Automotive Reviews
Archived
Back-catalog of reviews written before 2008.
2005 Subaru Baja Turbo
0533 days
Although it’s probably going to be gone by the end of the year, I just had to slip in a writeup of perhaps one of my favorite cars ever. I tried to think of something (within reason) that the Subaru Baja Turbo couldn’t do, some automotive chore that was just outside of its ability. I have yet to come up with one. The Baja Turbo is an odd duck of a car/truck that can haul dirt, play taxi, hold its own in stoplight Grands Prix, cruise on a road trip, attack the worst winter weather or dodge cones on an autocross course with equal ability.
This car/truck’s existence shouldn’t come as a surprise, of course. Subaru has been charting its own course through the automotive landscape since the first cars appeared on our shores thirty years ago. After products like the 360 bubble car, BRAT car-pickup, Buck Rogers-styled XT and the Outback SUS “sport-utility sedan,” a four-wheel drive station wagon with roof-mounted lights and the cargo area chopped into a cargo bed doesn’t even push Subaru’s peculiarity boundary. The Baja Turbo isn’t a car for everyone–but it’s probably the perfect car for just a few people. (more…)
2006 Subaru Forester 2.5 XT
0533 days
We’ve always had a hard time thinking of the Forester as an SUV thanks to its close relationship with the Subaru Impreza, but plenty of onlookers clearly had no problem seeing it for what it was. Subaru’s little crossover sport-ute acquits itself as the most carlike vehicle in its class. The good news is that it doesn’t sacrifice any of its go-anywhere ability in the name of comfort, either.
Obviously this isn’t an off-roader; the Forester lacks a dual-range transmission and the suspension articulation required for serious dirt-bashing, but the 8.1 inches of ground clearance and sure-footed all-wheel drive enable it to go pretty much anywhere the average mortal is interested in going. (more…)
2005 Saab 9-7X
0543 days
Have you seen the new Saab ads, touting the Swedish brand’s airplane heritage? It’s a corporate reflex, a retreat to the safe haven of “heritage” in response to a recent, major departure from Saab’s traditional course.
Weary of losing customers to other people’s SUV offerings, Saab has added a sport-ute to its stable. Obviously, this quirky Swedish manufacturer has never been a purveyor of off-road vehicles–it hasn’t even dabbled in all-wheel drive much, until last year’s Subaru-based 9-2X–but times change, and cars gotta change with them, right? (more…)