Subaru Dealer Is Already Advertising ‘Pre-Tariff’ Sale Before Prices Go Up

Automakers, suppliers, and dealers are reacting to the 25% tariff that the United States will implement on all imported cars starting April 2. The average price of many new vehicles is widely expected to go up as a result of the White House’s announcement on Wednesday, though some companies say that they’ll absorb part of the tariffs. Interestingly, there’s at least one dealer already advertising “pre-tariff” pricing to lure buyers into showrooms before the tariffs come into effect.

Suburban Subaru in Vernon, Connecticut, is offering “pre-tariff savings” on its entire inventory of new models. For example, there’s a 2025 Impreza Sport with an MSRP of $29,385; that figure drops to $28,388 once the buyer claims $997 in “pre-tariff savings.” What that number corresponds to isn’t clear. It doesn’t account for the full tariff, because 25% of $29,385 represents precisely $7,214. Many of the other new cars listed on its website benefit from $997 in “pre-tariff savings” regardless of what they cost, but some are advertised as being eligible for a $1,497 pre-tariff rebate, and a handful come with a $3,997 pre-tariff rebate. It seems, then, that the amount isn’t entirely pegged on the MSRP. However, it’s perhaps telling that the vast majority of the left-over 2024 cars come with a four-digit rebate. The lone exception is a 2024 BRZ Limited.

A big part of me thinks this is just a clever way to drive sales. After all, selling cars is a dealer’s job. Is Suburban Subaru simply offering a rebate to cash in on buyers who want to lock in a new-car order before the tariffs come into effect? While we’re not finding another Subaru dealer offering pre-tariff savings, it doesn’t take much searching to find rebates on a new Subaru. For example, Planet Subaru in Boston offers a Planet Discount on many of its cars, taking $2,500 off a new Crosstrek. But, what is a Planet Discount? Your guess is as good as mine. In contrast, the term “pre-tariff savings” is laced with a sense of urgency. It tells buyers that something important is about to change soon. It’s great marketing.

I expect more dealers will advertise a similar rebate in the coming days, and the tariffs (which the White House stresses are “100%” permanent) will likely have a lasting effect on the industry’s supply chain. Honda is reportedly teaming up with long-term rival Toyota to put American-made battery packs in the hybrid models it sells here, for example. One solution that often gets floated is “build local,” but that’s an expensive and complex change that could take years to implement. In the meantime, the pre-tariff savings put an interesting issue in the spotlight: Who pays for the tariffs? Someone has to take the hit, whether it’s an automaker, a supplier, a dealer, or a customer.

April 2 is next Wednesday, so we won’t have to wait long to find out.

Got tips? Send ’em to tips@thedrive.com

The post Subaru Dealer Is Already Advertising ‘Pre-Tariff’ Sale Before Prices Go Up appeared first on The Drive.