2003 Subaru Baja

Pros: All wheel drive. Good engineering and well made. It is loaded with safety features.
Cons: A little cramped for larger people.

We bought our Baja new and have been enjoying it for three years. With the price of gas soaring, I parked my gas guzzler and have been using the Subaru for commuting. Although the MPG is less than I hoped for, it is still 5 MPG better than my Dodge. The car is still mechanically tight and fun to drive. The all wheel drive is great when the storms move through.

Pros: very useful truck-like bed....Subaru quality
Cons: underpowered, why did they make the backseat available to sit 3?

We have had our 2003 Subaru Baja for a little over 6 months now and i have to admit it has come in handy numerous times for hauling things. We were able to buy and haul a refrigerator home, as well as numerous other things. It is nice to be able to put the tailgate down and put things back there but believe me hauling wood is a pain.....if you are trying to haul lumber buy a truck.
The power on this thing leaves a lot to be desired i find myself with the foot on the floor while trying to merge onto the interstate. And why on earth did they not just make it 3 seats in the back instead of just the two... i mean i can understand if you were able to use the cargo extension hatch and have 2 people sitting back there.
Gas mileage could be better but isn't horrible

Pros: Low center of gravity, good traction management, great gas mileage
Cons: cup holder placement in the front is a little awkward with a manual transmission.

I've had my 2003 Baja for about 6 months now, and I still love it. I've recently moved to the icy cold of Wyoming, where snow, wind, and ice are often prevalent, making for some potentially dangerous driving conditions, which make the wonderful defrosting system very handy (clears the foggy windows in around 2 seconds). So far, I've actually had trouble loosing traction with the road (and yes, I've tried), and it's low center of gravity from the horizonally opposed 4 cylinder engine makes it behave like a sports car so much that you forget it has a truck bed. Additionally, it has a deceivingly spacious interior, standard moonroof and, after driving a car for 6 years, has all the benefits of a car with none of the drawbacks. It has a healthy 8" of clearance, which is less than you'd be used to coming from a truck, but is generous to find in a car. Concominantly, for that much clearance, it holds the road very aggressively and behaves like a car in that sense and less like a truck.