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Subaru B9 Tribeca (B9X)

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Comments

  • lilbluewgn02lilbluewgn02 Member Posts: 1,089
    image
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Alvin's gonna get it! I'm just not sure how yet. ;)

    -juice
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    Some say use some old fashioned mothballs. Or maybe coat the wires with some hot chili paste -- that should smell better than hot mothballs when you're on your commute.

    Wasn't Alvin's owner named Dave? Bet he drives a B9 now. :shades:

    Steve, Host
  • morey000morey000 Member Posts: 386
    http://www.thechipmunks.com/history.php

    yup. it was Dave. And if he drives a B9, they've got Subaru's in heaven. (Ross Bagdasarian a.k.a. Dave, passed away in 1972)

    Internet: The source of all knowledge.
  • ttribecattribeca Member Posts: 12
    Hiya all,
    First post on this excellent board. I recently took delivery of a 2006 Tribeca Limited and love the car!

    My only complaint: Are they kidding with the cargo cover? Has anyone found any good workarounds they can share other than the old blanket I am already using? :)
  • cacmancacman Member Posts: 40
    Any recommendation for a "flexible" luggage carrier - Would like it to be somewhat waterproof in case of rain. I assume the cross-bars will be all I need. By the way, I did not get the cross-bars with my BECA - Are the easy to install if I get them from EBAY?
  • pschreckpschreck Member Posts: 524
    Weathertech makes a nice flexible carrier. You may need more than the cross bars to support the bottom of it though.

    www.weathertech.com
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    I have a soft one, and while it's water-resistant, it did not stay dry during a 7 hour soak on one road trip we took.

    Consider one of those Sears cargo carriers, the neat black ones.

    -juice
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    You can get dry bags at your local sporting goods outfitter. River runners use them to keep sleeping bags, cameras and other stuff dry and they'd be a handy way to organize gear inside your rooftop carrier.

    I've seen three packs at Costco before. The ones at REI start around $15 for the small ones. Heavy duty garbage bags would probably keep most of the rain out too, or you could go Hollywood and use the real heavy plastic trash compactor bags.

    I've been known to carry stuff on my roofrack in clean 5 gallon plastic buckets too. :blush:

    Steve, Host
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    I basically started carrying stuff that could get wet up there, and stuff that had to stay dry inside the cargo area.

    I hardly use it any more. We needed the space when the kids were babies, now we don't need as much space. Plus, since we own a beach condo, we just leave a lot of stuff there, and don't have to pack every time. Much easier!

    -juice
  • cacmancacman Member Posts: 40
    There is my problem, I need a beach condo - I should have married rich - oh well
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    When the babies grow up, you won't need as much space.

    I'm not rich, I got the condo but can't afford the Tribeca I wanted as well! :cry:

    -juice
  • leopard1leopard1 Member Posts: 2
    I installed the factory crossbars on my 6-week old Tribeca...took about 15 minutes...piece of cake. They're rated for 300lbs. I believe.
  • jeffmcjeffmc Member Posts: 1,742
    Thanks, Bob. Pretty nice - looks a bit sinister. In a way, it's a shame the Subaru emblem is removed from the nose, but it cleans the grille up. I don't like the red "SUPERCHARGED" tag, but the HP/torque bump is very nice. Wonder how much it'll cost.

    I think some of the owners in this forum will be eager to check this out. (X5killer?!)
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    That looks pretty menacing. I like it.

    I bet some people think it's an Alfa Romeo. ;)

    -juice
  • pschreckpschreck Member Posts: 524
    ROTFLOL!!!

    He hasn't been back has he?
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Yes, actually. I saw Alvin again this morning. The little critter was right under my engine bay, so I KNOW it's him! :mad:

    I got my camera but he bolted. Snapped some shots but not in time to catch him in them. Grr.

    -juice
  • cluelesspacluelesspa Member Posts: 648
    wow ! that is sweeeet ..

    For the effort, COBB has been able to extract 320 HP and 270 lb-ft of torque from the Subaru 3.0L flat-6 engine.

    Power Output:
    320 HP (Flywheel) (stock 250 HP)
    270 Lb-Ft (Flywheel) stock (219 lb-ft)

    =====
    PRICING AND AVAILABILITY
    COBB is currently investigating the option of offering complete vehicles or individual parts. Interested parties are suggested to contact COBB Tuning for more information. Contact information may be found on the company's website: www.cobbtuning.com.
  • subienewbie2subienewbie2 Member Posts: 458
    I would assume that if the Cobbversion is done with a kit the factory warranty is null and void.

    How would it work if Cobb sold the complete vehicle?
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    I agree.

    A complete vehicle might be warrantied by Cobb, but not by Subaru unless they came to some sort of agreement. Doubtful given Subaru uses Prodrive for WRC.

    -juice
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    I like it but I don't think it reminds me of this:

    image

    -juice
  • jim5154jim5154 Member Posts: 5
    He was talking about this (Mig 15, 17,19 and 21) had gaping mouth intakes:

    image">
  • subienewbie2subienewbie2 Member Posts: 458
    Sorry Juice

    He is talking about the original Mig 15 from the 50's & 60's

    Check it out:
    http://www.infoplease.com/spot/mig15.html
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Ah, that's more like it. :)

    -juice
  • b9driverb9driver Member Posts: 118
    Well, we loved out Tribeca, but no matter what we did room in the back was quite poor for our 2 year old. We tried several car seats but my wife could't recline enough with his seat there. In the end we just resigned ourselves that the Tribeca was only a minor step up in space from our equally loved outback.
    So we sold it and bought a 2006 Sedona Minivan fully loaded and it does the trick. It's an all new design and quite impressive. My father still has his new FXT and I'm planning on another Subaru down the road of course.
    Good luck to everyone and cheers!

    Capt. RB
  • robr2robr2 Member Posts: 8,805
    What did you get for the Tribeca on a trade?
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    That's cool, congratulations. The Sienna is a wonderful van that offers tons of space. Enjoy it.

    -juice
  • stldonstldon Member Posts: 21
    I started looking for a new car about 2 months ago and for the first time I looked at a Subaru, the Tribeca. I liked it a lot--since then I have looked at the Murano and the CX-7. However, I hardly ever see a Tribeca on the road in the St. Louis area and this site hardly has any posts--the last one was on May 24th. So I am wondering what is wrong with this car. Is it that a lot of people, like me, just would not consider a Subaru and the Subaru fans find this car so different from everything that they are used to that they aren't interested?
  • pschreckpschreck Member Posts: 524
    My question to you is why wouldn't people like you consider a Subaru?

    Subaru makes a great car with the best AWD system on the market. Certainly better that a part time AWD system that is found on many cars such as (I believe) the Murano.

    We love our 06 Tribeca and the 07's are going to be even better. This is our second Subaru and we will always have one in our stable.
  • stldonstldon Member Posts: 21
    Nothing like answering a question with a question. I like the car a lot, but it does not seem that anyone else does--I just don't see anyone driving them, which could mean that resale could be very tough.
  • samiam_68samiam_68 Member Posts: 775
    The Tribecca is underpowered and has poor visibility. Also, the exterior styling is pretty dismal on it. That's why they are selling very poorly.
  • newtosubienewtosubie Member Posts: 39
    I traded a V6 Passat for a Tribeca 3 months ago and love it. I have not had issues with visibility, the mirror size is good. I doubt the comparable SUVs in its class would have better visibility. Plus the 2007s will have a rear sensor option for those that want the added help. I'm use to the engine's performance and think it is also adequate, and wouldn't want more power as a trade off for lower MPG. I personally wanted something different and "out of the box" so to speak, but reliable and safe at the same time. 7302 posts seems like quite a bit of activity, a little slow lately due to end of '06MY. Chatter should pick up with the 07's rolling out. Just test drive a bunch and see what works for you.
  • pschreckpschreck Member Posts: 524
    I would agree that there are some visibility issues. But I love the styling which is, of course, subjective. It has plenty of power for passing on the highway just like the Outback. No, it is no rocketship out of the hole, but at $3.00 a gallon I'm not looking to go fast quick.
  • jeffmcjeffmc Member Posts: 1,742
    Subaru's a small car company... what's US marketshare, somewhere around 1.5%? And B9 Tribecas are a small portion of Subaru's sales. When Subaru only sells 2000 of them a month and they've only been on the market a year, you're not going to see very many on the road. Compare that to Nissan Murano, for example. Nissan has about 4-5 times greater marketshare than Subaru, so right of the bat you'd see about 4-5 times more Muranos than Tribecas. Add in the fact that Muranos have been on sale for four years, and you could see more Muranos than Tribecas by about a 20-to-1 margin.

    Subaru has been growing sales fairly steadily the last few years, but not rapidly like Toyota or Hyundai. If they continue, at some point I think they'll reach some type of critical mass and become a more recognized brand, so people will buy more of them. Keep making quality vehicles, and eventually they'll get there.

    Main reasons they don't sell as fast as Outbacks or Foresters? 1: They're more expensive. But there's not really a "base" model, and if you compare comparably equipped vehicles, Tribeca's actually a very good value. 2. Subaru's going for profitability more than marketshare. You see a lot of Ford Focii (Focuses) on the streets, but Ford loses $4000 for every Focus they make. Subaru doesn't want to get into that sort of battle. 3: The general public didn't really take to the exterior styling. Sort of a love it or hate it reaction.

    Generally, Subarus hold their value very well, but some of that may vary a little depending on what part of the country you live in. We got a good deal when we purchased our Outback and, two years and 34k miles later, have only lost about $4k. For some brands, that's the initial hit you take as soon as you drive off the lot. Pretty good, especially considering our Outback is the previous generation bodystyle.

    That's my 2 cents. If you like the car better than its competition, go for it. It's not much of a risk - B9 Tribeca's got a proven engine and a proven all-wheel-drive system. For a new model launch, there were very few problems. '07s will be coming out soon with some improvements you can read about earlier in this topic, or you can read more here: http://www.cars101.com/subaru/tribeca/tribeca2007.html#new%20for%2007

    Good luck and happy car hunting. :)
  • khallockkhallock Member Posts: 63
    So I dropped my 05 LLBean Outback off at the dealership today to get some stuff done. And they gave me an 06 tribeca to drive. Let me say I LOVE it! I love my outback too, but the Tribeca has a ton of room and I just had my first child. So I think the extra space would be great.

    Anyways, I noticed that none of the power outlets in the car work. Any ideas why? I tried turning the car on, starting the engine, leaving it on the ACC setting, and they just arent giving power.
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Actually, it's only 1.1%. But it's very regional, for Vermont it's a whopping 7%. In Florida it's just 0.5%.

    Look to the snow belt for lots of 'em.

    they are selling very poorly

    A bit harsh, considering they sold 15k last year after targeting 17k sales. It was close.

    poor visibility

    That gets addressed by not one but two options for MY07, sonar and a rear camera.

    -juice
  • cptpltcptplt Member Posts: 1,075
    just remember BMW sell more 3 series in the US than the entire Subaru line!
  • khallockkhallock Member Posts: 63
    From the recent messages I am reading it seems like people are saying that the Tribeca is not that much larger inside than the Outback. Is that true? I have an LLBean 05 Outback and drove the Tribeca today. It seems way bigger inside in the 2nd row seat. I have a hard time fitting my daughter's carseat (rear-facing) in the back of my Outback. It fits, but my 6' husband cannot drive the car when I have it installed behind the driver's seat. We both that that it looked like it would fit fine in the Tribeca. I dont want to get a minivan!
  • mikejlmikejl Member Posts: 78
    I bought my Tribeca a year and 26,000 miles ago. It is my fifth Subaru, the others all being top-of-the-Subaru-line models when I bought them. The Tribeca is head-and-shoulders better than any of the others. More room, more power, better styling, better materials. The only exception might be the leather seats in my 1995 Legacy Lsi - they were more comfortable than any I've had since, but they did wear out quicker, too.

    Some people have issues with the Tribeca, but the issues tend to be subjective.

    Underpowered? Not at all. Maybe if I had been used to a Mustang GT or a Corvette I might feel differently, but my other vehicles are/have been mostly Explorers with a Navigator and an F150 thrown in for good measure. The Tribeca compares very favorably with those vehicles.

    Visibility issues? Maybe, but the truck is worse and the Nav was no picnic. 2007 options will go a long way to alleviate this.

    Styling - totally subjective. I think it's classy and beautiful, but beauty is in the eye of the beholder, as they say.

    After a year, I still like my Tribeca very much. I'd buy another one in a heartbeat.
  • mikejlmikejl Member Posts: 78
    The Tribeca is very much larger on the inside than the Outback. I traded a 2003 Outback on this Tribeca, so I am familiar with both.

    I carpool with a large friend and I am not a small person, myself. I felt cramped in the Outback and often bumped arms or otherwise just felt too close to my passenger in the Outback. No problem in the Tribeca - plenty of room between us now.

    Of all the cars (not just Subarus) I have owned over the years, this is the only one I can remember driving with the seat NOT all the way back. I can't reach the pedals in the farthest position.

    Compared to the Outback wagon, the rear seat has more legroom and the cargo area is every bit as large. I have a cargo mat from a 2000 Outback that I use in the Tribeca when I transport my big dog (a Great Dane). It fits in the back with room to spare, as does the dog.

    I'm not sure how the cubic feet and inches of dimension stack up, but the 'feel' is of a much larger interior.
  • reuben2reuben2 Member Posts: 11
    I have not previously posted here much, but wanted to add my 2 cents. I bought a Tribeca Limited after having 3 Outbacks over the years.

    I love the Tribeca, have had zero problems after 9,500 miles. The interior is significantly larger than the Outback, one reason I made the switch.

    The power is fine for this type of car. It has the acceleration needed to pass in an emergency, but frankly I typically try to preserve fuel so I rarely floor it.

    I really have no complaints other than the difficulty of integrating a satellite radio. But I had a transportable unit installed and it is a reasonable (though not ideal) solution. I understand the 07 has an input jack in the center console. I doubt this would solve the problem for me either, as I prefer the unit to be next to the steering wheel. I had the docking station installed to the left of the steering wheel.
  • jeffmcjeffmc Member Posts: 1,742
    '07 B9 Tribeca will have built-in XM radio capability.
  • khallockkhallock Member Posts: 63
    Thanks. Now I really want the Tribeca! I almost wish they hadn't given it to me to drive yesterday while my '05 Outback was getting fixed.

    I paid $30,233 for my LLBean Outback and I guess I owe around $18K on it now. I see that '06 Tribecas are going for around $31-32K on Fitzmall.com. But my husband thinks that if we traded the Outback for a Tribeca it would be like throwing away all the money we have paid on the load for the past 2 years. So I dont think the Tribeca is in my future...
  • ateixeiraateixeira Member Posts: 72,587
    Tribeca is wider, primarily. 3 across fit much better than in an Outback. Especially with the shape of the seats.

    -juice
  • bt2bt2 Member Posts: 11
    I've had my Tribeca nearly a year and it's been absolutely trouble free........until last week. While on a trip, all of my radio controls with the exception of the on/off button and the CD load and eject buttons quit working. The steering wheel radio controls continued to work. Also, the 3 lighted round dials for the temperature and air flow indicators went blank. The controls still worked but I couldn't see what the temperature settings and air flow were.

    This continued for about 100 miles until I turned the car off then started it again at which time all the controls started to properly work and have continued to do so.

    Has anyone else had this problem?

    Does anyone have an idea of what might have gone wrong?

    bt2
  • subienewbie2subienewbie2 Member Posts: 458
    Just a guess but since almost all the electronics in the car are controlled by computers - it sounds like a computer controller crashed and by turning off the car and re-starting - the computer re-booted (just like your lap top) and all was well again.
  • b9bingob9bingo Member Posts: 46
    Yes! I had this same problem, if you move your steering wheel up and down you notice the power will come in and out, that is untill I wiggled the harness conection completly apart and it wouldn't come back on at all. Subaru fixed the problem within a couple of hours. The problem was that, from the factory asembly line a wire harness conection that goes around the steering wheel colum wasn't completly snaped in all the way and over time adjusting the steering wheel eventually loosens it. I'm sure your having the same minor problem that I had. Good Luck!
  • tidestertidester Member Posts: 10,059
    A large internet Web site is looking to interview consumers who are SUV owners. Please send an e-mail to ctalati@edmunds.com no later than Tuesday June 20, 2006 by 2:00 PM PST/5:00 PM EST containing your daytime contact information and the SUV you currently drive.

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