View Photos of the 1982 Subaru BRAT GL

The second-generation Subaru BRAT is like a mashup between an Audi, a Chevy LUV and the kind of carnival ride that’s scary for all the wrong reasons. It’s got a water-cooled flat four, dual-range four-wheel-drive and removable roof panels that are effectively T-tops. Oh: and there are two seats welded into the bed, for hazing your worst enemies in the dead of winter. The BRAT is hard to classify, but it’s a useful all-weather runabout that can haul about a ton and get 27 mpg on the highway when it’s in front-drive mode. The front end is basically the Subaru GL wagon/hatchback, complete with the cyclops center front headlight hidden behind the Subaru logo and handsome plaid seat inserts. Looking for the spare tire? It’s toasty warm, sitting atop the engine, under the hood—as if the BRAT needed to be a little more different. If you get stuck, as we did, you can manually raise the suspension for an extra inch of ground clearance. It’s only a two-seater, but the BRAT might be just enough truck for the Subaru crowd.

read the full review