hot for a Baja....

I almost bought one back in Jan. Ended up with OBW instead. Here's why

1. 2 seats in back
2. To lock rear cargo area is at least 00
3. Worse than average reliabilbility as per Consumer Reports

If you get one go to

Aren't the mechanicals the same as the OBW?

Barry

I have an 03 MT and it perfectly does what I bought it for.It runs great in the snow(Northeast Vt-still haven't bought snow tires) and cruises very nicely.On the other hand I found the AT very underpowered and I would be hesitant to buy any non turbo in a city where quick acceleration is a must. As for the sounds-I got the subwoofer and the rest of the sound package.I'd say I'm about 99.9 percent happy-but then I listen to loud R & R not Rap. BTW-anybody have have any luck finding a remote control starter for their MT Subaru?Don't want to void my warranty and I'm not going to install myself-just looking for success/horror stories.

Indeed they are. Gotta wonder about CR sometimes though. Most of the time they are aware of mechanical twins, but I've heard of situations where they've given two identical cars very different ratings. Given the normally high rating of the entire Subaru line, there would have to be massive problems with the rear tailgate and pass through (two of the unique parts) in order to make the overall reliability worse. Since I've never heard anyone in the group (or anywhere else) report any Baja-specific problems, I would have to wonder about that statement.

-Matt

I can think of another possible explanation. Perhaps Baja buyers are very different from Outback buyers, and either expect more of their vehicles or treat them more harshly.

David, quite happy with his nearly 8 year old 1997 Legacy Outback with almost 269,000 km on it

The AT is far from underpowered. The 2.5 has a good amount of torque and the AT is pretty good. To each his own but the stock stereo and speakers just plain suck when compared to a mid level aftermarket system.

I have to disagree here. The back of my Baja is perfect for hauling stuff to the local landfill and bringing back a load of free mulch. Plus, I can fit two bikes in the back securely and quickly.

I do agree it'd be nice to have room for 3 in the back but aside from that I'm happy with mine. Jay M '03 Subaru Baja (nonTurbo, 5sp) Hillsboro, VA

get the turbo Baja......I love mine, for me more useful than my previous Outback

That's entirely possible as well. I remember reading about some event Subaru had back in the 1970s for the BRAT. They had some sort of off-road unveiling where they foolishly allowed some automotive journalists to test out the BRAT off-pavement. Apparently a lot of BRATs ended up stuck or destroyed. The source I read this from intended to convey some sort of inherent weakness in the BRAT's design, but I read between the lines and saw a bunch of ham-fisted journalists trying to climb rocks with the stock tires. I don't think these were the guys from Car and Driver either, probably the doofus from the local paper.

Simply put, any time you push a vehicle beyond its intended limits, you're going to have problems. An amusing story I heard once my first semester of college: My lab partner was talking to a friend of his, and they were gossiping about a mutual friend who had apparently done something very, very dumb. There's a short off-road course somewhere around here, owned by the local Hummer dealer designed to showcase new and prospective owners the capabilities of their vehicle. Apparently you can also get into this test track somehow, and their friend did so - with a brand new, totally stock Jeep Wrangler. It didn't end well, with the Jeep completely destroyed and these two guys laughing at their friend's misfortune.

-Matt

"Tyler Harter" wrote in news:Ayrwd.1187$ snipped-for-privacy@fe03.lga:

I personally haven't done it. I do have a story though. I was filling up at a local gas station and noticed a nice new Impreza wagon and I talked to the owner at the cash register about how she was liking her car. She says she loves it BUT since she got her remote starter installed shes had nothing but problems. She was waiting for her husband becuase it wouldn't start again.

I can easily and quickly fit (4) bikes on the roof of my '01 OBW with

This happens to be the same number of riders I can comfortably fit inside. Plus, the gear bags are stored out of the weather, in the rear cargo compartment.

Of course, you can drive right into the garage! I can clear ATMs and drive-thrus, but not a typical garage.

Barry

THANKS for all the feedback! I'm really leaning toward the automatic/ NON- turbo. I'm sure the turbo's more fun to drive, but by my calculations, it would cost $3 more to fill per tankful, and have 35 miles less range. I've got a tandem length bicycle I will haul a lot, the rear tire against the bed extender, and the fork attached to the roof rack...looks like a perfect fit with my measuring tape, and twice the mileage of my Dakota!

When I bought my '04 Forester in August '04 there was a brand-new stickered Baja next to it. It was at least an '03 model, and it might have even been an '02. I thought that was weird, but maybe a deal for the right person.

I just bought one. '05, Sport, Black, 5 speed. I couldn't resist. I had been salivating over this car since '02 and I gave in. Although I feel it is a downer that the vehicle only seats 4 persons, I can count the number of times I've driven 5 people at once in the last 10 years on one hand. Plus, now I have four cup holders!