year-over-year sales increases, which included the 71st consecutive month of more than 10,000 Foresters sold.

“Subaru has achieved 11 consecutive years of sales growth in the United States with Forester as a key driver of that success,” said Thomas J. Doll, President and CEO of Subaru of America.

“Accomplishing this milestone reflects our commitment to providing customers with vehicles made to the highest standards of safety, capability and reliability.”