Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to learn more!
Options
Popular New Cars
Popular Used Sedans
Popular Used SUVs
Popular Used Pickup Trucks
Popular Used Hatchbacks
Popular Used Minivans
Popular Used Coupes
Popular Used Wagons
Comments
I turned the key to on (I did not start the vehicle)
I did not touch the NAV screen
I rapidly clicked and unclicked the driver's side seatbelt 20 times within 30 secs
I undid the seatbelt and just sat there..... no chime
Then I started the car..... no chime
I drove around the block..... nothing
I guess it worked. It never had before, and the only thing I may have done differently is that I turned the key to ON without starting the vehicle
Randy
Seat Belt Reminder Technology (pdf file)
Steve, Host
I'm not ready yet - I just don't need another car right now. When my 97 voyager shows any sign of costly repairs..............??.
I have a couple of observations from my first test drive:
I noticed that the turn signal stalk blocked the temp gauge when in use. In fact , the fuel and temp gauges are so close to the edge of the steering wheel "opening" it feels awkward. Any slight turn to the wheel and some part of the gauge pod is obstructed.
A few pages back in this thread there is mention of how easy it is to press the audio buttons on the steering wheel - My cousin hit it 3 times during the test drive. Juice - what's your take on this???
The info screen is hard to see in the daylight - yes the lights were off.
I know the dash is laid out differently - there are things I need to get used to - I'll need to test drive a few more times. Perhaps I need to adjust my seat position?
Are my observations valid? where am I going wrong here??
Charlie
As to seeing the temp and fuel guage... yup a bit obstructed... is it an issue? Nope.
Info screen? I have NAV and there are times in direct sunlight that it becomes a bit of a challenge to see. I've not been in many other cars with NAV to compare.
All I can say is after 3,000 miles I love the vehicle more and more... I would like the steering wheel button to switch between presets and not scan... but you know what... you get used to it. Again, after driving it for awhile now.. I'm over missing the convienciences of my Saab layout and comfortable with the B9.
Oh and I made soup today .... another batch of the GREAT gazpacho and yup washed the baby again! :P
great article about the B9 someone in here i think posted earlier in the thread. All this talk for awhile about the front end looking like an Alfa Romeo and even my friend who owns a dealership and knows cars and said it screams Alfa .... and even named a certain model maybe the 147 as well not sure. But interestingly enough this article brings to my attention something that I didn't know in additoin to all the front end talk. That supposedly the side view and tail end look very much like the afore mentioned Alfa Romeo 147.
"While an argument could be made for it not being Subarus fault entirely, as the man behind the Tribecas exterior design, and also the chief designer for Subaru at Fuji Heavy Industries Tokyo Studio, is none other than Andreas Zapatinas, an ex-Alfa designer who was at least partially responsible for the Fiat-owned Italian brands stylish new duds. Still, someone high up the food chain was willing to sign off on a design that looks a great deal like an Alfa Romeo 147 from the hind end and side profile."
I haven't finished the article as I found this very interesting and looked up a few pictures of the Alfa Romeo 147 and sure enough there is striking similiarities. To me more in the tail end which I almost wish the emulated more especially the mesh grill at the bottom though I prefer the dual exhuast of the B9 as opposed to what looks like 2 on one side on the 147. The side i can see what the author means as well but it looks the 147 is some type of raised hatchback car with 2 door and 4 door versions so you dont see the side view looking as similiar to the B9. and the Tribeca looks better from the side especially with the side mirror blinkers , puddles lights etc.
Overall I'm not bothered by this discovery at all and actually think its cool that it has similiar looks in front and now side and back (thats the whole vehicle) to an Alfa Romeo. I never was a big fan of the Alfa romeo snub nose/3 part grilles but Its grown on me with the Tribeca and everyone I have ever asked or has seen it loves the whole thing even the "controversial" front end so its funny how much talk there was that it wasnt' that attractive.
And again it doesnt' bother me and in fact I personally think its kind of cool that it looks like an Alfa Rome from all sides. Its like having an Alfa Romeo SUV! which coincidentally they dont make one right?
now i'm thinking about putting Alfa Romeo lettering on the back where I took off the Subaru lettering adn then you could take it a step further and replace the front and back badges as well, hah.
more pictures:
http://www.digitalevacuation.org/Alfa147/
even the tripod of gauges looks similiar and steering wheel buttons look similiar but other then that the tribeca has better interior styling.
Subaru should have put the B9 on the left side like alfa put the 147 and the Tribeca on the right where alfa has the selespeed instead of putting subaru lettering (which I already took off) but i guess they had to cus unlike alphas badge subies doesnt' say the name just has the stars.
anyone know where i could get an Alpha Badge and/or lettering and how hard it would be to change the Subie badges?
cheers.
http://www.alfaromeo.com/cgi-bin/pbrand.dll/ALFAROMEO_COM/models/models.jsp?BV_SessionID=@-@&BV_EngineID=cccfaddfdkgljmecefecejgdfiidgio.0&categoryOID=-10- 73792726
not that I have an ipod as i prefer a diff mp3 player but that really looks like a nice and integrated system incorporating use of the ipod which is very prevalent. Subaru should have tried to emulate something similiar to this especailly with all the ppl in this forum and probably many other Tribeca owners that dont have the aux inputs of the DVD option but looking to use an ipod in the vehicle.
under the vintage section
I'd get the Alfa Romeo Logo Badge 1 @ € 0,93
Alfa Romeo Trade Mark Badge 1 @ € 11,57
Dispatch charges € 40,00
How many U.S. dollars would that be?
I don't know about replacing the actual Subaru badge as its wider and more oblong then the round Alfa badge and might be hard to get off. Plus the one on the back is kind of nice carbon fibre blue background with silver stars right? I dont know if i would like all the colors and the gold in the Alfa badge.
I would definately put the red lettered/"logo" Alfa Romeo badge in the spot where I took off the Subaru lettering and then maybe just put the round trade mark badge above that to balance out the other side with the B9 above Tribeca if that would be easier then trying to replace the front subaru badge.
I'm not big on red but the red lettering of the logo badge would look good on the satin white pearl and match the tail lights.
oh and just to add to the Alfa styling points there is also the concept Kamal which would be Alfas first SUV and is based on the 147 hatchback that the Tribeca has rear and side styling cues from. It may be ready as 2007 model coincidentally when Alfa Romeo is coming back to the united states. "Will Alfa Romeo ever sell cars in the United States again?
The long-awaited return of Alfa Romeo to the United States market should take place by 2007, with a range of new models."
http://car-reviews.automobile.com/Alfa%20Romeo/review/2003-alfa-romeo-kamal-concept/631/
It wouldn't be a direct competitor of the Tribeca anyway though as it seems to be more BMW X3 sized while the B9 is X5 sized. Same thing with the Acura RDX, which is why I didn't even contemplate waiting for it. too small. The X3 is useless to me and looks horrible especially with no tinted windows.
P.S.
for the post above about the ipod I dont think that link pasted right. just go to alfaromeo.com click modles, 147 5 door and then you will see the link for the ipod pack for that model.
The father of one of my college friends had (maybe still has) a small Alfa convertible. It was a pretty cool car, but a major piece of junk (we called it the Alfa Repairo since it broke down all the time). At the time of one of his major engine failures, we were taking a mechanics of materials class and analyzed a snapped distributor shaft from the engine. It broke right at a non-beveled oil hole in the shaft, just where you'd expect a stress concentration. Whoever designed that shaft put the hole in the worse possible place, as if they had no mechanical design experience! I think many Americans had similar experiences with Alfa, so the brand would have a tough road re-establishing itself in the US. Subaru will be more successful with the styling for sure!
I did not like the writing style of that B9 review, and saw a few errors and overlooked facts. I assume this was a Canadian writer, based on the quoted $52,000 price tag??
Craig
Begone nasty chime!!
About all I did differently was to click and release just a little more slowly and carefully, still within 30 seconds. Patience and persistence. I'll still wear my seatbelt, of course, but never again while parked watching the submarine races : )
I cancelled my preorder because SOA shipped it without the Puddle Lights and they can not be added.
This turned out to be a blessing since a dealer right down the street had the exact unit and I got it for 1000 over dealer cost. HINT – Dealer deal better on the last day of the month. That’s almost 600 less than I agreed to with the other dealer. SOA agreed to kick in the tow package since they blew my last order.
I took it on a 36 month lease - 469.00 per month zero down.
Now for the trip;
Keep in mind I am coming out of an Infiniti Q45 - 340 HP - Luxo Sedan.
There were times I missed my V8 - but the Boxer performed well in almost all situations. I found that going through the rolling hills of Southern Illinois, Tenn, Ark and Miss went much more smoothly when I put in it sport mode.
In sport mode she down shifted very smoothly and when needed without any noticeable delay.
She rode very well. Smooth and reasonably quite. I took it up to 105 for a short bit and she felt solid at that speed.
Seats could be a little softer, and more sculpted for better support.
Telescoping wheel would be nice, as would another 25 or so HP. Also rear parking sensors (which I will get installed after market) and tilt down mirrors are almost a necessity. This is not the easiest vehicle to parallel park.
Running down the interstate I averaged a speed of between 75 & 85. At those speeds I averaged 19.1 MPG on regular and 21.3 with Premium. I am sure milage would be better with more HP. The engine just has work too hard at those speeds. It does the job but at a cost – FUEL.
Despite some short comings – I am a very happy buyer. When I compare what I got with my 35K Tribeca vs. my 60K Q45 – it’s a no brainer – Subaru wins.
Thanks for unlurking, Catfraux, and welcome!
Steve, Host
Enjoy!
As a side note. I called SOA today to chat about using Synthetic oil versus regular and hoping to go 5,000 between changes instead of the reccomended 3,000 I spoke to a very nice young man who happens to live in the next town over from me. I asked if SOA monitors this board and he said yes as does he. We ended up having a very pleasant chat and he assured me he does take note as does SOA of what customers (owners especially) say. Oh with regard to the Synthetic... the reccomendetion is to still change it at the 3,000 interval and if you do change don't go back. My feeling is to go ahead and use synthetic and change it at the perscribed 3,000 interval because I'm convinced that you just can't over do it with keeping high quality fresh oil in a vehicle. It has to increase the life of the engine. Plus if you go over but even 1,000 miles I would feel much better and not worry about it.
Anyway I would reccomend that everybody go to the Subaru site and write a response to the things you would like to see improved with the B9.
Cheers! Hummmm I wonder how Karen the seatbelt chime buster is doing? :shades:
i currently have a 2004 toyota 4runner and a 2005 outback. My wife loves the outback but we have decided the 4runner is a bit to "truck like" for what we do, and I very much want side and side curtain airbags for my kids. I am considering a B9 probably in the Fall, but I have been researching and founf that the highlander is getting a total re-design for 2007 (available Fall 2006). The concept photo looks absolutely great! Also it will have a 280 hp V6, and will be available in hybrid. Just wondering if anyone else has looked into this, and would it be worth the wait?
I have driven the B9 and it is nice but here are some concerns:
Seats are not very comfortable
No telescoping steering wheel
Hard to see out of the back....Very hard!
Adequate power, but not great
Gas mileage is "so so"....My 4runner averages 19mpg in Pittsburgh (hills)
Some of the plastic inside looks a bit "cheapy"
3rd row is a joke
Seat memory?????
8 way power passenger?????
All of that being said, if I were to buy something today this would be my vehicle.
http://car-reviews.automobile.com/Subaru/review/2006-subaru-b9-tribeca-limited-road-test-p- - - art-2/1320/
Bob
Craig
Steve, Host
On my 2100 mile journey the engine ran just fine on the cheap stuff just got a little less mileage and power.
I appears that if you just roam around town - regular is probably the way to go for those situations where you want max power feed it the high priced spread.
Thanks! John
Craig
CRaig
These 3 dealers had, combined, on 6/11 exactly 50 Tribecas in stock.
Today, 7/11, they have 31 in stock. To my surprise, they have no new inventory. That's right, all of those 31 Tribecas left are the same from one month ago.
Now, 19 Tribecas sold in a 30 days period at 3 dealer is kind of low, isn't it?
It looks like these dealers aren't very confident with Tribeca sales, since they ordered no new inventory for this period.
That might explain why I haven't seen one Tribeca in the streets yet. I might be just unluckly, or maybe they are really selling pretty slow over here.
Oh, and our specs page says the Tribeca requires premium. (link). I wouldn't mind taking the hp hit, but I wouldn't want the mpg to fall by running regular all the time.
Steve, Host
I need to drive my cousins' when he gets it - in about 6-8 weeks
Charlie
The key points most of which others said, is to be in park turn key on but not engine. you don't need to hit agree on the NAV. Just see the seat belt icon come on and I think you have to hear it as well. The most important thing is to do it slow and controlled and watch the icon disappear and hear the chime go off each time then release and re do it. I think 20 times does the trick. Being that it is a little tricky I didn't want to deal with the one time defeat every time so I did the permanent.
Similiar to waiting for someone to open the dash to see the stereo I might be the first to take off a side view mirror and try to open the turn signal light in that. Well I stripped a screw and wasn't able to get into the signal light of the mirror even after getting all 4 exterior screws underneath it off on the other side where I didn't strip any and one interior screw. I even messed up my pin stripe a little and put a minor scratch on the paint of the door underneath mirror . I will have to see if the dealer can get out the stripped screw on the one side and replace it on Friday when I get some options. It looks like they are little led lights in there (6 total) and I would just want to change them probably to blue to match the puddle lights. I know there is some legal issues to needing to have orange turn signals but I think as long as the front and rear are normal its ok and i think the blue is more noticeable/legal then white at least. On my Pathfinder the area where turnsignal was on the tail lights, was white/clear so i just changed the orange bulbs to whitish blue and it was much cooler looking.
The Tribeca's tail lights are red for the turn signal so no use changing anything there. I may just want to change the orange parking/turn signal lights up front though as you still have that side strip of orange material on that parking/turn light so i think it would be ok and also give it a cooler look. Other then that I would maybe just want to eventually put in the psuedo HID/xenon bulbs for the headlights with the bluish/white color as someone said they aren't true xenon obviously and aren't too much brighter but just look better. I put some in in my Pathfinder and they did seem brighter and had a much nicer look similiar to luxury cars with Xenon instead of the standard yellowish glow standard bulbs.
Anyone know the size of those 6 led lights that are in each side mirror signal light? Are they just standard led bulbs. I'm sure the dealer wont have them so i just want to supply them for the dealer to change. Hopefully the manual has it and they are standard leds that i can get at pepboys or something. What about the front parking/turn signal lights? Pepboys doesn't have the Tribeca in their light look up computer thing so hopefully the manual says what size they are somewhere.
Speaking of options, It looks like the splash guards are going to be a neccesity for me with the satin white pearl. I am getting a ton of mud splatter I'm assuming from the tires even on dry days (puddles and stuff i guess?) Especially on the Satin White Pearl it sucks to have a just cleaned B9 but then brown mud splashes along the bottom from the tires and such. I'm hoping the splash guards will rectify this for the most part. Even worse is the fact that said brown (mud?) splash seems to have almost stained my satin white pearl as it didnt' come off with mild scrubbing with a wash mit and using hose and bucket and good car wash stuff. Even after spraying quick detail stuff on it and wiping it didnt' seem to come off completely, I think eventually it at least lightened but it got dark so not sure. I hope this wont be a common occurence or permanent but maybe the dealership can get it out and again splash guards should help. Anyone else get a lot of splash up and/or any permanent staining form this especially on the satin white pearl? I thought black actually showed more dirt then white on a car?
Also looking forward to some of the other options. The guy at the dealership I did the deal with who was giving me 2 options free as part of my deal is away on vacation now and the service dept. said they have no "we owe" slip for those and I guess I never got it in writing. I really doubt he will try and screw me now on them and in fact I am expecting some other options thrown in to make up for what I overpaid on the car but the fact that he didnt' write anything up and if I have to go through any trouble with them over this then I really will be makign a problem, getting the options elsewhere if i have to pay anything more then inovice on the ones i dont get free and will be taking for service elsewhere then too fi that happens. We'll see how well they take care of a customer who just took a chance and bought their most expensive vehicle loaded and over paid between 1500-2000.
I got my front 2 windows tinted and even the little tiny front corner windows which the guys said were even smaller then the Lexus RX similiar front corner windows, but they were able to tint them anyway with a little extra effort. I did this with my las suv and it just looks much more uniform and flowing matching the back windows and doesnt' break it up with front clear and rear tinted.
I will post some night pics showing the parking lights on using the switch on top of the steering wheel that turns them on even with key out and the puddle lights aglow. Don't know if you will notice the tints as much as they are night shots.
We can attach/post pics here right? just click 'Img' at the bottom? Also, how do you get email notification of new posts or a reply to one of your own like other forums have. I hate just having to randomly check back and its nice to have a reminder.
With gas prices still rising and projected to hit $3/gallon this is a big concern to me especially with the Tribeca supposedly requiring expensive premium fuel and the one thing I regret/worry about the Tribeca. Before i got my B9 I had been putting in lowest octane 87 because of the high prices and after hearing there is no difference but now with the new baby i have been putting 93 in for now so i really notice the price diff on top of the ever rising gas prices in general. I'm sure the gas mileage on the B9 is no worse and hopefully slightly better then my previoius Pathfinder but still I did kind of want to get a hybrid. But I needed to stick with an SUV so that limited me to the Lexus RX or wait for the Highlander Hybrid which came out just after the Tribeca. Lexus is too expensive for me and you can only get it loaded and therefore even more pricey, besides my mom traded her RX 300 for one. And the Highlander is still plain/boring looking to me and my dad is trading his old one for a hybrid version. So I didn't want to have same car as them. And I wouldn't even consider the Ford Escape hybrid which sucks and I hate Ford.
There is no way I could have waited over a year all the way until next fall for the new Highlander Hybrid as it was peak time to get rid of my previous vehicle but next fall will also probably be too soon to trade the B9. I heard Subaru has a hybrid model in japan but who knows when they will here. I also worry that a better model Tribeca will come out with esthetic improvements and possibly an STi or otherwise turbo, better engine more HP etc. model. Oh well, this was the fun of being one of the first with a new model and I still haven't seen any on the road. I like being the only one especially with noone knowing what it is with the only Subaru lettering to be seen on the back end removed by me, but I'm starting to get concerned. Are they not selling well in my area?, oh well, I do still love mine and that is all that matters.
Everyone that has seen mine loves it and thinks it is really sharp and hot looking from neighbors, to friends and family to strangers in a parking lot, at gas stations etc. ppl with all diff type cars, luxury and non luxury suv or sedan, including a guy with an FX who loved my B9. A neighbor of mine at first thought it was a Murano but then realized it wasnt and liked it better. The second takes and stares on the road and around are part of the fun too.
Mine as well enjoy my B9 now early on. Worst comes to worst if in a year and a half or 2 years there really is something better, faster with more hp and decent looks plus hybrid gas saving at a reasonable price like the 2007 Highlander Hybrid sounds like it might be, then I'm sure the Tribeca will have held its value and would then be worth more in a trade then if i wait 5 years and it has more mileage on it etc.
Using your numbers, those three Seattle dealers averaged 6.33 Tribecas sold per dealership per month. There are about 600 dealerships in the U.S. If every dealership sold 6.33 Tribecas in June, Subaru would've totaled 3800 for the month and would've been on pace for 45,600 Tribecas sold in a year, which would be a phenomenal success. That's way over what Subaru is forecasting. In fact, Subaru sold 1540 Tribecas nationwide in June, so those three Seattle dealers each sold more than twice the national monthly average per dealership (6.33 vs. about 2.5). Of course, it's so early in the game that the numbers are nearly meaningless so far.
I think those numbers can help us realize how small Subaru really is and helps explain why we've seen so few Tribecas on the streets so far. Even if they'd been selling at a hot clip nationwide, there'd still only be about 6 Tribecas on the road for each dealership. Where I'm at, that'd be 6 Tribecas in a county (Snohomish) of 650,000 people. That's very little opportunity to see one on the road. Give it a few months and those numbers will start slowly building, the total volume sold will add up, and you'll notice a few of these on the road.
Incidentally, while I was at Carter, it was my first opportunity to get inside a Tribeca, white/beige w/DVD & NAV. I was especially impressed by seat size and comfort (that second row slid all the way back and reclined was awesome!) and the thick yet supple feel of the leather. She didn't dislike it, but my wife actually thought the interior design was a little too clean & slick for her tastes, preferring the '05 Legacy/Outback interior. She also missed the panoramic sunroof.
For me, every expectation was met or surpassed with the exception of the third row. I'm 5'7" 160lbs, reasonably nimble, and was disappointed at how awkward it was to climb into the back seat. Once back there, the seat's so low that there's no knee/thigh support unless you turn yourself at an angle. Any adult riding back there should bring a pillow to stuff under the back of their knees. The height of the second-row seatbacks added a slight sense of claustrophobia. Also disappointed that when sitting in the third row there's no latch to slide forward the 60% portion of the second row, meaning you could only exit from the passenger side unless someone else slid the 60% portion forward for you. I have no idea why this would be configured that way. It essentially eliminates the possibility of mounting a child seat on the passenger-side second row and still being able to get out of the third row on your own. Kinda like a roach motel... you can check in but you can't check out. :surprise:
As negative as that sounds, the third row was ok for occassional use and it wouldn't deter me from buying B9 Tribeca, but it sure is annoying, and probably would dissuade folks who would use the third row more frequently.
Where are you in the Seattle area? I'm in Mill Creek.
The FT-SX looks somewhat similar to the Hyundai concept "Portico" - see www.autopacific.com recent releases - so you can take out your crystal ball and decide what will be coming in the future.
That feature isn't available yet. For now, the best way to find out about new posts is to click on the "Subscribe" link below. Then your Message Center will alert you when new posts appear in the discussion.
tidester, host
man, that was a lot of work and took awhile to find a free site to post pics to and then another task to get an actual url from the sites interface to show the pic.
Why doesn't Edmunds just allow you upload/post a picture from your pc instead of only allowing to post a picture from an actual url. At that point the person could just go to the link themself to see it.
Edmunds, please add the ability upload/post pics from your own pc/hd and add email notification.
wish there was a way to turn the side mirror lights on like the parking lights. might be able to catch a quick pic while they are blinking on from unlock but...... I really want to change the leds from orange to something bluish white to match the puddle lights though.
can you tell the front windows are as dark as the back? Because of the interior light in the middle it actually looks like the back windows are lighter then the front but they are the same as I had the front windows tinted to match the back.
-Brian
I thought the same thing and just figured it was the "teacher" in my being too picky!
http://www.subaru.com/Dust
Steve, I hope you can ask them to correct that info, because it would cause the projected maintenance costs for the vehicle to be artificially high.
I just checked that guide for my 05 Outback XT, and it also has incorrect info. For instance, it calls for an oil change at 3000 miles, which is not required for this model (it is for some other Subarus, but not the XT model Outback, a change starting in 2005). And then it calls for oil change intervals every 3750 miles, which is only for the severe service schedule (most people should be doing it every 7500). Finally, on top of the incorrect 3000 mile oil change, they list the next one at 3750, which is really nuts! That is basically the worse possible combination of services for any Subaru model, but clearly does not reflect the specific model. I bet the same goes for the Tribeca.
I also checked the info for my wife's 04 Acura TSX, and it is incorrect as well. The Acura schedule in the owner's manual calls for oil-only change at 10K intervals, and oil+filter at 20K intervals. Edmunds shows 5K/10K intervals. It would seem that they are arbitrarily cutting the normal service schedule in half.
I really think incorrect information like this is worse than no information at all. People would be better off looking in their owner's manuals. By recommending too much maintenance, it inflates the ownership costs of the car, wastes money, and pollutes the environment. I think Edmunds is actually doing a disservice by posting information like this. If it can't be posted accurately, it should not be posted at all!
thanks,
Craig
Thanks for the information on the seat beat chime. I really hated that thing and now it is gone!
I cannot thank you enough....sitting in the car is much more enjoyable now.
Shane
The Tribeca shares the same side mirror marker as other Subaru models. The LED assembly is sealed, and sold as a separate part, 84401AG020 (right) and 84401AG030 (left). Cost is $162 each.
I seriously doubt the dealer would do this mod for you, especially if it's illegal. First there's the issue of modifying DOT lighting, and then the blue light issue.
Craig
That feature will become generally available in the near future. It's in beta testing right now.
tidester, host