To off-road enthusiasts, a good off-roading vehicle is worth its weight in gold. The Subaru Baja? Is it worth its weight in…aluminum? Nothing against this no-longer-produced crossover, but it’s not the best choice for serious off-road adventuring.

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Can the 2006 Subaru Baja go off-road?

It can—but that doesn’t mean it should. With standard all-wheel drive, the Baja can be a capable off-road choice in a pinch, and only on certain terrain. Tackling dusty dirt roads or lightly-covered snowy trails should be fine with the Baja. But if you want to barrel over rocks and through other kinds of unforgiving terrain, you’re going to want to find a much tougher off-roading rig.

That’s not to say it’s all bad. With a starting price of $22,495 when it first rolled off the line in 2006, the Baja offers a comfortable and smooth ride, capable handling, all-wheel drive, and an open bed which can be useful to haul cargo, though it looks tougher than it actually is. You can find a used Baja on the used car market for between roughly $6,185 to $9,163.

So how does the Subaru Baja level up in terms of key off-roading metrics? Let’s see!

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Ground clearance

A key thing to know about any vehicle you want to take off-roading is its ground clearance. The 2006 Subaru Baja sports 8.4 inches of ground clearance, which isn’t half bad. It’s not ideal, but in a pinch over an easy-to-medium off-road trail, you should be ok.

But ideally, you’ll want between 8.8 and 10.8 inches of ground clearance to take on any medium-to-totally unforgiving off-road terrain. That’s the height needed to not only enjoy yourself, but also to not get stuck—not to mention avoid damaging your vehicle’s undercarriage.

Torque

Low-end torque is key to being able to maneuver in tough terrain, but the Subaru Baja doesn’t make the grade, unfortunately. With an off-road vehicle, you want a higher amount of torque at lower RPMs in order to be able to turn right through sticky spots. With the Baja, you get torque of 166 @4000 RPMs, which is not a lot of power. You won’t even be able to access it all at lower RPMs, meaning the Baja won’t be able to power through mud or other rough terrain.

Tires

The Subaru Baja features P225/60R16 tires, which are meant for passenger vehicles (and not light trucks, hint hint). These all-season tires can handle light off-roading, but nothing more serious.

Drivetrain

All-wheel drive is vital for off-roading, and the Baja came standard with AWD. But that’s just one important element for off-road driving, and in and of itself, it’s not enough to take on hard-core off-roading courses.

Angles

Angles are key to off-roading, and specifically we’re talking about the approach angle and the departure angle:

Approach angle: the maximum angle that your car can climb uphill without interference

Departure angle: the maximum angle your car can descend without interference

This is another underwhelming aspect of the Baja’s off-road bonafides—it sports an approach angle of just 18 degrees and a departure angle of 19 degrees, which is suitable for little more than riding over dirt roads or along sandy terrain.

Off-road rating: In a Pinch

According to Jerry’s very scientific DIRT rating system, we’re rated the Subaru Baja as an I, for In a Pinch (but just barely). Here’s how this system breaks down:

Rating	Meaning	Description
D	Don’t Try It	Vehicles better suited to highway conditions
I	In a Pinch	Vehicles that can handle off-road conditions in certain circumstances
R	Rough and Ready	Vehicles designed for casual off-roading
T	Trail Boss	True off-road vehicles capable of tackling a range of terrain

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You can make an argument that the Subara Baja deserves an R rating, but it's really only for off-roading if you have to go off the beaten path. Anything more foreboding than that, and we recommend you get a tougher vehicle with more power, four-wheel drive, and better ground clearance. If you need a more heavy-duty off-roading rig, we recommend looking elsewhere.

MORE:

The best old-school off-road vehicles

The best alternatives to the 2006 Subaru Baja

Considering the Baja isn’t ideal for off-roading shenanigans but is ideal for on-road driving, here are some alternatives if you’re just looking for something that can get you around town, along with decent cargo space. Here are three solid alternatives.

Alternative	Model	Price	Description
Alternative 1	2006 Scion tC	$2,556 to $3,893	The Scion tC is a well-built sedan that handles well and features a very spacious cabin.
Alternative 2	2011 Scion xD	$6,995 to $19,900	The xD sports a peppy engine, came with the option of a 5-speed manual transmission, and has a nifty reclining backseat.
Alternative 3	2011 Toyota Matrix	$9,220 to $12,321	The Matrix offers plenty of room in the cabin, cruise control, front-wheel drive, and solid fuel economy, not to mention a pleasant driving demeanor.

MORE: Cheap off-road trucks

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