Why I bought a Subaru Baja - Boston Globe
My rule of thumb in automotive ownership is that every car in the driveway (two at present) should be in good enough shape to take a lengthy trip at any time. Last spring, I bought a new vehicle and thought I was finished with the car-buying experience for a while. The day I wasnât so sure Iâd be comfortable packing a bag and driving it to Florida on short notice was the day I started âlooking. For several years, Iâd regretted not buying a Subaru Baja during its short lifespan (2003-2006). The Baja was basically an Outback with a small pickup bed in back instead of a station wagon-type cargo area. I started looking at used Bajas without much success. That would be a compact pickup truck with a diesel engine and manual transmission. I needed a pickup truck because the only way to dispose of yard debris in our community is to lug it to the compost dump or pay for a landscaping service. My other need was a big enough back seat for my grandsonâs car seat. So I settled on a mid-sized pickup truck, finally buying a 2009 Toyota Tacoma Access Cab 4x4 with a 4-cylinder engine and 5-speed manual transmission. There turned out to be three downsides: (1. ) There wasnât quite enough space in the rear seating area for said. Source: www.boston.com
