Subaru B9 Tribeca (B9X)

subearu

I doubt they'll go to a real name or brand for this. I think Tribeca Limited or Tribeca Rural or Tribeca Country would be more generic and more fitting.

-Brian

jeffmc

I'd take Alpha's Kenneth Cole suggestion or samiam's iPod. The iPod would at least appeal to men & women. Or maybe just an Apple edition... you know... Apple=Big Apple=NY=Tribeca. Hmm.
The Starbucks edition would need heated cupholders, I think.

Believe it or not, MacLaren Strollers already have a Kate Spade edition of their baby-mobiles, so maybe Subaru would have to partner w/MacLaren for a real upscale family-oriented edition of Tribeca.

Swiss Army edition?
Nordstrom edition... comes w/extra hooks in cargo area to attach those shopping bags, & standard cargo cover.
Godiva edition? *drool* Chocolate scented instead of new-car smell?
Mmm... gettin' hungry. How 'bout a Ruth's Chris edition?

jeffmc

The Ginza edition. As a plus, the word actually sounds neat.

ladywclass

or the 'ginsu' edition .. like the knives ... able to do it all ..

or how about just going to the 'ronco' edition ...

njswamplands

frog

OK,

How about Patagonia. They split the difference with Bean and Brooks Bros.
I think the trend setters who have been with BMW and Benz and Audi in the past value the consciousness of their brand a lot, and the above companies cater to this. Designer names alone are not charged enough to mean anything. Subaru needs something that is smart, values safety and is above all, sexy and can write big checks. Maybe a female sponsor, like Korikova or whatever that Russian tennis player is that has just picked up Tag Huer. Or better yet some rising Japanese company or individual....

ateixeira

I'd never heard of Kate Spade until now. But now that you mention the town itself, I do think there should be a store within Tribeca.

And would it sound too soft for men if they marketed it towards women? Maybe not - Lexus has had successful Coach Edition models. My wife loooooooved the idea, and it never bothered me.

Maybe just a Spade Edition, or twins Jack and Kate Spade, one for women and one for men? Order codes could have XY or XX in them. )

Too divisive? Couples share cars.

Tiger Woods has Buick already. He won a car and had to give it to his caddy because his contract is so exclusive.

Greenies got mad when Subaru named the Outback a truck, remember the flood of spam that took down their servers?

I like Swiss Army, but the car's not Swiss. Would imply versatiliity, though.

So far I like Dean & Deluca and Kate Spade (a la Coach).

-juice

robr2

I'd never heard of Kate Spade until now.

I'll bet your wife has!!

ateixeira

I just e-mailed her to ask.

Let's wager a virtual round of beers.

-juice

robr2

You're on. But I'll take some real ones next time I'm in DC.

ateixeira

"Who hasn't heard of Kate Spade" she told me.

I'll buy a virtual round for all the folks in this thread and the first round next time you're in DC.

Wifey says Kate Spade would be a good fit. From her percpetion it's not as upscale as Coach, but more versatile and water-proof. That hints towards AWD and Subaru, so sure.

She says Kate Spade purses are popular with her friends and thinks it's a good idea.

-juice

robr2

She says Kate Spade purses are popular with her friends and thinks it's a good idea.

Well if juice's wife says it's a good idea well then we can close this discussion. Unless of course my wife comes up with a different idea.

ateixeira

Ask if she's heard of them.

Edit: my wife's in the business of Image (PR).

-juice

robr2

Her reply - "Of course of I have".

FYI - Kate Spade is David Spade's sister-in-law - of Emperor's New Groove, Just Shoot Me, and the annoying "No" commercials from Capital One.

jeffmc

I'd be scared of a Kate Spade edition. That stroller I mentioned has a polka-dot interior! Nothing says premium like polkadots, right?
Plus you'd have to worry about people thinking it was the Spayed edition.

jeffmc

Going back to a question I had earlier about aux input...
How am I gonna plug my iPod in if the input's in the 3rd row? They need another aux input in the glovebox or armrest storage area.

bigelm

Although the name/idea is nice, but in reality it touches more on the feministic side of the table. Gotta come up with something more gender balanced.

How about MARC edition, Gucci, Movado (though a watch brand but they do have distinctive styling)...

c_hunter

Going back to a question I had earlier about aux input...
How am I gonna plug my iPod in if the input's in the 3rd row? They need another aux input in the glovebox or armrest storage area.

I bet within a couple months of the vehicle's release, there will be hacks. If it was me, I would hook into the harness as it goes into the radio. I am sure it would be a piece of cake.

Craig

ateixeira

Next comes the David Neutered Edition? LOL

-juice

jon_in_ct

From ateixeira, "Subaru B9 Tribeca (B9X)" #2125, 9 Mar 2005 10:32 am

I like Swiss Army, but the car's not Swiss. Would imply versatiliity, though.

Then how about Victorinox? That's the name of the company behind the Swiss Army knife. The B9 Victorinox ad campaign might begin with:

The Subaru B9 Tribeca is already acclaimed as one of the most versatile vehicles on the market today. Now Subaru has, again, raised the ante and teamed up with Victorinox, inventor of the famed Swiss Army knife, to take vehicle versatility to an even higher plane.

Note: plane is supposed to be a pun, referring to the B9's snout. Do you think anyone will get it?

I don't think people would mind if the special edition B9 had a little Swiss engineering thrown into the pot. It's my impression that Swiss engineering is still highly regarded around the world.

BTW, the US answer to the Swiss Army knife is the Leatherman. A Tribeca Leatherman could have all sorts of different meanings associated with it, depending your viewpoint - male, female, etc..

njswamplands

jon_in_ct

C'mon, njswamplands, Work with me! I'm sure you recognize the potential synergy between Subaru and the Leatherman Tool Company. I'll bet the proportion of Subaru guys who own a Leatherman is higher than than that of guys who own any other marque except, perhaps, Jeep. On the other hand, women, when presented with the word Leatherman, will think of something different ...

C'mon, njswamplands, help me out!

I guess my point is that a liasion with Leatherman could work on many different levels. Ostensibly, it's only about the flexibility and versatility that Leatherman engineering know-how adds to the Tribeca.

(Oooooooh, I like your versatility and especially your, oh my!, flexibility.)

sweet_subie

OK folks, this means 2 things:

either no one has anything to talk about Tribeca
or
everyone is lost in special edition.

bob, can you create a new forum for these guys ? j/k

bigelm

Zegna Edition!!!

Case closed and I'm sticking with it!!!

You want distintive class? That's your edition!

Now where's my compensation for this 3 millionth burned brain cells idea? :-)

jon_in_ct

From sweet_subie, "Subaru B9 Tribeca (B9X)" #2141, 9 Mar 2005 9:47 pm

OK folks, this means 2 things:

either no one has anything to talk about Tribeca
or
everyone is lost in special edition.

bob, can you create a new forum for these guys ? j/k

Sorry, if I offended you, but I was merely responding to ateixeira's Tribeca challenge at ateixeira, "Subaru B9 Tribeca (B9X)" #2083, 8 Mar 2005 10:15 am

OK, now that we've had a little time to digest the design, the guy from product planning asked what co-marketing opportunity would seem most appropriate for the Tribeca.

Subaru has used LL Bean for the Outback and now for the Forester as well, but the image of Fly Fishing in a creek might not mesh as well with the City Slicker character of a 'beca.

So, what do you guys think?

* stick with LL Bean
* partner with someone else (who?)
* forget the idea completely

I'm curious to know what other place people think would match the Tribeca well. Ralph Lauren? Nautica? Izod?

Go crazy, be creative. Should be fun.

-juice

I was merely responding to the challenge and trying to think outside the box, and, as was suggested, tried to "go crazy." I didn't mean to offend anyone. Sorry if I did.

However, if you believe that ateixeira should not be a leader of this discussion, then I'm behind you 100%.

bigelm

Some just don't seem entertained with thinking 'outside' the box. It's good to cover some other ground instead of constantly being in the B9 box.

Heck, we've already discussed the chances of a B9 Outback. Why not a upscale edition? :-p

dt63944

Saw a pre-production model at West-Herr Subaru in Orchard Park NY 3/09; some thoughts:

1. This is what BMW should be making; they're not.
2. Rear (3rd seats) fold totally flat and make for a lot of rear space when folded. A little complicated for 3rd row passengers to exit.
3.DVD-based NAV; Tourag board has complaints about CD-based system.
4. Doors close solidly and they have frames!!
5. Hood opens with struts (no pole needed) - nice!
6. Good-to-very-good sound system.

Didn't find anything I strongly disliked.

ladywclass

Re: the "Leatherman" edition

what about people who 'mishear' and think it's the "Letterman" edition?

njswamplands

ok working with you here. ok how about a throw back helmeted edition thats made of leather?

so instead of being the weatherman with the weatherband radio i have a car that is into leather? the leatherman s&m edition.

btw i had never heard of some of these 'edition' names associated. guess i am just some low class swamper. but then again if i was worried about class guess i would not own a subaru :-p and be stuck with some car that has uummmm-pah-pah and in the shop alot

dt63944

One person was willing to share their thoughts with me about the actual vehicle, but the discussions here don't seem to have much to do with that. Are their other related discussion sites?

rsholland

A lot of us have seen it in person. Some of us have sat in it too. I've seen and sat in it at 3 different car shows (Detroit, Philly & Baltimore).

Bob

lark6

I really have nothing to add to this topic except to say that I do keep a Leatherman PST II in the armrest extension storage area of my Forester.

There was a Nautica edition of the last-gen Nissan Quest/Mercury Villager IIRC.

Anyhoo, as I was driving to work this AM I found myself behind a new metallic red Acura TL which had the entire lower rocker panels and rear valence panel covered in what looked like Burberry plaid contact paper. I was laughing so hard I was crying; good thing the TL driver didn't see me or I might have gotten shot. I wish I'd had a camera phone because, as Dave Barry would write, I SWEAR I am not making this up.

Ed

ateixeira

A strong name, makes you think of Victory. Inox in Portuguese is short for Stainless, as in stainless steel.

If so, that exhaust had better be SS!

We would get the "plane" joke, but few customers would.

Leatherman? Interesting, because I got a freebie from my dealer and guess what? It was a Leatherman with a Subaru logo. So the companies already have at least some ties.

Krisshna: the topic had slowed down a bit. This is the quiet before the storm, no new info will come out for a few weeks.

Sorry if it seems like we hijacked the thread, I just though it would gone idle otherwise, at least until they arrived in dealers or prices were announce.

Special Editions give us a topic to discuss, but more importantly the idea is you have total freedom to ask for things you might want added, like the Dynastar package with skis and a ski rack.

Kate Spade models could have a unique center console big enough to hold one of those purses, maybe.

Nautica models might have water proof seat covers for wet sailers.

And yes, swampy, the Bob Edition would come with special seat head rests wide enough to accomodate his helmet!

-juice

volkov

We may be meandering, but "I got to see the Tribeca in person" is very old news. Go back about 1000 posts and there's lots of first hand info, including pics. There's even about 50 pictures of Juice's feet in the Tribeca, although I'm sure none of us could figure out why. Maybe he was showing off his new sneakers and how they matched the interior.
I didn't get from your post that there was something specific you wanted to bat around. If you have a question, we aren't usually shy about answering.

Nicholas - who hasn't seen a Tribeca

ateixeira

)

I was trying to demonstrate the available foot space under and behind the 2nd row seats.

But I like the shoe theory.

What about a pet store like PetSmart? That could come with a pet divider, a rubber liner for the cargo area, and maybe a harness for your pup.

-juice

hypov

I could use a Tribeca - "I Love NY" UAV Edition )

Forged Wheels, long travel suspension, etc. to take on the potholes.
Blaring obnoxious horns to ward off those yellow critters and deers.
Bumper guards all around, with spikes.
Brake Check emulator.
"You're #1" button on steering wheel so driver can keep both hands on the wheel.

-Dave

njswamplands

the sopranos edition, lower gears to get to those hard to bury locations

ateixeira

It would need a covered cargo area to hide the dead bodies. )

-juice

hypov

Refrigerated teflon coated cargo area with therma insulation.

-Dave

ateixeira

Bullet proof windows?

Could be fully armored.

-juice

robr2

But it must a NAV delete option. Those Soprano types really don't like having satellite tracking.

dt63944

Thanks, I guess I'm late to the party (we usually get the BMW Drive For The Cure drives late, too). My other car's a bmw and I've been very disappointed with what they've been putting out lately. Nice to see Subaru stealing their playbook and doing the job better. I'll look back 1000 posts or so and see what I can find. I have to travel at night in any weather in the middle of nowhere quite often and as far as I concerned, Subaru's got my future business; they obviously take their audience seriously and can wrap their product around some interesting designs, as well!

volkov

Try around Jan 12th I think it was when Juice and Bob went to the show.

mayberryguy

I realize that this post is two months old but since March 1st there has been a drastic reduction of production on the OBK/Legacy line. Production volume has dropped from over 500 per day to less than 350 per day. A 30 percent drop is significant reduction for your bread & butter car. OBK/Legacy line is in no way operating anywhere close to max capacity. Capacity per year is well north of 120,000 cars. SIA is planning to maintain current volume of less than 350 units per day until at least June to lower the ever growing inventory. I see the plant lot several times a week and believe me there is no reason to return to previous build levels anytime soon.

There is also alot of speculation that Subaru B9 Tribeca should have been named the Axiom in honor of the former Isuzu roommate that sealed Isuzu's doom....the same partner that left their share of the plant to the Tribeca production....

Many people I talk to are worried that this could break Subaru because of all the re-tooling costs for the plant plus the untold millions investing in new tooling both in house and at major suppliers.

If this thing does not sell the expected 38-40,000 units per year they are projecting, Subaru has a serious money pit on their hands...in my opinion

jon_in_ct

From mayberryguy, "Subaru B9 Tribeca (B9X)" #2162, 10 Mar 2005 8:11 pm

... since March 1st there has been a drastic reduction of production on the OBK/Legacy line. Production volume has dropped from over 500 per day to less than 350 per day. A 30 percent drop is significant reduction for your bread & butter car. OBK/Legacy line is in no way operating anywhere close to max capacity. Capacity per year is well north of 120,000 cars. SIA is planning to maintain current volume of less than 350 units per day until at least June to lower the ever growing inventory. I see the plant lot several times a week and believe me there is no reason to return to previous build levels anytime soon.

Could any of the recent decrease in production rate be attributable to the ramping down of MY2005 production and preparation for MY2006 production? Could SIA have been "over producing" in Feb to build an inventory cushion while they convert to MY2006?

sweet_subie

This isn;t true only for sub. a lot of car makers are feeling this since the prices have climbed way too far.

A V8 G35 is costing 50,000 ? give me a break. how many people can offord this. i make decent money, i am thinking several times before buying XT. i still haven't bought one.

subaru prices have climbed steadily & they are struggling

mayberryguy

In a bigger change like the 04MY to the 05MY, yes I could see the inventory grow in preparation for a long ramp up period for the new model. The 06MY will change very little so I don't believe this is the case. Production has exceeded sales by at least a thousand to two thousand units a month for at least six months. The writing has been on the wall for awhile now. SoA estimated too high for demand of the 05MY redesign.

I agree that the 05MY is a great car and a giant leap ahead in luxury of the previous models but it is hard to convince some people to spend over 30K on a Subaru.

I would love to have a new LL Bean but I still have my Subaru VIP coupon pinned to my bulletin board trying to justify paying 30K for a LL Bean when I can go buy a 05 BMW 325xi for about $1500 more in my area. I know we aren't exactly comparing apples to apples here but I'm sure that thought has crossed other potential buyers minds as well....in my opinion.

c_hunter

At this point, they are definitely ramping down the 05 run. I think they normally have 60 or 90 days inventory on the lot. If for any reason they exceed this, then they ramp production down. If I remember right, at some point, they will take an annual multi-week vacation before starting the 06 production. So putting it all together, it makes sense to me that they are not going to make a lot of 05 models at this point in time. But, there are a couple SIA people on the boards, and they can comment far better than me.

The real metric for sales is incentives, and so far there haven't been any on the Outbacks. That alone is a good sign that they are selling decently. I fully appreciate that a $30K + Subaru is tough to swallow, but they vast majority of Outback sales are the lower priced 2.5i models. I don't know the sales split, but I am sure 60-80% (maybe more) of sales are the 2.5i models.

I paid $30K for my loaded Outback XT Ltd (sticker was $33K). For the price, I don't know of a comparable or better vehicle. So I had no problem with the cost -- it's finally the Outback I have been waiting for all along. If the XT had a larger gas tank, it would be perfect!

Craig

ateixeira

David: welcome to the Subaru Crew.

I'm not a fan of Bangle's work, either, plus I think things like active steering and price (and weight) creep are affecting BMW as well.

mayberry: Subaru has still not offered rebates on the Legacy or Outback. That might mean they'll sacrifice volume. But last year was a record sales year, has it slowed down dramatically in the last 3 months? I doubt it.

Or perhaps they just have excess capacity since Isuzu vacated SIA? More likely.

Or they are accustomed to selling Legacys at a record pace and now that initial demand has subsided they are coming back down to more normal volumes.

I'd rather see them sacrifice a bit of volume than join the flood of rebates and hurt residuals and their image.

-juice

njswamplands

I'd rather see them sacrifice a bit of volume than join the flood of rebates and hurt residuals and their image

ok i dont get this. if i could buy a new subaru at 27k versus 30k why would i do this if i plan on running my car until it dies?

or even if i dont run it until it dies, anything that lowers the sales tax premium at purchase is a huge plus.