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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  Awesome Car - 2004 Subaru Baja
  By Person - June 11 - 2:53 pm

  Awesome car. This car goes anywhere off-road. Good amount of room. Everything is awesome!

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  Practical but slow - 2006 Subaru Baja
  By HaveFunWithIt - May 31 - 2:33 am

  I am really getting attached to the Baja. Its fun to drive because of its accurate steering and light weight. There is a lot of aluminum on this vehicle (motor heads and block, tranny, differential cover, etc). The bed looks really small, but I fit a full sized dirt bike in it (300cc) with gear bag and tool box. No one believes that it will fit until they see it. And that is WITHOUT folding down the pass through door to the cab. The Baja is the slowest car I have ever driven, though. I have an Isuzu pickup with 2.6L 4 cylinder motor (Baja 2.5L 4 cylinder) with 225k miles on it that is 3 times quicker. And I always considered the Isuzu to be slow. I am not exaggerating one bit about this.

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  My favorite car so far! - 2003 Subaru Baja
  By G. Martin - May 26 - 10:00 am

  My Baja has been very reliable so far. I have put many miles on it in my first year of owning it, due greatly to how fun it is to drive. It gets good gas mileage. So far the only thing I wasnt able to haul in it were sheets of 4x8 plywood. This vehicle was exactly what I wanted, the functionality of a truck with the feel of a car.

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  Awesome - 2003 Subaru Baja
  By ATLMIKIE - May 1 - 7:06 pm

  I have had my Baja for almost 2 years I still love driving it. It still turns heads and gets compliments. I have had more people sit in it and ask about features than any other vehicle I have owned. I have a small pop up camper which the Baja pulls with no problems. I love the ride.

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  Versatility is a quality itself - 2006 Subaru Baja
  By Eugenio - April 30 - 11:50 am

  This car is the definition of versatility. You can have a big car, a sedan style drive, a reliable hauler. If you have an outdoorsy lifestyle, it is the best way to go. Yet to see a better way to carry my mountain bike.

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  You cant beat it - 2004 Subaru Baja
  By Rob Daum - April 19 - 10:00 am

  This is our second Subaru this year. My wife drives an 04 LLBean Outback. Funny she like this almost as much. The ride is car like and the seating is comfortable ( front ) back seat is fine for kids or adults on a short trip. Mileage is improving with each fill up. Get a lot of comments like ..cool..awsome..etc. Get one you wont be sorry

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  03 Baja 2.5 non turbo - 2006 Subaru Baja
  By wot27 - April 14 - 12:31 am

  Being my 2nd Subaru, I am glad this one isnt the SVX. I LOVE this one, its great in the bends, a little on slow side w/out turbo but keeping rpms up compensates fine for "in the city" driving if you feel the need. I have slight leak at 60k miles on my heads. As it seems to be known issue, I am displeased SOA has not done something to correct issue with the customers. as long as I get too 100k ill do head gaskets, water pump and belt @ same time. till then just keeping the oil changed.

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  Most versatile daily driver yet! - 2003 Subaru Baja
  By yellowblaze - April 13 - 9:46 am

  From off road trails to long road trips to trips to the home improvement store, our Baja has proven itself to be the best bang for the buck out there. In less than 12 months its gone from 2,800 miles at purchase to over 22,000 miles currently. Its brought home siding, landscaping, parts for another car. It took a Mustang hood from NY to FL in March - it fit right into the bed. It did great on that trip as far as gas mileage, comfort and driveability. Its gone down countless "seasonal use highways" - which range from dirt roads to little more than two ruts in the dirt - and handled them with ease (although more ground clearance would be nice). All around, this is the best truck out there!

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  Worse Car I ever owned - 2005 Subaru Baja
  By bearbryant1 - April 8 - 12:45 pm

  this has to be the worse car i ever owned. and would never purchase another Subaru ever again and would suggest that you never purchase one you would save more money on repairs if you got a mercies Benz or a BMW cause it will cost the same to repair.

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  Ultimate Compromise - 2003 Subaru Baja
  By jackmanjac - March 30 - 10:00 am

  Great compromise. Fits in my garage. Better to commute 30 miles one-way in than a truck. Carries 99.9% of everything that I need. Handles great, and rides great too. It is a little low on power at low RPMs, but the 5- speed makes it liveable. It is also geared a little short. 85 MPH is almost 4000 RPMs.