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 2003 Subaru Baja
by Ian Macpherson
Just when you think they have thought of everything there’s some new morph of car, truck or wagon coming down the pipe. The truth is they have thought of everything and you just didn’t know about it!
 Case in point, the 2003 Subaru Baja a cross-over sport-utility-pickup-car built on the chassis of the perenially popular Outback. Sounds like an original idea but remember the Chevrolet El Camino, the Subaru Brat or even the Ford Ranchero. It may surprise you that Subaru has not sold a vehicle with an open bed in more than 15 years. The twist on the Baja is unlike its predecessors it a four door with four seats inside the cabin.
The key feature of the Baja is a short 41.5” box with a built in liner.The bed can be extended to 75” with an optional tubular bed extender. This is still a foot shy of a standard pickup truck box but Subaru has created an innovative pass through which extends the length to almost 95”. The opening is only 30”x12” , so no sheets of plywood please, but one person can fold it down very easily in only a few second with no leftover pieces to store, but you do lose the benefit of the back seat. Disappointingly the rear glass does not roll down or remove, unlike some other models, limiting versatility. Two rear cargo lights, controlled by a separate switch, should prove to be handy when loading up in dark spaces. I wouldn’t be opening a contracting business with the Baja but for trips to Home Depot and those wet and muddy loads like my mountain bike and backyard brush its’ the perfect size.
 Available with a smooth shifting 4-speed automatic or 5-speed manual, both transmissionars are mated to a 2.5 liter horizontally-opposed 4-cylinder engine. This type of boxer engine design, used by Porsche, is a beautiful setup and generates very little noise or vibraion. Generating 165 hp and 166 lb-ft of torque I would be tempted to deem the Baja slightly under-powered. Normal driving is fine but it has no punch for passing or accelerating quickly. By next year Subaru may make it available with the 212 hp six-cylinder engine offered in the Outback. The Baja can handle a payload of 1050 lbs and trailer upto 2400 lbs which will cover you for things like a pair of motorcycles, a jetski or even a snowmobile.
 One of the payoffs for the Baja’s car chassis is a low center of gravity giving it a very car like feel. The sacrifice is clearance, only 73”, but sport-utility owners can attest that very few actually use their vehicles for any form of off-roading. The suspension is an elevated four wheel independent setup with Macpherson struts up front and multi-links with coil springs in the rear. Subaru’s active electronic all wheel drive system can easily handle the nastiest dirt road, sandy patch at the beach or slippery winter roads. The Baja’s on-road civility and medium versatility is what you are buying.
The inside is surprisingly elegant with perforated leather seats, leather trimmed steering wheel with chrome accents that continue on the shifter handle and gauges. Standard equipment includes a CD-player, moon-roof, six-way adjustable drivers seat (heated) , power windows and locks and a keyless entry system. Although there is currently little in the way of optional equipment, in the near future you can count on market specific equipment coming down the pipe like special mountain bike and surf board carriers and a tent cover for the cargo area aimed at adventurers.
Storage spaces abound with a center console, rear storage nets, and side door pockets. The controls themselves are quite plain looking but are well placed and consistent with Subaru’s usual high quality. Sitting in the Baja you still feel a little higher than everyone else on the road and the large amount of glass allows a good view of the road.
 Visually the Baja is pretty much in your face with its’ big fender flares, 16” alloy wheels, brush bars and a mud cladding that goes half way up an all the way around the vehicle. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad if the cladding was color coded to the paint but its silver whether the vehicle is yellow or red or black. Many of the outward details are shared with the Outback however the grille is unique as is a special fuel cap and the cladding which is as subtle as poison ivy. With the tail gate down and the tubular bed extender in place the Baja appears much more in balance and the sensation of stubbiness is diminished.
Competition for the Baja will come in many different forms but mainly I suspect from the standard sized pickup truck and small SUV market. With a price tag of $35,595 many of the pickups on the market can offer much greater working functionality and towing capacity at a lower price but lack the refinement of the Baja. Small SUV’s although becoming more refined have very limited utility and none of them can match the Baja’s fuel economy.
I’m down with the idea of the free-living adventurer travelling from weekend sporting events to the hardware store and whisking the kids to soccer and daycare. However with eccentric looks and modest versatility I’m thinking the Baja will have much more niche than mass appeal.
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