FYI [BAJA DONE AFTER '06]

opimax1 · Post by **opimax1** » Thu Apr 07, 2005 9:09 am

good bye

sorry to be the bearer of bad news

http://thecarconnection.com/index.asp?a ... =173&n=156

Mark

jaxed · Post by **jaxed** » Thu Apr 07, 2005 9:55 am

After 2006, huh?

Goodbye Baja, we hardly knew ye.

Oh wait, I'm not going anywhere. I figured they wouldn't make the car much longer, that's why I got an '05. The fact of the matter is that Subaru wants to make and sell the Tribeca now. That is their SUV now, not the Baja. The funny thing is, is that Subaru decided to do this when gas prices are going through the roof (and show NO sign of coming back down). Nobody will be wanting the Tribeca - the SUV market is saturated already.

Of course, I guess nobody wants a Baja, either.

When do we start a letter writing campaign?

opimax1 · Post by **opimax1** » Thu Apr 07, 2005 10:29 am

the way I see it: I got mine!! I went w/o the turbo only for gas. My concern is taking care of it. 10 years from now "used" parts won't be as available as I may need. Other than thatI'm at 240 miles , waiting to finish break in and then learn what it can do from fellow owners!

Mark

yellowblaze · Post by **yellowblaze** » Thu Apr 07, 2005 11:04 am

I have to say, financially, it's probably a good idea if they don't plan on marketing it any better. I wish they would have put the r & d into basing it on the new Legacy outback instead of ditching it, but hey, is anyone really surprised they aren't?

Hawk296 · Post by **Hawk296** » Thu Apr 07, 2005 11:22 am

Thats pretty much what I have heard so its not really a suprise. It's also one of the reasons I was pushing so hard to get one ASAP because I was worried that I wouldn't be be able to get a new one before it was cancled. I actually think the Tribeca will sell quite a bit. It is a very nice vehicle for less money than the competition (Lexus RX330 etc).

As far as parts go I am not too worried. Most of the bits are Legacy outback parts and there are plenty of those floating around. I guess some of the baja specific parts may become scarce down the road.

I guess this means we all have to keep our Bajas in great condition so that 20 years down the road when we pull it out, people will point and say "I remember those! they were ahead of their time" Kinda like the Brat.

mbaksic · Post by **mbaksic** » Thu Apr 07, 2005 4:36 pm

I guess we all new it was going to happen. I just figured they would stretch it out for a few more years. And just when gas is getting sky high, they pull the plug on the little beast. Someone has their head up their @ss, thats for sure, at SOA, and at FHI. Just when this sucker could take off with a little help from the home office in the advertising dept. with gas and all, and its DONE. At least the smart people had a chance to get one while it lasted. Mike

su-be3 · Post by **su-be3** » Thu Apr 07, 2005 5:00 pm

Yeah, this just sucks! Why didn't they survey the market better when they first built it?
I don't think it's too late to save it, but I doubt SOA would listen to us!
Oh well, it looks like i'm going to have to kinda baby my car to keep it as long as I can.
Figures, I finally find what I was looking for, and now they pull the plug! The story of my life, so to speak! Can't complain too much though, now I own a collectible, someday!
Keep it under 90, folks!

Flowmastered87GL · Post by **Flowmastered87GL** » Thu Apr 07, 2005 11:37 pm

Hmmm not sure if I can rack enough subie bucks up in a year... we shall see... (just got a subaru card and am trying to use it for everything now and paying it off each month)

I may end up having to get a used 2006 in like 2007 or so

Maybe.... I'll get lucky though and get one of the last ones on the lot when the dealers get desperate to move the last one out!

Packa · Post by **Packa** » Tue Oct 03, 2006 2:25 pm

Just a theory:

There seems to be a fair amount of consensus about where the Baja went wrong and where Subaru went wrong with the Baja.

But the final straw leading to the demise of the Baja may have as much to do with the near failure of Isuzu -- as anything.

Once Isuzu withdrew from the Indiana factory partnership, and Subaru was left with the entire Lafayette plant to themselves, a new deal with another manufacturer (any other manufacturer) made critical sense. Subaru's single US factory ran at half capacity.

Up until Toyota came calling, the future of the Baja was guarded but stable -- rumors swirled, but Subaru could afford the negligable extra space and cost required to build the Baja.

That all changed when Toyota homed in on the unused Lafayette capacity. Accomodating Toyota's needs meant consolidating Subaru's production of Legacy's, Outbacks, Tribeca's and yes, Baja's.

With sales of the Legacy and Outback besting their prior sales almost every succeeding month, the arrival of Camry production was the squeeze play that finally forced Subaru's hand.

Out went the Baja.

The Baja's heavy inital price, an introductory color scheme with narrow appeal, the exuberant lower-body plastic cladding, and the dearth of promotion -- these contributed mightily to the Baja's brutally cool reception. And during a climate when Americans couldn't get anything BIG enough, LARGE enough or HEAVY enough, the Baja's condensed formula -- despite all it's genuine goodness -- appeared to many as just something "less than a truck," a demi-truck.

September 2006 sales of the Baja, up 13%, reflect what the concept could accomplish in a slightly more fuel-aware environment.

And had the initial plant arrangment survived, Subaru may have been able to soldier on with the Baja, certainly to recoup more of it's investment -- and possibly match the BRAT's ten year run.

Isuzu's near death-spiral in the US and their abandonment of the Lafayette plant, however, may have been the fatal straw that doomed the Baja.

Just a theory.

"ISUZU," spoken the way Jerry Seinfeld would have said.... "Newman!"
(note the yellow scheme combined with wonder-cladding!).

Kev M · Post by **Kev M** » Wed Oct 04, 2006 7:27 am

Packa, great analysis, I tend to believe it played a very strong part in their decision.

mbaksic · Post by **mbaksic** » Thu Oct 05, 2006 7:15 pm

Good job, Packa. I think you hit it on the head. And Toyota can sell all of the Camry's that are built, and the Baja was such a slow mover that something had to go. Unfortunatly for us, that is. Mike

stefan · Post by **stefan** » Mon Oct 16, 2006 12:47 pm

All great points- and lets face it Toyotas are Screaming right now- Heck We own one- When Money Talks- well Let's face it- SUbby just isn't selling enough Baja's. But all is not gloom and doom- Subby has the formula- and the know they build an outstanding product- As Americans start to "wean" themselves off of V-8 powered Gass guzzling Stompers- they will begin to appreciate some of these smaller friendler options- Is the Baja Dead- Yes- Will something similiar come along at some point?- Most likely- Will it be a SUbby- I'm guessing Yes

mbaksic · Post by **mbaksic** » Wed Oct 18, 2006 7:03 pm

Stefan, the only prob is that with the gas prices going down again, people are buying the gas hogs. Seen it at work, the gas price goes down a bit and everyone goes out and buys a nice new GAS HOG Ram truck. People have a VERY short memory, that is, they are nutz!! And most of these trucks will never be used for anything except back and forth to work. And if they get dirty or scratched, oh boy!! Mike

yellowblaze · Post by **yellowblaze** » Sat Oct 21, 2006 8:36 am

It's done now-what's built is what's built. I find it ironic that you can still "build your own" Baja on the Subie website. I am half heartedly hunting around for a very low mileage or new Baja that's a steal. The way I see it, I might not wanna give up the yeller one, but if it can extend my baja ownership another few years (I cant believe we are already at 45,000!), it would be worth while. Plus, the newer ones have more ground clearance, lol. We'll see how it pans out. I am not in the mood for games, so the dealers might shoot themselves in the foot right away by low balling my trade in value and trying to be "creative"....

scoobytruck.com

FYI [BAJA DONE AFTER '06]

Is dropping the Baja a good move for Subaru?

FYI [BAJA DONE AFTER '06]