Overview & Reviews

Consider the platypus. Being semi-aquatic, this bizarre mammal looks like a cross between a beaver and a duck. But thanks to its quirky features, it's agile on land, is a fair swimmer and is adept at rooting for food on stream bottoms.

So what's that National Geographic sound bite got to do with the Subaru Baja? Well, the somewhat visually similar Subaru was also designed to adapt to changing needs, albeit ones dictated by its owner, not its survivability. Thanks to its unorthodox architecture, the Baja promised the nimble nature and passenger comfort of a midsize sedan along with the hauling capability of a small pickup truck.

Alas, just like many of Mother Nature's past experiments, the Subaru Baja didn't quite take. The car's odd styling turned off a lot of potential buyers, as did the fact that there just weren't that many people who desired a car-based pickup. Chevy El Camino enthusiasts excepted, of course. Production ended for the Baja after just four years on the market.

Most Recent Subaru Baja

Based on the Legacy/Outback platform, the Subaru Baja was produced from 2003-'06. In terms of its exterior design, calling the Baja "distinctive" would be the nice thing to say. We're certain that the heavy cladding along the lower body was supposed to look rugged, but instead it seemed as if a Pontiac stylist from the late '80s had infiltrated Subaru's design studio.

Rather than a sedan's trunk or a wagon's enclosed cargo area, the Baja featured a small, open cargo box like a pickup truck. To improve versatility, Subaru fitted a "Switchback," otherwise known as a midgate. The midgate allowed the front wall of the bed and the rear seatback to fold down and into the passenger area. This increased bed length from 41 to 60 inches. The rear window was fixed in place, however, which placed limitations on the size and shape of items that would fit.

The Subaru Baja was initially available in standard and Sport trims. The standard Baja came with air-conditioning, leather seating, full power accessories, a CD player, 16-inch alloy wheels and a power sunroof. The Sport was more of a base trim, as it substituted cloth upholstery for the leather and had a manual, not power, driver seat. Options included a bed extender, a bed-mounted bike rack and a premium sound system with a six-CD changer. The cabin design was essentially the same as the Legacy's, which meant high-quality materials, a user-friendly control layout and comfortable seats.

Power was provided by a 2.5-liter flat-4 that made a respectable 165 horsepower and 166 pound-feet of torque. A five-speed manual transmission was standard, with a four-speed automatic optional. Although the 2.5 had decent output, there's only so much thrust it could furnish while saddled with nearly 3,700 pounds of all-wheel-drive Subie. Our testing netted a 0-60 time of 9.9 seconds (with the manual gearbox) -- about equal to a compact V6 pickup of the day.

The following year, the Baja Turbo debuted. Fitted with a turbocharged version of the 2.5, it sported 210 hp and 235 lb-ft of torque. The Baja Turbo was more than 2 seconds quicker to 60 mph and a lot more fun to drive. An Edmunds road test quote sums it up nicely: "It's not quite a performance car, but it's a lot more fun to drive than most other pickups or SUVs."

In theory, the Subaru Baja seemed to make perfect sense, offering the best attributes of a family sedan with the utility of a compact pickup. But it fell a bit short in a few areas. Passenger capacity was limited to just four rather than the regular Legacy's five. And towing capacity was rated at just 2,000 pounds with the automatic and 2,400 pounds with the manual.

Still, with its all-wheel drive, generous ground clearance and versatile cargo bed, a used Subaru Baja could be the ideal choice for outdoor sports enthusiasts involved with mountain biking, kayaking and camping. Add in Subaru's solid reputation for reliability, the Baja's easy-to-handle size and superior fuel economy (compared to a V6 pickup truck) and this odd duck of a car may make more sense than most people initially thought.

User Reviews:

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  Great vehicle to own - 2003 Subaru Baja
  By Mary Colletti - June 11 - 5:50 am

  For the most part I have had a lot of fun with this vehicle. People stop me and ask if its a car or a truck. It has had a few problems lately but for the most part it has been a reliable vehicle and I would buy a Subaru definitely again. I would recommend this vehicle to anyone.

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  My Black Beauty Baja - 2003 Subaru Baja
  By DanV - June 1 - 2:00 am

  Went to the dealership to test drive, fell in love! I can take street corners at 40 mph and the car will not vear! I love it! Wish that it had more power though. I get a lot of comments wherever I go. I was a little disapointed about the soft top that covers the bed. When it rains, water pools on top and it is difficult to get in the bed area without getting the bed wet, exp important since I do a lot of traveling and need dry clothes. Disapointed that no hard cover was an option. Was also disapointed that the corners of the soft cover are tearing, but is covered under the warranty.

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  The Out-Brat is fun! - 2003 Subaru Baja
  By Joe Miya - April 25 - 10:00 am

  After wrecking my 1999 Ranger, the Baja was on my radar, but not the major focus. After driving one, I was hooked. The Baja was a fun little car to drive. After some thought, the trade- off of a smaller cargo capacity for much better fuel mileage was worth it. The Baja gets 5-7mpg more than the 4x4 compact trucks I was looking at. Even on the Sport trim, there is a long list of standard features. Seats are comfortable enough and there is decent headroom even with the moon roof. Could use a bit more in the way of power under the hood, but the Boxer-4 is more than enough for everyday driving.

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  03 Baja - 2003 Subaru Baja
  By HKF - April 11 - 8:03 pm

  Red on silver clad with graphite cloth interior. Optional bed cover and hitch. Great car, sticks to the road like velcro. Upgraded with aftermarket audio to provide handsfree bluetooth, roadnoise inerferes. Transmission has a mind of its own, upshifts are unpredictable and downshifts let the engine revs hit the red line. The soft bed cover is more work than I expected but keeps the bed clean and mostly dry. Overall, fun to drive and really unique. Defies categorizing.

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  Surprised and pleased - 2005 Subaru Baja
  By DIANE HENIFIN - February 9 - 4:23 pm

  I have driven an eight cylinder power Mustangand dualie. Put off buying a four cylinder as figured it would not offer any thrill when you needed power to pass. Was totally shocked at how much the turbo pushes it right out in front of the others. The comfort is amazing. Only one drawback is the premium fuel to fill. This is little to sacrifice to enjoy driving again. I love my Baja turbo in garnet red. It certainly gets the looks.

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  Baja truck/car - 2005 Subaru Baja
  By chuckc - February 4 - 11:36 pm

  I have about 13,000 on mine in 7 months and love it. I have the only one in my area, and I get compliments on its looks all the time. No problems with it yet, other than what sounds like minor belt rub, unlike my Mitsubishi Spyder which was a real piece of junk mechanically. My only complaint is what others have said, that the bed top is difficult to lift; needs a handle or something. Otherwise I really like it so far!

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  Bought 2 Bahas one Red and one Yellow - 2003 Subaru Baja
  By MikeandIan - January 31 - 10:00 am

  Brought home the Bahas (2 ), each one had a problem a bad shimmy when you applied the brakes , had to have the rotors cut to stop it . Not a major problem but one that I should have not had to deal with. The power is lacking , something we did not think of when we test drove the car because we did not want to redline it new .needs more power .We still love the cars . we own six Subarus along withthe 2003BahaRed,2003Baha Yellow .As you can see we are a Subaru family .But Love our Bahas, but the Baha could use more power .

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  The 2004 Baja has arrived - 2004 Subaru Baja
  By BajaBhoy - January 18 - 2:00 am

  Picked up the new 2004 Baja today. The turbo option makes it surprisingly fun to drive, with all the stability of my wifes Forrester. This is not a luxury car, but more of a lads car -- the small pickup bed is going to be useful when the snow melts and the weather improves. Gets a lot of attention, unusual on the streets of NYC. Silver color, looks quite sharp. For the money, an attention-grabbing, outdoors lifestyle-facilitating break from the mundane.

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  Well Rounded Choice - 2005 Subaru Baja
  By Paul - December 23 - 5:53 pm

  Despite a long delay in receiving this vehicle from order to delivery, the vehicle was worth the wait. This is a well rounded vehicle. Serves my purposes well. I had owned a 2003 Baja as well. This is a great improvement.

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  so far....REALLY FUN!! - 2005 Subaru Baja
  By evillabrat69 - December 18 - 1:37 am

  I bought this car 2 months ago with 87k on it, and have been loving it!! with a 50 mile commute each way to work, its quiet & very comfortable. ive done some light off-roading and have no complaints. my fiancee prefers to take the subie when ever we go anywhere together. no complaints on the 25 mpg. off line acceleration could be better, and the steering column could be a little longer (im tall and have to reach a bit) Overall it beats the pants off the 2001 neon i traded in on it!!! so far this is the best looking, 2nd best performing (1998 pontiac grand prix gt was faster) i have owned. I really love this vehicle!