Actually, the Baja has the lowest payload rating of any Subaru! No kidding! It's rated at 800 pounds, whereas all other Subarus have a 900 payload rating, if I'm not mistaken.
The temperature actually got up into double digits in time for the chat this week!
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Has anyone out there figured out a way to lock the tailgate? I'm looking at the locking covers but even if I had one of them, the gate doesn't lock so what's the point. Besides that, I have the bed extender. To remove it, all you do is open the gate, rotate the bed extender to half flipped and lift. That's a pretty quick way to steal my $150 accessory! If the gate locked (like it does on my buddies Frontier) then the extender would be "locked" in as well. I know Subaru doesn't offer anything but I was curious if anyone has found an after market solution to this.
Your comment about the losing a bed extender, is an excellent one! I'm surprised SOA let that slip through. You're absolutely right, they should have a locking tailgate.
The salesman at the dealership also pointed out how easy the bed extender was to steal. He said that I should be ok until this fact becomes common knowledge. Great.
but if you don't use it (which most people won't, I bet) it will take about 5 seconds to steal. If you use the two clips, it will take about 20 seconds to steal.
Saw there was a potential theft problem as soon as the dealer showed me how to use the bed extender. I put a cable lock through the botton rung on the b/e and through the permannent metal tie down fitting at the rear of the bed. Works fine and still lets the b/e swivel. Try it.
had a locking bed cover (one of the aftermarkets that is available - black fiberglass/molded plastic I think?). Then nobody would know if you had the bed extender - unless you were using it.
Could this be what Subaru has in mind for the Baja ultimately?
• Baja Sport built off the Legacy/Outback platform, as it is now, but with the addition of a turbo and sans leather.
• Baja built off the up-coming, and larger 7-passenger crossover.
Think about it for a moment. Subaru already uses this type of marketing for the the small Impreza-based Outback Sport and the larger Legacy-based Outback.
If Subaru were to offer two Bajas, one small & sporty, and the other larger and more capable, it would (IMO) solve a lot of existing problems. No longer would the smaller Baja take all the heat it's gotten for being almost useless in terms of being a truck, and would allow it to focus on being a fun trucklet, because the larger Baja would serve the needs of those in need of greater capability.
I think this type of gameplan has lots of possibilities.
Yeah, I thought of the cable lock. I just wasn't sure if it would allow the extender to swivel or not. Besides, I was looking for something less cluttered looking. How long a cable did you use? Did you run it through just one side or across the bed, tie down to tie down? Thanks for the inputs. Kyrazy
You guys are funny. I routinely park my truck in manhattan and no one has taken any of my magnetic mount antennas, nor my K40 quick disconnect ones either! This takes about 3 seconds to steal. The only time you really need to worry about getting something like that stolen is when there is DEMAND for them. The bed on the baja is narrower than a std. pickup so you couldn't rip it off and use it on another. The baja has such poor sales that there is hardly a market for stolen parts as well. Lets not get into the "The Sky is Falling" mentality on this!
Bob: the Baja Sport would get outdated quickly. I'm not sure how Sport Trac sales are doing, but that thing seems ancient already.
Sadly, we may not even see a next gen Baja if sales don't pick up. But I hope we do. A wider track and longer wheelbase will allow a bigger bed. Give it 5 seats and a true midgate too. They certainly could address all the issues on the current model.
mike has a point, our license plates are held in place with screws, it's just as easy to steal those.
That's been the current pace. The Baja Sport isn't out yet, though, that's most likely when it'll pick up. Hopefully double by the time the turbo arrives.
This is the response I received from Liberty Subaru in Oradell, NJ:
Dear Tom....Thank you for keeping tabs on the Baja sales total for the month. Also thank you for trying to help out our sales effort for this month. In keeping with that spirit I am willing to sell you a Baja 5spd for 20595 which is a great price. If we can help you please do not hesitate to call us at 1-888-SUBY4WD.....Thank you for you're interest in our product....
Fitzmall.com has automatics for about that price, just two though. I wonder if an incentive just started, or if those are early Sport models. When is the Sport due in dealerships?
• That interview with a Subie dealer indicated that SOA has found that most Baja customers are older than what they expected. • The Baja Sport is an '04 model. • The Baja Sport so far has only been shown is monochromatic silver. • Most people (older & younger) have indicated that the monochromatic silver to be the most attractive—because it's monochromatic, and not 2-tone.
I wonder, when the '04 Baja turbo debuts, if we'll see more monochromatic colors? Black? Red? It's cheaper to do this than to rip off all the cladding...
It will cost too much to remove it. Yes, they could use the front bumper and door cladding from the Outback, which is much more subtle, but they then would still have the rear quarter and tailgate cladding to deal with. If you just "remove" the cladding, you probably have strange looking steel underneath, because it was designed to wear cladding from the start.
So the cheapest way to make the cladding visually "disappear," is to have it the same color as the surrounding body. That's what they did with the silver version. They could easily do the same with the other colors too.
I've always been a strong supporter of the Baja as a "concept." My problem is the "execution."
I see the Baja as a gem in the rough. I just wish they had introduced a more polished version at the start. If the styling had the restraint of the Outback, that would have been enough to get the project rolling. The power and capability issues could be dealt with in time. I just hope SOA and the public's perception haven't been poisoned by the current model. That would be a real shame IMO.
I noticed an ad for the new baja sport in the latest issue of C&D that came in the mail today...it listed the MSRP at just under $22K with the manual (IIRC, I was at lunch). Street prices could easily be close to $20K though.
Will it be enough of a cut to boost sales? I doubt it will help much -- it just seems too small and underpowered for the money. It's a car I really want to like, but in terms of utility, I think my OB wagon is far more practical.
Subaru is willing to market a cross vehicle like the Baja, why don't they work on a dedicated trailer?
One company in Vermont, I think, was advertising a little trailer with a hitch that doesn't pivot left/right and a single big pivoting wheel in the middle of the trailer. Basically, it becomes an extension of the vehicle towing it.
Might sound wacky, (might be wacky), but off-center thinking is what came up with these little crossover vehicles, and a small trailer, especially if it were easy to use and "matched" to the vehicle, would make a great deal of sense. Load height is low, weight capacity would be fairly high, and you wouldn't be dragging extra vehicle around when you didn't need it.
I posted such an idea about a year ago. I also ran into a SOA VP last summer. I also suggested it to him in person, and reminded him via an e-mail. So, who knows...
Even if they don't offer a trailer, per say. I would love for them to at least offer an optional interior electronic trailer brake control, that would be integrated into the interior design, like any other Subaru control switch.
But they don't even offer that IIRC on any tow rigs (even ones that are meant for towing) or maybe they do? Bob does the GM/Ford/Dodge trucks have any such device?
I definitely think the Sport will get street prices under $20k. Don't forget about incentives, I'm sure if the regular Baja has them, the Sport will too.
I don't think it's underpowered. It's quicker than most compact V6 crew cabs. 0-60 in 9.3 is not bad. Now torque and towing a big load is a different story, but it's meant for light duties.
Didn't the Prowler get a matching trailer option? I know it was expensive, but maybe Subaru could offer something simpler and affordable, maybe with matching colors (yellow, silver, red, or black).
Comments
Bob
-juice
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Love my Baja
Kyrazy
Bob
-Shawn
Bob
Maybe use a cable lock and lock it to a tie down or something.
-juice
Bob
Oh boy.
-juice
Bob
Paul.
Mike
• Baja Sport built off the Legacy/Outback platform, as it is now, but with the addition of a turbo and sans leather.
• Baja built off the up-coming, and larger 7-passenger crossover.
Think about it for a moment. Subaru already uses this type of marketing for the the small Impreza-based Outback Sport and the larger Legacy-based Outback.
If Subaru were to offer two Bajas, one small & sporty, and the other larger and more capable, it would (IMO) solve a lot of existing problems. No longer would the smaller Baja take all the heat it's gotten for being almost useless in terms of being a truck, and would allow it to focus on being a fun trucklet, because the larger Baja would serve the needs of those in need of greater capability.
I think this type of gameplan has lots of possibilities.
Bob
Thanks for the inputs.
Kyrazy
-mike
Sadly, we may not even see a next gen Baja if sales don't pick up. But I hope we do. A wider track and longer wheelbase will allow a bigger bed. Give it 5 seats and a true midgate too. They certainly could address all the issues on the current model.
mike has a point, our license plates are held in place with screws, it's just as easy to steal those.
-juice
"Sales of the Baja model recorded a total of 642 units for the month." Yikes. Not the most popular vehicle
Mike
-juice
They should be arriving at dealers sometime in February, at least that's what SOA said when the car was announced.
Bob
-juice
This is the response I received from Liberty Subaru in Oradell, NJ:
Dear Tom....Thank you for keeping tabs on the Baja sales total for the month. Also thank you for trying to help out our sales effort for this
month. In keeping with that spirit I am willing to sell you a Baja 5spd for 20595 which is a great price. If we can help you please do not hesitate to call us at 1-888-SUBY4WD.....Thank you for you're interest in our product....
Go get em boys!
-juice
• The Baja Sport is an '04 model.
• The Baja Sport so far has only been shown is monochromatic silver.
• Most people (older & younger) have indicated that the monochromatic silver to be the most attractive—because it's monochromatic, and not 2-tone.
I wonder, when the '04 Baja turbo debuts, if we'll see more monochromatic colors? Black? Red? It's cheaper to do this than to rip off all the cladding...
Bob
And I like those Baja commercials... I alway's admired the Brat (my father bought the station wagon, though.
It will cost too much to remove it. Yes, they could use the front bumper and door cladding from the Outback, which is much more subtle, but they then would still have the rear quarter and tailgate cladding to deal with. If you just "remove" the cladding, you probably have strange looking steel underneath, because it was designed to wear cladding from the start.
So the cheapest way to make the cladding visually "disappear," is to have it the same color as the surrounding body. That's what they did with the silver version. They could easily do the same with the other colors too.
Bob
The next Legacy chassis will be wider to begin with, so maybe they won't feel the need to add that cladding on the sides.
-juice
Bob
-juice
Mike
I hope they don't axe the project, but instead learn some lessons and bring the next Baja *with* all the features from the concept.
-juice
I see the Baja as a gem in the rough. I just wish they had introduced a more polished version at the start. If the styling had the restraint of the Outback, that would have been enough to get the project rolling. The power and capability issues could be dealt with in time. I just hope SOA and the public's perception haven't been poisoned by the current model. That would be a real shame IMO.
Bob
-juice
Will it be enough of a cut to boost sales? I doubt it will help much -- it just seems too small and underpowered for the money. It's a car I really want to like, but in terms of utility, I think my OB wagon is far more practical.
-Dennis
One company in Vermont, I think, was advertising a little trailer with a hitch that doesn't pivot left/right and a single big pivoting wheel in the middle of the trailer. Basically, it becomes an extension of the vehicle towing it.
Might sound wacky, (might be wacky), but off-center thinking is what came up with these little crossover vehicles, and a small trailer, especially if it were easy to use and "matched" to the vehicle, would make a great deal of sense. Load height is low, weight capacity would be fairly high, and you wouldn't be dragging extra vehicle around when you didn't need it.
(great idea)
-Dennis
Tom
I posted such an idea about a year ago. I also ran into a SOA VP last summer. I also suggested it to him in person, and reminded him via an e-mail. So, who knows...
Even if they don't offer a trailer, per say. I would love for them to at least offer an optional interior electronic trailer brake control, that would be integrated into the interior design, like any other Subaru control switch.
Bob
-mike
I may be wrong here, but I would think such a unit would work for any trailer with electronic brakes. I don't think it has to be trailer-specific.
Maybe it has to do liability issues? Although, they offer factory trailer hitches, so I don't think that's the reason. I just don't know...
Bob
I don't think it's underpowered. It's quicker than most compact V6 crew cabs. 0-60 in 9.3 is not bad. Now torque and towing a big load is a different story, but it's meant for light duties.
Didn't the Prowler get a matching trailer option? I know it was expensive, but maybe Subaru could offer something simpler and affordable, maybe with matching colors (yellow, silver, red, or black).
-juice
Bob
I'd love to see it cause I think the aftermarket ones look cheesy in the vehicles.
-mike
:-)
(Wouldn't mind a factory option though - why not package it with frame hitch and harness ?)
Bob