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Comments
tidester, host
over the weekend, I just parked on the street and was walking into a restaurant and my friend was all excited and yanking my arm and she was saying look look .. someone is looking at your car! I was like and ummm.... OK, cool
the couple who were looking in the windows, looked up when she said that and said nice car
The grille is much closer to recent Alfas than it is to any Edsel, it's no contest.
-juice
Loren
2018 430i Gran Coupe
-juice
Don't Ya wonder just what it is they drive and think is Cool. One mans Junk is another mans Treasure, or as my old man likes to say "there is an A-- for every seat" !!!
"Mahalo"
P.S. If we wont play, they will go away :shades:
With 4000 miles on the Tribeca I'm averaging overall 17+ mpg, mostly city. Have seen it as high as 23+ on a few highway tanks.
6.20 Can mothballs increase octane?
The legend of mothballs as an octane enhancer arose well before WWII when
naphthalene was used as the active ingredient. Today, the majority of
mothballs use para-dichlorobenzene in place of naphthalene, so choose
carefully if you wish to experiment :-). There have been some concerns about
the toxicity of para-dichlorobenzene, and naphthalene mothballs have again
become popular. In the 1920s, typical gasoline octane ratings were 40-60
[11], and during the 1930s and 40s, the ratings increased by approximately 20
units as alkyl leads and improved refining processes became widespread [12].
Naphthalene has a blending motor octane number of 90 [52], so the addition of
a significant amount of mothballs could increase the octane, and they were
soluble in gasoline. The amount usually required to appreciably increase the
octane also had some adverse effects. The most obvious was due to the high
melting point ( 80C ), when the fuel evaporated the naphthalene would
precipitate out, blocking jets and filters. With modern gasolines,
naphthalene is more likely to reduce the octane rating, and the amount
required for low octane fuels will also create operational and emissions
problems.
Try a box of moth balls for a month. After 30 days if your B9 has blown up or died I will send you your $5.00 back
I was beginning to think I really didn't know what a B9 looked like from behind
AMEN! I LOVE my B9 and think it is beautiful and really don't care what anyone else thinks... but... it sure is interesting all the looks I get and how many LOVE it too! I have yet to have one person say .... Man I hate the looks of that car!... :P
I put mine on. It went on pretty easily. The directions had an error on one of the pictures.
Most important.... put a drop cloth over the engine compartment just in case you drop something small.
Steve
They matched the price on the gold added security 7/100 $50 ext warranty I found on the web too (IIRC about 1560 - list about 2400 - but I don;t have the paperwork in front of me). the guys who ran subaruwarranty.com (a dealer in MA) are back as http://www.business-solutions.us/projects/masterPortfolio/Subaru/www/other/home.cfm. I got my WRX warranty from them 3 yrs ago. if anyone is interested check them out, they were great to work with 3 yrs ago - send them the info and they send you the SOA paperwork to sign and even a stamped return envelope, back then no local dealer except Gary Lang would match their price but they wanted me to drive 30 miles to do the paperwork and it was easier to sign the forms and put it in the mail!
quite busy at work so will pick car up friday, can't wait.
Next thing is a backup sensor, local car radio place nearby puts them in all the Devilles for the local Caddy dealer,they charge the dealer $400 total. For individuals they charge 190 for actual equipment and then labor at 65/hr (they said they have taken anywhere from 2-4 hrs depending on car) and if you want them color matched the body shop up the road wants another $50. How reliable are these things long term? Anyone know??
How could anyone possibly pass up a deal like that?
tidester, host
I paid $600 for the 4yr/60k $0 deductible gold (MSRP=$800). The silver color grows on ya... I got silver because it was on the lot fully loaded and they were willing to deal with the one on the lot more.
Spy vs. Spy.
-juice
depends on the plan ... looks like they are only about 10% off list for the lower mileage plans... for list pricing see here:
link title
vs
$0 Deductible Gold Plus Plans Available For Your Subaru Forester
4 years/60k miles =$730
the list is $800 for that plan. I negotiated $600 when I bought my B9
Thanks.
tidester, host
The OB only has 73" with back seat folded down, while the Tribeca has the 78" cargo hold. I'm assuming it is the same in either the 5 or 7 passenger versions. Of course, I can get the OB XT and get a special hitch that goes for $510 that can hold the trike and my mountain bike.
Only time will tell. The one good thing is my wife is in the consideration stage for a new car.
Mark
--jay (in a 01 blue outback)
I understand that it can be a difficult install and some dealers may not want to try it. Mine went in without a hitch, no pun intended! I did have to search for a car and dealer that could deliver what I wanted and more specifically when I wanted it.
On a side note, if you are new to this forum and are looking for reviews and thoughts about the truck; start reading around page 400 and move forward. Most of what comes before consists of speculations before the B9 came out. Actual hands on reviews like the ones from Karen from Arizona and Robert from NYC appear in pages 400+ and those are the ones that matter... Just my two cents.
-Charles T. (NYC)
I ordered mine in May before dealer deliveries even started & it took about 61/2 weeks. Its not we are ordering a computer from Dell - it actually impressive that something a complex as a car with all its different options - go from order to your driveway in a few weeks..
It's worth the wait.
John - Chicago
So not true that Japanese designers have ignored ergonomics. The 5 was intended as a "world" car and the US an afterthought.
John
I am probably not much help -- I have waited for 2 cars on order in my lifetime, and was chomping at the bit in both cases. Now, I just buy off the lot!
Craig
I took measurements and posted them a while back, they're within 2" of each other in cargo length and width. But with the sliding seat the Tribeca is more versatile.
Steve: how was gas mileage? Usually towing drops mileage significantly. With my Forester I average 25mpg but with a trailer I got 17.3mpg!
Charles: first off, congrats. Normally Subies that are custom ordered take 6-8 weeks, I believe.
Mazda5 is close, very close, but I think Mazda missed some key points - no AWD for starters. They also aren't offering the power sliding doors which are available in Japan. Finally, the 2.3l engine has its work cut out for it hauling 6 people and cargo, and it's not very fuel efficient at that.
Still, kudos for offering a manual tranny in a people mover, plus a NAV option at a low price.
-juice
At that point I will have enough courage to tackle the wife (stepping "down" from an MPV to the 5).
John
I must say, I am going back and forth with "loving"/"hating" products from that country. It seems to me that they not only, exactly know what their average core customer wants (e.g. gas mileage, perfect reliability, certain interior content) and provide it, but they also know exactly what they can get away with the "swing" customer as for not having or being (said steering wheel, xenons, or less obvious parts like suspension, brakes, standard safety features ). And they play it to the bone. I think especially Toyota is a world champion of that. Show me a Matrix with base engine and side impact airbags. It is technically available, but almost nobode has seen it. Similar with Camry. When compared side to side it looks like their cars are worst equipped for the given price point, but other considerations are strong enough to win over those swing customers. But every time I closely inspect the content, I come to conclusion that Toyota is not for me.
Subaru is still much different - you can see that they do not make many engineering compromises, which makes their cars quite unique. They are skimping on some things or cutting choices (which is most annoying for me), but remaining is still very appealing for me, even if not perfect.
However, their pricing is creeping up a bit faster than others (or so it seems). If it reaches the point of being "too close" to their German competitors, I will not be amused. (Un)fortunately for (me) them their major competitor (VW) went competely amok, so they are safe for now.
2018 430i Gran Coupe
People are getting googly eyed at the Prius. "wow, you have one too" was a comment I overheard this morning. I quietly retreated to my Forester, which fortunately blends across almost every stereotype.
John
I bought a Garmin 2610 which is the one that uses Compact Flash media as opposed to a microdrive....I don't like whirling wheels on a hot dash!
It looks very good centered above the info display and I hardwired it in with the wire running toward the windshield and then under the dash material and down to the fuse panel. Looks good, works fine. I did go to Buffalo, NY to visit my sister and it worked well there. I am very pleased with it.
A little over 17mpg on average for the entire trip, 719 miles.
Steve
it has some quirks , like our house is on the wrong side of the road, but it is a deadend! also some oneway streets are the wrong way (and have been for 8 years) where I work. but at least its better than the one in my neighbours Lexus, his moms street address is in the wrong town!
1. I borrowed a portable unit from co-worker for a trip that involved mountain road. It worked great on major highway. but when I started on the local mountain roads, where I needed it the most, it couldn't accquire signal while I was driving. Had to stop like every 5 mins for the system to accquire signal. A built-in one is quicker and the ant. is at a better location to accquire signal.
2. I live in metro NY area. People tend to break into car when they see wires, holders of any sort, to try and steal. You can't really steal a built in unit. That means you have to drag the nav around. Just like the old days when we have to drag our radios around.
3. On a portable unit, you are lost when u are completely out of signal. The built-in one is connected to the wheel and a gyroscope so it can guess where you are at from the last gps known position. The more expensive portable unit have that feature but you will need professional installation.
4. You can get aftermarket unit and turn the nav screen into a tv or use it as part of review camera
The nice thing about the Factory NAV is that with the Park Break on, I can watch the DVD playing on the screen! A big plus when parked waiting for someone
Background - I have been new car shopping for several months. I currently drive an Audi A4 Avant (absolutley wonderful car) which is coming off lease soon. My kids are getting bigger and the older one is complaining about the rear legroom. My wife really wanted at least the potential of carrying 7 passengers. The Odyssey and Sienna are too wide and long for my tastes and other minvans are missing safety features I want, so, off to crossover land.
I cross-shopped the Tribeca primarily against the MDX, XC90 and Highlander Hybrid. My thoughts about the Tribeca.
- Overall a very nice package, not too big, not too small.
- Cockpit is very well laid out and very nicely styled. I'm used to the legendary Audi interior and still find the Subie to be quite nice.
- Nav is nice, but definitely a cut below the Honda/Acura voice contol unit. It is as good or better than any other system on the market though.
- I test drove the Tribeca 3 times, all in 90 degree + humid weather. The AC system is a bit on the anemic side, especially without air recirc on.
- Back seat room is fine with a lot of flexibility in legroom.
- I'm 6' even and reasonably nimble - I can fit into the 3rd row and could even handle a short trip back there in a pinch. While I wouldn't want to be back there myself for long, it is fine for kids or for smaller adults on occasion. Bottom line, if you have a family of 6, this is nor your vehicle, but if you just need the extra room on occasion, it's fine.
- Handling was good, although I did not find it appreciably better than the MDX/XC90/HH, and I drove them all on the same day. Ride very car-like.
- Styling is bold and eye-catching. If you haven't seen one in person, it really looks much better than in photos. Some people will be turned off but I'm fine with it.
- Visiblity is an issue. The A-pillar is too wide, and you have to take backing up as a point of faith .
- The engine and transmission just don't seem quite right. I really think the relatively low torque of the engine hurts in this application, as it doesn't feel enough to get 2+ tons moving. The transmission seemed to hunt and lurch a lot on hilly roads. The Tribeca really needs a little bigger engine or (even better) a low-pressure turbo. Remember that horsepower is what you brag about, but torque is what you notice. The Volvo (2.5T), with almost 50 fewer HP but a lot more low-end torque felt much better off the line and on hills. If you really want to experience torque, by the way, try a Highlander Hybrid (wow!).
Overall, I was quite impressed with the Tribeca, but an MDX test drive 20 minutes after the Subie sold me on the Acura. I can certainly see a 2007 model with the increasingly ponderous name "Subaru B9 Tribeca XT" with a turbo and no torque issue. Before the flames come, let me reiterate that I think this is a really good crossover, and I would be happy to have one, but for my needs, the MDX is a little better.
Sounds like you did not have the climate control system on "auto" (what gives it away is that auto would never drop out of recirc in 90+ weather). I think most people would say that the climate control system, gets too agressive at cooling when in auto mode!
I probably had a stronger opinion about handling than you. I really felt the MDX lean in turns when test driving one back in 02, and that's what turned me off the vehicle. On my recent test drive of the B9 (don't own one), I thought the handling was great and one of the strong suits of the vehicle. You definitely feel the benefit of the symmetrical AWD platform and low-CG drivetrain compared to the FWD-based competitors like the MDX and Pilot. On curved highway exit ramps, I really noticed the MDX and Pilot leaning.
I agree the B9 could use more torque for sure. Did you try the transmission's sport mode? (not manual mode). It helps quite a bit, especially with more agressive downshifts.
So are you getting a leftover 05 MDX, or waiting for the new 06 model? They will be revised pretty significantly for 06, with a few nice features.
Craig
Subaru doesn't have that, plus they have to build the cost of AWD into every single vehicle. That puts them in a tough position - if they offer everything, they would have the most expensive (to produce) vehicle in every single segment. Their plants are in Indiana and Gunma, Japan, not Korea or Mexico, so they're not saving any money there either.
But that's a good thing, and why Subaru topped CR's reliability tests for MY2004. Meanwhile Mexican-built VWs sit at the very bottom of the ratings, yet VW is "German" so they get a pass? No fair.
I'd rather give up a telescoping wheel and auto-down power windows just so I didn't have to visit my dealer for ignition coils and window regulators several times during ownership. Ironically, those auto-up/down windows are exactly what is failing.
Garmin 2610 doesn't have an internal battery does it? The Street Pilot c320 is cheaper and more versatile because it does have a battery. It takes an SD card, so a 1 Gig card fits the whole country. You can get the devide and the SD card for under $500. 2610 might have a bigger screen however.
Tom Tom is a bit pricier and I did not evaluate it.
-juice