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That pissed me off :mad: I'm still stuck at 15mpg (local only). Will see what kind of highway mieage I get in 2 weeks when I heads for beach.
Recently back from a 2000 mile trip, with a loaded nylon roof rack on top and bike rack. MPG peaked at 19.7, once we had cargo off, and usually came in b/n 17 & 18.+ when loaded. Highway and country roads primarily, with occasional small town stop and go. Now back to "city" driving almost exclusively, and seldom seeing over 15 mpg. Running premium, but also AC with all the heat lately. Told this will improve with further break-in. I hope so...
I and family are all extremely pleased with Tribeca overall...handling, acceleration, styling, interior room, comfort & versatility. Highway bound as often as possible these days!
Plus, Subie engines tend to get better as they break in, I've observed about +2mpg in my Forester after 15k miles.
-juice
I do not believe that you can get 21.6 in my enviorment. When some says 21 in local driving that doesn't mean anything. Local country is not the same as local big city.
It is like apples & oranges.
I am switching to mid grade from premium, I want to see if my mileage goes down with my city driving. I do not think so - so I might as well save the 10 cents a gallon.
Robert B
Blue 5 Pass Limited
NY
Thanks, John
One prupose of side curtains is to help keep the passengers from being thrown out of a window in a a severe crash. That is in part why the B9 does not have side curtains for the 3rd. row, because it's window is too small for anyone to fall through.
If what you read is correct - SOA made a big boo boo!
I do like the underseat sub in my 05 Outback XT, but that model does not have a factory sub in the rear. The underseat sub is the only one. It did make a huge improvement in the sound compared to just having speakers.
Craig
(1) Struck by another vehicle from side.
(2) Drive too fast in a turn and lost control
(3) Dumb drivers drive it off the road or cliff.
For situation #1, the air bag and curtain already deployed. For situation #2, Subaru is pretty confident its VDC system will prevent it from happen. For #3, that's another story.
BTW, you can register and create your own site at my.subaru.com. This way you can access many information about your car online including manuals.
In situation 2 or any rollover why would the bags not deploy? Is SOA trying to save us money or save our lives.
I agree that a B9 is less likely to roll because of driver error but so what. A rollover is a rollover, are you saying that a driver and his passengers should be put at risk because he made a mistake?
Anyways, I went to both dealers today today and both were giving extremely good prices. Subaru of Lewisville said I could get $300 worth of free accessories. David McDavid Acura, however, gave me $550 since I'm a repeat customer and $500 for purchasing a new car, which to me as a good deal so I took the plunge and ordered one to be ready tomorrow at 4PM. It was a really tough call, but overall I think I'll be a little happier (for my needs and my family's needs at least) with the MDX. However, my aunt is planning on trading in their 2001 Toyota Highlander and I've recommender the B9 to her. I'm hoping she gets one, as it will probably suit her needs more than mine (5-passenger cloth). Thanks for all the help guys!
The key then is to have a strong roof structure. Has Subaru said much about how they've reinforced the roof? E.g. with their ring structure? Any special marketing videos showing internal tests with the B9 getting rolled over, like MB and Volvo has shown for their SUV's?
I don't think the MDX has an especially strong roof structure (certainly not at the level of MB and Volvo). They don't advertise roof reinforcement, don't show any internal tests, and there are some ugly anecdotal photos of MDX rollovers (which aren't empirically defining, but disturbing nonetheless).
The good:
1) legroom and headroom for driver is very, very good (I'm tall, so this is matters to me)
2) interior fit and finish is very good (isn't this really Mercedes :-)?)
3) handling is very precise/predictable (less body roll than a Pilot)
4) cabin is very quiet (engine noise only pronounced on hard accelaration)
5) exterior of the car is atractive (but rear end not so much)
6) doors close and open effortlessly. feels solid too
7) very easy engine access (hood is ultra light) and has well marked maintainance points (oil, radiator, break fluid, etc.)
8) wheels look really good
9) leather seats feel very good (perforated leather version)
10) reclining 2nd row is a good idea
11) Subaru history on reliability
The not-so-good:
1) lack of option for memory seat
2) lack of option for 8 way power adjustable passenger seat (me as a passanger was not confortable as driver, since my head was too close to the roof)
3) small sunroof (they should have the Outback sunroof size instead for no DVD versions)
4) it really has poorer rear visibility than average (less than Pilot, that's for sure)
5) trunk space is average, not so spacious
6) gas milage is worrisome. During the test drive, going at 40 mph on straight flat road it was just 13 mpg (???)
The bad:
1) feels slow to get from zero to 40 mph. This engine needs more torque or more gears with lower relations (like the new MB R-class. which has 7 gear box)
2) 3rd seat row is not usable for adults, access there is terrible too, even for kids
3) [not related to the car] Dealer person is poorly informed: said it has full size spare, doesn't know what center of gravity is (come as a shock to me, since a Subaru dealer should know this best), said VDC is the name for Subaru chose for estability control system (it is more the ES, right?), didn't know how to operate or explain how to use the NAV system.
Overall a very good SUV for my needs, but I still undecided due some minor points. Price and gas milage among then.
You're missing the point. It's really because of VDC, driver error would rarely cause roll over unless, of course, you drive off the slop or cliff. In which case, I don't think airbag can protect you at all. Like wmquan said, it's really up to the structural strength to save your life.
True, this was actually in Car & Driver, though.
Tribeca has something like 4 cross members to reinforce the roof, in fact that's why the moonroof is small, so a brace can run from one B-pillar to the other.
Here's a pic, not great, but it gives you a general idea (may require registration at ImageStation.com):
http://www.imagestation.com/picture/sraid154/p67775a91386232114ec7a25b1afaa319/f57dbb82.jp- g
-juice
Or this one:
The red parts seems to indicate where the airbag sensors located. If thats the case, there are definitely sensors on edge of the roof which means it can deploy airbags when roll over.
If you were looking at instantaneous MPG, then don't worry about it -- definitely can be misleading! If it was the average MPG, then it prrobably had not had enough time to establish a fair average.
Instantaneous can vary between 0mpg (not moving) and 99mpg (coasting at high speed), but it's the average that really counts.
Craig
Also, Tribeca's paddle brake does not auto-release itself when you put shifter into drive or reverse. I found this annoying and rarely use foot brake when parking for this reason.
Just my 2 cents........
I swore there was yet another brace near the C-pillar, maybe this gets added later on in the assembly process? Or perhaps it makes up part of the roof sheet metal's structure.
-juice
unlike karen who parks her car in front of the coffee place this owner appeared to very shy.
i told my wife the 0-60 times and she gasped and said why would you want to trade in the fxt for something so slow :P gotta love someone who appreciates speed versus luxury lol
As for the test drive and mileage thing, did you start with a brand new full tank of gas and reset the odo? If not, you may have had folks before you sitting in the vehicle in park with the AC running, or gunning it on their test drive. If the tank was nearly full, chances are the mpg calculations were not reflective of your actual driving pattern. It'll be more accurate as the gas tank drains, and even better when the engine breaks in (I have seen this, as have others). You can look for the 18/23 to be a good indicator or what you'll get...eventually.
-Karen in AZ-
Case in point: I went into the Home Depot a couple of weeks ago for a few little items, and wasn't in there 10 minutes. I parked fairly close (maybe 10 spots out from the main door). When I came back out there was a guy hot wiring a mid-80s Toyota Celica RIGHT NEXT TO ME (driver's side)! My vehicle was evidently big enough to hide him from the main store entrance. I climbed into my driver's seat, locked the door and watched him...he knew I was watching, but he kept at it (he probably thought, dumb lady, doesn't know what I'm doing). I just pretended to be disinterested. When he drove away, he pulled forward right past me, so I easily got the license number (DOH!). As soon as he was out of sight I grabbed the cell and called 911. The Celica belonged to a young man who worked at Home Depot, as I found out when I went inside to report it to customer service.
Later that afternoon I discovered there had been and Amber Alert issued an hour before that for a stolen van just down the street with an 8-yr-old kid in the back seat, and that the driver had ditched the van and took off on foot. Police think it may have very well been the same driver trying to commandeer another vehicle to get away.
So, yes, even with the immobilizer and alarm, I'll park it where I can see it :-)
-Karen in AZ-
My guess is that those sensors are for triggering the curtain airbags for side impacts along the top of the frame. E.g. the famous "pole test" that EuroNCAP and others use,
Has anyone asked Subaru?
one of my favorite movie scenes is in a james bond movie when guys try to break into james' car. the car blew them up when one of them used the butt of his gun to try and break the drivers window.
It drew plenty of attention.
C&D tested an 06 XT and got 0-60 in 5.9s, so it's still mighty quick even with the more relaxed gearing.
-juice
Given that the B9 is a 2006 model, are Subie's numbers based on the new spec already, so there won't be any "change" in the fall (or whenever it's required to use the new spec).
My 2001 Jetta has that. I'm pretty sure my Mom's Renault Laguna does too (not available in the US of course).
A.
Since it appears that the B9 may have superior structural Integrity, why not help keep the occupants inside the cabin in the rare event of a rollover by deploying the curtain airbags so you don't get thrown out a window and die.
If you have a rollover, you've basically trashed the car anyway, so whats a few grand more to replace the bags if they may save a life?
Not as loud as the gasp from my wife when we test drove the FXT and felt the harsh sporty ride. Is this how you want to travel on long trips?" She asked. Well, with plans to buy a STI down the road, we're happy to be traveling in comfort. We also have a 10 month old baby and NO WAY would I subject an infant to the ride of an FXT. After owning the Outback, there's no doubt that the B9 is a far better distance car. You can also drive faster for longer because the smooth quiet ride is far less waring.
22 months until we trade in for the B9 STI with it's 330HP! In the meantime we travel like human beings. Keep your FXTs and Corollas!
Oh, and we park ours out front...though the compliments are getting tiring...it even happened at the toll booth on Sunday!
Robert B
Blue 5 Passenger B9
NY
When I told hom he smiled and said "you have a very beautiful car" - later that day an 18 or 20ish guy who helped me load a package into the Beca commented on what a cool ride I had.
So it seems that Becas may have cross generational appeal.
the fxt is the bat out of hell commuter
tidester, host
Now we all know where all your hatrate toward Tribeca comes from Give it a rest, swampy. You're stuck with your mini-van and FXT for the rest of your life. :P
Not that I dislike either one, but they're not exactly progressive or stylish.
-juice
so if your wife is not progressive or stylish you trade her in? boxy is very efficent on space :P
http://www.lafayettejc.com/news20050802/200508024local_news1122960215.shtml
By the way, if you can't take the heat, stay out of the kitchen. You dish out more criticism than everyone else combined, so I think a little good humored teasing in return is to be expected. :P
-juice
-juice
Disclaimer: juice has a head cold and is currently heavily medicated
Exactly. Two hours in my father's 2006 FXT and I feel just like hell. No thanks. The FXT is a great local around town car, but a interstate machine it aint.
And again, as far as looks go, the B9 actually gets compliments. The Forester hasn't gotten a complement...or even a second glance once.
I think that at this point your posts are bordering on trolling. Why does it bother you that we like the Tribeca? It doesn't bother me that some folks like the FXT in spite of it's primitve design and lack of comfort. Maybe you need to play with another group...such as the folks in the Yugo forum. Maybe they care about how fast the FXT is compared to a SUV.
Robert B
NY
trifecta is perfect for many people, i just need bobs 12 inch extended version with turbo before i could get one.
I saw a great looking van in Reno the other day; it was a short wheel base Caravan; probably a late 80's model. I also love that body because they had real rain gutters up until ~'94.
At least there's the Scion and Element in production for box lovers. (Odysseys are too curvy these days!).
Steve, Host