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Comments
The factory turbo will be far more cost effective than an aftermarket one, at least that's my guess. Turbo kits I've seen for the 2.5l run about $5-7 grand complete/installed.
-juice
Plus, February has just 28 days, vs. 31 for January. Add to that the Blizzard on the East Coast that kept everyone at home for a week, and you can pretty much guarantee sales were even worse than last month.
-juice
-Brian
has the Feb sales figures - I believe domestic truck is the Baja. 724 last month.
Tom
"...All 2003 model year Baja and Outback models meet all federal passenger car safety standards, with the exception of the Baja dark-tinted rear privacy glass. All Subaru models comply with Low Emission Vehicle (LEV) standards and are certified for sale in all 50 states."
Hey Mike- Told you the Baja met passenger car safety standards!
-Frank P.
Bob
-mike
Where are the Sports, c'mon!
-juice
-juice
-juice
-juice
-B
Subaru has to consider their pricing strategy more carefully, and implement vehicles that are faithful to their concepts.
-juice
I wonder if they'll just be a fad thing, or if it'll really catch on...
-brianV
And it's not like the Element went from concept to production without flaws - payload is a miserly 675 lbs, and the front seat belt anchor is in the rear door, so you have to undo your seatbelt to let someone in the back seat out.
Then again, price is lower than the CR-V (while the Baja with leather cost more than a basic Outback), and people will buy a Honda Pet Rock if they put their badge on it.
-juice
Also, there was a B&W picture of a Baja Cap for the truckbed. It was a partial snapshot of the car, but it didn't look too good from what I could see. Anyone know where to get a full color photo of this?
Oh yes, I mentioned it is a hit with 20 something women. How about 90 something women? Well they like it too. Seems I'm not looking for one for myself. My 90 year old mother has a '98 Civic hatch 5 speed but admits at her age, "its a little hard to get in and out of" and would like to have a car where she could "sit up higher". At only 3" longer than her Civic it is ideal and she thinks it looks cool. But at her age she says she does not need another car because she won't be driving much longer. But she told me that when she got her Civic at age 85. To be continued....
TWRX
-juice
I noticed CR listed the payloads of all the vehicle mentioned in the CR Auto issue in one big table. Here are some other interesting payloads mentioned:
Ford Excursion = 1,630
Ford Explorer Sport Trac = 1,190 (the Baja's closest competitor)
Ford Escape = 900
Ford Explorer = 1,325
Ford Expedition = 1,400
Ford Ranger = 1,210
Honda Element = 675
Honda CRV = 850
Honda Pilot = 1,320
Honda S2000 = 400
Isuzu Rodeo = 915
Jeep Grand Cherokee = 1,100
Jeep Liberty = 1,150
Jeep Wrangler = 800
Land Rover Freelander = 905
Mazda Miata = 340
Mini Cooper = 815
Nissan Murano = 860
Nissan Pathfinder = 1,030
Nissan Frontier = 915
Toyota Highlander = 925
Toyota Land Cruiser = 1,249
Toyota Rav4 = 760
Toyota Tacoma = 1,225
As to pickups, even those listed here, a lot depends on configuration. For example, I know some Nissan Frontiers have a much higher rating than the 915 listed here.
Also, CR didn't have ratings for some vehicles, such as the new 4Runner.
Bob
Also, it's based on the same platform as the 1986 Ford Explorer, almost two decade old technology.
I don't think there is any real dominant Crew Cab truck in the compact class. Frontier just came out with a long bed but it's so brutish and old fashioned. Dakota is too long for daily use. Tacoma is probably the best option, but even it has limited V6 power (how 'bout putting that new V6 from the 4Runner?).
I think there is ample opportunity for a newcomer to enter and dominate the segment. A Baja turbo will maybe a slight wheelbase stretch or a full mid gate (and at the right price) might just be the ticket.
-juice
Anyhow, the other thing I find appealing about the Baja is the mileage that none of the pickups on the market seem to match. I put in a fairly long commute every day, and as much as I would love a Frontier crew cab, I know what the mileage is. I would go bankrupt fueling it.
I know there are some Baja owners who have posted to this thread before. What kind of mileage are you getting?
Thanks!
Now, a response to the criticisms:
1. Underpowered. Complete BS. This car as built has more than adequate power for normal driving. I live on top of a huge hill, no problem (my CRV, which I traded for the Baja labored terribly). Highway merges, no problem. Hwy. cruise speed, 80-85mph, no problem (with engine as quite as a lexus). At 23 mpg, the power trade off is no contest for anyone even marginally concerned about fuel economy. I wouldn't but the turbo or H6 even if offered --why give up economy just to beat a wrx at a (most likely hypothetical) drag race? The ride quality is absolutely supurb.
2. Style. I love it. Exterior is hardly loud in the silver monotone. (Black is nice too, but it does "shout" a bit too much for my taste.) To me, the car is a throw back to muscle cars of the past more than a pickup. The interior is more BMW than subaru. Tight, neat, sharp. Oh yes, leather is NICE!
3. Storage. I suppose it doesn't have the biggest bed out there, but, then again, I never owned a big pickup, and I turned to the Baja after realizing that, for me, the Avalanch was plain silly -- I'm not running a construction company. My only real concern was the lack of a secure trunk. I almost bought the $1000 snugtop, lockable hard cover. HOWEVER, I once again think the concern is only hypothetical. With the rear seat folded down, the Baja gives you more storage than any conventional trunk, and the tinted windows conceal your valubles. My conclusion was to buy a tarp kit at wallmart with some bungee cords for bed storage emergencies ($11) and a hanging cargo net which fits perfectly in the space the subaru net option would go (behind rear seats) but half the price ($16). More storage than I will ever need, and the bed remains open for that next tree I want to snap up at the nursery.
3. Value. Where else you going to get a fully loaded, leather AWD vehicle with sharp, unique styling for around $23,000 (automatic with bed extender, tow pkg., mud grds., dimming mirror)? Enough Said.
This was the first vehicle to catch my attention in quite a while. If I didn't buy the Baja, I would have run my CRV into the ground. As another poster said, I still get the "wow" factor every time I drive the Baja.
Storage doesn't seem like a challenge, but I'm currently driving a Miata, which has kind of made me pragmatic about how much stuff you REALLY need to carry around anyhow.
I didn't realize there was a storage net available for behind the seats... as usual for Subaru, that's good thinking.
Has anyone seen the sport packages yet? My local dealer said they would get one in "in a couple of weeks". I am hesitant about leather -- I want to take this car scuba diving and I live in Florida where leather seats usually lead to uncomfortable burns in the summer. So the sport might be worthwhile. It does seem like the incentives that Subaru is offering on the loaded packages are equalizing he prices quite a bit, though.
Thanks especially for your comment about the power issue... especially becuase you're driving an automatic, which I haven't, yet. I didn't find the manual to be comfortable to drive. I'm short enough that I had to pull the seat so far forward that I was reaching around the side bolster of the seat to shift. It's been a while since I drove an automatic on a regular basis, and I had heard that the car seems more underpowered in the automatic...
I'm glad you're enjoying your Baja... I may well join you on the road in the next couple months with one.
Saw one on the road finally, though they are still rare. That's actually not bad, you don't see yourself coming and going, and it sure attracts a lot of attention. My wife really liked it, thought it looked beefy and stylish.
She also saw an Element on the same day and thought it looked goofy (I like 'em). Too bad sales tell a different story. Let's hope the Sport lets them pick up.
-juice
As for gas mileage, I've reached 25MPG only under ideal conditions. That is, highway all the way on cruise control going just over the speed limit. I bottomed out at 14MPG when single digit temperatures hit here in Maine. My commute was about 5 minutes during that time - hardly enough time for the engine to get warm!
With a normal mix of city & highway driving, it always gets 20 to 24 MPG.
If you compare the Baja with the Outback, with the same engine and tranny, the Baja is rated lower in mpg by the EPA, both for city and highway.
Bob
Still, compare to other 4WD Crew Cabs and it's an absolute miser of fuel.
-juice
Bob
-juice
-juice
Must be true, because a couple of miles from the dealer,I saw a new Baja on the road. That makes for a total of 3 Bajas that I have seen on the road, since the car/truck was introduced last September.
Bob
But if they remain rare that's actually desireable from the owner's standpoint IMO.
-juice
Mike
-juice
-juice
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1. I'm still blown away by the handling. I've never owned an AWD car before, but now I guess I can never go back. I recently moved to Tennessee and my daily commute includes hills and curvy roads - the car is just too much fun to drive. Oh yeah, the second day on my new job we had a snow storm... not a problem for the Baja.
2. The power is fine. I don't understand the "more power" crowd. I would categorize the car as "spirited". I'm not going to win any drag races, but the acceleration is there when I need it. Combined with the excellent handling, this car is definitely fun to drive.
3. I LIKE the looks of my red Baja - including the cladding. I liked it when I first saw it. Different strokes for different folks, I guess. I've had lots of people approach me in parking lots to talk about it and comments are always very positive (though I imagine people who don't like it would probably not be likely to come up to me and give me an ear full). Every time I drive I get stares from other drivers - that was a little disconcerting at first, but now I'm used to it.
4. It's exceptionally versatile. I've used it as a people hauler and a stuff hauler. I've even used the pass-through a couple of times (PVC pipe and lumber). I have not yet had a time when I missed my old F-150's hauling abilities. The bed extender should be standard equipment - I use it all the time.
5. Gas mileage. OK, I'm not the most economical driver in the world; I usually let the tach spool up above 4,000 before I shift just because it's more fun. Still, I average 21-22 MPG in normal city driving. On the highway I usually average 24-25 MPG, though on one stretch of my drive to Tennessee I averaged 26.5. That's going about 80 most of the time.
I have three knocks against the Baja:
1. The rear seat should have accommodated three. I haven't found any great use for the rear storage compartment; seating surface would have been more useful - even if it would only fit kids.
2. The wind noise from the moon roof is overbearing. I suspect that the actual culprit is the roof rack cross bars which I may remove while not in use. At least the stereo is good enough to overcome the noise.
3. Interior storage is a little sparse. I have a cargo net for the back that I keep in my garage because there's no good storage place inside the cabin. I also have to keep a small flashlight in the car because a larger lantern-style flashlight is too big to fit in any of the compartments.
I agree. However, in order to do this they need to increase the GVW (gross vehicle weight) and payload. As it stands, the Baja has the least payload rating of any Subaru sold in North America, which is 800 pounds (this info is in your owner's manual and on the driver's door jam label). All other Subaru's are rated at 900 pounds payload. I'm sure Subaru kept the vehicle as a 4-passenger vehicle, because they feared it could be easily overloaded if it were rated as a 5-passenger vehicle.
As to your other opinions regarding styling and power, and with all due respect, you're clearly the exception. Otherwise Baja sales would be much stronger than they currently are.
Bob