2003 Subaru Baja

This week I’ve been driving the Subaru Baja. Or, as it is affectionately known at our house, the 'Bahahahaha!' It’s not so much that we’re laughing at this little Subaru car/truck combo as with it. Splashed in bumble-bee yellow, my Baja’s sporty, offbeat looks inevitably elicited smiles from all who encountered it. It’s definitely a happy ride. But once behind the wheel, you learn there’s nothing silly about this newest addition to Subaru’s all-wheel-drive lineup. Already, it has been dubbed official vehicle of the Pro Surfing Tour of America.

Good News
The Baja is based on the proven Legacy/Outback platform and offers (and I quote) “the versatility and ruggedness of a compact 4-door pickup truck with the driving dynamics, safety and comfort of a passenger car.”

The passenger-car part of this promise is easy to fathom: The Baja is pretty much an Outback from the backseat forward, except the rear seat only accommodates two people with a console in the middle (my dog hated this).

But an Outback as a functional pickup is a little harder to picture, until you see how cleverly Subaru has configured this Baja. Borrowing inspiration from the Chevy Avalanche, the Baja has a Switchback panel between the cargo bed and interior section that can be lowered to extend the cargo area. Fold down the rear seats, lower the tailgate and attach the bed extender (mine had this option; it’s like the one on the Ford Explorer SportTrac) and this little Subaru comes up with almost 75 inches of cargo bed. Unaltered, the lined cargo bed is just 41.5 inches, a nice place to throw stinky gym clothes or muddy hiking boots.

It’s the interior and performance, however, that most impressed me. Compared to most compact truck-based sport utility/truck hybrids or four-door compact pickups, this Baja feels like a limousine. The calm, settled, carlike ride and handling, thanks to four-wheel independent suspension, represents a significant improvement over most trucks. The sophisticated, leather-lined cabin with upgraded audio seemed downright luxurious.

Mine was equipped with five-speed manual transmission, which means it has Continuous All-Wheel Drive. This system sends half the power to the front wheels, half to the rear and readjusts that ratio when either slips. Bajas with automatic transmissions receive a slightly different setup.

All Bajas employ the Outback’s 2.5-liter horizontally opposed 4-cylinder engine. It produces 165 horses at 5,600 rpm and 166 lb-ft torque at 4,000. Acceleration responds confidently without the ticklish uptake I’ve experienced in other Subarus, and 4-cylinder power means good fuel economy.

The Bad News
For a vehicle aimed at the young and scraggly of hair, I’m not sure the two-passenger backseat is a great idea. And that’s not just because my dog objected. It seems to me that the ability to haul four seat-belted buds would be equally, if not more, desirable than more cupholders.

Although Subaru would like us to think of this Baja buggy as macho rugged, it really isn’t. A touch over 7 inches of ground clearance and no low gear make that obvious. But it will use that raised suspension and all-wheel-drive to get you to reasonably remote spots devoid of pavement and keep you moving over snow or sand.

Gas mileage
EPA rated at 20 mpg city/25 highway

Price
Manufacturer’s base, $23,995;
Price as tested, $25,015

Is it worth it?
Considering the positive reaction I got to the Baja’s looks and concept and the nice experience of driving it, I’d say this is one nifty little vehicle. It’s not as inexpensive as some attractive under-$20,000 models currently vying for this youth market, but those don’t give you Subaru all-wheel drive, the comforts of a real car and convertible 75 inches for surfboards.

I don’t look for the Baja to cut into any of Subaru’s current sales, because its radical appearance and open-cargo approach impress me as creating a very different animal from their ultra-mainstream station wagons. But it may well steal some from those who shop compact four-door trucks and truck-based sport utes. The Baja offers customers in this class a real alternative that is fun yet more refined, capable yet fuel efficient. Bahaha? Subaru may well be the one laughing. All the way to the bank.

Beth Stein is a life-long car buff and free-lance journalist living in Nashville. She has reviewed new vehicles in print for 12 years as a weekly columnist for Nashville’s daily newspapers and on television for Road Test Magazine and Motor Trend Television. Currently, her reviews appear nationally on Car And Driver Television.