Subaru B9 Tribeca (B9X)

mtdog

• The middle row seat has a 2-stage sliding feature. This so you don't accidentally crush the legs of 3rd-row passengers. Smart thinking!

My wife and I had a few minutes at the beginning of April to see a 7 passenger pre-production Tribeca at a local dealership. With all the seats folded flat we could not believe the gap between the second and third row seats. From the above, it sounds like we (including the salesman) did not know how to slide the middle seat to the second stage. Please let me know how to get the middle seat all the way back. I plan on going to look and drive a Tribeca later this week. Thanks for all of the info and insight!

rsholland

I found the interior room to be very good. Now granted, I do not have small kids or a stroller. Juice may be better able to answer that question than I, since he has small children.

With all three seats up there is not a huge amount of space behind the rear seat. I think it's perhaps equal or better than any of the other vehicles in this class, if that helps.

I've said this before and I'll say it again: If the third row seats are important, in that they will be used often and/or by a variety of people of varying sizes, then a minivan is the better choice. This holds true for any crossover, not just the Tribeca.

Bob

rsholland

Yes, this 2-stage middle-row seat is a bit tricky. I had to be shown as to how it works. What you do is:

• Grab the lever under the seat, and slide it back to position # 1, where it will lock in place.

• Then, again grab that same under the seat lever, and with the other hand grab another release lever on the outside edge of the seat. That outside lever will release it from the first stop.

Bob

rblnr

Similar request to cpp788x. My email address is desklamp3@gmail.com thank you

captkloss

"• I did cross-compare the XC90 with the Tribeca in a slalom course. Verdict: The Volvo is a plodding tackle, and the Tribeca is a fleet-footed running back. This comparison test really pointed out just how cumbersome the Volvo is.

Bob "

Hi, what XC90 model did you dirve? was it one of the smaller engines? would V8 perform better or the "cumbersomeness" isn't really engine related?

rsholland

It was the base XC90 AWD, which is most comparable to the Tribeca in terms of price.

What I was commenting had nothing to do with the engine. It was all about the vehicle. It felt very truck-like in quick slalom transitions, whereas the Tribeca was much more nimble in feeling.

You could also feel the Volvo's on-demand Haldex AWD kick in and out, which I don't like; not so with the Tribeca, because it's a full-time AWD.

Bob

grdh20

Any idea if it would be easy to remove the 3rd row seats for extra storage since I won't use them but wanted all the 7 seater options?

grdh20

Well today I am officially pissed off, waiting for 8 weeks for my pre-order just to see many dealers with limited/nav's coming in that were not preordered. I personally think Subaru messed up by not getting all the preorders out first. I have lost a great deal of faith in them. They can't even tell me where my car is even though it was due at the dealer last Friday. It's now to the point of looking at other options. Not happy.

shane850

Bob and Juice,

Great reviews!! I test drove about everything on the market in this size and general price ranging from around $30k all the way up to near $60k before ordering my B9 and can say for the overall package and price it cannot be beat in my opinion. I have had my loaded (limited I guess they are calling it now) 7-passenger for just over a week now and I am approaching 1,000 miles. The only option I did not get was the bug guard because I am deciding if I want the stone guard film or the bug guard.

As for the fuel, the information you got seems to be the same as the B9 manual and fuel door state. Right on the inside of the fuel door it states something like: unleaded fuel only and then says premium fuel recommended. I ran both premium and mid-grade and really saw no difference.

I can say I am very happy with the B9 overall but would agree, an engine with a little more torque would be nice, but I am happy with what it has. For me it was learning to drive the hi-rev engine as I was coming from a 2002 Ford Excursion with a diesel so there was plenty of torque in the old rig but you run low RPM's.

We went on a 500 mile trip over the weekend and got to do a lot of climbing mountain passes in Eastern Washington and the Columbia River Gorge area. We had two adults, 1 child, a medium dog and large dog (115 lbs) so we were fairly loaded.
I did purchase a rack for the trailer hitch (had a 2" receiver version but the B9 only comes with 1 1/4" and it was the same price to buy a new rack as an adaptor so I opted for the rack) so that I could carry more items as I already have water proof bags and so you can carry anything out there. I knew when getting the B9 I would need more storage/carrying room if we had all seats up so it was not a big deal. Besides, going from an Excursion to anything else is down sizing so I was prepared for less space.
It was quite warm ( mid-80's to mid-90's) when we left on Friday and throughout the weekend so we rain the A/C for the entire trip. I checked the mileage at each fill-up and for the trip we averaged around 22 MPG. The computer was actually pretty close to the actual mileage I got. also, it was great to have an A and B trip log so I could reset A when I filled up and leave B to track mile for the entire trip.

One thing I learned while driving on the trip, thanks to my better half who was reading the manuals, is there are actually three modes to drive in. The "standard mode" which you are in when you shift to drive. If you move the shifter to the left you enter the sport mode which holds the gears longer and to higher RPM's. This was great for hill climbing and on curving roads as it did no up-shift as bad as you left of the throttle to enter a corner, rather it held the gear it was in. Last of course there was the manual shift mode which you entered by either up-shifting or down shifting, thus leaving the sport shift mode. I really like the sport shift mode if I did not want shift the gears manually but wanted to keep the engine RPM's up for the curves and such.

The NAV system worked great and one feature I did like a lot was that if you chose to take a different turn than it directed you to it reconfigured the route for another turn rather than telling you that you are going the wrong way and to make a u-turn as I have seen other systems do. It is a great feature to have and came in handy when our son asked how much further and you could give him a approximate time as the NAV system determined it for you.

DVD was great as well so we could listen to our own music and he could watch his movies and none of us had to hear the others music or movie. The screen did protrude into the view of the rear view mirror but I still had no problems seeing what was behind us.

I am still learning quite a few things about all of the systems and how each work but I am really happy with the B9 and am glad we made the decision to purchase it over others on the market.

One thing I did notice is that there did not seem to be an ash tray or lighter in the B9? I found it kind of strange but it really does not effect me as I am a non-smoker, other than a place to keep my change. The dealer and I looked for it inside the B9 and the manual but never found reference to it.

Overall I am very happy and have no regrets to purchasing a B9 and would do it again.

Shane

shane850

Why would you remove them and not just fold them down? I do not plan to use mine often so I just leave them folded. If you did take them out you would not have a flat cargo area.
From what I can tell, they don't look real easy to remove.

Shane

rsholland

Also, if you get the 5-passenger version there is a storage compartment in place of the rear seat. The problem is it's divided into four fixed-space subdivisions. That limits its use. For example, you couldn't put an umbrella in there, if you wanted to.

Bob

alpha01

The July issue of MT has a decent-length and quite favorable write-up of the Tribeca. Among the highlights, just as our faithful friends Bob and Juice have reported, Motor Trend noted the incredibly balanced and sporting handling. Their test rig need a longish 8.9 seconds to 60, though.

I think most will find it interesting, check it out!!

Joe

shane850

Does anyone know if the 55mm offset I have seen a few web sites is correct for the Tribeca? I am looking at getting aftermarket rims and need to know the offset on them so I can figure out which ones will fit. I know the bolt pattern is 5 on 4.5" (114.3 mm) but not the offset.

Hopefully it is not that large as it limits the number of wheels currently on the market that will fit.

Thanks to anyone who can help
shane

sublove1

Lynnes Subaru @ 318 Bloomfield Ave, Bloomfield NJ has a couple. You can asks for Benito. He was very helpful. He was pretty truthful in what he knew about the Tribeca. If you go, tell him, Tommy said hea!

bodble2

Newspaper ads are already appearing and they still only have the intro micro-site. :confuse:

We need to see some Canadian MSRPs! :mad:

shane850

I was on the Subaru site, www.subaru.com, yesterday and they have improved it quite a bit. They show all the models, specs and options for them. I did not look for Canadian MSRPs but the site is much improved.

The Tribeca actually comes up on the main page and there is a tab for it.

Shane

jon_in_ct

http://www.subaru.ca/interface/Subaru02/NewsDetail02.asp?ArticleID=1555&OwnerID=&WebPageID- =4998&WebSiteID=282

bodble2

Thanks! Now why didn't I see that?

gt2b9

I ended up cancelling my original order with a VIN in the 4500 range and picked up a LTD Nav with the options I wanted at another dealer. Me experience with the first was not great. I had called them to ask when the B9 would arrive and was told between May 20 and June 1. Based on their estimated arrival date I sold my car to a private buyer, but not until after I'd confirmed with the dealer that they would put me in an interim vehicle until my Tribeca arrived..."Go ahead, sell your car, we'll take good care of you" they said. On the day I was expecting to pick up my new Tribeca, and selling my car by meeting the buyer at the dealer, I was told that my order would not arrive until approx. June 17 AND they could only let me have a car for a week. When they brought a 2002 Chevy over for me to drive I decided I'd had enough. The sales manager was "gracious" enough to "upgrade" me to a 2004 Mazda 626 but i'd have to bring it back by months end because the tabs were up. So I bought a Tribeca elsewhere, brought the car back and said I'd made other arrangements. Other dealers are hungry, if you're not happy go elsewhere and demand an equivalent if not better deal!

njswamplands

sweet_subie

SoA sold 600 units in May, they say it has been around only for a week. I am not sure if this includes pre-orders ?

http://vocuspr.vocus.com/VocusPR30/Temp/Sites/1571/630b931a893e4248b33fbe6fd792e616/Subaru- _May_%202005_Sales_For_Web.doc

ateixeira

Cargo space with the 7 seats in use is miniscule. Enough for half a dozen grocery bags or an umbrella stroller or two, but not my big EvenFlo On-My-Way stroller/infant carrier.

But I can imagine using the 3rd row in a pinch to car pool the kids to pre-school and after school events. All you'd have is a few school bags and then you'd fit in fine.

grdh20: I did bring up your concern. They said they will check what's in the port and see if it matches what you ordered, but generally a custom ordered vehicle will take longer. At least they are aware of the issue. Try to get a VIN. If the dealer tries to sell it out from under you they can be caught and reprimanded.

Joe: that sounds wrong, 8.9 seconds?

A few mags clocked the auto Forester around 9.1 seconds. We drove a 2006 with the 173hp engine and auto, and it felt significatly slower than the Tribeca. This was back to back. I drove a Tribeca, then a Forester, then a Tribeca again.

Much as I like the Forester (#1 fan probably) I have to admit the Tribeca feels a whole bunch more upscale and is definitely quicker than the non-turbos.

-juice

ateixeira

I bet that only includes delivered vehicles. If there were 600 pre-orders, there had to have been far more sales. In fact most pre-orders have not been delivered yet. So it probably includes a few pre-orders, but only the ones that were delivered.

Not bad for a week of sales. Doesn't mean much yet, but they're off to a good start.

-juice

sweet_subie

http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/Drives/FirstDrives/articleId=105385

grdh20

Well Finally my Limited with NAV came in today, a week after the "due" date. Anyone know if the roof rack crossbars is a "self install" unit and do they slide back and forth or are they fixed in one position?

teamjd

If it were one big one compartment, there would be the possibility of too much weight on top collapsing down. I was probably cheaper to make a plastic tray with cross pieces to support the cover than it was to make a stronger cover.

rsholland

I doubt that very much. Remember, that area is designed to carry 2 passengers, so weight shouldn't be a problem; if so, just use thicker plastic for added strength.

Bob

njswamplands

heck even juice and bob, you were at the ride a thon. how was the tinting? dark as the usual minivan tint?

rsholland

Funny you should ask that. I overheard one other participant at the Ride & Drive saying that the windows seemed darker than on other Subarus. Darker than a minivan? Good question. I would say about the same.

Bob

ateixeira

I liked it, I heard them say it was 35% tint but I have 35 on my Forester and it looked darker. Not quite 20% but somewhere in between. Looked very sharp!

Interesting Edmunds write up. EPA is 18/23, but maybe they didn't know when the article was authored.

never at a loss for power

That's kind of how I felt about it.

The steering is a bit light but competitors are even lighter, and I disagree about it feeling like a big, heavy truck on the road. At least comparatively. Go drive a Volvo XC90 back-to-back if you don't believe me.

-juice

teamjd

Picked my 5 pass LTD up yesterday from Town Motors in NJ. Great price by the way! Spent all day and night driving a round with one GIANT grin. With so many people staring at me, You'd have thought I was driving with my fly open. 150 miles so far... 19.8 mpg combo driving.The cross bars are fixed in place and don't slide. They are really sturdy. It looks like a it could be a self install. It's held in by a few allen head bolts, but the base screws are hidden...making me think that it must be put together in stages. The only complaint if I had to have one...The cruise control is operated by a lever really close to the wiper controls, and it has the same up and down travel. At least three times, I hit the wiper control instead of the cruise control. It makes you look kind of dumb with the wipers going on a dry sunny day.

One more note for the tweakers: When I was talking to the tech at the dealership about the cool stuff, he was telling me that there is a test code that allows the DVD being played to be seen on the NAV screen on the front, but he wouldn't elaborate.

ateixeira

To both of you, actually. Seems like sales are off to a good start. Even with the Legacy it took a little longer to have this many Edmunds members owning one.

You'll get used to the cruise. It's inside the wheel, while the wiper buttons are outside. I engage mine without taking my hands off the wheel. You don't even have to reach for the button on the lower dash like I do to turn the system on.

You need to have it in Drive and the parking brake on, and then you can watch movies too.

-juice

rsholland

The only complaint if I had to have one...The cruise control is operated by a lever really close to the wiper controls, and it has the same up and down travel. At least three times, I hit the wiper control instead of the cruise control. It makes you look kind of dumb with the wipers going on a dry sunny day.

Interesting. All Subies (Toyota too) have the CC set up that way, and it's never been a problem. I think once you get used to it, it will be fine. Frankly I like that set up, I find it very intuitive.

Bob

grdh20

Just what we need, people driving down th street watching TV while talkiing on their cell phones.

ateixeira

...and sipping a milkshake while dipping McNuggets in the BBQ sauce.

It only works in Park! :P

-juice

grdh20

till someone finds a hack.

teamjd

I'm talking about the cover for the compartment. Have you seen it yet? It's 1/4 inch card board at best with a thin carpet cover.

ateixeira

LOL

Just kidding, BTW. I bet some folks just broke out cable cutters...

-juice

alpha01

Juice, I agree that 8.9 looks like a slow number on paper, but Im pretty sure thats what MT clocked. I didnt expect it to be high/mid 7s like you said (no offense to you), but I was indeed surprised by the 8.9 number. Perhaps the engine was simply too green? One last point- you've seen the automatic Forester clocked at 9.1 to 60? I would think that had to be a standard transmission? Theres no way that our lighter Legacy with the 4EAT can do the trick in that time.

Encouraging sales numbers for the month, with the exception of the Forester's slide.

Joe

robr2

In Subaru's convoluted math system I do believe that the 583 Tribecas they show are vehicles delivered to dealers - not to consumers.

The numbers in the top chart - Month End Sales/Inventory Comparison - are always higher than the lower chart - Sales by Dealer State. The bottom chart is actual deliveries by dealers. I sent them an e-mail last month but they never responded.

teamjd

You're right. It's probably because I'm all thumbs anyway.
I do like the room in the back seat though. with the seat all the way back, I still had more room than in my cousins Dodge Magnum SRT wagon. Plus, I like the reclining seats.

ateixeira

7.5 was R&T's estimate. Let's see what they clock. C&D quoted Subaru's own figure of 8.0 but said it felt quicker.

The Legacy is heavier. The Forester weighs a couple hundred pounds less, so yeah, both the Washington Post and Motorweek quoted 9.1 seconds with an automatic, and that was when it made 165hp.

C&D's last Legacy L 5 speed made the run in 8.8 seconds, so the 2.5l ain't too shabby. Of course the turbos in the 5-6s range make them seem slow.

Tribeca's not a jack rabbit but like Edmunds said (and I agree) it never felt lacking.

-juice

alpha01

Interesting, thanks for pointing that out; I didnt realize the Forester was lighter!

FWIW, the 05 Forester X with 4EAT is shown on Subie's website as 3135 lbs, and the Legacy 2.5i with 4EAT is shown on the site as 3245.

I'm really hoping for a full test of the Tribeca in this month's C/D, much prefer it to MT and R&T.

Joe

ateixeira

I prefer them also, they're the only mag that does top speed testing on every car. And for real, not estimated, like some others.

Plus, the 5-60 test is useful, more so than the 0-60 IMO.

-juice

rsholland

I have to say, as someone who has been designing brochures for 30 years or more, this is one of the best looking brochures I've ever seen Subaru do. The photography is absolutely beautiful, the paper is topnotch, the typography is exquisite and very sensitively handled, the use of varnishes and other production issues are all first-rate, and it's perfect-bound. This really will help position the Tribeca and Subaru as being very much upscale.

Great job Subaru!

Bob

ateixeira

Does that mean you'll stop complaining about the brochures now?

Promise.

-juice

rsholland

Yeah, if they're this good in the future. Seriously, Subaru has produced some really ugly brochures in the past. In the last few years they've been pretty good – to very good; but this one goes to the head of the class IMO.

This brochure is easily the equal to the brochures put out by other premium carmakers, which incidentally are all also excellent. This is all about brand image and market positioning, and Subaru is clearly on the right path now. Finally!

Bob

ateixeira

Is that where you found it?

-juice

rsholland

Yep. I had to run by Office Depot a little while ago, and swung by Russell Subaru, which was on the way back.

Bob

saustin

Hi,
Has anyone picked up or been in a B9 with beige leather ? Am told the carpeting is actually a grey and so are the mats ? Interesting because this is not what we saw in the pictures on cars 101. Probably not a bad issue but would be good to know before we pick it up at 6:30. If it matters it is the Atlantic Blue 7ltd.

thanks, Steve.