· by carbrochureaddict.bsky.social ·19h ago · view on bsky.app ↗

Subaru's two generations of small BRAT pick-ups were fondly remembered in the US, and in 2002 Subaru of America returned to the market in rather larger form with the Baja, a four-seat 4WD lifestyle pick-up derived from the contemporary Legacy/Outback.

3 comments — live from bluesky

They have a scooby cult following and different than the WRX fans. I see examples here and there and they go for a premium despite their EJ25 engine head gasket design flaw. Cool cars IMO. I have a 2002 Legacy GT Ltd and had the head gaskets replaced. Daughter’s car with 270k and no problems since.

Andy · 15 · 19h ago

Developed in the US after a positive reaction to a 2000 concept car, the 2.5-litre Baja - named after the Mexican peninsula and its road race - was built at Subaru's plant in Lafayette, Indiana. The model's car roots helped interior comfort but limited its carrying capacity.

Andy · 12 · 19h ago

To address the rather small open cargo bed, the Baja had a system called Switchback, which allowed longer items into the rear pasenger area; there was also an optional bed extender for use with the tailgate flap down. The Baja was made until 2006 but had limited sales success.

Process Analyzer · 0 · 19h ago

Surely they had silly model name in Australia??

Andy · 1 · 19h ago

Billabong would have worked. I don't believe it was exported, though.