142 New Subarus sold in July.
The highest month in dealership history.
Year-to-date sales are up 13.09% while Subaru volume in their surrounding market is down −9.68%.
Month in and month out, the team at Hiley Subaru of Fort Worth has stuck to the process and outperformed their market every single month of 2026.
This dealership isn’t simply accepting of market conditions.
They’ve taken their growth into their own hands… and they’re WINNING. Want to find out how?
Here’s What Happened
Hiley Subaru has been in business since 2009. Eric Schimmels took over as General Manager in 2012 and has only ever operated one way: All Gas, No Brakes.
Our partnership started in 2020 when Eric hired Fountain Forward’s Automotive Accelerator for his Mazda and Hyundai stores. In just 30 days, new sales skyrocketed 80%. Six months later, he brought us into the GMC and Subaru stores.
The Subaru store opened its brand-new facility in July 2023. In the first 12 months, new sales jumped 51.8% year-over-year and the store outperformed the market by an average of 31.2%.
2025 brought about new challenges…
Tariffs on imported vehicles hit Subaru hard. Mid-year price increases of 750–2,000+, higher interest rates, and elevated transaction prices compressed demand. Inventory mixed poorly at times, and competition intensified.
After a strong Q1 (including a then-record 137 units in March), sales settled into the 90–100 range for the rest of the year.
Eric knew the store still had more in the tank. At the start of 2026, he made a key move and brought in Abraham Escareno as General Manager.
Abe arrived in January with more than 15 years of hands-on experience. The early months required the usual settling-in period. By Q2, results started compounding.
The sales team bought into the process. Daily 30-minute micro-learning sessions became standard. The focus was simple and relentless: ask for the appointment on every phone call, every email, and every text — then get creative about how to ask. Schedule rates hit a 12-month high of 30%. Show rates stayed strong.
The fundamentals tightened!
Sales staffing grew carefully, with the emphasis on culture and retention rather than just adding headcount.
On the used-car side, a daily pricing discipline was installed. Any unit that hadn’t been touched in seven days was reviewed first. Aging units followed. Prices moved in BOTH directions.
The unexpected side effect? Customers who had been watching specific cars started calling when they saw a price increase.
Website and offer execution stayed aggressive. Aggressively pushing 0% and low-APR financing, $ off MSRP offers, lease specials, and other creative offers have been a constant focus. Targeted payment campaigns were built for lower-priced used inventory.
The Analytics Edge kept everyone honest every month and provided the path to spend effectively. Traffic, leads, appointment rates, show rates, and sold rates have been measured across every single vendor. When a KPI drifted, it was flagged and corrected.
The Results (Through July 2026)
- New Sales have increased 13.09% YOY
- +41% to +43% YOY growth in May, June, and July
- Back-to-back record market share months at 15.38% in June and 15.94% in July
- +2.7% market share gain year-over-year — the largest in the competitive pool by a wide margin
- Outperformed the competitive pool on market share change in six of six months
While the overall pool was down nearly 10%, Hiley Subaru moved the opposite direction and took share from nearly every surrounding store.
July’s 142 units is the biggest new car month on record. Back-to-back months above 130 in May and June, followed by another step-up in July, show real momentum — not a one-month spike.
In Conclusion
The same principles that produced the original 51.8% jump after the facility move are helping this store take things to the next level. Disciplined process, strong leadership, and a relentless focus on the fundamentals.
Hiley Subaru of Fort Worth is reshaping the Fort Worth Subaru market.
These results mirror patterns we continue to see with other dealer partners who treat the fundamentals as non-negotiable and pair them with consistent, data-driven marketing support.
If you want to see whether the same approach can move the needle at your store, let’s talk.
