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Comments
The Tribeca may be a more exciting vehicle to some but for me my Pilot does me just fine. Even if it is dull
When I test drove a new CR-V last year I found it alright for its class but in no way close to the Highlander. The one I was in was rather smooth and handled not bad although it was not really sporty.
-juice
The Pilot is boxy and the MDX is softer - they have to maintain this differentiation.
Charlie
-juice
http://birmingham.bizjournals.com/birmingham/stories/2006/01/30/daily15.html?pag- e=1
I was a little bummed that the Pilot could not match the Odyssey's EPA mileage given it also got VCM, but I guess it's not nearly as aerodynamic.
-juice
There are good arguments - pro and con - but some do go for AWD or 4WD for image also.
tidester, host
-juice
juice - in what conditions would you want ground clearance that you wouldn't want AWD or 4X4?
I think a great value would be a used '05 Outback 2.5i. Highly rated, dependable, well-equipped, superior AWD vehicle with SUV-height ground clearance and a handsome Euro-feel interior. Pretty good gas mileage considering the AWD, too. Edmunds' TMV for an '05 2.5i Outback is around $19.5k.
http://www.edmunds.com/used/2005/subaru/outback/100397584/photos.html
However, a lot of people just want to have a suspension that can absorb potholes, i.e. more travel. Plus good angles of approach/departure for steep driveways and speed bumps, the ones that my Miata bottoms out on every time.
That plus a raised suspension often gives them the much-desired higher hip point, for that commanding view.
The latter is the key reason that SUVs (even 2WD ones) succeeded where wagons failed. I'm sure the Highlander sells far better than the Camry wagon every did, and at a much higher price point to boot.
-juice
-juice
I current have an 03' pathfinder and the gas mileage is killing me.. getting about 15mpg combined..
I'm trading it in and plan on getting either a Murano or a B9 Tribeca... but I don't know which. I like the Tribeca more than the Murano with many things. But the things the Murano has over the B9 is 1. gas mileage and 2. low end torque. I'm hearing mixed things on the MPG of the B9.. some say they are averaging over 20.. some say they don't get over 18.. so i dont know what to believe. The Murano i know for a fact has great mileage and a larger gas tank. I'll test drive both cars this weekend and test the power of both and see if there really is a power difference. If i wasn't hearing mixed ideas on the B9 mileage.. i would pick it over the Murano easily.. but thats the one thing holding me back.
- For the most part build quality and reliability have been first rate once they overcame the rust issues in the '80s.
- The engines are a mess. The number one problem I have had is with engines - 3 of the 9 I have owned have had serious engine problems before 100k miles to the point that I had to get rid of the cars. Engine performance and technology is a decade behind Honda/Toyota/Nissan etc.
The only reason I am posting in this forum is that I just traded my last Outback for a Pilot (no more Subarus for me).
I've observed mileage reports for the Tribeca, and a little more than half of them are above 20mpg.
Maybe try a search on the Murano forums for "mpg" and just jot down how many are above/below that mark. I bet it's about the same.
Keep in mind Edmunds' Tribute got just 16mpg, their bigger SUVs often get just 12. C&D's RAV4 got only 16mpg, while Edmunds managed just under 20 or so. It's all how you drive, YMMV is more true than ever with a heavy SUV.
-juice
Also, when testing the B9's performance, remember to try the sport mode on the transmission, entered by sliding the shifter to the left from the Drive position. Keep the shifter in that spot and it's in sport mode... bump it up or down from there and you enter manual shift mode. The performance will be more sprightly, but you'll see a decrease in mileage from it, of course. I'd keep it in the normal mode for daily driving, but it's nice to know you have that option for a bit more aggressive shifting from time to time.
We had bad experiences with two of our three Hondas... seven years ago we traded in a '91 Civic we'd had a continual run of small problems with, and about 10 or 11 years ago I got rid of a low-mileage '83 Accord Special Edition after owning it for less than a year. All sorts of serious problems with that one, just too much of a drain on the pocketbook to fix constantly. On the other hand, I know Honda's reputation is good, so though they're not perfect, I still traded that Civic in on a '95 del Sol. We drive the del Sol much less often than either Subaru, and it's been good, but not flawless, reliability-wise. (In fact, it needs an oxygen sensor replaced right now, but I've been putting it off as long as it's not hindering performance or gas mileage.)
Anyway, I'm being longwinded here, but my point is that I think both Honda and Subaru have great reliability and I wouldn't hesitate to purchase either brand, but I don't expect either one to be perfect. Congrats on the Pilot purchase... it's one of the best out there, with great room inside and good, usable cargo space. Did you get a 3rd-row seat?
Any idea why Subaru's 3.0 liter requires premium fuel, but delivers worse performance and mileage than Honda's 3.0 liter running on regular?
The down side is that the Pilot is a gas hog (compared to the Outback at least). Its steering wheel blocks the top of the gauges for tall drivers, and the front passenger leg room is poor. But, no vehicle is perfect.
Satellite radio will arrive on the 07s, on all 07 Subies actually.
The H6 can run fine on regular, that's the official word from the Product Manager of the Tribeca (H6 standard).
-juice
Subaru recommends using premium in the 3.0L, but doesn't require it. Their turbo models, on the other hand, do require it. The extra cost of using premium is only a couple hundred over the course of a year, and from what I've read, the folks who put regular in their H6s ended up getting a little worse gas mileage from it, so it was worth it to go back to using premium. I suppose Subaru could list it as requiring only regular grade and bump the mileage numbers down 1 or 2 MPG.
I don't have the tech knowledge to know why the Subie and Honda engines do what they do... maybe someone else here can offer their 2¢ worth on that. On the Honda, which vehicle uses a 3.0L? Did you mean Pilot's 3.5L? Comparing the Subaru 3.0 with the Honda 3.5, the Subaru makes more horsepower, (250 vs. 244) and the Honda makes more torque (240 vs. 219). The Subaru is rated 1-2 MPG better. All in all, I think the Subaru engine does a nice job stacking up against Honda's, despite being at a half-liter displacement disadvantage. I do know Honda generally does a great job getting HP and mileage from their engines. (Toyota's great at that too - check out the numbers on the new Avalon some time!)
The Forester and CR-V have engines close in size and output, and the Forester is actually a little more efficient.
Toyota does ace the EPA tests, but the RAV4 is EPA rated at 20/27, yet Edmunds got less than 20 mpg with theirs, and C&D managed a rather scary 16 mpg (premium fuel recommended, by the way).
As they say, YMMV.
-juice
It's true that the standard Murano tires have been a bit harder to find than, say, tires for your Accord, but they are becoming more readily available; in fact, this size is now available as OEM on the 2006 Ford Explorer. They're no more expensive than other tires of the same general size. Tirerack.com has the Goodyear direct replacements for $582 a set, including shipping and road hazard coverage. The Dunlops and Michelins are more expensive.
"Gas tank is easily punctured by normal driving."
Hmmm...NHTSA had a TOTAL of 4 complaints (out of ~190,000+ units on the road), and instituted a recall to install a fuel tank shield (which is already included on 06s after a certain build date that I don't recall offhand).
"Transmission trouble even after replacement under RECALL."
There is no transmission "recall," do you mean replacement under warranty?
I'd be surprised if the tranny failure rate is any higher than any other particular vehicle. The only thing about the CVT is that, if it DOES fail, it's a total replacement rather than repair or rebuild of internal parts, ~$6000. It is covered under the 5/60 warranty.
Given my experiences with tranny rebuild/replacement, I'd get the hell out of ANY vehicle ASAP after having it done.
Note that Murano is a Consumer Reports "Recommended" vehicle. I'd imagine the Pilot is too.
3 years is halfway or more thru the life cycle of most vehicles. They'll get a refresh for year 3 or 4, which can introduce new issues. If you then wait a couple more years, you're right back to buying a completely new vehicle.
Check the Problems & Fixes forum for Pilot (or Highlander, or RX330, etc.) on this website; if you take them completely to heart and let 'em scare you, you'll NEVER buy ANY new car.
The problems for vehicles in this class seem to be different among the various models, but roughly equivalent: a few people have serious problems; more people have lesser, nit-picky issues; and by far the most people never post to internet message boards, because they're happy with their vehicles.
There's no such thing as a "perfect" car, so there's no use waiting for one. Take some test drives, weigh the positives and negatives, buy what you like, and enjoy the ride.
YMMV.
Overpriced and understyled sounds more like a description of bland Toyota vehicles to me. I'm not saying Toyotas are not great cars, because they are among the most reliable and best-built out there, but you generally pay a premium for the Toyota name, and the styling is anything but exciting.
If you compare similarly equipped models, Subarus usually come out near the top of the value equation. That includes B9 Tribeca. Plus they have the reliability of Toyota and, more recently, the build quality as well.
Your post neglected to address Pilot, the other vehicle in this topic's title. Do you think Highlander is a better choice for the money than Pilot?
Personally, I find Toyota, Honda and Subaru to be essentially equally good cars as far as quality and reliability go, so from there on it becomes a matter of each model's ranking in your other purchase priorities - safety, handling, performance, gas mileage, feature content, etc. That's what helps you pick the vehicle that best suits you.
Seemed kind of odd. Is this a DRL setup? :confuse:
Bob
If a Subaru is under-styled, a Toyota Highlander has no style at all. Pure vanilla, good stuff mind you, but plain as can be, no toppings, nothing. Just a two-box shape.
RAV4 is a bit better, though, at least it tries.
-juice
Regards...Joe
With 91K on my 2K OB I am selling it tomorrow, trading it for a Pilot. I tried so hard to justify the B9 - so bad did I want that beautiful Subie! I could not live with its 3rd row, however - with one more child on the way, I cannot even fit my 3 year old or 5 year old back there without squishing her legs and feet, even with the 2nd row foward enough so that the 2nd row has room for everyone else.
Honda's third row is so much more usable, I have to admit. I am going to miss my OB!
For Pete's sake, were talking about a $35k station wagon. A station wagon's primary purpose is utility - passenger and cargo room. The Tribeca is poor in both departments for what you are paying. That's why I bought a plain looking, understyled Pilot. It has more cargo and passenger room, easier on the gas (no premium!), and costs much less!
When I want style I'll buy a convertible or sports coupe, not a wagon.
Wow, I don't think I've ever heard anyone say that about that car. You are entitled to your opinion, but to me, it has a sort of "dustbuster" nose to it. It reminds me of the ill-fated Edsel with its awkward front end. I DO think the interior is VERY nice looking, but the front needs help. I'd put it in the same catergory as the Pontiac Aztek. Sorry.
Bob
I'd personally have to give my top 3 to:
Nissan Pathfinder
Nissan Murano
X5
and I'm a Honda guy, generally! I don't care for most Nissan's interior quality, but I like what they do with SUV exteriors (save for Armada).
Regards...Joe