Subaru B9 Tribeca (B9X)

ateixeira

Not really, especially once you see it in person, I think you'll agree the Tribeca is more of a large Legacy than an Outback Plus.

 

Benign Excess! :-)

 

I can see the marketing now: It's a bit much but it's harmless, we swear.

 

-juice

bigelm

I can't see putting body cladding a 'smart' move. The only one who did that and failed was... dare I say... Aztek!

ateixeira

It doesn't need cladding. I think that would detract from the overall design. The flares are already built-in and the J-curve at the back echoes those flares.

 

Cladding could spoil the design.

 

But Tribeca has less standard towing than the Outback, no roof rack/cross bars, and tires clearly biased for pavement.

 

-juice

rsholland

Explain to me the logic of having an Outback version of the B9. Isn't the existance of the B9 to have the ruggedness of the Outback plus with more space and cargo?

 

Yeah, but I don't see it here. Subaru is trying to combine aspects of the Legacy, Outback and Forester into one vehicle; and as with most compromise solutions, it fails to satisfy any one group.

 

The B9 Tribeca—as it currently stands— will more likely appeal to those who favor Legacy-like attributes, rather than those who favor Outback/Forester-like attributes.

 

Granted, a lot of this is how Subaru is marketing the vehicle. All you see in images is the Tribeca in cityscapes. There is absolutely no imagery that includes a tree, mountains, or any of that. I think that is a marketing mistake because it is not speaking to those Subaru owners who identify with the outdoors.

 

I live in the country, and the last place on earth I want to be associated/identified with is an urban environment.

 

Bob

bigelm

Call me dumb.. (don't you dare :-p), but other than cosmetic pampering, what other advantages would a Outback version have if you can add the roof rack as an option.

 

See, with the Legacy and Outback, there are differences and productive ones. I just see a B9 Outback as overkill.

rsholland

Well for me, it would involve far more than just a roof rack. I want better towing, and would love to see a dual-range tranny, for the times I take my trailer to our rut-strewn county landfill, which I do fairly frequently.

 

Keep the current Tribeca as is for those who like it the way it is now. I'm just saying offer another version for those like me who want one that is just a bit more heavy-duty.

 

Bob

bigelm

Now that makes more sense. But a dual tranny would not come without the expense of some serious R&D. I'm sure GM could help them there.

ateixeira

Taller tires would give it more clearance and let it be more gravel/dirt ready.

 

The roof rack is in line with what the Outback Sport and the Outback offer - standard cross bars that the Legacy and Impreza lack.

 

Oil coolers could beef up payload and towing capacity, again the heavy duty A/T tires help build these up.

 

Give the rear bumper a standard step cover. Give the cargo area a standard rubber liner. Maybe toss in a couple of skid plates, for the rear diffy and for the front bottom engine cover. Steel, not plastic like allroad quattros and Volvo XCs.

 

Lower gearing to compensate for the taller tires, and to give it a granny gear.

 

Idea: maybe tune the VDC differently? Or offer switches like the LR3 does for different types of road surface?

 

Just some ideas I'm brainstorming. I think they could offer most of these for about a grand, maybe all except for the LR3-like switches, that's costly I'm sure.

 

-juice

bigelm

Ok... now that will be logical if those things are added which will bring the "Outback" version into a area that Subaru should've offered years ago. Though most of what you mentioned are 'options' anyway. But if they make it a standard package, then it would sell, as long as they stay within price reason.

rsholland

for a rock-crawling Jeep, just something a bit more capable than the current model, that's all.

 

Subaru has offered dual-range manual trannys for years overseas (and here too for a while!), so this is not an new area for them. I don't think it should be that big of a deal, frankly.

 

Bob

ateixeira

Only the roof rack cross bars are.

 

I'd like to see a functional change, not just cosmetic.

 

The way it is now is fine for me, but there will be critics that call the current format a "soft roader".

 

-juice

njswamplands

njswamplands

bob, whos your daddy, whos your daddy

 

wanna be associated with a swamp, thats tough

 

hell going thru airport security, the B9Patdown with easily removed tires for scanning?

 

the one with armor plating, the B9Iraqi Series? thats tough

 

the one for hauling horses the B9 Trifecta

ateixeira

LOL

 

I think they might drop the "B9" part of the name in some of the marketing, let's see.

 

Wasn't it "Legacy Outback" at first, then when it was successful they dropped the Legacy part?

 

I like the name Tribeca by itself better.

 

-juice

rsholland

give me the country any day of the week.

 

Bob

ateixeira

'burbs all the way.

 

Big box stores, easy parking, easy access to city and a short drive to the country.

 

Fave quote from a movie:

 

"Nothing bad ever happens in the suburbs"

 

I think Melanie Griffith said that, can anyone recall the movie?

 

-juice

njswamplands

wierd stuff going down in the burbs

ateixeira

That was fiction. ;-)

 

-juice

bigelm

Or just call it the B9 Boonies.

njswamplands

njswamplands

just call it the B9 Boonies.

 

hmmm hard to top that one

njswamplands

b9 bob edition tuned towards, hey really needed antennas coming out of that helmet bob then it could be the b9 mars edition

njswamplands

B9, ITS A HIT, you sunk my battleship/baja

ateixeira

Missile launchers might be convenient in DC traffic.

 

-juice

rsholland

you hear all the time that there's no need for any real off-road capability on most modern SUVs, as they rarely go off road. Well, I think most of those claims are by people who don't live in the country.

 

As I said, I do go to the county landfill a lot on weekends, and I can tell you for a fact that there are a lot of homeowners like myself who also go there. I'm not talking about the dumpster area, which is on a paved surface. I'm talking about in the back, which is nothing but dirt, mud, rocks, and so forth.

 

Our landfill won't allow anyone pulling a trailer to use the dumpsters on weekends. If I'm pulling my trailer on a Saturday, I HAVE to go in the back with all the mud and dirt.

 

Bob

jon_in_ct

rsholland wrote:

All you see in images is the Tribeca in cityscapes. There is absolutely no imagery that includes a tree, mountains, or any of that. I think that is a marketing mistake because it is not speaking to those Subaru owners who identify with the outdoors.

That's not true. Click on a thumbnail to enlarge.

 



 



 

njswamplands

njswamplands

bigelm

Jon has a point... Bob should've known better!! :-p

ateixeira

What matters is they are all on carefully chosen hard surfaces.

 

Those 18" rims would be damaged in anything remotely off road.

 

-juice

njswamplands

would have washable interior like honda element for trash runs?

ateixeira

Bob's smart - the mess is in the trailer. So he can keep the interior spotless.

 

Well, almost, the dog will take care of his interior. :-)

 

-juice

rsholland

Point taken, but none of those images are in the brochures I've got.

 

The marketing, so far, is very Murano-like, in that there are no references to the great outdoors, which is what would appeal to Outback and Forester owners.

 

Bob

ateixeira

FWIW, the white brochure has only 3 photos that show the road surface - 2 pavement, 1 wet pavement.

 

-juice

rsholland

Haven't you been reading my posts? I said when taking my "trailer" to the landfill.

 

Bob

rsholland

So far, other than the few images Jon posted, every image in the brochures scream "urban;" not suburban, not country, but URBAN.

 

Bob

bigelm

I agree. To a certain degree, the pics tend to look alittle 'commercialized' as opposed to rugged outdoor adventures.

 

Maybe Subaru's advertising would be smart to address this.. oh wait... that's the account our sub-company (DAS) won. Need to get in touch with the contact person....

njswamplands

in a trailer, too visible

rsholland

Dead bodies? Oh, that's right, you live in Tony Soprano's state. Not a problem here in rural Maryland, just yard waste, leaves, branches, etc; the only dead bodies would be occasional road kill

 

Bob

njswamplands

I said when taking my "trailer" to the landfill.

 

guess bob brings new meaning to trailer trash :-)

steve o

dont think my lunch box is that big...

ateixeira

Bob - the dump in Montgomery County is paved, I believe. It's in Rockville so it would be out of the way, but I guess you could do it if you had to.

 

For my suburban-type use, the Tribeca is plenty.

 

-juice

rsholland

Don't think I can use it, as I'm not a resident of that county. Besides, my county landfill is about 4 miles from where I live.

 

But the point I was making... I think that belief that very people who have SUVs ever go off road may be a little misleading. It may be true for urban and suburban owners, but much less so for rural owners—and there are a lot of rural owners.

 

Bob

ateixeira

Yeah but they all own pickups.

 

<ducks for cover>

 

-juice

rsholland

You better duck... No that's not true. When I go to my landfill, the split between SUVs and pickups is about even.

 

Bob

ateixeira

You know I was playing. But what I'm saying is that customer typically buys a full-size truck of some sort, mostly domestic.

 

Do you think the Tribeca will appeal to that demographic? I don't.

 

Maybe a retired white collar guy who moved back to the farm where he grew up, something like that. But how many of those are there?

 

-juice

rsholland

Do you think the Tribeca will appeal to that demographic? I don't.

 

No, not as it currently exists; but it "could" if it offered the right features.

 

Not everyone who lives in the country buys domestic full-sized trucks. I see lots of Lexus RX330s and MDXs out here. Not everyone who chooses to live in the country are farmers. There are a lot of affluent country gentleman out my way; folks who own 3+ acres of land.

 

Bob

ateixeira

Dunno, are there even Subaru dealers in rural areas? I mostly see the (former) Big Three brands when I drive through places like the Eastern Shore.

 

I don't consider your area rural, to be honest. Any place between DC and Baltimore has basically become an extended suburb due to sprawl.

 

-juice

robr2

I don't consider your area rural, to be honest. Any place between DC and Baltimore has basically become an extended suburb due to sprawl.

 

I was about to ask how rural is the area.

 

IMHO, anything within 30 miles of the RT 95 corridor between Portland, ME and Richmond, VA is pretty much suburb.

rsholland

Well there's rural, and there's rural. Yes, I'm 20 miles from Baltimore, and within a half mile of my place there are horses and cows.

 

I'm not talking about Nebraska-rural. I'm talking about where I live. Yes, there are Subaru dealers near me, and yes there are are large 3+ acre lots, and yes there are some big horse and dairy farms too.

 

Bob