At $12,750, Is This 2005 Subaru Baja A Backwoods Bargain?
According to its ad, today's Nice Price or No Dice Baja was built for "solo sightseeing trips." Let's see if we can see paying the asking price for this backcountry beast.
The 1975 Cadillac Eldorado convertible we looked at yesterday is about the biggest boat you could captain without having to shout "ahoy!" when addressing passersby. Unfortunately, the car's $29,995 asking price proved equally overwhelming and came in with a 70 percent No Dice loss.
In "The Simpsons Movie," Ned Flanders coaxes Bart out of a tree with a cup of hot cocoa, which he progressively tops with added goodness in the form of whipped cream, a cookie, shaved chocolate and a roasted marshmallow. As you might imagine, the enticement worked.
There's a similar building on strengths evident in today's 2005 Subaru Baja overlander. The base car is well-kitted, anchored by the optional, turbocharged 2.5-liter pancake four. That imbues the Subie with a healthy 210 horsepower and 235 lb-ft of torque. Behind that is a five-speed manual and Subaru's solid all-the-time AWD. Of course, this being a Baja means it has a versatile open bed in the back and a small under-glass pass-through for longer cargo.
On top of all that, this Baja has received a two-inch increase in ride height, Powerstop front brakes, a set of Reika alloy wheels (the originals will also come with the car), a whole bunch of added lights, and an Exodus Overland roof rack. That last add-on is shown with a Roam roof tent in the ad, but that is not included in the sale.
Given all that, this Baja truly looks the part of an off-road adventurer. It's been painted in matte olive green with black accents, so it should also easily blend in when going out. Other exterior updates include a hard tonneau over the bed with a storage matrix below that features additional lockable space for tools and whatnot. It seems solid, too. The seller says that while once plagued with road rot, the car's rust has all been cut out and properly repaired. Overall, the work is not noticeable, and all the plastic bits appear to been returned intact.
The cabin is a little funky. There is some obvious wear in the fabric on the driver's seat squab, but it's the unique paint treatment given to the hard plastics on the dash and door trim that first catches the eye. That's been treated to a muted black-and-white variegated stone effect and appears well done, if somewhat surprising. A phone mount, dash-top vehicle diagnostics display, and DC-DC battery charger round out the interior changes.
An off-road adventurer
Under the hood, there's a new turbo, MAF sensor, and some minor wear item replacements. New axles in the front are said to be better at handling the higher ride height than the stock units. On the downside, the seller notes that the engine burns oil—something endemic with many boxers—and that it will occasionally flood due to an issue with the EVAP system when filling up with gas. Also, the AirCon function is claimed to be spotty.
The final bit of bad news is the mileage. This Baja has hit the 200,000 mark, which likely makes it one of the highest-mileage ones out there. That being said, if it all works the way it should, what's the big deal? In the plus column, it has managed to maintain a clean title over the course of all those miles, so it shouldn't be too much of a hassle to register and insure. The reason offered for the sale is the present owner's desire to move on to another project. They ask $12,750 for the keys to this completed one.
What's your take on this Baja and that $12,750 asking? Given all that's been done to maintain and pile on this Subie's capabilities, does that feel right? Or is that too much, even for this over-the-top overlander?
You decide!
Lancaster, Pennsylvania, Craigslist, or go here if the ad disappears.
H/T to Will Helfner for the hookup!
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