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Subaru B9 Tribeca (B9X)

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Comments

  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Subaru was in the top 5 (behind Lexus but ahead of Honda) after 5 years in last year's rankings, but I'm not sure if they published that again.

    -juice
  • njswamplandsnjswamplands Member Posts: 1,760
    i gotta look at the new trifecta. i am very very tired of getting stuck in snow/sand with the odyssey.

    problem with the trifecta is, is it big enough ( haul lots of stuff inside )? i dont think so. those huge american tanks dont do the job as the handling is so sloppy and gas mileage is horrid. the honda pilot is downright sloppy also closest to a choice i have found.

    i looked at the honda avalanche, err ridgeline, and it was nice but 'the others' say no pickup.

    ideas please.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    AWD Sienna would be a good compromise.

    Vans feel huge, though. I'm used to small vehicles, but still, I had my cousin's Ody for a week and I was expecting it to beep when I put it in reverse.

    Having said that I hope the Tribeca drives small, if you follow.

    -juice
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    If you have an Odyssey, and use the third seat pretty regularly, you won't like the Tribeca.

    Bob
  • njswamplandsnjswamplands Member Posts: 1,760
    tried the sienna, no minivan handles like an odyssey ( incredible for its size ). given the number of curvy hills i drive around here the sloppiness that is in the sienna will make the passengers get car sick.

    sienna i guess is compariable to the pilot though and its mileage is decent.
  • njswamplandsnjswamplands Member Posts: 1,760
    dont use the 3rd row that often but do haul lot of interior stuff around heavier stuff that is hard to put on a roof.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    And this was a last gen Ody, but my cousin's van still didn't have anything resembling good handling IMO.

    Keep in mind I've never owned a vehicle that weighed more than 3100 lbs, but let's qualify that with a "for a minivan".

    It's not holding up that well, either, with alignment issues and pulsating brakes. In fairness they abuse their vehicles to death, but their '99 Outback held up a lot better.

    Of course I am picky, because I don't think the X5 handles well. Way too heavy.

    -juice
  • greyhoundgreyhound Member Posts: 10
    What do you guys think of the April '05 Automobile magazine update of the Subaru Legacy GT 4-seasons test:

    "The Bridgestone Potenza all-season tires feel more like three-season tires when the snow flies. The easy sideways action shows off the Legacy's nicely balanced chassis, but we'd still prefer a more tenacious hold on snowy roads."

    The Tribeca appears to be equipped with large wheels and "street tires" as is the Legacy GT, and I wonder how it will do with this setup in snow and ice. "Sideways action" is the last thing I want to experience in a ~$40K SUV on a ski trip. I hope SOA offers a Tribeca OB version or at least an option with smaller wheels/taller tires for winter travel.
  • sweet_subiesweet_subie Member Posts: 1,394
    TRIBECA HAS VDC WHICH GT DOESN'T
  • sweet_subiesweet_subie Member Posts: 1,394
    http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/Articles/articleId=104893
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Tires are always a compromise. The STi and EVO, for instance, come with summer tires because they know the media will compare these closely and anything but the best tires in the dry would lose it for them.

    If they choose decent snow-oriented tires, dry performance will suffer. As this is a city-oriented SUV, I doubt they'll do that.

    2008 is a long ways away, so they'd need a version of the Tribeca to fill that crossover gap until then anyway. But if it sells slowly like the 9-2x has, we might not see a 2nd generation 9-6x, or it might come from Opel.

    More Geneva concepts can be found here. What I found interesting is that angle of the Civic shows it has a character line around the shoulder not unlike the Tribeca's. More subtle, but even the tail lights protrude in the same fasion.

    Looks great!

    -juice
  • mayberryguymayberryguy Member Posts: 145
    The LATCH anchors do more fore/aft with the seat. They are a built-in bracket of the Seat ASM. I have it on good authority that the 2nd Row Seats are going to go through a major redesign soon after launch. Subaru is reporting an unacceptable "harmonic resonance" when the 2nd Row seats are unoccupied. We'll have to see what happens with all of the Engineering Changes.
  • jon_in_ctjon_in_ct Member Posts: 137
    From mayberryguy, "Subaru B9 Tribeca (B9X)" #2080, 7 Mar 2005 9:06 pm
    I have it on good authority that the 2nd Row Seats are going to go through a major redesign soon after launch. Subaru is reporting an unacceptable "harmonic resonance" when the 2nd Row seats are unoccupied. We'll have to see what happens with all of the Engineering Changes.
    Hmm. That's a juicy rumor. Thankfully, Tribeca's Job One isn't scheduled for another 3 or 4 weeks. Hopefully, SIA will get those ECs out to fix this problem before production cranks up. Please post back, mayberryguy, when you see those expected 2nd row seat ECs go into production.
  • frogfrog Member Posts: 52
    I just want to point out the obvious that I have yet to hear about CR reports. The 2004 year was the final year of the legacy/outback design. It took years and years to clean up the brakes and engine block to current standards, and the fix to some of those components may be questionable in the long run. I want to say I believe the Japanese build quality to be tight and very good, allthough those assembled in the USA less good. The design is dated but very charasmatic and the chassis and suspension great!
    2005 will bring many new quirks with the new models. Foresters should be ironing out by now, but OB and Leg are up to question around chassis, interior, etc. I imagine Subaru will drop in ratings this year but will hopefully bounce back with next years improvements. Overall a great company that is making some smart moves.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    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
  • bkaiser1bkaiser1 Member Posts: 464
    How about the "Pottery Barn" or "Crate and Barrel" editions? Those seem to fit the hoity toity image that Subaru's aiming for with the Tribeca. :)
  • gotenks243gotenks243 Member Posts: 116
    IKEA maybe?

    Oops, gotta wait for the 9-6x ;) (if it comes)

    Oh, and Greyhound, one thing to remember is that manual Subarus like Automobile's Legacy use a different all-wheel-drive system than the B9. The 50/50 viscous coupling system with the manual is perfect for tail-out fun. VTD with VDC is a whole different beast. My dad's VDC doesn't know the meaning of "sideways action." It's amazing how much grip it has even with all-seasons (those OEM Firestones were great! Damn Potenzas).

    Mike
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    That's what I had in mind, I just couldn't remember the name of the store.

    I like that place, it's upscale but the stuff they sell is substantive, high quality. Not too frou-frou.

    I think it would fit the image perfectly.

    IKEA is too "build it yourself", you'd almost expect a kit-car! :o)

    -juice
  • njswamplandsnjswamplands Member Posts: 1,760
    the jimmy hoffa edition?
    the liberty edition?
    the rape you at the tollbooth edition?
    the watsamattau edition?
    the 2 hrs to go 2 blocks edition?
    the land of the $115 parking ticket edition?
    the please go to sleep city edition?
    the how come the ny football teams play in nj edition?
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Bronx is for plebes. They want the trendy folks from Robert DeNiro's 'hood. ;-)

    -juice
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    Stick with LL Bean.

    They already have loads of marketing "equity" in that relationship. Introducing a different designer label will muddy the waters, and, I think, a bad marketing move.

    I'm sure the folks at LL Bean will view it as a slap in the face too. I mean, they have been the top dog for a while, and now they are going to be upstaged by another brand? I know if I were the CEO of LL Bean, that wouldn't sit well with me.

    Bob
  • jon_in_ctjon_in_ct Member Posts: 137
    SOA is already paying Lance Armstrong beaucoup bucks to be its spokesman. What if Lance were to win his 7th Tour de France this summer? Maybe a "7 Tours" special edition of the 7-seater would work?
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Interesting idea - VW had some success co-marketing with Trek, remember?

    They even had a special with a snow board on it.

    Rack and bike included, how 'bout it?

    Before anyone laughs, Subaru has already done this! There was a Forester Dynastar Edition in Canada, which was a screaming bargain. For $400 or so extra you got the full AWP, full ski rack, and even skis!

    -juice
  • njswamplandsnjswamplands Member Posts: 1,760
    chop the height, throw some fat tires, put the mother of all hood scoops, a nascar truck like wing
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    Yeah, that could work. My only concern is that sounds more like a short-term, limited edition model, rather than one that could be sustained over a number of years.

    Bob
  • robr2robr2 Member Posts: 8,805
    I say skip the special edition for the Tribeca. The name itself already conjures up the image that Pottery Barn, Dean & Deluca, Sex and the City would. People who know those know what/where/why Tribeca is.

    An LL Bean edition Tribeca muddies the marketing message.

    If they were dead set on one, forget Ralph Lauren, Nautica, Izod - those reek of old money Oyster Bay - not trendy NYC to me. If they want to partner with somebody it should be Prada, Kate Spade, Milano Blahnik, Emporio Armani, et al. Appletinis and expensive shoes would be the ticket.

    Sheesh, I can't believe I was able to rattle off those names.
  • jon_in_ctjon_in_ct Member Posts: 137
    From ateixeira, "Subaru B9 Tribeca (B9X)" #2091, 8 Mar 2005 11:16 am
    Interesting idea - VW had some success co-marketing with Trek, remember?

    They even had a special with a snow board on it.

    Rack and bike included, how 'bout it?
    I think Lance rides a Trek, but Subaru's bicycle partner at the moment is Gary Fisher, which makes mountain bikes. Maybe include one of those in the package and throw in a free 1 year IMBA membership (IMBA is another SOA partner).

    Winning a 7th tour, though, isn't a foregone conclusion.
  • jon_in_ctjon_in_ct Member Posts: 137
    Maybe Starbucks would be a good fit with the Tribeca. Upscale, primarily urban/suburban locations (there's probably at least one on EVERY block in Tribeca). Include a specially designed Starbucks/Tribeca thermos spill-proof mug that fits the Tribeca's cupholder well and can be refilled free at any Starbucks in the US.
  • rshollandrsholland Member Posts: 19,788
    I dunno... Sounds too trendy for me. I'd rather see them link up with an entity that has some staying power; not sure if Starbucks fits the bill.

    Bob
  • robr2robr2 Member Posts: 8,805
    I'd rather see them link up with an entity that has some staying power; not sure if Starbucks fits the bill.

    I don't see them as the right partner, but I think Starbucks is here to stay!!
  • sdufordsduford Member Posts: 577
    I think SE could stand for Soccer-mom Edition :)
  • jon_in_ctjon_in_ct Member Posts: 137
    From rsholland, "Subaru B9 Tribeca (B9X)" #2097, 8 Mar 2005 12:06 pm
    Sounds too trendy for me. I'd rather see them link up with an entity that has some staying power; not sure if Starbucks fits the bill.
    Starbucks = trendy is exactly why I suggested it. As you recall from FHI's press release announcing the Tribeca's name:
    Tribeca is a vibrant New York City neighborhood with many distinctive boutiques, galleries, and restaurants, where young artists work and cutting-edge trends are created that attract worldwide attention.
    It seems to me that Subaru chose the name Tribeca precisely because it connotes "trendy."

    And I'm not sure why you feel Starbucks doesn't have "staying power." Its brand is known worldwide and it looks like they'll be around for a long time.
  • bigelmbigelm Member Posts: 995
    LOL @ njswamp...

    Seems like you've experienced too much the wonderful world of NYC ;-)

    How about Pier 1.. nah, just another Pottery Barn/Crate & Barrel.

    L.L. Bean is ok, but because the B9 is supposed to be a new image, then create a new image identity with someone else. How about Jos A. Bank, Johnston & Murphy, Armani Exchange (like Stock Exchange - or just "Exchange"), Perla, D&G (Dolce & Gabana).

    -New image, new face, new name... yeah, that'll work.

    L.L. Bean can keep the Leg and the Forester :-p
  • lark6lark6 Member Posts: 2,565
    Bronx is for plebes. They want the trendy folks from Robert DeNiro's 'hood. ;-)

    Travis Bickle Edition?

    Ed
  • robr2robr2 Member Posts: 8,805
    The latter 3 work. Joe Banks and J&M are old money.
  • dcm61dcm61 Member Posts: 1,567
    JFK, Jr. edition?

    DaveM
  • greyhoundgreyhound Member Posts: 10
    Tribeca Dynastar Edition - I like it! Especially if it were equipped with 17-inch wheels and 75-series snow-rated tires. One neat feature of the standard Tribeca -in regards to skier appeal- is the 40/20/40 2nd row seat: Fold down the middle section and place skiis and poles down the center and boots, jackets, etc. in the lay-flat 3rd row. Perfect 2-couple ski mobile. Of course, the '05 Pathfinder can do the same thing.
  • bigelmbigelm Member Posts: 995
    Don't need an edition for that, just options.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Yeah, Rob. Now my wife wants to go shopping with you! LOL

    Fisher Tribeca? Tribeca Fisher? People would go back to thinking of Fly Fishing, maybe. Even mountain bikes are more outdoorsy, not urban.

    Starbucks is too Corporate America, too "McDonald's of the coffee world".

    distinctive boutiques, galleries, and restaurants

    Starbucks may be popular (as opposed to trendy) but they're not distinctive at all. Don't get me wrong, it's not like I've avoided the place. How can you? ;-)

    Among the coffee places Dean & Deluca is a better fit, an urgan grocery store with fine wine and cheeses. More befitting of a Tribeca IMO.

    -juice
  • robr2robr2 Member Posts: 8,805
    Yeah, Rob. Now my wife wants to go shopping with you! LOL

    Now the truth comes out. It has nothing to do with condos and nannies - you're supporting DC Imelda!! :)

    FYI - I had to look up how to spell Manolo Blahnik.

    Dean and Deluca would perhaps fit. I didn't realize they had locations outside of NYC.

    How about SOA partnering with the Tribeca Film Festival?
  • samiam_68samiam_68 Member Posts: 775
    Tribeca iPod edition - comes with an ipod and can control its functions through the stock radio. Trendy enough?
  • jon_in_ctjon_in_ct Member Posts: 137
    I don't think SOA is interested in any kind of "outdoorsy" tie-in for the Tribeca, which is why I doubt they're considering an LL Bean Tribeca. The outdoorsy stuff is somewhat male-oriented and I think SOA is anticipating the principle Tribeca driver will turn out to be a woman (i.e. Mom) more often than not. So, why not a tie-in that would appeal more directly to women?

    With that in mind, I nominate Kate Spade. She has botiques in most major cities and even one in Japan, I think. There aren't too many SUVs out there now with a woman's name on the rear, which would make the special edition Tribeca stand out even more. I bet a lot of womem would be pleased, even smug, to be seen in one. Also of interest is that the flagship Kate Spade botique is located at 454 Broome St, NY. Technically, it's in SOHO, but it's only two blocks above Canal St, the north border of Tribeca, and might be said to be in the "Tribeca area" of NY.
  • frogfrog Member Posts: 52
    Yes, Starbucks is coorporate America. Starbucks McDonalds and Wallmart are all one and the same. They have left the vision of the frontier, and the environment way behind.
    LL Bean has a concsience. Subaru does too. Keep it green. How about partnering with Greenpeace or if we have to go coorporate, maybe Bill Gates? The Tiger Woods edition? He just raked in a cool million yesterday as he reclaimed the #1 golf title in the world....
  • robr2robr2 Member Posts: 8,805
    I suggested Kate Spade earlier - good minds think alike I guess. I would've suggested Coach but they have a tie in with Lexus. Coach is as hot if not hotter than Kate Spade.

    Kate Spade also has a Jack Spade line - men's bags and accessories.
  • robr2robr2 Member Posts: 8,805
    LL Bean has a concsience. Subaru does too. Keep it green. How about partnering with Greenpeace. Subaru already has that market. They're trying to get away from the Columbia clothing crowd and go premium.

    The Tiger Woods edition? He just raked in a cool million yesterday as he reclaimed the #1 golf title in the world.... I think the big check he cashes from Buick would prevent him from doing so.
  • njswamplandsnjswamplands Member Posts: 1,760
  • bigelmbigelm Member Posts: 995
    I get where you're getting at but I think you have a misconception that Subaru or anyone for that matter thinks that the B9 is to target women. There's alot of wagon owners that are male and I can easily see them moving up to the B9 for the extra room and utility of it.

    Granted, there will be women drivers, but I think the men have been waiting for Subaru to come up with something like this as opposed to leaving the brand and go elsewhere.
  • jon_in_ctjon_in_ct Member Posts: 137
    I'm not saying the Tribeca is or should be targeted at women. I'm saying it might not be bad to create one particular (special edition) model of the Tribeca that might be particularly appealing to women. Aren't there at least seven Tribeca order codes already? Why not add another one that's a little special in some way?
  • alpha01alpha01 Member Posts: 4,747
    I'd like a Kenneth Cole edition Tribeca, in black with graphite polished alloys, special perforated black leather, and a few pieces from the collection, much like Lexus does with its Coach editions.

    ~alpha
  • ladywclassladywclass Member Posts: 1,713
    the 'seinfeld edition'?

    the 'frasier edition'(ok .. i know .. wrong city!)
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