Just had a chance to peak under the Baja; it comes with a *temp* spare tire?!
What's wrong with Subaru? Are they nuts? Here they come out with a "truck," and they put a temp spare on it. And... what's makes it worse, there appears to be plenty of room for a full-size spare! Kinda makes you wonder when Subaru will downgrade the Forester's spare to temp-tire status?
Sometimes Subaru really has their engineering heads in the sand.
Good news is they included deep-tint rear and rear door windows as standard. For most folks, that area will become the secured "trunk."
The bed [tray, for Graham;)], has slots for 2-tier loading. Nothing unusual there, however...
These slots have little retainer tabs at the top, so that the boards won't bounce out of the slots on rough roads!
The question is: How do you get boards "into" the slots with those tabs in place? I bet Subaru offers bed slats that have some sort of spring-loaded feature, much like that found on many retractable cargo covers used on SUVs and wagons. Otherwise, it would be impossible to get cross slats into the slat pockets on the bed walls.
C'mon stop calling it a Truck... If it's a truck so is a PT Crapper. I think a temp spare tire is fine, for those owners who feel they need more, they can buy one for about $15 @ a junk yard.
I re-visited the Baja today, and noticed a warning label in the bed stating that there is only room for a temp spare tire, under the bed where it's stored—and not to put a full-size spare there! I swear it looked like there was room for a full-size spare...
In fact, the warning goes on to say, if you get a flat, secure the full-size (flat) tire in the bed, and NOT under the bed where the temp was stored! Otherwise, some damage will occur to either the tire or other underbody (suspension?) parts.
a striped-down, budget-Baja (Baja BB?); sort of a Forester X equivalent of the current Baja? The MSRP on the Baja is a bit steep. The ones I've seen, with options, have been $25 - $27K. Should Subaru offer one that stickers around $21K?
I totally agree. The curret Baja is just too much. I really want one as a daily driver to complement my "real" truck. Sometimes I need to haul home a push mower or a small crate and I don't want to drive my full size truck. I wanted something that would get the mileage of my Civic but had a bed attached. I have a 70mi round trip to work.
You know what I'm really looking for? A current day replacement for the '80 VW Rabbit pickup we used to have. It was before it's time. Great gas milage, good size bed, peppy, 5spd, etc. I don't know if anyone remembers them, but folks that had them loved 'em. I was hoping the Baja would be similar, but I'm beginning to get less excited about it.
The 2003 Forester kept the full size spare, thankfully.
I like the factory tint, too, and think the Outback Limited and H6 models should get the same treatment. The Forester XS too.
A lot of folks are just going to call it a "pickup truck", I bet. I prefer the term "Ute" but I doubt it'll fly here in the US.
As much as I like unpainted cladding, I think on the Baja it would qualify as "too much". It would stand out even more with the colors currently available.
Lil' Utes have existed in Brazil for decades. You could buy a Chevette, or a "Chevy 500" 2 seat pickup. Live axle, even. VW had a Voyage (Fox here) and a pickup based on that, too. Ford had one based on the european Escort. Fiat had one based on the Uno.
I haven't been there in 2 years, but I'm sure they still exist, in fact GM now makes one off the Chevy Astra platform.
Interestingly, you guys are spot-on. Most of them are bare-bones models with vinyl seats, used by service workers mostly. I've even seen ice cream trucks based on those platforms.
Baja seems to have a different target audience, question is how big?
yesterday at my dealer in Seattle. They have a red one in the showroom w/auto, upgraded stereo and a silver monotone one on the lot w/stick and upgraded stereo. I also saw a black one on the back lot. I like the silver the best in person. It downplays the exaggerated lower clading. Overall, the Baja looks much better in person than in pics. It would be kind of cool to have a silver Baja to go w/my silver WRX wagon. Ah heck...throw in the 94'blue SVX I saw on the lot too! LOL!
Overall, they liked it. Had reservations about power w/auto, preferred 5spd. I know what they mean. My 00'OB Ltd w/auto (about 3700 lbs)was painfully slow at times and this was well before I got my WRX 5spd.
You could put two side by side, put your foot in the bed of each and use them as a pair of roller skates. IIRC, you had your choice of 4 engines - 800 cc, 1000cc, 1300cc or the monster 1500cc powerhouse! The Chevy Ute was nothing more than a Geo Metro with a pickup bed. I haven't been back there in 4 years myself, but it's kind of funny remembering how tiny the cars were. I remember one day seeing a Windstar driving down the street - it absolutely dwarfed all the native cars. A Ford Taurus qualified as an expensive imported luxury car. It makes you wonder what people think when they come to North America and everybody's using Ford Super-Duty pickups as commuter vehicles.
OTOH, they got standard quad cab compact pickups (S10, Toyota Hi-lux) way before we did.
The 1000cc class is the most popular now, because they are exempt from certain taxes, and it makes them much cheaper. Plus, gas costs $3.50 a gallon in a country where earnings are much lower than here in the US.
I bet Baja would sell well in Brazil. There are sand and dirt roads all over the place, and it would appeal to folks that buy big diesel Crew Cabs (overkill for most needs).
...my aunt in Brasilia drives a Mondeo in the city and she and her husband have an F250 out on their weekend farm. That F250 must be a monster out on the roads. The Mondeo is considered a fancy car.
When they visited the states, some of my cousins thought I was rich - with the fancy Honda Accord and all. It's all in your perspective I guess.
Anyone seriously considering purchasing the Baja would be well advised to get it out on the highway, and cruise a bit at speeds 65 - 75 mph range, to see whether they can *live* with the high-rpm engine speeds (for long periods of time), at those highway speeds.
Just a reminder that every Thursday you can join the Subaru Crew for a chat session from 6-7pm PT/9-10pm ET. Stop in to talk about Subaru or just to say hello!... We had a great turnout last week, but there's always room for more, so stop by and join in this week! Hope to see you there!!
I agree that the current rendition is a bit puzzling, at least on paper. I'll hold off passing judgement till I see one in person, but off the top of my head, I'd say lose the fancy interior - Forester X sounds about right - and drop 3k off the price.
Maybe they packaged it this way to pad the margins, since it's a small volume run vehicle ?
Getting this Baja has been pure torture. My local dealer is letting me down again. But have no fear, I've got another plan rolling. Let me ask some of you guys a few questions:
Is it true that one can't test drive a Baja that is on the lot and not a pre-ordered one (i.e. - one that is on the lot for sale) becuase it would put miles on the truck?
Are the first 500 Baja's completely free of options (like stick only, no upgrades)?
I bet an H6 would be more than tolerable, in fact I think it would be ideal for this application.
Dan: it's up to the dealer's discretion, some times they want a deposit for a popular vehicle before you can test drive it. The deposit should, at a minimum, be refundable.
However, the Baja isn't a high-demand cult car like the S2000 or Cooper S, so I think that's pretty ridiculous. I don't think that dealer deserves your business. You want to pay them to torture you? Not me.
Of course, that's easy for me to say, there are 7 Subaru dealers in my area.
<< Is it true that one can't test drive a Baja that is on the lot and not a pre-ordered one (i.e. - one that is on the lot for sale) becuase it would put miles on the truck? >>
Not true at all. The Baja is no different than any other Subaru. The dealer is giving you a bunch of bs, if he's saying otherwise. They're in short supply right now, so he's looking for "serious" buyers. I drove one a few hours after it arrived.
<< Are the first 500 Baja's completely free of options (like stick only, no upgrades)? >>
Again, like any other Subie; I've seen them equipped with many options, and others equipped with very few options, both auto and 5-speeds. The most common option, is a package that includes the bed extender.
OK, so a bunch of the guys drove up to Boulder to test drive a Baja today at lunch. Called ahead, Flatirons Subaru has 5 or 6 of them, most with AT, but one with stick. We drove the stick.
Impressions: Interior fit and finish is nice, but a tight squeeze. This is not a vehicle for big people. The four of us range from 6'1" to 5' 10" and ~170 lbs to ~210. Felt much tighter than my Forester. Back seat has barely adequate head room, and surprisingly tight leg room. This is a vehicle for 2, with room for 4 when necessary.
Ride/handling is nice, feels much tauter than my Forester with almost no body roll, but the tires let go sooner. Back end will walk out under power in the dirt pretty quickly.
Power is uhmmm, well at 5500 ft above sea level, not exactly inspiring. We were asking if the Eaton Supercharger on the show vehicle is an option (it's not, of course). Even with the stick, 0-60 times will be high (didn't bother to time it, 11 seconds ?), almost no sense of acceleration, even where the 2.5 normally pulls hard. One of the guys rallys, and tried to drive it hard, no ability to throttle steer. It's 40-50 hp short of where it needs to be to go hard. We didn't get it out on the highway, so we didn't see the rpm's at speed.
Exterior looks better in person than in photos. Saw the silver, black and red. Silver is best if you like that (I don't, seems like everyone's driving a silver car around here nowadays), but the black and red are tolerable. It looks like it goes faster than it does.
The bed extender takes up almost half of the bed with the tailgate closed. If you put that on, leave the tailgate down. The pass through is large, but I wouldn't call it generous.
Still unclear who this is aimed at. Styling screams young and restless, power doesn't deliver, interior pushes price beyond their reach. College students with deep pockets ?
Congrats, and thanks for the link with all the photos! It should prove to be very useful for those interested in the Baja, but have yet to see one in person. The silver looks great!
The space should be good for a couple of kids. Even the Dodge Ram Quad Cab has a very tight back seat for adults, FWIW. Plus the seat back it too upright in the Ram.
I wonder if you can fold the handle of an infant seat without moving the front seats up, though.
C&D estimated the 0-60 at 10-10.5, so 11 at a high elevation sounds about right.
Let's see, great pics! Some pros/cons from my perspective:
Pro * silver looks great * front end looks great, what a Legacy GT should look like * rims are nice and look good w/silver * roof looks better without those lights * you got a 5 speed :-) * cab lights look good and should be handy * finally I got to see the trick license plate * bottom side looks clean, nothing hangs low
Con * 4 seater could easily be a 5 seater * RWL tires, after we lobbied SoA to ditch them for years * silver trime is a bit much, especially the steering wheel * donut, plus it's exposed to the elements (get a cover)
Thumbs up to you and congrats. Are you the first to actually own one here in the Town Hall?
Paul - Congrats, and thanks for the nice pics! Looks like you might be the first on this board to actually own one!
Mike - The engine being green didn't help, of course, but the bigger issue is the altitude. The 2.5 is only making about 140 peak hp up here (less in the mountains proper), and it's just not enough. Someone driving near sea level will have a very different impression I'm sure.
Juice - What you said, except the RWL tires don't bother me as much...
Congratulations on the new addition. The photos really helped to bring it to life. Looks nice!
One thing I'm not crazy about is the width of the pass through. At only 31" wide (thanks for that info Paul), how would you be able to get a sheet of plywood home? Just curious.
I had thought about that, I suppose you could put the tailgate down and lean your 4x8' off to one side and tie it down good. I admit the Baja is a bit of a compromise when it comes to hauling stuff. I had a Tacoma for 6 years and it was great for that, and I did a lot of home-improvements for the first few years. Now I just want something thats a bit safer and a bit more fun to drive. I'll figure out how to haul bigger stuff if I need to. I used to have an old Toyota Tercel that I carried furniture and 4x8 sheets on the roof rack, bags of cement mix in the back, etc. The Tacoma was very reliable but basically it handled like crap.
Dan - As the others have said, you can definitely get your deposit back. When the WRX first arrived, a lot of dealers didn't allow test drives unless you committed on the spot.
My WRX buying experience was absolutely painless and I wish more dealers were like Flemington. You might want to post more info in the Subaru Crew dealer forum (if you haven't already). That way, the folks that need to know [i.e. Patti] are aware of what's happening.
Paul - Very sharp! Throw on an supercharger, Roo Bar, Scorpion Lift kit and you're set! :-)
Nice pics! If I got a Baja (a perfect compliment to my silver WRX wagon), it would be equipped as yours...silver, 5spd.
My only serious reservation is the power (or lack thereof). I wish there was a turbo available from the factory or the H6 option. Heck, I would forego leather interior to get the H6 engine for maybe a $1k more than the current base price.
Anyhow, congrats...nice Subaru stable you got there! :-)
I bet if the cab and payload were beefier, the ride and handling wouldn't be as good, and that's a priority to me, and one reason why I've never owned a truck.
I'm sure it's only a 4-passenger vehicle, because of its limited GVW. If you load the bed, and put 5 people in it, you're likely going to exceed the GVW.
I was in Bethesda yesterday, meeting with a client, and swung by Fitzgerald's on the way home. I saw the silver Baja, it's in their showroom, and it's an automatic.
I figured they'd put their only one for show, and let people order them. Interesting that they picked silver, as would many of us. The auto is no surprise - especially since it's not being driven.
I LOVE this truck (car)... I'll give my day one inpressions a little later down.
Dan's Baja Story (abridged (sp?) version):
12/01 - Was set on a Vibe, went to Phila car show, Aztek back-up choice.
1/02 - saw Baja at Phila flower show, which I was not at by choice, but hey - it caught my eye, and the research between the two was on!
5/02 - Drove Vibe 2 times. Liked everything except the slow AWD and seating postion. Decided to try to wait until the Baja arrived to compare.
5/30/02 - Showed complete impatience by plunking down $50 to pre-order the Baja, pre-ordering something I've never done before, but it keeps me from running out for the Vibe too soon. Order Silver monotone w/6 CD, auto, and extender. Iffyt on color, salesman says to call back in next few weeks if anything changes.
6/19/02 - Decide that I must have black. I call the salesman, knowing that production hasn't begun at all yet. He says no problem, he'll change it. I now do my brakes and tires on my 10 yr old pathfinder to get through the summer.
6/26/02 - Call dealer to follow up. Leave message for salesman, taken by front desk. Giant dealer, no voicemail?? Tell him to call if he needs anything from me.
7/22 - Pathfinder breaks down. Starter replaced @ $350. Decide to see how long Baja will take, contemplating Vibe if more costly Pathy repairs come up too soon.
7/23 - call dealer to check if order is OK. Told my salesman left the company. They say he left at the end of June!!!! After they took live messages for him! They check, and say they have no changes, and there is no black coming for me. I'm away, so - 7/29 - I go in and complain about all of the above. Sales manager doesn't even stand up from his chair. Acts very matter-of-factly, as if I should have come back in rather than called. Has no explanation for taking message or guy not doing what he said. After I calm down, my intense like for the Baja has me sit down with the salesman's replacement, and a new order is placed.
8/23-24 - call dealer. Says he expects my Baja on the 30th. I sell my Pathy online and start hitching rides for a day on 8/30. Baja not in, should be on Tuesday 9/3. Am now carless, but excited.
9/3 - no baja. I have to call dealer, no one calls me. Different salesman says "why did they tell you a date?" I ask "I don't know, I don't work there." I ask for new date (carless and now working) they tell me to call back at 2PM and they'll get date from Subaru.
When I call back (of course they don't) they say "It will be done between 9/10 and 9/27" Now what??? If I'm going to wait a month, I want to at least test drive the one they got in Silver, so I can be sure I wan't to wait, and borrow a car, or rent one, whatever. They say no, I can't test drive. I am also told that even if 1st order was correct, that first 500 Bajas come with no options, and I'd be waiting until late September anyway. No offer of a loaner or anything either.
9/4 - Call dealer 25 miles south in Cape May county - guess what - Black Baja with every option I wanted, and one or two I didn't!! Is still waiting for CO/title, which wasn't sent. Would be FedExed Thurs or Friday. Felt guilty about making basically two orders at other delaer, but unanimous vote among friends and people on this board, go with new dealer, who knocks off enough to make up for deposit at other dealer, and then some.
9/6 Bought the Baja - Can't believe how nice it is! Dealer treated me like gold. Nicest, most easy to deal with car purchase I've ever done. (Well, wife's 9-3 lease last spring was equally good too). Ride is incredible, so are looks. Engine is fine for me, was worried, but not now. Nicest car I've ever owned. 6CD, auto, compass mirror thing, bed extender/cargo net, air filtration, splash guards. Got the rubber mats for free. No rally lights, but I was starting to think they were an impulsive mistake anyway - might be too tough to go to automatic car wash...
Thanks for letting me rant. Maybe I will go and get the $50 back anyway. I must admit that I am a little intimidated by walking in there again after basically doing two orders. And to top it off, the last salesman there wrote up the second order with a "non-refundable $50 deposit" That wasn't what I agreed to the first time, but in my rush to get things going, I didn't notice hime write that down. I signed it. They will probably give me a hard time. Can I ask for it back by a letter?
Sorry to hear aboout your experience at the other dealer . I bought my outback form the dealer in Cape may county too ,had very good experience . Well I was going to stop and see the baja they had but I guess you got it so I'll have to wait untill they get another one . Good luck and hope to see you bajaing around Atlantic county some time .
Has anybody heard anything about a recall for water pump issues. My dealer here said that Subaru has issued a warning about the Baja's water pump, they say it's something they can fix there at the dealership, but they won't let me test drive one now yet because of it. Anybody else heard anything about this?
We all know the next-generation (larger) Legacy is due for MY05. That would also include the Outback, but what about the Baja, which is built off the same platform?
Should we also expect the next-generation Baja also for MY05? I have seen no reports as to when it is scheduled for a redesign.
If that is indeed the schedule, that would mean the current Baja will have production run of only two years, which is awfully short. So there is much justification for keeping the current model going for several years more. However, if the current Baja sits along side of a new redesigned (and improved) Legacy/Outback on the showroom floor for very long, it will *age* in the eyes of the customers very quickly.
Ok...this sounds pretty fishy. The Baja uses the same engine/tranny as the OB, Legacy, Impreza OBS,TS,RS, etc. Sounds like a pathetic attempt by the dealership to prevent test drives. Sounds like the only thing that should be recalled is the dealership!!
I've been driving the Baja around for two days now. Everything seems great, but I have a question: At around 37-40 MPH, the car seems to engine brake a little if I let up on the gas to coast in traffic. Is that the AWD, the weight of the vehicle, or the auto transmission doing a downshift? Or a problem? If I remember correctly, the RPMs are under 2K, and stay that way when this is happening. This may be what some people describe as "hunting for gears", but I don't know. Maybe part of the break-in? Or I could be paranoid, but I do feel a pulling down in that situation, although very slight.
The water pump thing is real. My dealer told me about it, and mine was done at the factory. He had to call to confirm it. And he was the one who mentioned it. I didn't even know to ask. This was before I bought it.
Put a Thule foam pad on the top bar of the bed extender. I can now take my longboard in the switchback with the board laying onthe top edge of the extender and the pad. A ltiile sticks out past the end, but it did so on my Pathfinder too. I can bungee it down if I'm going for more than a mile.
DC-area people--I know there's a couple here--will be familiar with this guy's likes and dislikes. Very experienced auto writer but somebody who gets away with shooting from the hip on a regular basis. He can also be counted on to make an occasional factual error--I think he's wrong about the bed length here for example.
It's probably the driveline friction of the AWD. If you let completely off the gas at any given time, generally the driveline will slow you down quicker with an AWD vehicle than a non AWD one (2 differentials + the AWD torque splitting mechanism in the 4EAT)
Comments
My neighbor has one.
-juice
What's wrong with Subaru? Are they nuts? Here they come out with a "truck," and they put a temp spare on it. And... what's makes it worse, there appears to be plenty of room for a full-size spare! Kinda makes you wonder when Subaru will downgrade the Forester's spare to temp-tire status?
Sometimes Subaru really has their engineering heads in the sand.
Good news is they included deep-tint rear and rear door windows as standard. For most folks, that area will become the secured "trunk."
Bob
These slots have little retainer tabs at the top, so that the boards won't bounce out of the slots on rough roads!
The question is: How do you get boards "into" the slots with those tabs in place? I bet Subaru offers bed slats that have some sort of spring-loaded feature, much like that found on many retractable cargo covers used on SUVs and wagons. Otherwise, it would be impossible to get cross slats into the slat pockets on the bed walls.
Bob
-mike
It may not fit your definition of "truck," but if the EPA calls it a truck, I'll call it a truck...
In any event, it's meant to serve as Subaru's heavy-duty vehicle here in North America. If the Forester gets a full-size spare, so should the Baja.
Bob
In fact, the warning goes on to say, if you get a flat, secure the full-size (flat) tire in the bed, and NOT under the bed where the temp was stored! Otherwise, some damage will occur to either the tire or other underbody (suspension?) parts.
Bob
That is bad about the full size not even fitting.
-mike
So if I'm in agreement with both the EPA and Random House, I'd say I'm in pretty good company. If that makes me a follower, I'm comfortable with that.
Bob
If so, I would suggest the following:
• Dark gray cladding like the Forester X
• Steel wheels from the Forester X
• Delete the moonroof
• Delete the leather seats
• Delete the power driver's seat
Bob
You know what I'm really looking for? A current day replacement for the '80 VW Rabbit pickup we used to have. It was before it's time. Great gas milage, good size bed, peppy, 5spd, etc. I don't know if anyone remembers them, but folks that had them loved 'em. I was hoping the Baja would be similar, but I'm beginning to get less excited about it.
I like the factory tint, too, and think the Outback Limited and H6 models should get the same treatment. The Forester XS too.
A lot of folks are just going to call it a "pickup truck", I bet. I prefer the term "Ute" but I doubt it'll fly here in the US.
As much as I like unpainted cladding, I think on the Baja it would qualify as "too much". It would stand out even more with the colors currently available.
Lil' Utes have existed in Brazil for decades. You could buy a Chevette, or a "Chevy 500" 2 seat pickup. Live axle, even. VW had a Voyage (Fox here) and a pickup based on that, too. Ford had one based on the european Escort. Fiat had one based on the Uno.
I haven't been there in 2 years, but I'm sure they still exist, in fact GM now makes one off the Chevy Astra platform.
Interestingly, you guys are spot-on. Most of them are bare-bones models with vinyl seats, used by service workers mostly. I've even seen ice cream trucks based on those platforms.
Baja seems to have a different target audience, question is how big?
-juice
Stephen
http://www.thecarconnection.com/index.asp?article=5233&sid=182&n=157
Stephen
-juice
OTOH, they got standard quad cab compact pickups (S10, Toyota Hi-lux) way before we did.
-Jason
I bet Baja would sell well in Brazil. There are sand and dirt roads all over the place, and it would appeal to folks that buy big diesel Crew Cabs (overkill for most needs).
-juice
When they visited the states, some of my cousins thought I was rich - with the fancy Honda Accord and all. It's all in your perspective I guess.
It's funny, but the Focus would be considered the mid-size, mainstream car, and the Fiesta actually is their top seller.
My brother is a federal judge, a university professor with tenure, and has published 3 books. He drives a Civic.
-juice
Bob
-Dennis
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If memory serves, my Forester has a 4.11 final drive ratio. That would make the Baja final drive ratio pretty "tall" !
Flatirons has a 5 speed, going to go for a test drive today or tomorrow... (curiousity kills more than just cats...
-brianV
Maybe they packaged it this way to pad the margins, since it's a small volume run vehicle ?
Is it true that one can't test drive a Baja that is on the lot and not a pre-ordered one (i.e. - one that is on the lot for sale) becuase it would put miles on the truck?
Are the first 500 Baja's completely free of options (like stick only, no upgrades)?
Are deposits non-refundable?
Dan
Dan: it's up to the dealer's discretion, some times they want a deposit for a popular vehicle before you can test drive it. The deposit should, at a minimum, be refundable.
However, the Baja isn't a high-demand cult car like the S2000 or Cooper S, so I think that's pretty ridiculous. I don't think that dealer deserves your business. You want to pay them to torture you? Not me.
Of course, that's easy for me to say, there are 7 Subaru dealers in my area.
-juice
Not true at all. The Baja is no different than any other Subaru. The dealer is giving you a bunch of bs, if he's saying otherwise. They're in short supply right now, so he's looking for "serious" buyers. I drove one a few hours after it arrived.
<< Are the first 500 Baja's completely free of options (like stick only, no upgrades)? >>
Again, like any other Subie; I've seen them equipped with many options, and others equipped with very few options, both auto and 5-speeds. The most common option, is a package that includes the bed extender.
Bob
-mike
Impressions:
Interior fit and finish is nice, but a tight squeeze. This is not a vehicle for big people. The four of us range from 6'1" to 5' 10" and ~170 lbs to ~210. Felt much tighter than my Forester. Back seat has barely adequate head room, and surprisingly tight leg room. This is a vehicle for 2, with room for 4 when necessary.
Ride/handling is nice, feels much tauter than my Forester with almost no body roll, but the tires let go sooner. Back end will walk out under power in the dirt pretty quickly.
Power is uhmmm, well at 5500 ft above sea level, not exactly inspiring. We were asking if the Eaton Supercharger on the show vehicle is an option (it's not, of course). Even with the stick, 0-60 times will be high (didn't bother to time it, 11 seconds ?), almost no sense of acceleration, even where the 2.5 normally pulls hard. One of the guys rallys, and tried to drive it hard, no ability to throttle steer. It's 40-50 hp short of where it needs to be to go hard. We didn't get it out on the highway, so we didn't see the rpm's at speed.
Exterior looks better in person than in photos. Saw the silver, black and red. Silver is best if you like that (I don't, seems like everyone's driving a silver car around here nowadays), but the black and red are tolerable. It looks like it goes faster than it does.
The bed extender takes up almost half of the bed with the tailgate closed. If you put that on, leave the tailgate down. The pass through is large, but I wouldn't call it generous.
Still unclear who this is aimed at. Styling screams young and restless, power doesn't deliver, interior pushes price beyond their reach. College students with deep pockets ?
-mike
http://www.mcgaughey.org/webpage/images/baja
Bob
I wonder if you can fold the handle of an infant seat without moving the front seats up, though.
C&D estimated the 0-60 at 10-10.5, so 11 at a high elevation sounds about right.
Let's see, great pics! Some pros/cons from my perspective:
Pro
* silver looks great
* front end looks great, what a Legacy GT should look like
* rims are nice and look good w/silver
* roof looks better without those lights
* you got a 5 speed :-)
* cab lights look good and should be handy
* finally I got to see the trick license plate
* bottom side looks clean, nothing hangs low
Con
* 4 seater could easily be a 5 seater
* RWL tires, after we lobbied SoA to ditch them for years
* silver trime is a bit much, especially the steering wheel
* donut, plus it's exposed to the elements (get a cover)
Thumbs up to you and congrats. Are you the first to actually own one here in the Town Hall?
-juice
Mike - The engine being green didn't help, of course, but the bigger issue is the altitude. The 2.5 is only making about 140 peak hp up here (less in the mountains proper), and it's just not enough. Someone driving near sea level will have a very different impression I'm sure.
Juice - What you said, except the RWL tires don't bother me as much...
Fitz finally has them in stock! They are listed under the Legacy, but only a single one, automatic. At least it's silver.
Bob - remind me, did you drive an auto? I'd like to sample a 5 speed, actually.
-juice
One thing I'm not crazy about is the width of the pass through. At only 31" wide (thanks for that info Paul), how would you be able to get a sheet of plywood home? Just curious.
Once again, enjoy Paul.
Mark
My WRX buying experience was absolutely painless and I wish more dealers were like Flemington.
You might want to post more info in the Subaru Crew dealer forum (if you haven't already). That way, the folks that need to know [i.e. Patti] are aware of what's happening.
Paul - Very sharp! Throw on an supercharger, Roo Bar, Scorpion Lift kit and you're set! :-)
-Dennis
My only serious reservation is the power (or lack thereof). I wish there was a turbo available from the factory or the H6 option. Heck, I would forego leather interior to get the H6 engine for maybe a $1k more than the current base price.
Anyhow, congrats...nice Subaru stable you got there! :-)
Stephen
I bet if the cab and payload were beefier, the ride and handling wouldn't be as good, and that's a priority to me, and one reason why I've never owned a truck.
So maybe Subaru knows us better than we think.
-juice
I'm sure it's only a 4-passenger vehicle, because of its limited GVW. If you load the bed, and put 5 people in it, you're likely going to exceed the GVW.
I was in Bethesda yesterday, meeting with a client, and swung by Fitzgerald's on the way home. I saw the silver Baja, it's in their showroom, and it's an automatic.
Bob
-juice
Dan's Baja Story (abridged (sp?) version):
12/01 - Was set on a Vibe, went to Phila car show, Aztek back-up choice.
1/02 - saw Baja at Phila flower show, which I was not at by choice, but hey - it caught my eye, and the research between the two was on!
5/02 - Drove Vibe 2 times. Liked everything except the slow AWD and seating postion. Decided to try to wait until the Baja arrived to compare.
5/30/02 - Showed complete impatience by plunking down $50 to pre-order the Baja, pre-ordering something I've never done before, but it keeps me from running out for the Vibe too soon. Order Silver monotone w/6 CD, auto, and extender. Iffyt on color, salesman says to call back in next few weeks if anything changes.
6/19/02 - Decide that I must have black. I call the salesman, knowing that production hasn't begun at all yet. He says no problem, he'll change it. I now do my brakes and tires on my 10 yr old pathfinder to get through the summer.
6/26/02 - Call dealer to follow up. Leave message for salesman, taken by front desk. Giant dealer, no voicemail?? Tell him to call if he needs anything from me.
7/22 - Pathfinder breaks down. Starter replaced @ $350. Decide to see how long Baja will take, contemplating Vibe if more costly Pathy repairs come up too soon.
7/23 - call dealer to check if order is OK. Told my salesman left the company. They say he left at the end of June!!!! After they took live messages for him! They check, and say they have no changes, and there is no black coming for me. I'm away, so -
7/29 - I go in and complain about all of the above. Sales manager doesn't even stand up from his chair. Acts very matter-of-factly, as if I should have come back in rather than called. Has no explanation for taking message or guy not doing what he said. After I calm down, my intense like for the Baja has me sit down with the salesman's replacement, and a new order is placed.
8/23-24 - call dealer. Says he expects my Baja on the 30th. I sell my Pathy online and start hitching rides for a day on 8/30. Baja not in, should be on Tuesday 9/3. Am now carless, but excited.
9/3 - no baja. I have to call dealer, no one calls me. Different salesman says "why did they tell you a date?" I ask "I don't know, I don't work there." I ask for new date (carless and now working) they tell me to call back at 2PM and they'll get date from Subaru.
When I call back (of course they don't) they say "It will be done between 9/10 and 9/27" Now what??? If I'm going to wait a month, I want to at least test drive the one they got in Silver, so I can be sure I wan't to wait, and borrow a car, or rent one, whatever. They say no, I can't test drive. I am also told that even if 1st order was correct, that first 500 Bajas come with no options, and I'd be waiting until late September anyway. No offer of a loaner or anything either.
9/4 - Call dealer 25 miles south in Cape May county - guess what - Black Baja with every option I wanted, and one or two I didn't!! Is still waiting for CO/title, which wasn't sent. Would be FedExed Thurs or Friday. Felt guilty about making basically two orders at other delaer, but unanimous vote among friends and people on this board, go with new dealer, who knocks off enough to make up for deposit at other dealer, and then some.
9/6 Bought the Baja - Can't believe how nice it is! Dealer treated me like gold. Nicest, most easy to deal with car purchase I've ever done. (Well, wife's 9-3 lease last spring was equally good too). Ride is incredible, so are looks. Engine is fine for me, was worried, but not now. Nicest car I've ever owned. 6CD, auto, compass mirror thing, bed extender/cargo net, air filtration, splash guards. Got the rubber mats for free. No rally lights, but I was starting to think they were an impulsive mistake anyway - might be too tough to go to automatic car wash...
Thanks for letting me rant. Maybe I will go and get the $50 back anyway. I must admit that I am a little intimidated by walking in there again after basically doing two orders. And to top it off, the last salesman there wrote up the second order with a "non-refundable $50 deposit" That wasn't what I agreed to the first time, but in my rush to get things going, I didn't notice hime write that down. I signed it. They will probably give me a hard time. Can I ask for it back by a letter?
Happy Happy Happy
Dan
Mike k
Should we also expect the next-generation Baja also for MY05? I have seen no reports as to when it is scheduled for a redesign.
If that is indeed the schedule, that would mean the current Baja will have production run of only two years, which is awfully short. So there is much justification for keeping the current model going for several years more. However, if the current Baja sits along side of a new redesigned (and improved) Legacy/Outback on the showroom floor for very long, it will *age* in the eyes of the customers very quickly.
Bob
Stephen
At around 37-40 MPH, the car seems to engine brake a little if I let up on the gas to coast in traffic. Is that the AWD, the weight of the vehicle, or the auto transmission doing a downshift? Or a problem? If I remember correctly, the RPMs are under 2K, and stay that way when this is happening. This may be what some people describe as "hunting for gears", but I don't know. Maybe part of the break-in? Or I could be paranoid, but I do feel a pulling down in that situation, although very slight.
The water pump thing is real. My dealer told me about it, and mine was done at the factory. He had to call to confirm it. And he was the one who mentioned it. I didn't even know to ask. This was before I bought it.
Put a Thule foam pad on the top bar of the bed extender. I can now take my longboard in the switchback with the board laying onthe top edge of the extender and the pad. A ltiile sticks out past the end, but it did so on my Pathfinder too. I can bungee it down if I'm going for more than a mile.
Dan
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A49261-2002Sep7.html
DC-area people--I know there's a couple here--will be familiar with this guy's likes and dislikes. Very experienced auto writer but somebody who gets away with shooting from the hip on a regular basis. He can also be counted on to make an occasional factual error--I think he's wrong about the bed length here for example.
-mike
-Dennis