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I called Subaru and asked about this. I was told that 34.3" was the maximum second row leg room with the seats slid all the way back. You can slide the seats forward to create additional third row legroom by giving up second row legroom. I personally would not put my kids in the third row. It's too close to the glass and offers little protection in a rear-end collision. With two kids, a 5-seat automobile meets our needs anyway.
On another note, I asked about downsizing to 17" rims for snow tires. I believe that the equivalent size to 255/55/18 is 235/65/17. This is want Tire Rack recommends for the X5. The stock tires rather wide and low profile for winter driving for those of us who live in snow country. I don't think that the rep understood why I would want to have a narrower, taller tire and anyway I couldn't do this because the Tribeca is a premium vehicle, she's seen it and it's nothing like Subaru has sold before. :confuse:
I also found out that the tire sensors are over $90 a piece. So much for a winter tire and wheel package :mad: Of course, I could put winter tires and wheels on without the sensors and have the low-pressure warning light on all winter">. These tire pressure sensors are more trouble than they're worth. The system also has to be reprogrammed by the dealer. On my sister's RAV4 the TPMS is reset by pushing a button on the dash!
I don't know what that is as far as actual sitting space, but when I rode in the back seat for the test drive with the seat all the way back it was quite comfortable...more so than the back of the Murano for me. I'm a wide-ish 6' footer. I don't know how it would be on a long trip though.
What other technology have they put into this car that wasn't thought through properly?
Charlie
We are definitely buying a vehicle. One of the problems with the B9 is the timing. My wife expected to be driving a new vehicle before the end of May, based on the fact that she is selling her Forester to family and that is their timeframe.
Now, since I have 2 vehicles my wife could use My Forester for a short time if necessary. :sick: This is just not the first choice.
The complications pile on. Haven't seen or touched it, let alone driven one, and now a price attitude that I should feel honored to pay MSRP for one of the few cars they will have available, maybe.
Bigelm, Juice and others have helped me believe that size will be ok, and graciously offered suggestions on going south to buy for a better deal. It is still more complicated than writing a check for $30 something K should be.
When dealers have $2300 markup and they want me to beg for an opportunity to buy one at MSRP, it leaves a bad taste in my mouth. I am still getting e-mails today telling me to not miss the pre-order "deals", which is only the Subaru gift. I have personally brought over $100K in business to 1 of the places. :mad:
Frank
Frank
My wife is a bean-counter by profession, so the business part is important. Buying a vehicle at or near MSRP today is a bad business decision for all the reasons you mentioned earlier. Someday down the road they will have a bunch of them they want to get rid of and the deals and incentives will flow, dropping the used value.
Timing is everything.
Frank
My wife really liked the Murano, which may be the best comparison to the B9, for what she is looking for, but Nissan quality is a step down, and they don't have "real" AWD.
Frank
Bob
I think that is part of what eats us. On paper, except for the premium fuel, the 5 passenger Tribeca Limited is exactly what we need/want. We love Subaru and would love to have VDC, but it doesn't seem "in the cards" this time around.
Frank
Did you notice that what Van Bortel is claiming as invoice is $500 higher than the number that edmunds and cars101.com is showing? Van Bortel invoice is higher on the Outback as well. Of course they're still selling below MSRP...
Being from Rochester, how do you think the 255/55/18 tires would handle in the snow? I'm from Syracuse, so like you I see a fair amount of snow...
That's only about $100-$150 per year. Compared to the overall cost of owning and operating a $40K car, it's peanuts.
Sly
Replace a wheel or use the spare? When you replace the wheel or use the spare tire without the original pressure sensor/transmitter being transferred, the low tire pressure warning light will flash. It needs all 4 sensors feeding it information.
Rotation? The system is programmed so it knows which sensor is at which wheel. But the dashboard light only indicates a low tire, it does not indicate which tire is low!
Thus a correct tire rotation would involve re-programming each wheel so the receiver module knows where that sensor is after the rotation.
In my opinion only, re-programming the system after each rotation is expensive and might not be necessary unless you are trying to track down a slow leak that can't be found with a normal pressure gauge.
Frank
Many many thanks for your informative post !!!! For the New Englanders in the group we now have an option. A fun 5 hour road trip for a $2000 savings + $500 pre-order bonus is a perfect weekend maker. Most of the "at-cost" discounts offered by Subaru to groups i.e. International Mountain biking require a 6 month wait and in our case the 93 legacy wagon is on it's last legs.
Steve.
You have to admit that needing premium is not a selling point. The ad will never say, "Come see the new Tribeca, it runs on premium".
Here in MA we have crappy gas and before the prices went through the roof we would routinely use higher octane than the 87 called for, even if it was just to get a mix every 2nd or 3rd tank. It is nice to have choices.
Frank
Have sat in, but not yet driven the Tribeca; scheduled next week. Interior made me feel like a safe egg. Am cautiously exuberent. Have looked at Murano, Pathfinder, MDX, Pilot, X90, Toyota, VW, etc. My soul has decided Tribeca.
$ permit used MDX or new Pilot....or maybe a B9, at invoice or close.
Premium fuel requirement had me shook at first, until recent post with calculation.
Innovative design vs. repugnent exterior can be easily solved with a bold Grateful Dead sticker. This is a very cool SUV / Crossover / Subaru!, "face it" or move on.
Looked at Murano last night again and seasoned salesman was speachless when I mentioned Tribeca. Explained AWD and side curtains and, and, and he had no comeback. Stuck to his guns, but seemed kinda sad. Murano dash is too "chunky" IMO, ...Oh, and that front end... looks like big teeth; both price and reliability questionable, compared to Tribeca, even right off the line.
I get the sense, being so new, noone yet knows what to make of this Progessive SUV. From my experience last night, competition is wary. Subu dealers and potential customers are hopeful, yet trying to find common ground. We've read everything from over msrp (c'mon) to 550 over invoice, to invoice pricing. Everyone who really wants one will get one, eventually, at the right price. It sounds like those in NE have a solvable situation, and "dealing" with it! Go for it, good luck!
A friend last night, a smart one, who just bought a new Porche Cayenne, seemed to be actually experiencing buyer's remorse in not further considering this new Subaru after showing him some web info & pics. Impulse buy, and regret?
And, remarkably, about $30,000 difference. Can this vehicle really be appealing to everyone from the Highlander buyer to the Cayenne buyer? Or was I just being entertained while my friend was just being nice.
Two questions for this thread: Can anyone suggest a durable car top carrier for camping equipment for the B9? And...Can any Milwaukee, Chicago, lower Michgan folks provide the best "invoice" dealer. As said, I will travel!
Do you know how the system is reset?
This could be a major problem if the dealer is the only one who can reset the system!
I'm hoping that Subaru is reading this!!
I can't pre-order not knowing about this TPMS
Charlie
http://www.raceandace.com/prizes.asp
It's slalom skiing in the morning followed by an 18-hole golf scramble in the afternoon. A hole-in-one on the 16th hole wins a Tribeca. :shades: Been there once... Bend is a beautiful area - outdoor-lover's paradise for those willing to take the trip.
Also regarding the tire-pressure monitoring system... isn't this a government-mandated feature on vehicles by 2007? We'd better get used to paying more for tire-related stuff.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20050428.wxwhtribeca28/BNStory/specialM- egawheels/
Today, as Juice & I predicted, every single one of us is ready to buy. This SUV does have an amazing impact. It is innovative & a great setback for RX330 & MDX.
I still don't see this as a $40k car. Fully loaded + tax etc comes to 40k, Hopefully i get 3k off MSRP by Dec less my 2K of Subaru bucks, it is only $35k...same as an OB VDC.
But i will have a car that is equally as good/looking even better than RX/MDX at a highlander price.
Frank
Group Buy: while I did make the suggestion, I'll admit I'm not certain about the timing of our purchase, plus I might wait and buy one used. But please proceed, seems like there would be 3-5 parties interested just here in this thread.
The 3rd row is roomier than the Highlander and about the same as the MDX. Only the Pilot and LR3 are roomier. My 5 year old is 99th percentile in size for her age and fit comfortably with the middle seat 4" forward.
Considering you have another 4" of leg room if you need it, I imagine all but large adults would fit there just fine.
Here's the thing, it's not a bus. You're not going to go on a 7 hour road trip with 7 people, where would the luggage even fit?
Even if you did get the bigger Pilot, the "hump" position is not comfortable, 2nd or 3rd row, so only 6 people would fit. 8 is very, very optimistic. For current Pilot owners, be honest, have you ever sat 8 people in your car? I doubt it.
Face it - if you want to travel long distances with 7 people you need a van, period.
The point is this - when you have 2 kids and you car pool, you some times need to carry 6-7 passengers for short distances. I can imagine taking the 2 kids, the nanny, and maybe one of my daughters' friends to the apple orchard, where you need AWD to get to the best trees.
Or to the beach, about 3 hour trip. I think sitting 2/2/2 would be reasonable with Finding Nemo playing on the huge 9" DVD screen, don't you? You really think a 5 (or 8) year old is going to complain when she can sit next to her best friend and watch her favorite movie?
Heck no! Ask your kid, seriously, if she'd rather have 2" more legroom or 2" bigger DVD screen! LOL
I bet every kid picks the bigger movie screen.
-juice
For your bean counter wife: remember you can get Subaru Bucks if you get their Chase Master Card.
Shall we do some, err, bean counting?
OK. Fitz let me put $2000 worth of my down payment on my credit card. Ka-ching, $60 in Subaru bucks right there.
If you're like us, you put everything on your credit card, if only for the protection it gives you.
My wife adds her reimbursed business expenses on top of that.
For us, that adds up to about $30 worth of Subaru bucks per month.
Over the long haul that means you can get free service or accessories, never mind the possibility of accumulating your next down payment.
The only catch? You have to spend $100 at a time. But you can get an oil change for $22, and then spend $78 on a cargo liner or ski rack, or even Subaru logo'd T-shirts. Or you could use 3 $100 coupons to pay for the full 30,000 mile service, so it ends up being free.
Now compare to the competition. For free service, you're talking a much more expensive BMW X5 or the upcoming Audi Q7. SUVs in the Tribeca's price range don't offer free service or a rewards program like Subaru's. ML350 is nice, but I think Mercedes discontinued the free service program and for $40,500 you do not get leather, DVD, Nav, heated seats, or a moonroof.
Count those beans.
We used ours to buy a tune-up kit, since I do my own service, cabin air filters, oil filters, etc. Still have a few hundred accumulated, too.
-juice
We do use CCs for the protection, but put big purchases on a card that pays back cash, so it can be spent anywhere. The card used has a longer grace period than the Subaru card, so we get to use "their" money longer, for free, and then they pay us. What a country!
Frank
We had a Toys R Us card with the same bank, but I convinced my wife that three times the amount of Subaru bucks was better than a few free diapers.
I could buy a tune-up kit, tow hitch, tranny cooler, extra wireless headphones, etc. Stuff like that. Even on-line wholesalers accept Subaru bucks - I just spent some at 1stSubarupart.com.
Just noticed something - the Baja thread has only 1985 posts, and that vehicle has been out for 3 model years now.
The Tribeca thread has a lot more already and it's not even out yet, may not be for more than a month!
That's a very unscientific way to conclude there is a lot more interest in this SUV, which is nice considering the price points are a lot higher.
-juice
I don't like store specific "credits" because it forces me to get things I don't really need, even if a good deal. We have a lot of "stuff", and the vehicles have a lot of "stuff", so we don't need more.
Perhaps there would be more Baja discussion if they had put an Alfa nose on it, and didn't have any around to drive.
Frank
-juice
We are torn between the Blue/beige and Mahogany/beige. Having seen the Blue/grey in person, it's a gorgeous exterior. Wife did not like the gold exterior.
http://www.premiersubaru.com/
B9 Tribeca 7 Passenger Limited
(with Rear Seat DVD system and Navigation system) will cost $36,574
Prices include everything except sales tax, registration and dealer conveyance.
Conveyance is $200.
Not as good as the http://www.vanbortelsubaru.com/BuildYourCar.asp price which is at $36,150 but close.
Steve.
Strangely Subaru does not return my calls.
-juice
DW would like one, but she's mentioned that she also would like to move to a new house within a few years. So, her mind is on not picking up another car payment...for now.
-Brian
1) will the Tribeca gas milage be even worse than the combined 18 MPG CR gets in their Outback 6-cyl?
2) Just how bad is the visibility with the "style over functionality" design of the rear side windows?
It's funny how the Infiniti FX got slammed by Forester owners for having comparatively worse rearward visibility, but now that the Tribeca has a similar design to the FX, the Subaru faithful are in awe of the awesome design!
I'm not here to slam the Tribeca, in fact it's on my consideration list for this fall. I am concerned about the gas milage though, due to the weight and Subaru's traditionally poor milage figures.
It will be interesting in a year when the redesigned MDX is out with possibly a 40-50% real world gas milage advantage over the Tribeca.
I was one of the people that slammed the FX, so I plead guilty as charged.
However, the FX is much, much worse. The window tapers away more towards the front, and the small windows are completely blocked by the head rests.
The Murano is a little better. The Tribeca is slightly better than the Murano, and not nearly as bad as the FX. That's because the window tapers up near the D-pillar, but it's much farther back than in the FX.
That plus the Tribeca's rear head rests tuck down into the seat nicely, you can even fold the 2nd row flat without removing them.
Visibility will not be a strong point, however. At least the side mirrors are oversized to compensate.
-juice
This photo was taken from the perspective of the driver seat. Notice how the head rests are not in the way.
-juice