yeah someone mentioned the sunroof, and yes it is very small. It's more of a sun slot. It's almost "get you mad it's so small", small, but I see they did that to fit the DVD system in. I would have gladly taken the bigger sunroof over the dvd. By the way, who wants their kids watching all that televison anyway? Don't we complain if they watch too much TV at home? Seems hypocritical to me. Oh well, it's just my humble opinion.
If you are refering to the different VTD splits, in general: more rear bias = more sporty handling.
Unfortunately, there really are no cost-effective performance upgrades for the normally aspirated H6 engine. A performance chip will probably do very little to improve power unlike with a turbocharged engine.
If I remember correctly from my latest experience, you'll need to wait a few weeks before a VIN is allocated to you.
Basically, the 6-8 week clock starts ticking after Subaru takes the dealer's order at the end of the month. It's not until about a month out that a vehicle has been identified to you. Then, it's a few weeks for the vehicle to make it through the distribution process and roll up at your dealer.
I know -- it's agonizing. But it's all part of the new car experience. You lucky dog!
Just got an e-mail from juice. He just drove a "beca," and now wants one... I can already see the sales pitch he's giving Lana even as I'm typing this post.
I just e-mailed him back with the suggestion that he buy one between now and this coming Tuesday, so that when we drive up to the SOA Tribeca "Ride-&-Drive," he'll freak everyone out.
took one for a spin this afternoon, thoughts 1. acceleration has got to be as good as my 98 Legacy GT if not better, though I've been spoiled by the WRX recent years 2. it probably corners as well as a regular legacy 3. with sunroof open at highway speed, noise was surprisingly low, though with it tilted up it was a more annoying sort of noise, difficult to describe 4. I was very concerned about visibility out the back, surprisingly good, maybe because side mirrors are bigger than on my Legacy. Trying to reverse and park was a bit difficult, at least with where I had the headrest, but it was probably a little too high than it should be 5. couldn't get the rearview mirror to the exact position I wanted with the seat position I wanted, needed more rotation towards the driver 6. maybe I wasn't using the sportshift properly but seemed like I could accelerate better just stomping on the pedal!! 7. this was a cloth 7 seater, and surprisingly I think I liked the cloth better than the leather I had sat in before (but then I was never a leather sort of guy!) - does anyone know if there is anything else besides the upgraded stereo system and CD etc which the Limited gets besides leather, because if not I could definitely take a cloth one. 8. I am a little concerned about the latches for folding the seats down, they don;t look like they will hold up well to heavy use
all in all I was very pleased with the way it drove, will definitely get one but I may let all you guys be the guinea pigs first and get one later this year or early next! the only other comparable cars I have driven are the RX300 and XC90 and the Tribeca is clearly in the same league and has more 3rd row room than the XC90.
two questions, with VIP pricing, does the dealer get other incentives beyond the usual ones??? and is a OEM navi better than say a portable one??(besides the fact it fits in a nice cubbyhole!). I tend to keep cars till they die, will the OEM navi die on me before the car does and how good are the car companies at updating their databases and can you even update a Sube OEM one??
I am not positive - but my understanding is that you must have a 7 seater ltd (comes with leather ) to get a navigation system - an option of course.
The factory nav is expensive but - but I wouldn't want to mess up the of that beautiful interior with an aftermarket add-on. Most factory navs issue upgraded maps periodically - at a price. the Subie system comes with 2 DVDs. East and West. Each however give complete street number mapping for the 48 states and Canada. But you need to use the correct regional disc for points of interest item. With 2 DVDs it has to have a boat load of POI data.
Does the Tribeca have a camera above the back license plate like the Marrano has so that you can see what is behind you when backing up on the Navigation screen?
Anyone know if Navteq is supplying the data DVD's for the NAV system in the B9? I have used their product through two Mercedes ML's and the software is superb! Starting to get anxious for my new B9 Especially after forking over $1135.00 for new pads and rotors for my '03 ML500. Any info would be greatly appreciated.
"But Honey, the kids don't have to go to college..."
I don't like chrome so I'll pass on that appearance package. Maybe if it were gunmetal or flat black...even then a grand is way too high for just cosmetic upgrades.
OK, I'll do a mini-review in a minute, first I wanted to answer a question about seat height since it was requested in advance.
I took a tape measure to record what I will call the "hip point", i.e. height of the seat base at the back of the seat.
For reference, I measured each car I saw:
Miata: 13" (talk about low) Legacy 2.5i sedan: 17.5" Impreza RS sedan: 20" (surprise, much higher than the Legacy) Outback XT: 22" Tribeca: 26"
So the Outback's seat is about 4.5" higher up than the regular Legacy, and the Tribeca's is yet another 4" higher than the Outback. More than I thought, actually.
I had placed the seat in a comfortable position for me, so YMMV as they say. But even at the lowest point the Tribeca cleared 25", and you could get it up to past 27" or so if you put the power seat all the way up.
I won't call this a full review because a quick drive isn't enough to truly evaluate it, but I'll share my first driving impressions, which were very positive overall.
The tranny that Bob complained about was my favorite feature, even in Drive it really knew what gear to choose, and held the right gear in a turn so you could accelerate out of it. Floor the throttle and you get a lower gear ASAP, quicker than with Sportshift it seemed, oddly enough.
That smart tranny kept the engine in its sweet spot, so it felt plenty quick to me. If you need more power budget for speeding tickets, because you will get them. Acceleration makes my Miata and Forester seem slow, easily under 8 seconds to 60 here.
It's the opposite of the Highlander and Pilot. Those cars seem torquey until you push them, then they kinda run out of steam (is it the weight?). The Tribeca is quiet and smooth, and then you hit the throttle and the engine comes alive and has plenty of steam. The H6 likes high rpms and the tranny does a good job keeping it there when needed.
Tinted windows - darker than I recall, I really liked them. This was a big surprise because I didn't think they'd be this dark. Big thumbs up.
Steering felt a little light to me, though feedback was good. Not as light as Honda/Toyota, but I would prefer about 20% less power steering boost.
Ride was very impressive, in fact that and the quietness impressed me the most. I went over a speed bump at about 35mph and it absorbed it so that you hardly felt it. And let's face it, getting over speed bumps is more important that whatever off road ability it might have. Good job given the 18" rims and low profile tires.
They really did a good job with the seals and you heard tire noise rather than wind noise so the shape is very functional. At low rpms you can't even hear the engine, so check the tach before reaching for the starter.
Doors were heavy, but I'm used to lighter frameless doors. It closes with a thunk but it requires more effort than I'm used to. Of course this pays off in quietness, so there's your trade off.
When I parked it I had to back it up into a tight spot on their lot, and had no problem using the big mirrors. I thought the rear view mirror was small, perhaps the auto dimming one is bigger? I do think my wife would not want to back up into a tight spot like that so the rear view camera would be a welcome addition.
To summarize -
Likes: * smart tranny * smooth engine at high revs * impressive ride/handling balance * tint offers good privacy * quietness
Dislikes: * steering could be more weighted * doors seem heavy * could use bigger interior rear view mirror and/or camera
Bottom line is it drives much better than the Highlander and leagues ahead of the Pilot, which will seem like a truck to you if you've just stepped out of the Tribeca. Pilot has more room, so if you have 3-4 kids you might have to choose a Pilot (or minivan).
Every B9 comes with 18" Mud & Snows speced - there is nothing low profile about them.
That's not true. When one says "low-profile" they're referring to the tire side section/width ratio, not the wheel diameter. The Tribeca has a 255/55x18 tire. The "55" refers to the section ratio—which is indeed a low profile.
Bob - right you are about those low profile standard tires on the B9. Kind of bugs me, too, because I think winter traction will be compromised in order to offer somewhat better handling with the 55-series street tires, M+S rating notwithstanding. What's a Subaru without winter traction? I've beat this drum before, but the Legacy GT was faulted for "easy sideways action" in the presence of snow in an Automobile mag 4-seasons' test (I know, I know, the B9 has std stability control and the GT did not). IMO, one of the purported advantages of the B9 vs other competitors such as the Infiniti FX, Nissan Murano, Toyota Highlander is Subaru's superior AWD system. Yet this avantage could be urinated away by the stock tires. Subaru could easily offer a 17-inch wheel/70-series tire combo as a check-off item on the purchase order, with recalibrated speedometer/odometer to boot. They probably will one day in a B9 Outback edition, but I wish they'd do it now. Subaru has undoubtedly lost some of their core "inexpensive and built to stay that way" buyers due to Hyundai/Kia products. Let's hope the don't fritter away the skiers, too - some of whom drive X5s and RX330s that Subaru might like to entice with the B9.
I'm used to seeing 60 and even 70 series tires. Outback had them until 2000 and Forester had them until 2003. 55 series is relatively low, at least for Subaru.
Of course the tire itself is wide, and 55 is just the aspect ratio, not the sidewall thickness.
greyhound: right on, I was thinking the same thing. They totally left the door open to do an Outback version of the Tribeca. The tires, plus fender flares, skid plates, a roof rack, and a tow hitch standard, plus a low range and oil cooler. Sound like fun?
Maybe I'm missing something - but to say the tires are low profile just because they have a 55 aspect is not taking in the actual math. Unless I made some serious error in the math - those 255/55 tires have a side wall height of about 5.6 inches.
As a rule, anything 70 or under is considered low profile. The lower the number, the lower the profile, so yes, a 55 section tire is definitely low profile.
Bob, I dont know if I agree with that for today's marketplace. I always thought anything under 60 would be considered low profile. If under 70 this would make the tires on the standard Accords and Camrys (205/65/R15s) low profile. I would hardly say those vehicles wear low profile tires.
When the term "low profile" first appeared, in regard to tires, regular (high profile) tires were either 75, 80 or 85. I'm going back 20 years or more.
Juice, thanks so much for the info. This is encouraging. I have an elderly grandma who rides with me often, and I was afraid the seat height would be too much of a climb for her, front or back. I had measured a Highlander and a Pilot when I was car-shopping a year ago, and I believe the Highlander was about 2" higher than the Tribeca, and the Pilot a couple inches higher than that. I had seriously considered a Highlander at that time, but this was a deal breaker for that model (other than it being very plain and boring :-) I opted for an '05 OB, which I absolutely love, but we crave more seat/leg room, esp. on long trips.
I hope to check out some of the new Tribeca arrivals around Phoenix this weekend. Still, it'll be a really hard call for me to give up the OB.
I did only measure the front seat, if I'd thought about that I'd have measured the back seat as well. Though I don't think it has theatre seating, i.e. the back seat higher than the front.
True but these days, it's hard to find cars with 70 series tires. 60s is the norm now. In fact, most new SUVs are fitted with 60 series or lower (at least the ones that are designed to be more like cars).
IIFC, the current tire measuring system came into usage back in the 1970s. At that time a "70-series" tire was considered low profile, and that's where I'm coming from. Today 70-series tires are more the exception for cars; that wasn't the case 30-odd years ago.
Anyone know much about the tire monitoring system on the B9? Is it only an idiot light that comes on and tells you a tire is low or is it more sophisticated? I know the Murano (with navigation screen) shows a graphic for each tire and what the pressure is for each. Is the B9 similar?
Hi Juice, What tires currently come the new OB's LL Bean ? Also, would you advocated forcing a change in tires when the new B9 comes in next week before we take delivery and which ones would you put on in New England ?
Multifunction screen displaying navigation system information, audio system information, trip computer functions, maintenance intervals, controls for various vehicle settings, calendar, calculator and memo-taking function. Video input from rear-seat DVD entertainment system may also be displayed (if vehicle is in Park).
incredible turning circle: Turning Circle, curb-to-curb 35.4 ft. Aluminum-alloy hood S tailgqate not aluminum Cargo capacity 8.3 cu. ft. with 2nd- and 3rd-row seats raised [LESS THAN LEGACY SEDAN ?] (when front wipers are on, selecting reverse gear activates rear wiper)
It probably doesn't matter whether it's moved or not. I didn't even know it is under "Future Vehicles". I always surf TH via the drop-down menus on the lefthand side anyway.
Looked at the Tribeca today. Unfortunately the sales people new very little about the vehicle. While playing with the nav system I was unable to get a listing of points of interest specifically restaurants in the local vicinity. It appeared that I had to know the names of the restaurants in order to get any information. The sales person was of little help. I was able to do this in the Volvo XC90. Is there a way to get a listing of all the restaurants for your location?
This was shown at the dealer convention at San Francisco last week.
It includes a mesh grille, chrome wheels and a $1K MSRP.
I have mixed feelings. I don't like chrome wheels. The mesh grille is nice, but is a UK-design rip-off (Bentley, Jaguar, etc.). Even Cadillac is offering mesh grilles on their sport models... It seems very "trendy" (as opposed to being Subaru-distinctive) and I certainly wouldn't pay $1K for it.
Steve: ask me again after this coming Tuesday, when I really get a chance to drive one in controlled circumstances at the Ride-n-Drive. Then I'll know more about the tires.
My test drive was short and didn't reveal any weaknesses in grip, but I wasn't nearly pushing it.
Krisshna: that's with the use of the 3rd row. Fold the 3rd row and room is pretty good.
Bob: black out that grille and I'll take it. No thanks on the rims. Chrome is heavy and expensive.
The B9 Nav has 2 DVDs. Eastern US & Canada & West. Each DVD as explained to me covers all of the US & Canada for mapping but you must use the appropriate disc for regional points of interest info.
Thanks Juice, The b9 is in, dealer is just waiting for the front bumper guard to come in hopefully Tuesday so we should be able to pick it up Wed. Wanted to see what a tire upgrade would cost and include it in the deal. Steve.
This dealership is unethical and its owner prevaricates. I bought an '05 Outback LL Bean in December. I am very fond of this car, but I started experiencing some troubles early on. Not really serious issues as far as the mechanics of the vehicle, but problems nonetheless, requiring a 45 mile dealer visit. So far, it's been to the shop 11 times for interior trim issues (like falling apart, seat bolsters popping out, rattles and buzzes, etc.). When I'd finally had enough, I asked the owner to give me a buy-bid so that I may egress gracefully and without hard feelings from Subaru Ownership. He obliged and offered what I thought was a satisfactory offer. He also encouraged me to come down and drive a Tribeca. I did so, but was not totally satisfied, described here in an earlier post as a matter of fact, and decided that I wouldn't purchase a Tribeca. When I told Subaru of Dallas' owner last Friday morning that I going to another dealer and asked to verify that my buy-bid was still valid, he said "of course", that he wanted to help me, with all the trouble I'd had.. He still encouraged me to come down and give the Tribeca another chance, I politely said no.
When I got to the other dealer, I was exposed to Subaru of Dallas' owner's true colors. I called to let him know that I'd found another vehicle, and he hem-hawed, and essentially backed-out of his buy-bid offer saying he wanted to help me, but not help another dealer. My impression was that he never had any intention of going through with the buy-bid, as long as there was a chance to get me in a Tribeca. When he realized that this was not going to happen, he reneged on his offer.
Not to be deterred, I went back to the dealer of the different brand I was looking at and had them bid on the car. Of course with only two dealerships in the DFW area, he ended up calling Subaru of Dallas, and the manager's assistant, knowing it was me trying to sell my Outback, essentially low-balled his own product $3000 less than Kelly Blue Book value on the car. I tried Carmax later and they did the same thing, this time only $2500 below what the LLBean was worth. I feel that Carmax was higher because at least they knew how much the car is truly worth and could ship it back up north to sell it in Denver or similar location.
BTW, the service department for Subaru of Dallas was superb and always worked hard and was ethical. It's a terrible shame that sales and service are under the same roof.
Comments
Thanks!
In fact, our family might end up watching DVD on road trips instead of watching them at home.
-juice
If you are refering to the different VTD splits, in general: more rear bias = more sporty handling.
Unfortunately, there really are no cost-effective performance upgrades for the normally aspirated H6 engine. A performance chip will probably do very little to improve power unlike with a turbocharged engine.
Ken
Basically, the 6-8 week clock starts ticking after Subaru takes the dealer's order at the end of the month. It's not until about a month out that a vehicle has been identified to you. Then, it's a few weeks for the vehicle to make it through the distribution process and roll up at your dealer.
I know -- it's agonizing. But it's all part of the new car experience. You lucky dog!
Ken
I just e-mailed him back with the suggestion that he buy one between now and this coming Tuesday, so that when we drive up to the SOA Tribeca "Ride-&-Drive," he'll freak everyone out.
Bob
1. acceleration has got to be as good as my 98 Legacy GT if not better, though I've been spoiled by the WRX recent years
2. it probably corners as well as a regular legacy
3. with sunroof open at highway speed, noise was surprisingly low, though with it tilted up it was a more annoying sort of noise, difficult to describe
4. I was very concerned about visibility out the back, surprisingly good, maybe because side mirrors are bigger than on my Legacy. Trying to reverse and park was a bit difficult, at least with where I had the headrest, but it was probably a little too high than it should be
5. couldn't get the rearview mirror to the exact position I wanted with the seat position I wanted, needed more rotation towards the driver
6. maybe I wasn't using the sportshift properly but seemed like I could accelerate better just stomping on the pedal!!
7. this was a cloth 7 seater, and surprisingly I think I liked the cloth better than the leather I had sat in before (but then I was never a leather sort of guy!) - does anyone know if there is anything else besides the upgraded stereo system and CD etc which the Limited gets besides leather, because if not I could definitely take a cloth one.
8. I am a little concerned about the latches for folding the seats down, they don;t look like they will hold up well to heavy use
all in all I was very pleased with the way it drove, will definitely get one but I may let all you guys be the guinea pigs first and get one later this year or early next!
the only other comparable cars I have driven are the RX300 and XC90 and the Tribeca is clearly in the same league and has more 3rd row room than the XC90.
two questions, with VIP pricing, does the dealer get other incentives beyond the usual ones???
and is a OEM navi better than say a portable one??(besides the fact it fits in a nice cubbyhole!). I tend to keep cars till they die, will the OEM navi die on me before the car does and how good are the car companies at updating their databases and can you even update a Sube OEM one??
The factory nav is expensive but - but I wouldn't want to mess up the of that beautiful interior with an aftermarket add-on. Most factory navs issue upgraded maps periodically - at a price. the Subie system comes with 2 DVDs. East and West. Each however give complete street number mapping for the 48 states and Canada. But you need to use the correct regional disc for points of interest item. With 2 DVDs it has to have a boat load of POI data.
I just wish you could enter data while driving.
Bob
I don't like chrome so I'll pass on that appearance package. Maybe if it were gunmetal or flat black...even then a grand is way too high for just cosmetic upgrades.
OK, I'll do a mini-review in a minute, first I wanted to answer a question about seat height since it was requested in advance.
I took a tape measure to record what I will call the "hip point", i.e. height of the seat base at the back of the seat.
For reference, I measured each car I saw:
Miata: 13" (talk about low)
Legacy 2.5i sedan: 17.5"
Impreza RS sedan: 20" (surprise, much higher than the Legacy)
Outback XT: 22"
Tribeca: 26"
So the Outback's seat is about 4.5" higher up than the regular Legacy, and the Tribeca's is yet another 4" higher than the Outback. More than I thought, actually.
I had placed the seat in a comfortable position for me, so YMMV as they say. But even at the lowest point the Tribeca cleared 25", and you could get it up to past 27" or so if you put the power seat all the way up.
-juice
The tranny that Bob complained about was my favorite feature, even in Drive it really knew what gear to choose, and held the right gear in a turn so you could accelerate out of it. Floor the throttle and you get a lower gear ASAP, quicker than with Sportshift it seemed, oddly enough.
That smart tranny kept the engine in its sweet spot, so it felt plenty quick to me. If you need more power budget for speeding tickets, because you will get them. Acceleration makes my Miata and Forester seem slow, easily under 8 seconds to 60 here.
It's the opposite of the Highlander and Pilot. Those cars seem torquey until you push them, then they kinda run out of steam (is it the weight?). The Tribeca is quiet and smooth, and then you hit the throttle and the engine comes alive and has plenty of steam. The H6 likes high rpms and the tranny does a good job keeping it there when needed.
Tinted windows - darker than I recall, I really liked them. This was a big surprise because I didn't think they'd be this dark. Big thumbs up.
Steering felt a little light to me, though feedback was good. Not as light as Honda/Toyota, but I would prefer about 20% less power steering boost.
Ride was very impressive, in fact that and the quietness impressed me the most. I went over a speed bump at about 35mph and it absorbed it so that you hardly felt it. And let's face it, getting over speed bumps is more important that whatever off road ability it might have. Good job given the 18" rims and low profile tires.
They really did a good job with the seals and you heard tire noise rather than wind noise so the shape is very functional. At low rpms you can't even hear the engine, so check the tach before reaching for the starter.
Doors were heavy, but I'm used to lighter frameless doors. It closes with a thunk but it requires more effort than I'm used to. Of course this pays off in quietness, so there's your trade off.
When I parked it I had to back it up into a tight spot on their lot, and had no problem using the big mirrors. I thought the rear view mirror was small, perhaps the auto dimming one is bigger? I do think my wife would not want to back up into a tight spot like that so the rear view camera would be a welcome addition.
To summarize -
Likes:
* smart tranny
* smooth engine at high revs
* impressive ride/handling balance
* tint offers good privacy
* quietness
Dislikes:
* steering could be more weighted
* doors seem heavy
* could use bigger interior rear view mirror and/or camera
Bottom line is it drives much better than the Highlander and leagues ahead of the Pilot, which will seem like a truck to you if you've just stepped out of the Tribeca. Pilot has more room, so if you have 3-4 kids you might have to choose a Pilot (or minivan).
But you will want to drive a Tribeca.
-juice
I'm a little confused about your mention of low profile tires.
Every B9 comes with 18" Mud & Snows speced - there is nothing low profile about them.
I am considering getting a set of performance tires and use the mud & snows for winter driving.
Did your test drive have a special tire package?
That's not true. When one says "low-profile" they're referring to the tire side section/width ratio, not the wheel diameter. The Tribeca has a 255/55x18 tire. The "55" refers to the section ratio—which is indeed a low profile.
Bob
Of course the tire itself is wide, and 55 is just the aspect ratio, not the sidewall thickness.
greyhound: right on, I was thinking the same thing. They totally left the door open to do an Outback version of the Tribeca. The tires, plus fender flares, skid plates, a roof rack, and a tow hitch standard, plus a low range and oil cooler. Sound like fun?
-juice
Bob
It that still considered low profile?
John
Hey - I thought our brainstorming session a few weeks ago (for which I have yet to be renumerated for) decided on the Kate Spade edition??!!
When I test drove mine I forgot to check.
Compared to my Miata's 185/60R14 tires, it actually has more sidewall.
Nowadays 5.6" is not exactly low profile, good point.
Kate Spade would be to the Tribeca what LL Bean is to the Outback.
There's still room for an off road package. Kate Spade would be more urban.
I don't think the side mirrors do that. And I did back it up into that spot I mentioned.
-juice
Bob
Just food for thought.
Joe
Bob
I hope to check out some of the new Tribeca arrivals around Phoenix this weekend. Still, it'll be a really hard call for me to give up the OB.
-Karen in AZ-
I did only measure the front seat, if I'd thought about that I'd have measured the back seat as well. Though I don't think it has theatre seating, i.e. the back seat higher than the front.
-juice
Bob
235/70R16 for Pilot
225/70R16 for Highlander
235/65R18 for Murano
225/65R17 for RX330
235/65R17 for MDX
235/65R17 for BMW X5 3.0
HOLY COW!
So I'd say it is *very* low profile for its class, and low profile all things considered, too.
So there. :P
-juice
Bob
Thanks!
What tires currently come the new OB's LL Bean ?
Also, would you advocated forcing a change in tires when the new B9 comes in next week before we take delivery and which ones would you put on in New England ?
Thanks, Steve.
Multifunction screen displaying navigation system information, audio system information, trip computer functions, maintenance intervals, controls for various vehicle settings, calendar, calculator and memo-taking function. Video input from rear-seat DVD entertainment system may also be displayed (if vehicle is in Park).
incredible turning circle: Turning Circle, curb-to-curb 35.4 ft.
Aluminum-alloy hood S
tailgqate not aluminum
Cargo capacity 8.3 cu. ft. with 2nd- and 3rd-row seats raised [LESS THAN LEGACY SEDAN ?]
(when front wipers are on, selecting reverse gear activates rear wiper)
ACCESSORIES: http://www.subaru.com/shop/accessories.jsp?year=2006&model=B9_TRIBECA&trim=LIMITED_7-PASSE- NGER&category=*
http://www.subaru.com
The future is now!
-Karen in AZ-
-Brian
It includes a mesh grille, chrome wheels and a $1K MSRP.
I have mixed feelings. I don't like chrome wheels. The mesh grille is nice, but is a UK-design rip-off (Bentley, Jaguar, etc.). Even Cadillac is offering mesh grilles on their sport models... It seems very "trendy" (as opposed to being Subaru-distinctive) and I certainly wouldn't pay $1K for it.
Bob
My test drive was short and didn't reveal any weaknesses in grip, but I wasn't nearly pushing it.
Krisshna: that's with the use of the 3rd row. Fold the 3rd row and room is pretty good.
Bob: black out that grille and I'll take it. No thanks on the rims. Chrome is heavy and expensive.
-juice
That may have been the problem.
The b9 is in, dealer is just waiting for the front bumper guard to come in hopefully Tuesday so we should be able to pick it up Wed. Wanted to see what a tire upgrade would cost and include it in the deal.
Steve.
When I got to the other dealer, I was exposed to Subaru of Dallas' owner's true colors. I called to let him know that I'd found another vehicle, and he hem-hawed, and essentially backed-out of his buy-bid offer saying he wanted to help me, but not help another dealer. My impression was that he never had any intention of going through with the buy-bid, as long as there was a chance to get me in a Tribeca. When he realized that this was not going to happen, he reneged on his offer.
Not to be deterred, I went back to the dealer of the different brand I was looking at and had them bid on the car. Of course with only two dealerships in the DFW area, he ended up calling Subaru of Dallas, and the manager's assistant, knowing it was me trying to sell my Outback, essentially low-balled his own product $3000 less than Kelly Blue Book value on the car. I tried Carmax later and they did the same thing, this time only $2500 below what the LLBean was worth. I feel that Carmax was higher because at least they knew how much the car is truly worth and could ship it back up north to sell it in Denver or similar location.
BTW, the service department for Subaru of Dallas was superb and always worked hard and was ethical. It's a terrible shame that sales and service are under the same roof.
Steve