Subaru B9 Tribeca (B9X)

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Comments

  • jandj94jandj94 Member Posts: 17
    In the fall, I took BMW's "Ultimate Driving Experience" at Shea Stadium -where they showcased the 330's new smart steering system and we compare it to the Audi A4 Quattro and the Infiniti G35. Yes, the Infiti was fast, roomy, and sleek. Having said that, it felt and sounded like it was coming apart in the autocross in comparison to the German makes. The Audi held it's own, in my opinion, thought the new BMW steering, roomier cabin, and that nifty active cruise control might be worth the extra $$$. I drove the X5 (alas, not on the autocross track) and found it to be a mite peppier than the Tribeca, but a harder ride and almost 1980s interior styling.
  • jandj94jandj94 Member Posts: 17
    I ordered mine with an accessory subwoofer that came mounted under the driver's seat. I'm told another can be mounted under the passenger seat.
    Between the heated seat and blasting subwoofer, I have a hard time getting the steering wheel away from my wife. :P
  • cluelesspacluelesspa Member Posts: 648
    what about the amount of offset ? any comments on amount of offset differential before it affects components?

    the factory Offset is +55. the wheels I put on are +40 offset. so they stick out about .5 inches only over factory wheels.
  • c_hunterc_hunter Member Posts: 4,487
    I think we need to make a distinction between generic wheels and specialized wheels here. Because Subaru has traditionally had offsets that were very different from most other makes, especially for 5-lug wheels, most of the Subaru tuner community has been buying Subaru-specific wheels with the proper offset and bore (brands like Rota, Prodrive, SSR, etc...). These have traditionally been bolt on replacements. If you head over to the Nabisco forums, you'll see plenty of descriptions of problems when people start to branch out to generic wheels with lug centricity and/or incorrect offset. Sure, these wheels can be made to fit and look good, but people have run into a lot of ride/handling quality issues as well as bearing failures. So the general consensus on Nabisco is to stick with the right wheel specs or stay close.

    I agree that you can balance a wheel/tire to be lug centric, but the tolerances of lugs from machine to car, or car to car, or hub to hub on the same car still come into play. There are also tolerances with the hub-wheel alignment, of course, but a well machined hub/wheel combo will always offer better alignment than the same tolerances on a 5-lug setup. It's a physical reality of mechanical parts -- the more pins and holes you have to line up, the harder it is to attain "absolute" positioning with a fixed tolerance.

    All it means in the end is that lug-centric wheels would require tighter tolerances and better balancing than a hub-centric wheel, to get the same alignment. And they would also need to be installed more carefully -- the wheel lugs have to be torqued while the vehicle is still jacked up and there is no weight on the lugs, since there is no center hub support to take the load.

    As long as I have been buying cars, the factory wheels, even when they have been exotic racing wheels that are part of a limited production vehicle, have always been hub-centric. So obviously the manufacturers are trying to avoid the hassles that come with lug-centric mounts. I also think it's interesting that all the wheels I have bought from the TireRack have been hub-centric, either with the proper bore or through the use of centering rings. They have some good articles about this on their website.

    Craig
  • cluelesspacluelesspa Member Posts: 648
    didnt find anything on hub-centric on tire rack looking at their tech section only this: http://www.tirerack.com/wheels/tech/techpage.jsp?techid=95

    also ow else would you install tires if its not jacked up. I use a floor jack and losen the lug nuts first then jack the car up. remove tire, spray the part where the wheel and car meet with WD-40 along with a light spray on the lug nut itself on the threads and the base area. then hand tighten in a cross pattern. as I lightly jog the wheel to make sure its sitting in the center of the tapered lug nuts. when I cant tighten anymore with holding the wheel from spinning. I lower until wheel touches ground lightly and continue tightening. then drop down rest of way and finish tightening. then after 2 mile drive retighten. thats it :)

    the wheels I installed had no performance (ride/handling) issues at all with the 20 inch wheels. I cant say that its not affecting the bearings being offset by .5 inches more but I do know the handling is much much much improved over the OEM tires. :shades:
  • vger105vger105 Member Posts: 57
    Congratulations! Ours is a 5 passenger Limited and the longer we own it, the more impressed I am with it.
    Also, everytime I come out to the Tribeca at night, be it in our driveway or in a prking lot, and unlock it using the remote, I break out into a huge grin when those puddle lights come on.
    I love this car (SUV, truck, crossover....???)!!!
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Very cool, tell her we said congrats.

    -juice
  • c_hunterc_hunter Member Posts: 4,487
    With lug-centric, you should torque the wheels (all the way to the final spec) before lowering. There should not be any vertical load on the lugs while centering and torqueing the wheel down.

    http://www.tirerack.com/wheels/tech/techpage.jsp?techid=91

    It might be good to get a professional opinion on lubricating the threads on your lugs -- I know many mechanics advise strongly against it. For one thing, it can trick your torque wrench and you may not get a proper setting. If tightening by hand, it just makes it that much easier to over-torque (by a lot). If there's one place on the car where I'd want natural friction, it would be on those lugs. I do think it's OK to hit the hubs with WD-40 though.
  • subienewbie2subienewbie2 Member Posts: 458
    What model B9 do you have? In the Ltd the woofer is in the right rear of the cargo area.
  • jandj94jandj94 Member Posts: 17
    I have a 7 LTD. Yes, I have the standard subwoofer in the right rear as well. I asked for, and got, another one as a PIO which they mounted under my driver's seat on the rails (much like my PIO Subwoofer in my legacy wagon- but that was under the passenger seat).
  • pschreckpschreck Member Posts: 524
    PIO? :confuse:
  • subearusubearu Member Posts: 3,613
    PIO = port installed option

    -Brian
  • cluelesspacluelesspa Member Posts: 648
    cool so you can get both subs installed
  • subienewbie2subienewbie2 Member Posts: 458
    Would I be correct that you do not nav, since the nav goes under the drivers seat? Also is there a separate amp for the extra sub woofer?
  • pschreckpschreck Member Posts: 524
    Thank you Brian.
  • vger105vger105 Member Posts: 57
    May I ask how much the second subwoofer cost, installed?
    Thanks.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Rumor has it a mesh grille will appear next model year, what say ye?

    I like the idea. I've never been a fan of chrome, so it should look better with a mesh insert.

    Other opinions?

    -juice
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    "Optional" mesh grille. If you recall, they showed just such a grille at last year's dealer meeting in SF. There's an image of it somewhere. I know I posted it here, but that was last May. It has the Brit-like mesh that is found on some Jags and Bentleys. Cadillac even uses that same mesh treatment on the V-Series performance models.

    And—it CHROME! :)

    Bob
  • subienewbie2subienewbie2 Member Posts: 458
    Mesh Grill

    This past fall there a photo of a B9 from the SOA dealers meeting in California showing a proto-type with mesh grill % it was really good looking. Looked much classier
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Nooooo! ;)

    -juice
  • jeffmcjeffmc Member Posts: 1,742
    Well, my first guess will be memory seats. :)

    Second guess, a real cargo cover.

    Third guess, HID headlights.

    Fourth guess, AUX input.

    Fifth guess, out on a limb, bluetooth. (What good is the calendar/contacts function if you have to manually enter everything?)

    Sixth guess, six-speed manual.
  • jandj94jandj94 Member Posts: 17
    I looked thru my strategic negotiating file and was unable to find the amount. $220-275 seems to ring a bell with me (list). Keep in mind that I prefer to pay cost (estimate: 50% of list) on PIO's as I think they make enough money on the car itself with profit, holdback, and incentives. However, getting it installed AFTER delivery might cost full list plus some labor charges. You might be able to order it at wholesale from allsubaru.com and have your local dealer install it if you are unable to and save some bux. My subwoofer is mounted pretty high above the floor. There may still be room underneath for the NAV computer if it's low profile enough. I wouldn't know. There also appears to be room under the psgr seat for the subwoofer as well.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Dear Subaru,

    Please, please, pretty please, pretty please with sugar on it, pretty please with sugar and a cherry on top, ...

    You get the point.

    Please offer a grille with no chrome. A simple black or body color mesh grille, look at a Jag S-Type for inspiration:

    image

    -juice
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    PTM. :shades:

    Most of these grills are plastic nowadays aren't they? Should test out some of the new spray paints for plastic that the big box stores now sell. You could paint to match or go hot pink!

    Steve, Host
  • subearusubearu Member Posts: 3,613
    I'm in the minority I guess, I don't prefer the mesh grill like our '02 MPV has. Harder to clean really is the only peeve I have with it. The flat bars on my Forester or the '04/'05/'06 MPV are much cleaner looking IMO.

    -Brian
  • jeffmcjeffmc Member Posts: 1,742
    Subaru's "world debut" at the Chicago Auto Show Feb. 9 will apparently be the 2007 B9 Tribeca. It'll be interesting to see what they've done to the grille and what features they've added.

    Here's the link to the show's January Update:
    http://www.chicagoautoshow.com/file.asp?F=update%234%5F061%2Epdf&N=update%234%5F- 061%2Epdf&C=articles

    This pulled from page 2 of the update, describing the schedule for Feb. 9:
    Volkswagen has had the Golf running about Europe for a bit now, but it’s high time to bring the to North America, and in Chicago they will. Subaru’s ’07 Tribeca will go next, showing what changes will appear in its successful SUV. BMW is next with business news and then on to the Vista Ballroom for Tom LaSorda’s address to the Economic Club of Chicago.
  • spence66spence66 Member Posts: 39
    Steve
    I am going into my dealer having just had my Tribe since 12/05.
    I has 2500 miles
    There are already sings of rust on the under carriage
    Any one else have a problem with such a new vehicle?

    thanks
    I live in CT
  • raybearraybear Member Posts: 1,795
    The new Subies have a load of undercoating, are you sure you don't have some of that nice sandstone dust under the car...or perhaps you ran over a curb and scraped it off?
  • spence66spence66 Member Posts: 39
    No running over a curb
    I have also had the car cleaned at car wash with the undercarriage option
    I noticed that the pipe in between the rear tires is showing sign of rust as well as a front part of the undercarriage
    STRANGE on such new car
  • c_hunterc_hunter Member Posts: 4,487
    I think you are confused about rust. The body should never rust. But it's normal for components like the suspension bits, springs, exhaust plumbing, etc... to build up a film of rust. It's been like this on every single car I have owned. Generally, parts that will be unaffected by rust are allowed to rust. For instance, a heavy cast iron suspension arm can have surface rust but will outlast all of us and probably our kids too. Stainless steel exhaust plumbing is a low grade of stainless that can build up surface rust, but it will still last the normal lifetime of the car.

    Thin parts, like the body sheet metal, are where you have to protect against rust at all costs. Unless you see rust on painted parts, then don't worry about it.

    Craig
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    I doubt paint will stick to some of the coatings used.

    The chrome "S U B A R U" letters on the back of my Forester are starting to discolor. Maybe I'll try painting those.

    I'd remove them entirely but I believe that would leave two holes behind.

    -juice
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    I haven't tried it yet; I have a plastic canoe (vinyl topcoat) that I'm tempted to paint with some of that stuff.

    I've seen two B9's in the last two days - my first spottings in the wild. One was a (seafoam?) green one at the ski hill yesterday and saw one at IHOP this morning. It was the darker red/burgundy one.

    Nice looking rigs and the grill isn't obtrusive at all (chrome and all, lol). I still think I like my Outback wagon shape a bit better though.

    Steve, Host
  • spence66spence66 Member Posts: 39
    many thanks
    they are going to put car on the lift
    I was just surprised since car is only 7 weeks old
    to show small sign of red discoloration on the undercarriage
    I'll let you knwo their comments :surprise:
  • raybearraybear Member Posts: 1,795
    I was confused, I thought you meant the body was rusting...it's normal for some componants to show some rust on any car.
  • drohrerdrohrer Member Posts: 37
    I've seen a couple different places where people have linked edmunds articles explaining leasing. Can anyone point me toward them?

    Thanks.
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    I think all the leasing articles are listed here:

    Leasing Tips

    A couple of leasing calculators are here.

    Steve, Host
  • jeffmcjeffmc Member Posts: 1,742
    In case you haven't stumbled across it, there's also a forum dedicated solely to B9 Tribeca leases:

    http://townhall-talk.edmunds.com/WebX/.ef9ddad/0!make=Subaru&model=B9%20Tribeca&- - ed_makeindex=.ef9ddad
  • cptpltcptplt Member Posts: 1,075
    well it turns out the problem I had with mine was that the metal shafts were bent! they replaced them (dunno if it was the new part which doesn't fall on your head or the old one). What a difference, they must have been bent from the factory because they literally glide now whereas even when it was new and not totally stuck it required quite a bit of pressure. The fact that they even had the parts sitting in the back of the parts department makes me think they have seen problems with the struts even though the service manager said he hadn't seen one yet!
    they also only charge 49.99 for an oil change with Mobil 1 (only for customers who purchased the car from them during the factory warranty period), so I'm not going to bother bringing my own Mobil 1 next time, I'm only saving a buck or two buying it at Costco.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Good to hear, in the Problems thread there are part numbers for the new, higher pressue struts.

    Now, fix the fog light covers, and it'll be perfect...

    -juice
  • gsx95gsx95 Member Posts: 18
    start the project several months, figure out the pin out.
    Worked with a vendor who has an RGb switch box. Now i've got a rearplate cam, that turns on when the car is placed in reverse. the vid is fed thru the NAv display
  • subienewbie2subienewbie2 Member Posts: 458
    Fantastic! :)

    What did it wind up costing and can you post the details so other interested owner can do it? That would be great.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Seriously cool. Do you have pics? I can host them for you.

    What did it cost you?

    -juice
  • spence66spence66 Member Posts: 39
    Service Manager said today that the car in terms of transport to the dealership could have experienced the light rust color on the undercarriage. No way to determine how long car sat on lot in terms of inclement weather
    It is not body rust but the underside components etc.
    Just a bit frustrating when you lease a brand new $40k car you expect even entire car (also because you wash it) to maintain a fairly new car apperance for at least a year or so..
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    I think you'll find that on pretty much any car that's been driven a bit.

    Nowadays the exhausts are stainless, but the nuts and bolts usually aren't. Things like exhaust hangers will have surface rust.

    Heck, your brake discs will have surface rust the next day if you park and it's raining out.

    -juice
  • nowakj66nowakj66 Member Posts: 709
    Subaru - if you are listening - put the black leather interior on the Atlantic Blue B9 5 passenger limited.
  • c_hunterc_hunter Member Posts: 4,487
    They also need to bring back black as an interior option with the monochrome Outback wagons. Last year they offered several exterior colors with black interior (I got gold/black which is a smashing combo, no longer available). Much fewer choices this year. They have gone too light with the new beige interiors -- most cars look scuffed up and dirty just from test drives and wear/tear on the lot.

    Craig
  • subienewbie2subienewbie2 Member Posts: 458
    I forgot to ask this in my last post.

    Does the camera system display grid lines on the front screen showing how close you are to the car or objects behind you? Since these cameras are wide angle like the right side mirror distance is distorted.
  • gsx95gsx95 Member Posts: 18
    no not this one, i think the grid lines are built into the screen.
  • gsx95gsx95 Member Posts: 18
    the retail cost was 250 for the nav sync unit and 275 for the platecame. I paid less since volunteered my wifes b9 for testing. whats great is that you do not need to cut the factory cable! you can order the factory cable, or buy a kenwood cable CA-C2ex for 29.99. So the unit was pretty much plug and play. Sam is now working on making a few extra units.

    Call and ask for Sam at avelectronic.com

    i was really surprised as to how simple the job was. I got it done without having to remove any body panels.

    The GPS unit is a kenwood, the wiring is the same as kna 4100 or 3200. i've got the wiring detail, so email me if you need them.
  • gsx95gsx95 Member Posts: 18
    are u willing to host the pics? Let me know..
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