Subaru B9 Tribeca (B9X)

gwilson

What type of gas are you using in your Tribeca? Anyone try different octanes and see any difference in engine smoothness, pinging, better/worst MPG, etc?

Any insight would be helpful!! Thanks!

rblnr

The one lease I've been offered so far is 489.14/mo. w/2K down, all fees and taxes included. This for a 7 pass. Ltd. w/DVD, NAV and a some options. Doesn't seem like a great price, am trying to get #'s from other dealers.

ateixeira

What state, at least?

-juice

rblnr

NJ

ateixeira

You could take the train down to DC (Union Station) then the subway to White Flint to see Fitz Subaru. Check out fitzmall.com.

We bought our Legacy there, it's no-haggle, very no-nonsense. They are up front about all the costsl, and can even do out of state plates for you.

Check 'em out, if you end up going maybe I'll meet you there, I only live a couple of miles away.

At least use their price as leverage to get the local dealer to match it.

-juice

subienewbie2

How many months, sales tax %, and annual mile allowance

ateixeira

What's your web site URL again?

You should track Tribeca reviews like you did a while back for the Forester. That was great, a one-stop shop for links to all the reviews. :-)

-juice

rblnr

Juice, thanks for the tip on Fitz -- I'll check them out.

Sorry I left out some of the terms, they were 36 mo., 12K miles, sales tax included in the price.

Have liked my 2003 Forester very much, btw. Drives so much better than competitors such as the CR-V and RAV. Only gripes are wind noise and adequate but not great acceleration, but that has been addressed w/the XT.

popa_sez

I am now getting ready for my second fill up minus the full tank that I received from the dealer. I have been averaging 20.6 mpg. I also put in regular fuel this time and noticed a slight delay in acceleration when I am already traveling above 40 MPH. I also just received a thank you letter from my dealership customer satisfaction manager who offered me another free tank of gas. I guess this couldn't come at a better time since I am going to need it tomorrow. The tribe runs like a dream. I still can't get over the comfort of the drive. The other thing I love is little outside noise. I can actually hear people on my cell phone when I am driving. Don't worry people I use an ear piece.

subienewbie2

Isn't there a switch to turn the Air bag off for the front passemger?

spiritman1

I first saw the Tribeca on the interstate and liked the looks.....went to the dealer when closed and looked through the windows at the cabin and it looked good....went next day when they were open and sat in it in showroom and took in the styling but felt like I was in a cacoon although it looked OK......salesman said take it for drive.....OK I said and hopped in.....took off and could not beleive the engine noise......outrageously loud!!....and the transmission seems mismatched to the engine or weight of the car......it could never settle in to the correct gear at a given speed......and to top that off it seems top heavy and ponderous in turns......was attracted to the Subaru reliability but wanted something bigger than the Outback.....but IMHO they blew this one.....

subienewbie2

Are you sure you driving a Tribeca?

What do you drive now?

ateixeira

20.6 mpg is great on a green engine. Edmunds' Tribeca averaged 20.7mpg. Seems like at least half the reports so far have been above 20. That seems pretty promising given Subies improve with age.

The engine revs high but I seriously doubt the noise levels are any worse than average for this class at steady speeds. I found it pretty quiet, actually.

Let's see when a comparo comes out, I know C&D measures noise levels. There may be a bit more at full throttle but at cruising speeds I bet it's lower.

-juice

rsholland

Noise. I suspect what he is referring to is that when the engine downshifts (when you give it gas), it sounds like it is racing.; and I would agree with that.

Bob

bman33

Everyone has an opinion. I disagree that the engine noise is loud in the Tribeca or that the automatic transmission hunts for a gear when in normal mode. Maybe he/she was in sport shift mode and left it in first? Banging it off the rev limiter and hearing the engine braking from 6,000 RPM would be loud in any car!

rsholland

No, it was in "D" and driving normally.

Bob

cptplt

So I picked up my new Tribeca and I'm going over it at home and I can't find anything wrong with it except I wanna know why of all the colors there are, SOA has to use pink fasteners for that lower body moulding. Just ahead of the front doors there is a pink! fastener to hold that trim between the door and the wheel well.Not that I'm anti pink per se, just that it seem odd to use that rather than say black or something, or am I mising a piece of trim which should cover up the pink fastener?? Its on both sides of the car.
Kids think the puddle lights are just so cool!
Better still my soon to be 16 yr old thinks it will be cooler to drive the Tribeca than the WRX, phew!

irishwheat

After a lot of thinking and experimenting I finally purchased my tribeca on Tues. & pass, nav,dvd.
Here are my initial impressions. It is fun to drive. In sport mode it really is fairly aggressive. I am not getting great gas mileage at this moment but assume break in has a lot to do with that. Pros: very comfortable, good road "stick" nice sounding stereo and dvd system. nav systems is easy to learn. interior lighting is excellent. Feel of car is solid. I have had a number of people in just the last two days come up to me ask what kind of car this is and how it handles. A few cons, or rather wishes, a rear view camera, ala mdx, would be a big bonus. Xm built in would make a lot of sense. A blue tooth phone integration would be fun. An automatic trunk open/close ala Rx 300 would also be a good thing to have. Not gripping just things that might be a bit more "luxury oriented" Overall though the car is solid and a great family car/suv

alpha01

Bob-

You're absolutely right, I was very impressed by this vehicle after having driven it. For me, I really enjoyed the quick-to-rev nature of the H6, which I hadnt experienced prior to the test drive. With only myself aboard, I really didnt feel any torque deficiencies, though I can see how people would have contentions about hauling the spouse, 2.4 kids, Fido, and luggage. One thing I forgot to mention in my brief review was that among the FEW items I found disappointing was the SportShift feature. It shifted with absolutely zero alacrity after I moved the shift lever. There was a very noticeable lag, with the rig revving sometimes as much as 300 RPM higher than my desired upshift point. The SportShift in our Legacy, by comparison, seems much MUCH cleaner and more responsive. Very interesting.

~alpha

ateixeira

Go drive an FX, or any Nissan with the VQ for that matter. You can really hear that engine. I think even at full throttle the H6 is more quiet.

It fits the sporty character of the Tribeca. Lexus RX shoppers may be turned off, though.

alpha - the trannies are adaptable, I wonder if your Sportshift has learned your driving style and shifts quicker accordingly?

-juice

subienewbie2

Do any of you long term Subie owner know if there are any Subie or after market Turbo Chargers that are adaptable to the Tribeca 3L engine.

As much as love my soon to arrive Tribeca - coming out of 340 HP Q45, I may wish I had more power.

Anyone have thoughts on such a conversion.

bat1161

Quick question- when I did the test drive on Monday, I noticed a button on the lower left side of the dash, next to the windshield heater button. Is that for turning off/on the VDC? The salesman was not sure, and in my excitement after driving it forgot to ask him to find out .

Thanks.
-Mark

rsholland

I'm not aware of any, and if there are, I'd be very leery of it.

Bob

alpha01

Point taken, but, just in case I was unclear, I'm not talking about the transmission when left in Normal or Sport....I actually was very impressed with the 5 speed unit, and though I didnt have the chance to ask for a high speed pass, I thought downshifts were prompt from about 40 MPH when I nailed the go-pedal (contrary to what I've read in a few reviews.)

The sluggishness I felt was specifically when I shifted the vehicle in SportShift mode manually. In such an instance, Im not sure if there really is anything for the transmission to "learn"...... I flick the shifter forward, thats when I want an upshift, not 300 RPM later.

~alpha

rsholland

Yep, I noticed that too. The SportShift is not as quick to react as I would like it to be. Still, it's better than not having that feature at all.

Bob

kmartin

(I was asked to re-post this without using the salesman's name -- hope this is OK now)

Well, I’ve had a slight change in plans...instead of ordering the Tribeca and waiting 6-8 weeks, I found one at a small town dealer about 100 miles away (Lamb Subaru Nissan in Prescott, Arizona). It was the right color combination (Atlantic Blue w/ gray leather), and had most all of the bells and whistles on it that I wanted, including the Nav, which I was going to pass on.

On Monday I called the dealer and told them I was bringing my folks up to look at it. Knowing how most the small town dealers crave customers from the big cities, I figured it would be worth a shot to deal with them. The test drive was extensive over winding city streets and a couple of construction zones. We asked them to check the tire pressure and all four were high at 38-40 (another dealer had their’s at 40-46! very bumpy ride!). After the adjustment, we drove it again on some pretty bumpy local roads, and were impressed with the ride (not quite as smooth as the OB, but very close). The handling is spry and the drive was a gas (pun intended). Speaking of gas, we didn’t go far as the gas light had come on, so we headed back to the dealer.

I told them of the $500-over-invoice offer, and they came back with $1000 over. I told them we would go eat lunch and think about it. After about an hour, I called them back and asked to split the difference, which they did ($750 over invoice). They gave me TOP KBB for my immaculate ‘05 Outback wagon (in the “Excellent” category), and we were on our way down the hill towards home by 5:00 pm.

We thoroughly enjoyed the ride home, playing with the Nav, the rear AC controls (it was 100+ degrees in Phx that day). The puddle lights are VERY cool, and quite helpful at night when getting in and out (especially for the olders). And the entry-exit is pretty smooth, as I had hoped -- grandma had no trouble sliding in and out of the slightly higher seats (3” higher than the OB, but lower than most SUVs). BTW, she’s 95, very sharp, but has severe arthritis in her back and hip, and she claimed it was a piece of cake, and the ride was very comfortable. What better test drive could you have ?

Tuesday I ordered a few add-ons from my local dealer (Steven Jory Subaru in Phoenix, also VERY good folks to deal with): crossbars, wheel locks, security alarm shock sensor, and the bigger 5-pass cargo (tray which will get lots of use, as I don’t plan on using the 3rd row much, if at all).

BTW, MPG on the way home increased from 12 (w/36 miles on it) to around 17 (with 140 miles), mostly downhill from 5000 feet in elevation to 1200. I look for that to increase as the car breaks in.

-Karen in AZ- :shades:

kmartin

I had thought about it but have been busy. I also had several reviews posted for the '05 outbacks. I'll work on updating it for the Tribeca this summer...

http://members.cox.net/kamartin/2005outbackreviews.html

The Forester links are way outdated, but here's the page, anyway: http://members.cox.net/kamartin/forester.html

BTW, all three big auto mags have very positive reviews in their current issues (July, I think) - R&T, MT and C&D. I read them all in at Borders Books last night. You may also notice the big two-page ads near the front of each issue...that must be the advertising fee we have to pay for each car :-) I'll search the posts and find the links...

-Karen in AZ- :shades:

ateixeira

That's cool, people ask for that stuff all the time. :-)

Here is Edmunds' take on the Tribeca:

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

-juice

sweet_subie

TCC has good review of Tribeca as well. I am not allowed to post links.

bman33

Car and Driver measured the noise level in their road test. 70 db at full throttle is pretty quiet...

http://www.caranddriver.com/article.asp?section_id=3&article_id=9636&page_number=1

I'm sure the fuel economy will improve as the engine is broken in.

As for performance tuning, most vendors focus on the 2.5 Turbo 4 banger. Check out www.cobbtuning.com for some standard performance upgrades.

shodanusmc

My mileage on a 98 GT Limited and a 2001 Outback Limited never improved. I had the 4 banger. I got much better mileage with the GT, around 18 combined than I did with the outback...16 combined. Both cars were very reliable, and I loved them in the Chicago winters.

kmartin

What's "TCC"? -km-

kmartin

OK, here is my rough draft...let me know of any corrections/omissions, etc.

2006 Subaru B9 Tribeca Online Reviews Links

http://members.cox.net/kamartin/2006b9tribeca.html

once_for_all

Karen, you mentioned checking the tire pressure after running around in the city for a few blocks, and it was high (38-40).

Tire pressures need to be checked and adjusted COLD. It sounds like they were probably about the right pressure and your adjustments underinflated them. A much worse, and dangerous even, condition.

John

kmartin

Yes, but we "guesstimated" the correct pressure. We were pretty close -- within a pound--, as I checked them again, cold, the next morning.

ticoar

Hi everyone,

I am really interested in the B9, but I do not need to buy a new car until early next year. Assuming Subaru will tweak and fix any shortcomings from this years model, I would like to get the 2007 model year. Does Subaru have a "normal" release window for the new models?

ateixeira

They tend to roll them out one by one. Lately they've come out earlier and earlier.

But this time next year is a pretty safe bet for the 2007 Tribeca. I guess Tribeca will come first, then Forester, then Legacy/Outback, and finally Impreza. That should be the order this year.

Staggered intros let them focus on one new model, I guess.

-juice

jeffmc

Car & Driver's rolling start (5-60mph) time was a little disappointing, but all in all a pretty good review. For the most part the counterpoints are valid, except once again a reviewer complains about the 7-pass version sacrificing space... dude, put the seat back ALL the way when there's no one in the 3rd row!!! Someone needs to explain the safety stop to these writers before they do their reviews. Also, the lady who suffered sticker shock needs to join the 21st century - for what it is, this is a VERY well-priced vehicle.

Compare C&D's test results between B9 Tribeca Limited and Outback XT Limited:

Tribeca Limited - http://www.caranddriver.com/article.asp?section_id=3&article_id=9636&page_number=4
Outback XT Limited - http://www.caranddriver.com/article.asp?section_id=3&article_id=8204&page_number=3

Tribeca impresses... it's quieter at all three sound measurement levels, comes to a stop from 70mph 12 feet sooner, and has better roadholding (.78g vs .74g)
It's probably a given that Tribeca's slightly more comfortable and versatile, so that leaves Outback XT's only advantages as $2k lower price, better acceleration and 1MPG better mileage.

What's the advantage of B9 Tribeca over Outback? I think C&D spells it out pretty well.

1stsuv

First an update, then a question.

I've had my Tribeca (titanium silver 7-pass limited w/DVD) for almost 4 weeks now (pre-ordered, and mine was the first at the dealer). Paid $34,880 before taxes, fees, etc. ($37 flat after). Only accessories I got were rear cargo net and luggage compartment cover. Absolutely love the car -- great styling and fun to drive. The complaints are valid -- it could have a little more power in lower gears (although Sportshift solves some of that) and it does tend to search for the right gear when going uphill. But there is no shortage of power, especially when moving; I've had no trouble merging onto the highway and this morning a Cayenne couldn't keep up with me. I've actually been taking the long way home from work because I like driving the car so much.

My other choices were the MDX and the XC90. Never owned a Subaru before this one. Ultimately chose the Tribeca because I loved the total package and it came to about $6000 less than a comparable MDX (the XC90 would have been even more). The only thing it's missing against the MDX is a little bit of power and memory seats, which would have been nice, but I certainly wouldn't pay $6000 for them. (I don't really care about the telescoping steering wheel, and Bluetooth seems like a gimmick since I've already got a Bluetooth headset.) I also liked the fact that it's slightly smaller on the outside than the MDX.

Now for the question -- I think I read here that you can only access the 3rd row from the passenger side. I checked the owner's manual and it only talks about accessing the 3rd row from the passenger side. This surprised me, because both sides of the second row seem to fold equally and travel fore and aft equally. I don't plan on using the 3rd row often, but I probably will use it occasionally. I've already installed a car seat in the passenger-side outboard position -- do I need to move it to the driver's side? Is passenger-side access just easier because that side of the seat is smaller, or is there a real reason why you have to access the 3rd row from that side?

Thanks in advance.

tytnsfan1

Not sure if this is already posted but I doubt it as most are from the north east I believe. Anyway, here is a review by some Texans! (I'm from Kentucky, though)

http://www.dfw.com/mld/dfw/business/columnists/david_boldt/11902951.htm

njswamplands

need to register to see this review

rblnr

Tried Fitzmall, for 7 pass. LTD w/DVD + NAV: $529.00 for 36mo./12K miles, 2K down. Nowhere have I come close to the $380 some people have published, nothing near $400 actually ($489 still the best). Am awaiting more quotes and haven't really bargained w/anyone yet.

subienewbie2

I am of the opinion that access from the passenger side is mainly a safety issue.

In most cases we park on the right side of a street (passenger side) so naturally it is safer to load passenger fron that side since there is no danger of on coming traffic.

Regarding the child seat - again I believe this is corrrect - but the safest location for the child is the middle rear seat location. This provides max protection in a side collision.

So if you are not going to use the 3rd row much - you may want to put the child in the center seat. If the child seat is not too wide you may still be able acces the 3rd row if needed.

Don't know if that makes sense.

kmartin

Thx for the link, tytnsfan1. I added it to my review links page.

http://members.cox.net/kamartin/2006b9tribeca.html

-Karen in AZ- :shades:

ateixeira

The safety stop was clearly demonstrated to us at Detroit, and then again at the training SoA does on the Tribeca. Blame the auto writers for simply not paying attention.

Jeff: what C&D doesn't spell out is that for marketing purposes SUV > SUW (sport utility wagon). Not to mention a turbo-4 will always carry a stigma no matter how it performs. And the H6 can use regular fuel.

1stsuv: congrats on the new 'beca!

I have a Bluetooth headset also. I think it's the MD250 model, something like that, works perfectly with my BlackBerry 7100T. Pretty nifty but when I use it I appear to be "cell crazy", as if I'm talking to myself. Funny.

I guess it would be cool if the Nav system could read addresses from my BlackBerry, to calculate a destination, but can they do something like that? Using the car's speakers for the phone is, to me, pretty useless.

rblnr: perhaps the salesman meant for a 7 pass LTD without Nav and DVD? That's all they had in stock when I saw him.

-juice

jeffmc

The Nav system's calendar and note-taking cabilities are a great touch, but would be much more valuable if you could upload/download appointments and notes via bluetooth. It's great you can make appointments or a note, but how are you gonna conveniently get that info out of your car and into your computer? Or going the other way, who's gonna want to enter their day's schedule into their car every morning?

rwalker07

I just tried to trade my 2005 MB E320 in for a Subaru Tribeca and the Mercedes dealer here in Las Vegas, NV offered the Sub dealer only $33,000 for it.

I knew when you drove a new car off of the lot you were losing several thousand dollars but over $20.

The MB dealer here in Las Vegas,NV must be unbelievable. I can honestly say that I will never buy a MB from here again.

Now on to the Tribeca, which will be mine eventually.

It was actually much, much nicer in person than the photos suggested. I was very impressed. It handled really well, had enough power for me and was very quiet. I have driven the Mitsu. Endeavor a lot and there is no comparison. It really was luxurious.

I had test driven the Acura MDX as well and was looking at Volvo too. I congratulate anyone with the Subaru, it is an excellent vehicle. The one I was going to get was silver with all the trimmings, Nav and DVD player. Very nice. I could not decide between the white and the silver. They had a black one on the lot that was nicer than any of them but you cannot keep it clean, but my oh my was it nice.

Anyway, I'm stuck for a little while with the MB (not a bad car to be stuck with), but please think twice about this dealer here in Las Vegas

bigelm

Well, with the help of a contact in SOA, it so happens that my pre-order is still sitting at SOA and has not been sent to development. So, SOA has lost a sale. I've decided to not give Subaru a cent after this dilema. I'll be seeking other options to have my wife happy.

I know you guys will try to persuade me to go to another dealer or just see what the other dealers have but I'm sooo upset at this point that Subaru doesn't deserve my business after we have placed this order in April. Not to mention my wife is pretty T'd off!

Oh well, I hope you guys enjoy the B9. Maybe I'll revisit the B9 in the next yr or so. Who knows, maybe the turbo will be out by then

subienewbie2

I am not a big supporter of auto dealers, but considering you wanted to trade-in a high end car in the same model year taking a 20K hit sounds within the real of possibility. Losing 20K means you paid 53K for an ML 320, which sounds like you paid full retail or maybe more. If thats correct - that fact alone cost you between 4 & 6K.

Also, the MB dealer was buying the car from another dealer, so there was no reason to be genrous. I am sure if you wanted to trade for another MB they have offered a few K more.

mikejl

Hi everyone! I just came across this forum a couple of days ago and I have been very happy to see all the positive feedback about the Tribeca. I've been extremely interested in this car since it was announced. I even attended the Pittsburgh Auto Show early this year just to see it. It was behind ropes, but I got a pretty good look.

Long story short, we made a deal on a loaded Tribeca last night during the kick-off festivities and will pick it up tomorrow just before noon. I can't wait! This is my fifth Subaru in the last 17 years, and every one has been better than the one before, but I think this time the bar has been raised like never before.

I'm sorry to be so long-winded, but I am really excited about this car. We are going to Gatlinburg, TN from Pittsburgh in about a week, so we'll have a chance to put that NAV system through its paces. The DVD player will also get a real workout from a couple of 14-year-olds.

Anyway, I have already learned a great deal from reading the posts here and I just wanted to say Thanks for all the information. I hope I can contribute some useful items from time-to-time, as well.