Dad's view: A very smooth turbocharger kick-in makes living with the Baja first rate. The transmission and engine work well together, although I would personally buy the standard version and have a lot more fun on my way to work.
Utility is what the Baja is about. To that extent, the back seats fold down easily, the rear bulkhead opens in seconds, and the tailgate is low and light so loading is simple. We didn't try to use the roof racks, but they appear substantial. You can carry four adults without much problem. The pickup box is 41.5" long by 49" wide, but you can gain an extra 30 inches by opening the rear bulkhead door and folding the rear seats down. An optional bed extender ($300) that uses the tailgate as a floor provides enough room to carry a six-foot ladder.
It is amazing the way this Subaru quickly grows on you. We have owned and enjoyed Subarus in the past, but this was the best. The automatic transmission works with a Variable Torque Distribution all wheel drive system with 55 percent of the power going to the rear wheels under normal driving. This makes the Baja a very car like handler. Cornering is not a concern and the ride is pleasant over all terrains. However, this is not a serious off-road vehicle due to its limited ground clearance.
A few nits did come to the surface during our evaluation. The engine does not always idle smoothly. The hood support rod gets so hot that we advise you to never use your bare hands when touching it. The towing capacity of the Baja is only 2,400 lbs. Resale has been dismal for the non-turbocharged version as most people opt for the better-advertised Forester. And, the interior just looks too spartan for my taste in a vehicle in this price range.
To summarize, I really fell for the Baja and if it was priced better I just might take one home so the family could argue over it on a daily basis. However, the as tested price of over $26,000 is a bit dear for us since we don't live where the all wheel drive system could be utilitized to its full extent.
Young working woman's view: Not very pretty, and a bit expensive, the Baja's big attraction to me was its performance. It just plain surprised everyone with its perky nature. I most likely would opt for the Forester myself, as I see no need to have an open pick-up bed that quickly fills with leaves and debris since it does not have a cover. I also thought that the 16.9 gallon tank was too small and limited trips to about 250 miles as I am on the cautious side. The hand-operated parking brake on the center console between the bucket seats wasn't a problem unless you were wearing a skirt.
Just too plain, was the way I would describe the interior. I just didn't give me a sense of pride. The leather was nice, but not great, the plastic adequate, but nothing special considering the price.
Elsewhere, the exterior looked a bit quirky with too much Chevrolet Avalanche body cladding to suit my understated taste. The only area that I really liked about the Baja was its ride. So I would pass on the Baja as many of those in my age group are doing. But, I would not pass on the Forester and would recommend it highly.
Utility is what the Baja is about. To that extent, the back seats fold down easily, the rear bulkhead opens in seconds, and the tailgate is low and light so loading is simple. We didn't try to use the roof racks, but they appear substantial. You can carry four adults without much problem. The pickup box is 41.5" long by 49" wide, but you can gain an extra 30 inches by opening the rear bulkhead door and folding the rear seats down. An optional bed extender ($300) that uses the tailgate as a floor provides enough room to carry a six-foot ladder.
It is amazing the way this Subaru quickly grows on you. We have owned and enjoyed Subarus in the past, but this was the best. The automatic transmission works with a Variable Torque Distribution all wheel drive system with 55 percent of the power going to the rear wheels under normal driving. This makes the Baja a very car like handler. Cornering is not a concern and the ride is pleasant over all terrains. However, this is not a serious off-road vehicle due to its limited ground clearance.
A few nits did come to the surface during our evaluation. The engine does not always idle smoothly. The hood support rod gets so hot that we advise you to never use your bare hands when touching it. The towing capacity of the Baja is only 2,400 lbs. Resale has been dismal for the non-turbocharged version as most people opt for the better-advertised Forester. And, the interior just looks too spartan for my taste in a vehicle in this price range.
To summarize, I really fell for the Baja and if it was priced better I just might take one home so the family could argue over it on a daily basis. However, the as tested price of over $26,000 is a bit dear for us since we don't live where the all wheel drive system could be utilitized to its full extent.
Young working woman's view: Not very pretty, and a bit expensive, the Baja's big attraction to me was its performance. It just plain surprised everyone with its perky nature. I most likely would opt for the Forester myself, as I see no need to have an open pick-up bed that quickly fills with leaves and debris since it does not have a cover. I also thought that the 16.9 gallon tank was too small and limited trips to about 250 miles as I am on the cautious side. The hand-operated parking brake on the center console between the bucket seats wasn't a problem unless you were wearing a skirt.
Just too plain, was the way I would describe the interior. I just didn't give me a sense of pride. The leather was nice, but not great, the plastic adequate, but nothing special considering the price.
Elsewhere, the exterior looked a bit quirky with too much Chevrolet Avalanche body cladding to suit my understated taste. The only area that I really liked about the Baja was its ride. So I would pass on the Baja as many of those in my age group are doing. But, I would not pass on the Forester and would recommend it highly.