Why is Subaru gettting rid of the Baja

[dakotajudo]

Me again just wondering why the Baja line is coming to an end?

[a97obw]

Older bro that owned an SVX predicted the Baja to be a "dud" from the get-go. If you were to put a camper top on that thing, you'd have an Outback wagon anyways... I bet GM isn't selling many of those goofy Z-66 Avalanche things these days (for the life of me I could not understand why you would want a half sport ute/half pickem up truck with a divider between the cab and the bed that you could leave open and drive down dusty back roads...cause you're gonna have to stop at some point---and fill the cab with dust---not to mention the water leak problems ad nauseum), and are you really surprised to see the demise of the Hummer?

 

Could it be the end of the "sport utes" and the return of the small sports cars? I could only hope!

[Bmm001]

Because they hardly sell any.

[subieman]

Subaru sells about 400 Baja's opposed to 6000 Legacy's each month.

 

I would like to see them keep the Baja with a new redesign in the coming years. But I don't think that gonna happen. Subaru needs to delete the back seats to make the bed longer, get rid of all the plastic cladding, plop in D/R 4wd, lift it a bit, freshen up the front and rear bumpers so they don’t stick down so far, drop the price about $5000 for a base model. IE No power windows, locks, AC, or electronic crap. Maybe sticking it on the Impreza platform would solve some problems. But those are just my ideas.

 

I liked the ST-X concept when it first came out, but they ruined it with the Baja. Oh well

 

~Jeremy

[LosDiosDeVerde86]

yeah. fuji needs to get it in their heads that if they're going to make a pickup, they need to make it a PICKUP.

 

none of this car-based crap. build a REAL pickup truck the way it's supposed to build, and they may actually sell.

[subieman]

yeah. fuji needs to get it in their heads that if they're going to make a pickup, they need to make it a PICKUP.

 

none of this car-based crap. build a REAL pickup truck the way it's supposed to build, and they may actually sell.

I agree. I have been waiting for Subaru to make a truck for years. But they introduced the Tribeca... oh yay :-\ (not quite truck or anything really) I own a GMC just for hauling and cargo space. If I could use a Subaru for that I would drive the GMC off a cliff.

[HATCHY]

Beacuse The Baja Is Ugly As Sin.. And They Need To Reintroduce The Brat Foget The Baja. Its 4 Door:-\

[Dr. RX]

I think everyone was hoping for a next generation of the old school BRAT, when they saw the Baja, they were shocked. A 4 door truck without was useful bed, when what they wanted was a 2dr with an real truck bed. I don't know who did the marketing study for the Baja, but they missed the boat big time. I see something similar happening to US pickups, they are going to 4 doors and have smaller beds, the few models that you can still get as 2 doors are only available as a base model. I'm surprized that the 'Good Old Boys' of the south aren't yelling their heads off about this. It's a little hard to reach for the rifle when it is in the window rack and full 4 feet or more away.

[subieman]

It's a little hard to reach for the rifle when it is in the window rack and full 4 feet or more away.

HAHA

[backwoodsboy]

HAHA

 

Dont laugh....I have a gunrack in my baja (not kidding) ...and it IS a good reach back there! :-\

[Ranger83]

1. The Fashion Police have spoken.

 

2.

April Sales

 

CHERRY HILL, N.J., May 2, 2006 -- Subaru of America, Inc. today reported April sales totaling 16,073 units. Strong sales of the Subaru Impreza led the month, climbing eight percent from the same period last year.

 

The Subaru B9 Tribeca recorded a strong 1,803 units for the month of April. The Subaru Legacy model line posted a total of 6,259 units, with Subaru Outback posting 4,283 units for the month. Subaru Impreza posted 3,066 unit sales, while Subaru Forester totaled 4,512 units for the month. Subaru Baja recorded 433 units in April.

[nipper]

Me again just wondering why the Baja line is coming to an end?

 

If something isnt selling you stop making it. Simple economics.

 

 

nipper

[DerFahrer]

Strong sales of the Subaru Impreza led the month, climbing eight percent from the same period last year.

 

This makes me very sad

 

The Baja was supposed to be done for 05, but I've actually heard that they let it go one more year simply because they had a big surplus of BE-BH Legacy parts that they needed to get rid of.

[johnceggleston]

I'm surprized that the 'Good Old Boys' of the south aren't yelling their heads off about this. It's a little hard to reach for the rifle when it is in the window rack and full 4 feet or more away.

 

what's the since in having kids if you don't make them work???? "jounior hand me that shotgun, honey, get me another beer."

[Dr. RX]

what's the since in having kids if you don't make them work???? "jounior hand me that shotgun, honey, get me another beer."

Not having any kids, I wouldn't know what you are talking about. Trucks are work vehicles, not commuter vehicles, the only good reason for a back seat in a truck is if you are hauling a crew of workers to a job site.

[northguy]

The Baja is ugly and nonfunctional. It should go.

[Seahag1978]

The Baja is ugly and nonfunctional. It should go.

 

Na ah... I use it to haul all kinds of stuff, except full sheets of plywood, we use the F-350 for the huge things. The bed is nice and low so it's easy to get things in and out without climbing up into the bed. The tailgate is strong and holds 666 lbs. it can be actually used as part of the floor of the bed. The interior will hold a slew of stuff if it's raining.

 

It's quick, fun to drive and "funky", not ugly, looks like a little kid built it from a pile of his broken cars and trucks. I get a lot of compliments on it. The MPG isn't bad, the seats are comfy so the ride is very nice. Everything is within easy reach.

 

We have a big black lab that has his own space on road trips with the seats folded down and a big cushy comforter. The tinted rear windows help keep him cooler and the design lets him put his head between the front seats and rest it on the console for patting and closer contact to us... he loves it!

 

I'm just glad I got an '05, from what I have seen, the '06 is only single color, I prefer the two-tone cladding, it accentuates the oddness.

 

I love mine.

[LosDiosDeVerde86]

It's quick, fun to drive and "funky", not ugly, looks like a little kid built it from a pile of his broken cars and trucks.

 

well, i must say....you just defined the reason that a lot of us got into subaru in the first place. good one.

 

i've switched sides.

[MountainBiker]

Subaru sells about 400 Baja's opposed to 6000 Legacy's each month.

 

I would like to see them keep the Baja with a new redesign in the coming years. But I don't think that gonna happen. Subaru needs to delete the back seats to make the bed longer, get rid of all the plastic cladding, plop in D/R 4wd, lift it a bit, freshen up the front and rear bumpers so they don’t stick down so far, drop the price about $5000 for a base model. IE No power windows, locks, AC, or electronic crap. Maybe sticking it on the Impreza platform would solve some problems. But those are just my ideas.

 

I liked the ST-X concept when it first came out, but they ruined it with the Baja. Oh well

 

~Jeremy

Exactly!

[fastwgn286]

yeah, subaru should have re-vitalized the brat. the only reason the baja sells any units is it has some kind of bed thing and four/five seats. if they brought back the brat and the jumper seats, it would be perfect and would not alienate any diehard subie enthusiasts.

 

better luck next time, subaru....

[otis]

if they brought back the brat and the jumper seats, it would be perfect and would not alienate any diehard subie enthusiasts.

Subaru is in a damn if you do and damn if you don't situation. by trying to be "modern" and attract a larger consumer base, they run the risk of alienating their core base. but by trying to satisfy their core, they run the risk of not selling any cars... what % of older gen subaru owners/diehards are going to buy brand new sube's?

 

I don't think it was a mistake for subaru to make a 4-door baja. look at all the other compact pickups- like the american waistline, they are all getting bigger, have 4 doors, etc. because thats what BUYERS want. and I think they tried to go after the "young, active, and hip" crowd. but for whatever reason, I see a lot of over 50 y/o drivers. so while I think the product is ok, I think subaru failed in its marketing and branding.

[fastwgn286]

yeah, but look at the other compact pickup models. they have two door, three door (two half-doors), and four door. baja comes in turbo or non-turbo, thats all. subaru could have killed two birds with one stone. failed execution, failed marketing, and a failed opportunity.

 

at least they got rid of those left over be-bh parts while they had the chance...

[Martinjmpr]

For the Baja I give Subaru an A for ingenuity and daring and a D- for execution.

 

There are people out there who would love a compact AWD pickup that could carry passengers. But the Baja was neither fish nor foul. Too small to be a good pickup, so the pickup owners passed it by, and too expensive for the young adults who might like to use it's quirky utility. The Baja was competing with the likes of the Honda Element, which is several thousand bucks cheaper and actually has greater utility.

 

If Subaru had stuck with their original plan and made the Baja a true convertible truck, as in the Avalanche, with seats that folded completely flat and a disappearing midgate, I think it would have been much more successful. But Subaru choked on the final design and came up with a half-assed compromise that doesn't really do anything that an Outback wagon won't do.

 

Then again, these are the same people who brought us the hideous Tribeca, so what can you expect?

[waimaks]

I find this debate interesting. I myself would have rather seen a new more 'Bratty' Brat, And don't know exactly what to think of the Baja.

 

This thread makes me wonder what is in the future for the Holden crewman though. It is awefully Baja like and it seems to be selling really well over here.

Actually, now that I think of it, I don't think they sell Bajas over here....

http://www.nextcar.com.au/i.holden.crewman.03oct.jpg

[/url]http://www.drive.subaru.com/Fall02/Fall02_News/Baja.jpg

?

[fastwgn286]

another missed market analysis. aussies love utes, and the baja would have taken some market share.

 

did some domestic car nazis take over in order to run subaru into the ground? this and the tribeca and the new nose roll out is starting to make me wonder.... (not to mention the LGT wagon no longer having a manual as an option, or bringing the 3.0R legacy to our shores)....