Did you recently take on (or consider) a loan of 84 months or longer on a car purchase?
A reporter would like to speak with you about your experience; please reach out to PR@Edmunds.com by 7/22 for details.
A reporter would like to speak with you about your experience; please reach out to PR@Edmunds.com by 7/22 for details.
Options
Comments
http://www.irvinesubaru.com/enthu/theboxerengine.html
Subarus in general are known as good handling vehicles, and much of that is due to the boxer engine layout.
Bob
I do like the looks though, but it has to be functional. I'll get to check it out in March, so we'll see then.
Thanks.
The third-row seats, when up, don't help either, although their rear headrests can be lowered somewhat. If I were driving, and no one is in the rear seat, I would just lower the backrests so they are flat.
Bob
Bob
It greatly enhances that low center of gravity and handling. Check out the engine/tranny/diffy layouts in all the other cars, they are subpar by far.
John
That's my estimate without knowing where the seat was. So throw +/- 4" on top of that.
Craig
Craig
Personally, I have been driving Hondas and Subarus for the last 15 years and have a hard time with American vehicles. I sat in a Freestyle at an auto show over the weekend and it was not very appealing to me.
Good luck!
Craig
Yes - Delete tire pressure monitor
*Yes - Drop roadside assistance
*No - Lower powertrain warranty to 3/36
*No - Drop the Sportshift feature
N/A - Delete the split-fold in the 3rd row
Yes - Delete the split fold 60 section of 2nd row
*Yes - Delete on-board computer
*No - Delete temp gauge
*No - Delete front side torso airbags
*No - Delete side-airbag curtains
No - Delete VDC, ABD, VTD and use auto-AWD instead
*No - Delete cruise control
*No - Delete heated seats
*No - Delete heated mirrors
*No - Delete wiper de-icer
Yes - Delete both power seats
Yes - Delete dual-zone climate control
N/A - Delete rear A/C (7 pax)
*No - Delete keyless entry
Yes - Cheapen base wheels with 16" or 17"
*Yes - Delete lights on vanity mirrors
No - Delete sunroof
Yes - Delete MP3
*No - Delete fog lights
Yes - Delete Homelink
Yes - Delete electroluminescent gauges
Yes - Delete security system
*No - Delete projector beam headlights
No - Delete air filtration
Quite a bit of the "No" (don't delete) and a couple of the Yes (delete) are standard (marked with *) on the base '05 2.5i OBW. :-)
DaveM
http://world.honda.com/news/2005/4050112_4.html
(I hope they're not going to adopt this look for the 2006 Jazz/Fit!)
I did not realize Subie's goal for this model was as low as 40K per year. They should be able to meet that goal, I think.
Just remember that 7-seat AWD Highlander V-6s go out the door all day long with cloth seats for $30K. No, they don't have all this other feature content that has been mentioned here, but buyers of 7-seat crossovers most often want family transport. As such they are less focused on tons of whoopdedoos, except for the rear-seat DVD...Tribeca does offer this crucial option, right? I am wondering how basic Tribeca gets in its least expensive form - I am going to go check the website linked above.
edit: OK, there's not much real info there yet, is there? Would LOVE to see Subie finally hook up a manual gearshift to their H-6 engine for NA-bound vehicles. 18s are a bit much on the Tribeca - they could offer the 16s on the Outback as the base wheel, with optional 18"ers.
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
The current Fit with normal headlights looks much better. In fact that's just a face lift of the current model, also sold in Brazil.
I'd sample a VDC, and not an LL Bean, to get a preview of the Tribeca. The LL Bean sends 80-90% of the power to the front axle by default, while the VDC sends most of the power to the rear axle.
Should feel a bit different.
Visibility - photos I'll narrarate soon have those measurements. IIRC the floor of the cargo area was 43" wide or so by about 41" long. I forget the height.
That's with the middle seat all the way back. It can slide forward 8", so figure you could get the length up close to 50" if you needed to.
-juice
Yeah, Subaru aficionados can get pretty passionate. :-)
The 40k forecast is mine, one press release said they were hoping for 15-18k sales in 2005. I think they mean the remainder of the calendar year. If it's launched in early summer, they're talking maybe 36k per year. I think that's a modest estimate.
My guess is the 5 seater with cloth (still heated) will run about $32-34k. A loaded 7 seater will definitely not break $40k.
-juice
2014 Mini Cooper (stick shift of course), 2016 Camry hybrid, 2009 Outback Sport 5-spd (keeping the stick alive)
Juice, for 05, the VDC, Bean, and XT (auto) models all get VTD with the 45/55 F/R split. So either the VDC or Bean should be suitable for a basic test drive.
Only the 2.5i (auto) models continue to get the active AWD system with the FWD bias.
Craig
But it came out at $25k with only a 2.5l 4 banger, no turbo, no midgate. Selling standard leather to pickup buyers, with a small bed and tight back seat, sealed its fate.
I sat in one and then the Tribeca back-to-back, they have almost nothing in common. The Tribeca's interior makes the Baja's look like something from the 80s.
It's roomy where the Baja is tight. Utility is decent and the H6 with Sportshift is standard.
-juice
So yeah, then, VDC would only kick in if you exceed the limits of grip, unlikely on a test drive with a salesman watching. hee hee.
-juice
http://www.imagestation.com/album/pictures.html?id=2132273475&- ;idx=70
Pic 71 shows the cargo area length with the middle row all the way back, 3rd row folded. Call it 40" without the lip or 42" with the lip.
Note: you can slide the middle seat forward 8", to yield about 50" of cargo length.
Pic 72 is cargo area width at its narrowest point, a good 43". Lexus RX gives up about 3" here. Only the Pilot has a significant advantage.
Pic 73 is the cargo height at the opening, again at the smallest point. 31" or so.
74 - 5 speed Sportshift cutaway.
75 - boxer engine cutaway.
Pic 75 shows perfectly how low the center of gravity will be. The entire engine block lies below the top of the tire!
All the weight is way down low, probably a foot or so lower than competitors' V6 engines.
-juice
From what I heard at Richmond, you can only get heated seats with the 5-seater Ltd package which adds leather and upgraded stereo (possibly moonroof as well, going by Subaru's past routine). You can also add DVD to that Ltd model (prerequisite for DVD is the upgraded stereo) but not to the base cloth model. So it sounds like the base 5-seater cloth model won't have heated seats. But honestly, I wouldn't conclude that until we have actual specs. The SOA rep at Richmond seemed to be going off a car-show "script" and things may change when the car actually goes on sale.
If I combine the info on Nabisco with what I heard in Richmond and Subaru's previous pricing tiers, I'd say base cloth 5-pax for $32K and 5-pax Ltd for $34K. 7-pax Ltd probably starts at $35-36K, and then add Nav/Leather to bring it to $39K.
I also heard that only 7-pax models can get Nav.
Craig
77 - solid rear end links = good handling we hope.
78 - cutaway interior
79 - cargo length with both rows folded flat. I believe I measured from the back of the center console, which allows the seats to be pretty far back, maybe all the way. So 73-75" max cargo length.
80 - power mirrors, and heated mirror controls. Below is the coin holder.
81 - Nav has calculator and conversion, english to metric.
82 - left side of dual exhaust
83 - 16-18" or so cargo length behind 3rd row seat in place. Much better than Rendezvous, for instance.
84 - arm rest is about 7" wide, 9" total between seats. Not enough for my 10" wide laptop. :-(
85 - dual lumbar support.
86 - underbody, very clean, nothing to snag really.
87 - VDC off switch?
88 - Dual zone ACC, allows temp difference
89 - that's Dave on the right. Bob liked this color more than I did. Mahogany something.
-juice
91 - rear cutaway
92 - rear storage bin has cord to hold it up
93 - grille is just 16" wide, smallish actually
94 - Nav - entering address
95 - right side of dual exhaust
96 - Nav again
97 - visibility - better than Murano, much better than Infiniti FX, but that's about it. Blind spot is pretty big, although the head rests did not get in the way for me.
-juice
99 - grille height it just 12". Tiny next to Dodge and Infiniti grilles. :-)
100 - Nav again.
101 - big blur.
102 - storage behind 3rd row. Jack takes up center but each side has some space. Pilot has a bigger space but it's taken up by the head rests when you fold any of the seats, so you lose it.
103 - powertrain cutaway.
104 - Nav showing DVD video (in park).
105 - that's me! Step-in height is perfect, just sit in it and turn 90 degrees. It's not as high up as trucks, but taller than Outback or Forester.
-juice
107 - rear cutaway
108 - front cutaway
109 - Nav menu
110 - yours truly behind the wheel.
111 - cargo length behind 3rd row from top of seat is about 10". Again, I had the seat reclined in a worst-case scenario. You could probably squeeze a foot and still fit the kids.
112 - dash
113 - 2 outlets in center console, 3rd is in back
114 - DVD controls
115 - DVD video on nav screen
Sorry some of these are redundant, Bob took photos as well and this album includes both.
-juice
117 - new logo on the grille
118 - full front
119 - gray interior
All done. Whew.
I got Drive magazine and it says the Tribeca will basically be at every little car show you've ever heard of, so get out there to check it out.
-juice
http://www.imagestation.com/album/?id=2132270983
Pic 1 - SRX is stylish but has perhaps the worst 3rd row I sampled.
2 - SRX has no room for feet, so you sit knees-in-the-chest. Tribeca is more comfy.
3 - Bob liked this nifty cargo cover that slid out from the side. Good idea.
4 - Volvo XC90 does have better visibility
5 - but space is tight in the Volvo
6 - XC90 has no foot room under 2nd row seat, Tribeca does
7 - 2nd row of XC90 is tight with seat moved forward, so you sit with legs splayed, but this is par for the course
8 - LR3 is cavernous even in 3rd row, but no arm rests
9 - LR3 even has skylight for 3rd row. But you need a mortgage to afford one!
10 - LR3 flip-and-fold gives easiest access
11 - Pilot is a hot seller, but not-quite 7" LCD is puny.
12 - Pilot has no 20 split center section like Tribeca does
13 - Pilot wins here easily, roomy 3rd row
14 - footroom in Pilot
15 - I did have to slide the 2nd row forward to squeeze my knees in the Pilot
16 - oops, can't fold 3rd row without removing head rests first, a small nuisance for Pilot buyers
17 - MDX dash looks dated IMHO, but functional
18 - plood trim in MDX. No Sportshift controls?
-juice
20 - MDX 3rd row does have foot room, but you have to splay your knees out
21 - better visibility out of 3rd row of MDX
22 - Help! I can't remember if that's the Freestyle? Note 3rd row does not even split.
23 - Pacifica was pretty nice, seats 6 but 3rd row is OK actually.
24 - Pathfinder's 3rd row is bolt-upright, incredibly uncomfortable.
25 - Nissan's interiors show cost-cutting to me, let's see if quality improves after Ghosn sent 300 engineers to fix problems at that plant
26 - I believe that's Bob in a Murano. No 3rd row. Arm rest should have cup holders, too. Much nicer materials inside than a Pathfinder IMO.
27 - RX330 cargo area is smaller than Tribeca's by a couple of inches in width, maybe an inch in length also.
So there you have it, there is no clear choice, each competitor has its own set of issues, and room for improvement as this segment gets more and more competitive.
-juice
-juice
Must be, we did a drive-by-shooting of the Highlander because it was an older model and we didn't want to spend much time on it.
No split 3rd row is a big negative nowadays.
-juice
Edit - no can't be - no split 3rd row. Must be Highlander - looks like the Toyota logo on the wheel.
I'm pretty sure it is the Highlander.
-juice
The Ridgeline was absolutely crawling with people, crowds the entire time.
I disagree with them.
-juice
LR3: Was not around when I was looking. I have only seen the HSE and I have a friend who just plunked down $58k for one nicely equipped but not loaded. He takes delivery in about 2 months at which point I'll bug him until he lets me drive it. I'm told there is an SE variant you can get well equipped for under $50k.
In those two cases it would actually be cheaper to buy a $32k minivan and a used tow mule. Its basically what I was forced to do.
Mostly, though, what disappointed me was how small it was. Cargo room is actually decent but the back seat (2nd row) is very tight, surprising for its exterior size.
Not surprisingly it gets discounted heavily. I've seen them for less than Passat W8s cost.
-juice
Its actually the first SUV/Minivan/Crossover I drove.
Bob
Well the body and chassis are up to the task. I guess it would like driving a (slow) larger truck.
BTW, the 3.2 engine will be replaced with a 3.6 unit in the not too distant future.
Bob