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-Brian
tidester, host
It needed a new AT around 140k and A/C around 200K, otherwise no serious problems. (Yes, I spent $1000 to fix the A/C in a vehicle worth $2000... I just look at that $1000 as 3 car payments). I've owned this car for 13 of its 14 years, and it lived its first year as a loaner car at my dealership, so it wasn't a babied at the beginning.
The first half of its life was pretty rough, but it nicely handled my hard-driving 20s, when I tormented it with stupid things like getting airborne over a railroad crossing (the General Lee has got nothin' on my Subie) and taking it to its maximum speed (somewhere around 115-120 if I remember correctly) on a very straight local highway.
The Legacy also did well in a low-speed close encounter with a city bus... probably a 10-15mph impact into the passenger door, after which even the window could still roll down. The finish has remained in pretty good shape, despite never being garaged here in the rainy PacNW. By comparison, the area that was repaired after the bus incident has turned dull and faded.
The interior has held up reasonably well, although I just had to put a seatcovers on, since the fabric had finally worn off of the lumbar area you rub against when getting in and out of the seat. The foam under the rear headrest area has started to break down where it's been exposed to a lot of UV rays.
It's been up and down the West Coast and lived a mix of city and highway miles. Once I reached my thirties, I started maintaining it much better (I could finally afford to!). I don't rack up the miles on it like I used to, but it still gets driven at least 5x/week and I still don't hesitate to take it on Forest Service roads in the middle of nowhere or on long trips over mountain passes.
This car has worn well and feels like part of the family. It has never stranded me in its 14 years and I can't imagine the amount of money it has saved me in car payments over this time. It has made me a Subie loyalist and has led to my repeat purchase ('04 Outback) as well as at least four other friends/relatives purchasing Subarus.
I hope to replace the Outback with a B9 Tribeca in a year or two (for more passenger room), and then after a few more years it'll be time to finally retire the Legacy. I almost hope it dies before then 'cause I don't know if I can bear selling/trading it. It should be replaced by a commuter car, something Subaru doesn't sell in the U.S. (c'mon Subaru, I want to give you my money for something nice but small w/high MPG!), but deep down I'd love to replace it with another Legacy sedan (this time a GT Limited).
Many of us Subaru folks have similar stories. It's what makes us loyal buyers and what gives Subaru vehicles a personality or "soul", transcending their role as mere transportation. Wow, that's like, deep, man.
To answer your question "Are subies that good or are their owners just exceptionally loving owners?", I'd say it's the fact that Subies are so good that makes us loving owners.
I feel very good about my decision to buy a Tribeca and I am now even more anxious to take delivery in the next 7 to 10 days.
CRaig
Head a little west to the White Mntns and climb Mt. Washington, (once your Tribeca is well broken in!) Prepare for wind and views to the ocean! We saw the Audi race there; crazy people in fast cars on cliffs tempting fate.
I now, proudly, have a new Subaru in my driveway, waxed. Mahogany Red, "Just a Touch of Grey" Interior, Nav, and oh so nice. Ordered it May 9, hours after my last final exam for a masters, my personalized grad gift after too many years of hard studying. 2nd Tribeca delivered from the dealer, for 800 over. NW Indiana.
Positive Impressions? I've seen all the technical stuff posted recently; here's the aesthetic view...Rides like a hovercraft, corners like a mortorcycle, tight feel & sure handling, interior is thouroughly engaging and a pleasure to ride within, leather is exceptional, seats are easily adjusted comfortably (even when coming from an Avalon), Sound system has got a better work out than the engine, and I'm satisfied, and maybe a little more deaf. Radio frequencies come in better that my last car. Exterior has garnered only admiration! Have had several inquiries about the car around town, with most gasping. Still breaking in at a relaxed pace. Will report on true MPG and performance once I've got it going.
Mahogany Red color is amazing. We were uncertain at first look, but after seeing it in different lights, it goes from cinnimon to brown to "root beer" to plum in the course of a day. My 2 1/2 yr old calls it the "purpo ca", providing the most uninfluenced view.
Negatives? I have a hard time finding a comfortable place for my left foot, I'm 5'10". If I pull the seat too far back to stretch my leg I can't comfortably reach the steering. If I move the seat forward to reach the steering properly, my leg is bent...uncomfortably, especially if driving for hours. The need for a telescoping wheel in future models is apparent. Dash is awesome, with an informative, over-the-top NAV/Info system, and dash lights that change with the time of day. (Red back-lighting at night!) Headlights have a narrow feild of "lightedness", with anything roughly hood-level down lit, and anything roughly above the mid-widsheild level dark. Minor head lamps stay on all the time (is this a drawback, or saftey, or just kinda Tribeca cool?). You have to push a little blue button on the NAV that says "AGREE" every Fing time you turn the car on, and seatbelts are mandatory, unless you don't mind R2D2 yapping at you incesantly.
Space is plenty for everyday use, with the 3rd row seat down, but not enough for a trip with kids and a dog. I've already ordered the new Thule Nomad carrier for camping gear, etc., proving an additional 14 sq.ft. Also ordered a Yakima car hitch for bikes, compatible with the 1 1/4" Subrau Trailer Hitch.
Oh... How could I forget...Just after the first wax, with McGuires Gold, I carefully placed one very small, very cool, gold, Grateful Dead "Steal Your Face" sticker in the lower right of the back window. This new ride of mine is "Just Bound To Cover Jsut A Little More Ground!"
Subaru's are definately just that good and this is why they enjoy such previous owner loyalty, at least in my case. I cannot say the same for any other car manufacturer that I have owned with the exception of Toyota, another quality product.
Good luck with yours.
Steve
That requirement had nothing to do with the engineers - it comes from the dim wits in the legal dept. It is a CYA thing.
I could accept it if you could use the touch functions like entering a destination etc while driving. But since the car must be stopped - it just idiotic and annoying.
Using lawyers logic they should require the same thing before you can operate the radio or the climate contols.
God bless the lawyers - no one else will.:)
Anyway, on to my question. The dealership will add a free stripe on the cars they sell. Since they haven't done any on the B9 yet, has anyone had one added? If so, where on the side was it placed? Above the door handles? My 2000 OB that I just sold to a private individual (put me about $2k ahead of a trade-in) had the striping and it looked good on it but not sure about the B9.
Any thoughts or ideas?
When posting about your experience with a dealership, you may post ONLY the dealership name, city, and state. You may not post a salesperson's name, phone numbers, email addresses, links to dealer web sites, etc.
The intent is to keep phony shill posts and ads to a minimum on the forum.
Is it about time for a Tribeca Prices Paid and Buying Experiences discussion? Or maybe the Subaru Crew - Dealers & Pricing one is sufficient?
thanks,
Steve, Host
-Karen in AZ-
Reviews Links: http://members.cox.net/kamartin/2006b9tribeca.html
Prices Paid and Buying Experience would be helpful IMHO.
Jerry
The dealership was great, nice people who did what they said they would do, Stanley Subaru in Trenton, ME. I recommend them highly.
After spending some time going over the features they sent me on my way, Nav system all programmed up to guide me home on the scenic route. The ride was as expected and mentioned in other reviews, solid, well handling, felt very secure and stuck to the road. Handling was sweet, responsive and no complaint about power. The transmission capability and performance was great, in all three capabilities (drive, sport and manual), a very advanced system which has me impressed.
Some minor glitches with the nav system on the way, not sure if it was me though. It also did not have the updated exit numbers for Rt 95 in ME, they changed exits numbers to match the mile marker over a year ago. It also has the wrong name for the street I live on in rural NH, this is disappointing. However, I am still very impressed with the Nav system and its capabilities. I put in my work phone number and it returned my company and showed it on the map, pretty cool! Still learning this system. My son wants to change the voice to that of Yoda (Hmm, wrong turn you have made,,,) and he is renaming the B9 the "Millennium Falcon". The info displays were great, lots of cool feedback, setup was easy.
The interior is very cool. Everything was pretty easy to figure out and worked well. I was a little concerned about reach to the Nav system from the drivers seat, but no problem. No problem with visibility or readability of the Nav either.
The sound system performed very well. I expected a little more umph and power, advertised at 160W. I suspect that that is total power split between separate amps per channel. I was expecting to be like one of those kids who you can hear coming from a mile away (I live very near a University). However, power aside, sound quality was great and i am more in to the quality than the power, a sign of age I think!
I would not have made all those center console buttons back lit in red, I did know this going in though. I would have used blue, more modern and futuristic to keep in style with the car, also easier on the eyes. Maybe a future model will allow you to change the backlight colors, red, blue, green, yellow, etc. The center console is lit inside with a neat blue light, too bad they did not take this further on the car.
I did not purchase any of the maintenance agreements. I felt the prices was too high and I have such great experience with Subaru anyway. However, I did purchase an optional R2000 teflon coating that is rubbed on like wax. I am told it will prevent damage from acid rain, water spots, bug juice, etc and provides a 5Y warranty on the paint finish. There was a car on the lot that was done almost 3Ys ago that looked beautiful. Hope I did not get taken on this $270 add-on. Anyone else ever use or heard of R2000?
I did average better than 23 mpg over the 200 mile trip, very pleased about that.
I did get the lobster dinner but not the 6pack of micro brew Thunder Hole Ale as promised, but that's OK, I did get the car!
Gotta go do some chores and teach the family about all the whistles and bells. Overall, extremely satisfied with the purchase of my 6th Subaru and am probably locked in for life now!
Steve
$29,988.00 and MSRP is $32,295.00 for the base 5 pass Ltd.
Keep in mind these are national prices on vehicles direct from SOA to dealers.
In New England there is a surcharge.
It is rare that a dealer orders a completely base unit - so his higher invoice may be do to having options. Have him show you the invoice.
Jerry
HOLD YOUR GROUND....ouch, that must have hurt!
They called with VIN today - my B9 should be there 7-1
Ok... focus on the thread
Gosh I love saying that! Truth be know I'm struggling to know what to do this year... what do you say? This is the year again? Weird! It really was more fun being stabbed in the heart each year and then hoping for the next year. GO SOX!
Steve
But at least it won't take us 86 years to get ours lol!
Understand the NE thing but the difference between Edmunds $29998 and Dealers claim of invoice ($31186 ... this does not include options) is $1886. I understand NE dealer cost is about $250 ( if we consider this a Red Sox and Pats sur charge doesn't feel so bad ) more ... so do I conclude that that the Ltd. base is $1638 more? The Ltd has leather seating and that is about it. I will check out dealer invoice tomorrow. Thanks for the update on your Tribeca.
Jerry
-Karen in AZ-
Reviews Links: http://members.cox.net/kamartin/2006b9tribeca.html
BTW, did it say which dealer? Mine said there was to be NO advertising until after July 1st, so I wonder if someone jumped the gun (I'll bet I know who it was, even without reading the ad).
-Karen in AZ-
Reviews Links: http://members.cox.net/kamartin/2006b9tribeca.html
$30,713 with destination
$ 30 Northeast Destination Surchage
$ 533 New England Subaru Invoice Charge
$31,276 Total
That's about $90 more than what the dealer is telling you.
"This week only! Every Subaru offered to you at the same price our employees, family and friend receive."
I sounds like what I expected. It appears to be a dealer promo and the employee price is what the dealer sells to its employees at not what SOA sells at to their workers.
Oh well.
I want to hook up my Garmin 2610 so it will stay on when I am stopped and out of the vehicle.
Thanks for any tips.
It was "VIP Employee pricing". In small print it mentioned that it was invoice price. Plus subtract out any rebates that are offered.
They don't say anything on their web page about it.
Its better than trying to beat a fair price out of them.
--jay
The catch is some cars are not eligible for the program, so they might exclude the Tribeca, the STi, and the upcoming Legacy Spec B, for instance.
Congrats to newsubu and nhsteve on the new 'becas.
-juice
Swampy is King of the one-liners.
-juice
When my B9 arrives I plan on driving down to visit my son in Biloxi Miss. They have some great beaches that go forever.
Any info on driving in beach sand. Any do's or don'ts or info would be appreciated.
Thanks
Heavy on my mind...
Steve
If it's allowed now, be careful you don't run into a casino. I bet you could drive straight out into the Gulf at Biloxi for a half mile before the water would get over the axles too!
Steve, Host