"There ARE three latch points in the second row (at least in my '07), and you conceivably can put three car seats in the second row. Either use the seat belt to hold it in, or attach it to the two outside seat points."
I checked again and there are lower latch points only for the outboard seats, not the middle seat. I looked in the owner's manual and this was confirmed: lower latch points for the window seats only. Again, our Tribeca is an '06.
What's curious about this is that the middle second row seat has an upper tether latchpoint. Strange.
I have the XM Commander. Works fine for me and a perfect spot on the console to put the controls. The unit may cost $150 or so plus installation. (under the dash) Or you can get one of the other brands that is all external & no installation at all, into cig lighter attachment & stick the antenna on dash & it will work most of the time.
I'm on Sirius. I installed it with a gooseneck mounted to the passenger seat bolt. I got the gooseneck off that auction site for sixteen bucks and shipping. Heck, I got the radio off that auction site.
I've happily owned Subarus, and want to trade in my 2001 RX300, and am comparing Tribeca and RX350... drove a Tribeca last week... think it's a great value! My concerns, and would love opinions from the group...
1) How significant are the transmission "issues" in everyday driving... the hunting? I didn't experience it at all during the test drive.
2) I'm 5'5", and I had trouble seeing the end of the hood (or even the hood at all) with the seat all the way up, due to the minivan like dash. How does that wear over time?
Would love to hear from this knowledgeable group....
I've only had my 7 pass 06 for a couple of months, but I don't notice much gear hunting in everyday driving. However, I do find that it is eager to upshift and reluctant to downshift when in normal driving mode. Highway passing often requires 2 downshifts, which seem to be slow to kick in. Sport mode seems to be more responsive, but I don't really use it unless on a long hill and want it to stay in gear.
As for seeing the end of the hood, is it really that necessary? It's not really that long, but if you need a reference point, the headlight bulges are visible and the end of the hood isn't too far past that.
1. I commute 40 miles each way every day. With my 250HP Saturn Vue it hunted at almost every hill on the highway. My 2006 Tribeca never hunts the entire trip unless I am fighting a very strong headwind. Its great. 2. I am also 5-5 and never even noticed the hood situation till you mentioned it. I have been driving it for over a year now.
OK, as some of you know, I have had an 06 Tribeca 7 pass nav for a couple of months. My father was so impressed with it that they wanted one as well. We live in PEI Canada and bought our Tribeca at a considerable savings from a dealer in Maine. My father decided to go to the same dealer and My wife and I went to get it the same way we had gotten ours....take a long one way bus trip and drive the Tribeca home the next day.
Weather has been extremely and unusually warm for November and the prospect of testing out an 07 Tribeca was appealing. Besides, I wanted to pick up a few options for our Tribeca....puddle light kit, winter matts, rear cargo tray and bumper cover. Also, I had Michelin Latitude X-ice winter tires on alloy wheels sent to the dealer from Tirerack...again at a great savings from having them shipped to me at home.
So Saturday morning the dealer picked us up at the hotel (we are old friends by now after buying our own tribeca there). We arrived at the dealer to find everything loaded into my parents new 07 Limited newport blue 5 pass Tribeca (11 miles on the odo). Shortly after poking around a Legacy Spec B (nice) and an Impreza WRX (the one without the huge rear wing) we were on our way. We stopped in Bangor on the way to shop...the dealer had given us a $50 gift certificate to LLbeans and we put it to use.
I was eager to see if I could detect the differences in the suspension on the 07's. Can't really say, it handled very well, maybe took the large bumps better than an 06 but felt the small bumps more?!?! Imagination???....can't really say for sure. I think it's a fairly subtle difference. The memory seats were a little disappointing as they don't seem to go back to a memory setting while you are driving. I thought I would be able to set it....mess around with the seat position while driving and hit the button to go back to the memory setting....nope...only while the vehicle is still it seems but I didn't test this theory fully.
I really missed the Nav....more than I thought I would....got turned around getting out of Auburn/lewiston, missed knowing the distance and time to a given turn off/exit. The Back up camera would have been nice too but my parents don't travel anymore and so the extra $$$ would have been a waste. May look at a wireless one with the screen in the top armrest location.
Ironically my father will never use the Ipod hookup or the sat radio option....Maybe an el-switcharoo?? Naa...better not.
Theirs has the same grey interior as ours and it was just like driving ours...except the nav. It was nice to see the outside temp without having to hit info. Seems strange that with all that space, the radio doesn't display more info like radio station names rather than just numbers etc.
So given the short days and the shopping time it was starting to get dark as we followed the I95 north of Bangor, heading toward the Canadian border....That's when we tested the stability control....
It had just gotten dark. I had the lights on and my wife Shelley was sleeping in the passenger seat. I was going about 70MPH in the right hand lane of this divided highway with no cars to be seen. I was alert at that point...not messing with the radio...no cruise control on....both hands on the wheel (sometimes I'm guilty of not being fully alert in that situation). Suddenly I saw a large deer running toward me from the left hand lane. I swerved sharply to the right....onto the shoulder of the road and even then I expected to hear the deer contact the rear of the Tribeca because he was coming so fast (those antlers looked huge!). I pulled back onto the road somehow having avoided the deer. The Tribeca handled extremely well during this maneuver and I expect the stability control kicked in to keep me from losing control. As I said, I was extremely grateful for the handling of the tribeca and I was glad we managed to not damage it (only 200 miles on it at that point). I'm not sure what noise I made or what words came out of my mouth when I spotted the deer but Shelley woke up in time to catch a glimpse of it as I swerved away. It all happened very fast but in hindsight I think I was lucky I didn't slam on the brakes as that would have slowed me down enough so that the deer would have definitely hit me.
Being from PEI where we don't have any deer I was extremely vigilant for the rest of the trip. Sure enough, a couple of hours later, I spotted another of the little buggers poised on the right hand side of the road, coming out of the ditch. This time it was standing there waiting to cross and I gave it a wide birth.
So we were happy to arrive home and my parents were happy to have their new Tribeca....damage free.
I think Subaru deserves more attention for the safety of all their vehicles. They should promote it more. I see the VW commercials touting their safety all the time and yet they only get a silver crash test rating...same with Audi. I expect that Subaru is the only company to have all their vehicles claim a gold crast test rating.
Anyway, the Tribeca is a great handling and safe vehicle and I'm glad my family now has 2. Now I'm busy installing those extra's I got. Thanks to Peaty for scoobymods.com for the detailed instructions. About to tackle the puddle lights!
I may post this story on some of the other forums so don't be surprised to read it elsewhere.
I drove an RX350 at the Taste of Lexus event recently.
I guess the interior is nice and it rides very smoothly, but it felt too soft, with lots of body roll. Nice engine but again plenty of dive and squat to go with it.
Tribeca is sportier and roomier, and would by my clear choice. But someone wanting the cachet of a luxury brand name and the softest ride available may prefer the Lexus.
Great post, glad to see you're all ok. As for the '06 vs '07 debate, did you notice any difference in the cornering, handling, steering, road manners, etc in the '07 vs the '06. Subaru said that the '07 suspension has been returned. I am just trying to find out what, if any differences in the ride you have noticed.
"X5killer....I wish I had your budget for vehicles!! How many miles on your Beca? Also, did your factory headlights burn out or did you just decide on silverstars? Any super long lasting bulbs out there?"
my budget isn't so bottomless and not sure what part of my post made you think that. The TL is my wifes and she paid for most of it (shes an attorney). I just like to make the right decision and i do get tired of my car in a short period of time which is why i was contemplating leasing as you get a new car every 3-4 years.
I'm just interested in the 07 MDX but wont make the change until i can get for invoice which may be awhile. I'm just still annoyed about the minor changes they made to the 07 tribeca that i missed out on being an early adopter of the 06.
there was no reason to rush it other then that i was anxious for a change, but there still isn't a lot of B9's on the road so though for the first 6 mo starting back in july of 05, i was the only B9 i ever saw, its not much different now heh.
i'm mostly just jealous of the NAV and other tech that Acura has over the Tribeca. i'm the tech guy and as the man like ot have the better car. instead now we will always want to take my wifes Tl when we go out together as hers is voice activated , bt, etc. etc.
oh well if i just be patient in another few years there will be something better. I overpaid a little for my b9 at just 1000 under msrp and still like 2k over invoice i think and its fully paid off so prob makes more economical sense to keep it for 4-5 yrs at least. my last car i kept 5 years and 60-65k miles i believe.
as far as the headlights, yes the sylvania silver stars and prob any other headlight other then oem that you put in seem to burn out quicker (a year or less). no, the factory ones didnt 'burn out, i just wanted a whiter brighter hid like light. Even the Murano has xenon headlights and was disappointed the tribeca doesnt
dont know of any super long lasting bulbs though the oem ones prob last a long time, but would want long lasting whiter brighter hid like ones.
getting my cracked fog lights replaced tomorrow and hopefully for free. will get 3m film or something similiar tonight at pep boys to have them put on the new fog light lenses to protect them.
great story. pretty scary with the deer coming right at you on the highway. great that you avoided it and got the new tribeca home to your dad damage free. i had a minor fender bender a couple months into my new tribeca but the deer thing on first day would have been worse, especially being your dads.
I wish my dad or someone had wanted one because i would have definitely switched. Had him buy the 06 from you even if you doesnt' need nav, he/they would end up liking it and have some use for it even locally i'm sure.
then you could have gotten an 07 with nav instead and had the benefit of all the new improvements.
though i'm interested in the 07 mdx for the superior nav and tech if i had been in same situation where father wanted a b9 i would maybe sell him my 06 and get the 07 for myself.
anyway i think at this point I may wait and see how the hyrbrid Audio Q7 pans out though it will be much more expensive then the mdx so maybe not, as Q7 is already more and hybrid version i cant imagine.
anyway speaking of safety and audi as well, on Good Morning America, they touted the Subaru B9 Tribeca as one of the safest suvs. And we already know about the crash test rating. interestingly i think my wife said they said Audi was also the safest, so the 2 with the best AWD in the industry are also the safest, hm.
DO NOT PUT ANY COVERING ON YOUR FOGS if you leave them on all the time. If you idle for more than 10-20 minutes with them on a regular basis you will burn the 3M covering. I have at least 5 people I know who have this issue on their cars (we idle them a lot in traffic and at the race track while setting up etc) and our fogs are now brown and nasty looking.
Here it is...I posted it elsewhere as well....sorry, the B9 wasn't included. :sick:
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has released it's list of the safest cars for 2007.
The Institute breaks the cars down into the following categories: large Car, midsize Car, minivan, luxury SUV, midsize SUV and small SUV.
In the large car market, only the Audi A6 earned top honors.
In the midsize car ratings, the Audi A4, Saab 9-3, and Subaru Legacy (with optional electronic stability control).
And in Minivans, the Hyundai Entourage and Kia Sedona both earned top honors.
Moving to the SUV class, in the Luxury series, the Volvo XC90 and Mercedes M class topped the list.
In the midsize arena, the Acura RDX and Honda Pilot both earned high marks.
Finally, in the small SUV size, the Honda CR-V and Subaru Forester (with optional electronic stability control took top honors.
Interestingly, not one American car made the list this year.... :sick:
The Institute rates vehicles as good, acceptable, marginal, or poor based on performance in high-speed front and side crash tests, plus evaluations of seat/head restraints for protection against neck injuries in rear impacts.
The first requirement for a vehicle to become a Top Safety Pick is to earn good ratings in all three Institute tests.
A new requirement for 2007 is that the winning vehicles must offer electronic stability control. This addition is based on Institute research indicating that electronic stability control significantly reduces crash risk. Especially the risk of fatal single vehicle crashes. The electronic control helps drivers maintain control of their vehicles during emergency maneuvers.
You are COMPLETELY wrong... think you are perhaps doing some creative editing. See AP story, which is everywhere...
Imported models deemed safest vehicles By TOM KRISHER, AP Business Writer Tue Nov 21, 8:43 AM ET
Imported models took all 13 spots on the U.S. insurance industry's list of safest vehicles this year, due mainly to a new requirement that all cars and sport utilities on the list have systems to keep them stable in an emergency.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety isn't bashful about its reasons for pushing electronic stability control, saying that its studies show up to 10,000 fatal crashes per year could be prevented if every vehicle had the safety feature.
"The research is so compelling that electronic stability control could help prevent many crashes from happening in the first place," institute spokesman Russ Rader said.
The list of 2007 model year winners being released Tuesday includes the Audi A6 in the large car category; the Audi A-4, Saab 9-3 and Subaru Legacy (with optional stability control) for midsize cars; the Hyundai Entourage and Kia Sedona minivans; the Mercedes M-class and Volvo XC90 luxury sport utility vehicles; the Acura RDX, Honda Pilot and Subaru B9 Tribeca midsize SUVs; and the Honda CR-V and Subaru Forester small SUVs.
All 13 vehicles are tops in protecting people in front, side and rear crash tests based on institute tests during the year. Pickup trucks were not included because the institute has not yet tested their side crashworthiness.
Electronic stability control senses when a driver may lose control of the vehicle and automatically applies brakes to individual wheels to help make it stable and avoid a rollover.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has proposed requiring the technology on all new vehicles by the 2012 model year, but institute President Adrian Lund said that's not soon enough.
"We think that they are too slow," Lund said. "Automakers will probably have it as standard equipment by the time the federal standards actually take full effect."
Domestic manufacturers had no models on the list of safest vehicles because they haven't moved quickly enough to add stability control to their models, Lund said in a telephone interview.
For instance, Ford Motor Co. would have had three cars — the Ford Freestyle crossover and the Mercury Montego and Ford 500 sedans — make the list if they had stability control, the institute said. The 500 and the Montego earned top safety picks last year.
Ford spokesman Jim Cain said all three vehicles will get stability control for the 2008 model year, with versions equipped with the safety feature on sale sometime next year. The company has not determined whether the feature will be standard or optional, he said.
"We're moving in the same direction as the institute," he said.
Ford has said previously that it would put stability control on its entire lineup by the end of 2009.
General Motors Corp. said nearly two years ago that it would make the technology standard in all vehicles by 2010, including all SUVs and some full-size pickups in the 2007 model year.
Toyota has said stability control would be a standard feature across all its models by 2009.
DaimlerChrysler AG said it will have the technology on 54 percent of its vehicles this model year and will meet the federal government's timetable for the rest.
All 2007 SUVs, pickups and minivans produced by Honda Motor Co. carry the technology, while Hyundai Motor Co. said it is standard equipment on 70 percent of its 2007 vehicles.
Several other vehicles, including nine Toyota Motor Corp. models, would have made the list if they had stability control, the institute said.
No small cars made this year's list. The Honda Civic, which won last year, was knocked off due to lack of stability control on most models. The one version that has the feature doesn't have head restraints for rear crash protection, the institute said.
SUVs were eligible to win for the first time this year because the institute conducted side-impact tests on many models.
The institute said the overall awards will help people quickly compare vehicles without having to review results from multiple tests.
Apologies indeed... the bad editing award goes to somebody else. Actually thought YOU were one of those "let's flame the subies" crowd. Sorry for assuming bad intent
Just to let people know....the B9 Tribeca is on the list of top 13 vehicles. Actually...interestingly there are no Toyotas on the list and 3 Subarus...more Subarus that any make (unless you count Acura and Honda together in which case it is a tie....(but then the RDX and CRV are variations of the same vehicle). Still pretty good for little ol Subaru to beat out the big guns! http://www.iihs.org/ratings/default.aspx
X-5 killer, the reason I didn't sell my 06 to my dad and buy a new 07 was due to cost. We were originally going to buy an Outback 2.5i and then got such a good deal on a demo Tribeca 7 pass limited with nav that I jumped on it. If I were to try to buy an 07 it would end up costing me 7-8K more. Even my dad's 5 pass limited without nav cost him 5K more than my demo. Keep in mind that I'm in Canada where they physically beat you with the tax stick on everything you buy. Why do you think we have universal healthcare??? Because of all the beatings we get with the tax stick!
Besides, I'm not all that envious of the 07 changes. I can't see me getting satellite radio. I don't have an ipod....just a dinky little rip off Sandisk mp3 player. I burn off MP3 cd's that sound good in the stereo. AFter driving the 07 I wouldn't want to pay more than say 2K more....and that's just for the 1 year depreciation factor. We're so happy with our 06 and what we paid....plus it's the color we would have picked!
It's good that the Tribeca was listed, but bad that it's not well known enough for the local news folks in Florida to even remember to put it on their list.
By the way, RDX is a MID size? Who are they kidding? It's compact.
I just dislike when car companies claim "7 passenger" just cause there are seatbelts back there. There should be a min amount of space that is alloted per passenger in order to claim it as a "7 passenger". Heck a Volvo station wagon with those pop up rear seats is technically a 7 passenger vehicle too!
-mike
PS: I have 6 adults in my truck often, pit crew, paisanos etc.
is the way the Tribeca is marketed in Europe; not 7-passenger, but 5+2. The thinking is much like that with the Porsche 911 which is a 2+2, meaning that the rear seats are mostly for emergency use only.
Yeah, you could call that a marketing gimmick, but it does suggest that it's not a full-fledged 7-passenger vehicle.
Very nice, that's how it should be marketed! Heck SOA could run an ad campaign behind it, trying to get my fat butt into the 3rd row of their competition who claims "7 passenger" v. the B9s 5+2 scenario. It could be a "truth in advertising" type campaign.
Very nice, that's how it should be marketed! Heck SOA could run an ad campaign behind it, trying to get my fat butt into the 3rd row of their competition who claims "7 passenger" v. the B9s 5+2 scenario. It could be a "truth in advertising" type campaign.
Yeah, that'll work. Show everybody that your competition does things better than you.
Huh? My point was, that other folks "Claim" to be 7 passenger, however they are really 5+2. I'm not sure where you get "that your competition does things better than you"?
My point is that there are other 7-seaters that go up against the B9 and we all know that that 3rd row is not a truely adult passenger space. Subaru could poke fun at others who claim 7 passenger seating when in fact it's not. Similar to the Mac/PC commericals you see these days where the Mac guy points out the flaws in PC guy.
What I'm curious about is that with all these so-called 7-seat SUV/CUVs is, are they leaving themselves open to legal action if an adult or large child is injured (legs crushed!) in an accident because there isn't enough space to "safely" seat an adult/large child back there?
They're all advertised as 7-seaters, which "implies" people of all sizes are welcome back there—and we all know that's not the case...
I think you're missing my point. It's not a question of "likelihood," but more a case of trying to fit a square peg into a round hole, so to speak...
If they don't offer some sort of disclaimer (maybe they do in the owners manual?) about putting adults back there, they could be leaving themselves open to lawsuits in the event of an accident.
Never thought of the legal aspect, but definitely something to look at. I wouldn't be suprised if it's addressed in the owner's manual though, easy disclaimer for them to throw in. Also agreed, it's not a B9 only issue. Perhaps that's why they market it as a 5+2 overseas as sometimes their advertising laws are stricter than here.
Huh? My point was, that other folks "Claim" to be 7 passenger, however they are really 5+2. I'm not sure where you get "that your competition does things better than you"?
What I meant is that advertising a deficiency - not matter how true of your product or those of the competition - isn't something a company does. Why draw attention to it?
You are probably right, but I think it would show that SOA is honest and not out to rip people off. I guess every now and again I am a bit too utopian! haaaa
where can one get some 3m or other brand film to protect my foglights? just got cracked ones replaced and want to get new ones protected asap.
was surprised pep boys didn't have. any local chain stores have it or will I have to order online? if so what is a good online merchant with the foglight protecting film?
Make sure you do NOT leave your fogs on all the time if you put the film on. Myself and about 5 or more folks who have various cars (Subarus, Nissans, Dodges, etc) put them on our fogs, unfortunately we leave our fogs on all the time and they burned/melted to the fogs.
So if you do put it on, be sure not to leave your fogs on when your car isn't moving or is sitting in traffic.
I am actually but OEM fogs on my cars are pretty much a non-event, they are dismally dim and provide next to no light. I only dislike folks who use aftermarket driving lights all the time or rear fogs.
I was not happy that my brand new 06 Legacy wagon did not have what is now a very common feature "retaining accessory power" that keeps things alive for a while after removing the key. Later I found this very fact had been noted (on Edmunds!).. as a "minus" for the car. I found out later this problem also applies to the new Tribeca, which is embarrassingly worse for a higher-yet-end vehicle!!
Long story short: I made a black box module that wires in under the dash to give the car retained accessory power after removing the key for a selectable time (2 to 16 minutes.) Does the job nicely.. It has options for killing accessory power, since I don't like it when opening the door kills power instantly - because often I'm out of the car then realize I need to jump back in and use a power accessory... I made it that when you LOCK the car cuts power. And along these lines, I made it that pressing UNLOCK breathes life into accessory power - the radio comes on and is playing when you hop in which is kind of novel.. but also lets me use other accessories without ever having to put a key in the ignition! .. it powers off after a time, or locking the car again.
I also found a one-wire way to get power windows to work when Accessory power is on (instead of requiring ignition power to be on).. Also applies to sunroof on wagons.. so now I can use windows during retained power time. This one-wire trick also applies to Tribecas!! After studying the electricals between these two vehicles, I can see where Tribeca started from - the Legacy.
I've posted the brainpower on doing this elsewhere on another forum, legacygt.com I also offer install kits on a website if you don't want to make your own but buy a complete and tested kit ready to install, with Legacy instructions. Read more about it here http://legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php?t=34363
Comments
"There ARE three latch points in the second row (at least in my '07), and you conceivably can put three car seats in the second row. Either use the seat belt to hold it in, or attach it to the two outside seat points."
I checked again and there are lower latch points only for the outboard seats, not the middle seat. I looked in the owner's manual and this was confirmed: lower latch points for the window seats only. Again, our Tribeca is an '06.
What's curious about this is that the middle second row seat has an upper tether latchpoint. Strange.
If you're a big Howard Stern fan you'll want Sirius.
I'd go with XM, personally.
-juice
1) How significant are the transmission "issues" in everyday driving... the hunting? I didn't experience it at all during the test drive.
2) I'm 5'5", and I had trouble seeing the end of the hood (or even the hood at all) with the seat all the way up, due to the minivan like dash. How does that wear over time?
Would love to hear from this knowledgeable group....
As for seeing the end of the hood, is it really that necessary? It's not really that long, but if you need a reference point, the headlight bulges are visible and the end of the hood isn't too far past that.
KuoH
2. I am also 5-5 and never even noticed the hood situation till you mentioned it. I have been driving it for over a year now.
-mike
Weather has been extremely and unusually warm for November and the prospect of testing out an 07 Tribeca was appealing. Besides, I wanted to pick up a few options for our Tribeca....puddle light kit, winter matts, rear cargo tray and bumper cover. Also, I had Michelin Latitude X-ice winter tires on alloy wheels sent to the dealer from Tirerack...again at a great savings from having them shipped to me at home.
So Saturday morning the dealer picked us up at the hotel (we are old friends by now after buying our own tribeca there). We arrived at the dealer to find everything loaded into my parents new 07 Limited newport blue 5 pass Tribeca (11 miles on the odo). Shortly after poking around a Legacy Spec B (nice) and an Impreza WRX (the one without the huge rear wing) we were on our way. We stopped in Bangor on the way to shop...the dealer had given us a $50 gift certificate to LLbeans and we put it to use.
I was eager to see if I could detect the differences in the suspension on the 07's. Can't really say, it handled very well, maybe took the large bumps better than an 06 but felt the small bumps more?!?! Imagination???....can't really say for sure. I think it's a fairly subtle difference. The memory seats were a little disappointing as they don't seem to go back to a memory setting while you are driving. I thought I would be able to set it....mess around with the seat position while driving and hit the button to go back to the memory setting....nope...only while the vehicle is still it seems but I didn't test this theory fully.
I really missed the Nav....more than I thought I would....got turned around getting out of Auburn/lewiston, missed knowing the distance and time to a given turn off/exit. The Back up camera would have been nice too but my parents don't travel anymore and so the extra $$$ would have been a waste. May look at a wireless one with the screen in the top armrest location.
Ironically my father will never use the Ipod hookup or the sat radio option....Maybe an el-switcharoo?? Naa...better not.
Theirs has the same grey interior as ours and it was just like driving ours...except the nav. It was nice to see the outside temp without having to hit info. Seems strange that with all that space, the radio doesn't display more info like radio station names rather than just numbers etc.
So given the short days and the shopping time it was starting to get dark as we followed the I95 north of Bangor, heading toward the Canadian border....That's when we tested the stability control....
It had just gotten dark. I had the lights on and my wife Shelley was sleeping in the passenger seat. I was going about 70MPH in the right hand lane of this divided highway with no cars to be seen. I was alert at that point...not messing with the radio...no cruise control on....both hands on the wheel (sometimes I'm guilty of not being fully alert in that situation). Suddenly I saw a large deer running toward me from the left hand lane. I swerved sharply to the right....onto the shoulder of the road and even then I expected to hear the deer contact the rear of the Tribeca because he was coming so fast (those antlers looked huge!). I pulled back onto the road somehow having avoided the deer. The Tribeca handled extremely well during this maneuver and I expect the stability control kicked in to keep me from losing control. As I said, I was extremely grateful for the handling of the tribeca and I was glad we managed to not damage it (only 200 miles on it at that point). I'm not sure what noise I made or what words came out of my mouth when I spotted the deer but Shelley woke up in time to catch a glimpse of it as I swerved away. It all happened very fast but in hindsight I think I was lucky I didn't slam on the brakes as that would have slowed me down enough so that the deer would have definitely hit me.
Being from PEI where we don't have any deer I was extremely vigilant for the rest of the trip. Sure enough, a couple of hours later, I spotted another of the little buggers poised on the right hand side of the road, coming out of the ditch. This time it was standing there waiting to cross and I gave it a wide birth.
So we were happy to arrive home and my parents were happy to have their new Tribeca....damage free.
I think Subaru deserves more attention for the safety of all their vehicles. They should promote it more. I see the VW commercials touting their safety all the time and yet they only get a silver crash test rating...same with Audi. I expect that Subaru is the only company to have all their vehicles claim a gold crast test rating.
Anyway, the Tribeca is a great handling and safe vehicle and I'm glad my family now has 2. Now I'm busy installing those extra's I got. Thanks to Peaty for scoobymods.com for the detailed instructions. About to tackle the puddle lights!
I may post this story on some of the other forums so don't be surprised to read it elsewhere.
I guess the interior is nice and it rides very smoothly, but it felt too soft, with lots of body roll. Nice engine but again plenty of dive and squat to go with it.
Tribeca is sportier and roomier, and would by my clear choice. But someone wanting the cachet of a luxury brand name and the softest ride available may prefer the Lexus.
-juice
my budget isn't so bottomless and not sure what part of my post made you think that. The TL is my wifes and she paid for most of it (shes an attorney). I just like to make the right decision and i do get tired of my car in a short period of time which is why i was contemplating leasing as you get a new car every 3-4 years.
I'm just interested in the 07 MDX but wont make the change until i can get for invoice which may be awhile. I'm just still annoyed about the minor changes they made to the 07 tribeca that i missed out on being an early adopter of the 06.
there was no reason to rush it other then that i was anxious for a change, but there still isn't a lot of B9's on the road so though for the first 6 mo starting back in july of 05, i was the only B9 i ever saw, its not much different now heh.
i'm mostly just jealous of the NAV and other tech that Acura has over the Tribeca. i'm the tech guy and as the man like ot have the better car. instead now we will always want to take my wifes Tl when we go out together as hers is voice activated , bt, etc. etc.
oh well if i just be patient in another few years there will be something better. I overpaid a little for my b9 at just 1000 under msrp and still like 2k over invoice i think and its fully paid off so prob makes more economical sense to keep it for 4-5 yrs at least. my last car i kept 5 years and 60-65k miles i believe.
as far as the headlights, yes the sylvania silver stars and prob any other headlight other then oem that you put in seem to burn out quicker (a year or less). no, the factory ones didnt 'burn out, i just wanted a whiter brighter hid like light. Even the Murano has xenon headlights and was disappointed the tribeca doesnt
dont know of any super long lasting bulbs though the oem ones prob last a long time, but would want long lasting whiter brighter hid like ones.
getting my cracked fog lights replaced tomorrow and hopefully for free. will get 3m film or something similiar tonight at pep boys to have them put on the new fog light lenses to protect them.
I wish my dad or someone had wanted one because i would have definitely switched. Had him buy the 06 from you even if you doesnt' need nav, he/they would end up liking it and have some use for it even locally i'm sure.
then you could have gotten an 07 with nav instead and had the benefit of all the new improvements.
though i'm interested in the 07 mdx for the superior nav and tech if i had been in same situation where father wanted a b9 i would maybe sell him my 06 and get the 07 for myself.
anyway i think at this point I may wait and see how the hyrbrid Audio Q7 pans out though it will be much more expensive then the mdx so maybe not, as Q7 is already more and hybrid version i cant imagine.
anyway speaking of safety and audi as well, on Good Morning America, they touted the Subaru B9 Tribeca as one of the safest suvs. And we already know about the crash test rating. interestingly i think my wife said they said Audi was also the safest, so the 2 with the best AWD in the industry are also the safest, hm.
-mike
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has released it's list of the safest cars for 2007.
The Institute breaks the cars down into the following categories: large Car, midsize Car, minivan, luxury SUV, midsize SUV and small SUV.
In the large car market, only the Audi A6 earned top honors.
In the midsize car ratings, the Audi A4, Saab 9-3, and Subaru Legacy (with optional electronic stability control).
And in Minivans, the Hyundai Entourage and Kia Sedona both earned top honors.
Moving to the SUV class, in the Luxury series, the Volvo XC90 and Mercedes M class topped the list.
In the midsize arena, the Acura RDX and Honda Pilot both earned high marks.
Finally, in the small SUV size, the Honda CR-V and Subaru Forester (with optional electronic stability control took top honors.
Interestingly, not one American car made the list this year.... :sick:
The Institute rates vehicles as good, acceptable, marginal, or poor based on performance in high-speed front and side crash tests, plus evaluations of seat/head restraints for protection against neck injuries in rear impacts.
The first requirement for a vehicle to become a Top Safety Pick is to earn good ratings in all three Institute tests.
A new requirement for 2007 is that the winning vehicles must offer electronic stability control. This addition is based on Institute research indicating that electronic stability control significantly reduces crash risk. Especially the risk of fatal single vehicle crashes. The electronic control helps drivers maintain control of their vehicles during emergency maneuvers.
Imported models deemed safest vehicles By TOM KRISHER, AP Business Writer
Tue Nov 21, 8:43 AM ET
Imported models took all 13 spots on the U.S. insurance industry's list of safest vehicles this year, due mainly to a new requirement that all cars and sport utilities on the list have systems to keep them stable in an emergency.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety isn't bashful about its reasons for pushing electronic stability control, saying that its studies show up to 10,000 fatal crashes per year could be prevented if every vehicle had the safety feature.
"The research is so compelling that electronic stability control could help prevent many crashes from happening in the first place," institute spokesman Russ Rader said.
The list of 2007 model year winners being released Tuesday includes the Audi A6 in the large car category; the Audi A-4, Saab 9-3 and Subaru Legacy (with optional stability control) for midsize cars; the Hyundai Entourage and Kia Sedona minivans; the Mercedes M-class and Volvo XC90 luxury sport utility vehicles; the Acura RDX, Honda Pilot and Subaru B9 Tribeca midsize SUVs; and the Honda CR-V and Subaru Forester small SUVs.
All 13 vehicles are tops in protecting people in front, side and rear crash tests based on institute tests during the year. Pickup trucks were not included because the institute has not yet tested their side crashworthiness.
Electronic stability control senses when a driver may lose control of the vehicle and automatically applies brakes to individual wheels to help make it stable and avoid a rollover.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has proposed requiring the technology on all new vehicles by the 2012 model year, but institute President Adrian Lund said that's not soon enough.
"We think that they are too slow," Lund said. "Automakers will probably have it as standard equipment by the time the federal standards actually take full effect."
Domestic manufacturers had no models on the list of safest vehicles because they haven't moved quickly enough to add stability control to their models, Lund said in a telephone interview.
For instance, Ford Motor Co. would have had three cars — the Ford Freestyle crossover and the Mercury Montego and Ford 500 sedans — make the list if they had stability control, the institute said. The 500 and the Montego earned top safety picks last year.
Ford spokesman Jim Cain said all three vehicles will get stability control for the 2008 model year, with versions equipped with the safety feature on sale sometime next year. The company has not determined whether the feature will be standard or optional, he said.
"We're moving in the same direction as the institute," he said.
Ford has said previously that it would put stability control on its entire lineup by the end of 2009.
General Motors Corp. said nearly two years ago that it would make the technology standard in all vehicles by 2010, including all SUVs and some full-size pickups in the 2007 model year.
Toyota has said stability control would be a standard feature across all its models by 2009.
DaimlerChrysler AG said it will have the technology on 54 percent of its vehicles this model year and will meet the federal government's timetable for the rest.
All 2007 SUVs, pickups and minivans produced by Honda Motor Co. carry the technology, while Hyundai Motor Co. said it is standard equipment on 70 percent of its 2007 vehicles.
Several other vehicles, including nine Toyota Motor Corp. models, would have made the list if they had stability control, the institute said.
No small cars made this year's list. The Honda Civic, which won last year, was knocked off due to lack of stability control on most models. The one version that has the feature doesn't have head restraints for rear crash protection, the institute said.
SUVs were eligible to win for the first time this year because the institute conducted side-impact tests on many models.
The institute said the overall awards will help people quickly compare vehicles without having to review results from multiple tests.
___
http://cfn13.com/StoryHeadline.aspx?id=20515
Do you see the B-9 listed there? I quoted verbatim. Perhaps you would care to apologize, if you are big enough? I am a Subie owner....
I just found the B9 listed on this link from CNN: http://money.cnn.com/popups/2006/autos/iihs/index.html
http://www.iihs.org/ratings/default.aspx
Keep in mind that I'm in Canada where they physically beat you with the tax stick on everything you buy. Why do you think we have universal healthcare??? Because of all the beatings we get with the tax stick!
Besides, I'm not all that envious of the 07 changes. I can't see me getting satellite radio. I don't have an ipod....just a dinky little rip off Sandisk mp3 player. I burn off MP3 cd's that sound good in the stereo. AFter driving the 07 I wouldn't want to pay more than say 2K more....and that's just for the 1 year depreciation factor. We're so happy with our 06 and what we paid....plus it's the color we would have picked!
By the way, RDX is a MID size? Who are they kidding? It's compact.
-juice
-mike
If you need to carry adults back there a van is best, or a full-size SUV.
But who actually carries 7 adults in their car? A shuttle driver?
-juice
Exactly! Such poor planning on the part of SOA...not thinking of those dozen people, and designing a car that is all things to all people.
Maybe they intend to enter the fast-paced world of airport transportation! :P
-mike
PS: I have 6 adults in my truck often, pit crew, paisanos etc.
Yeah, you could call that a marketing gimmick, but it does suggest that it's not a full-fledged 7-passenger vehicle.
Bob
That's not a gimmick 5+2 means 5 people and 2 in a pinch which makes perfect sense.
-mike
http://www.subaru.co.uk/IMGGB/WWW/Subaru_co_uk.nsf/NULL/9C64B80BA15F70E780257125- 0053D92E?Opendocument
Bob
-mike
+2 works for me. My kids were climbing around and loved the extra space, saying "we can take our friends!"
-juice
Yeah, that'll work. Show everybody that your competition does things better than you.
My point is that there are other 7-seaters that go up against the B9 and we all know that that 3rd row is not a truely adult passenger space. Subaru could poke fun at others who claim 7 passenger seating when in fact it's not. Similar to the Mac/PC commericals you see these days where the Mac guy points out the flaws in PC guy.
-mike
They're all advertised as 7-seaters, which "implies" people of all sizes are welcome back there—and we all know that's not the case...
Bob
Unless you are rear-ended and then the impact is well below where the passengers are, usually down by the bumper.
I guess they do list a payload and you should not exceed the payload. So forget about loading up 7 "paisan-sized" adults.
-juice
If they don't offer some sort of disclaimer (maybe they do in the owners manual?) about putting adults back there, they could be leaving themselves open to lawsuits in the event of an accident.
Bob
Let's see what they do for the '08 model, i.e. if they try to address 3rd row space.
FWIW, other designs are far worse. The Highlander, RAV4, and others have even less space back there.
-juice
Bob
-mike
What I meant is that advertising a deficiency - not matter how true of your product or those of the competition - isn't something a company does. Why draw attention to it?
-mike
was surprised pep boys didn't have. any local chain stores have it or will I have to order online? if so what is a good online merchant with the foglight protecting film?
So if you do put it on, be sure not to leave your fogs on when your car isn't moving or is sitting in traffic.
-mike
-mike
Long story short: I made a black box module that wires in under the dash to give the car retained accessory power after removing the key for a selectable time (2 to 16 minutes.) Does the job nicely.. It has options for killing accessory power, since I don't like it when opening the door kills power instantly - because often I'm out of the car then realize I need to jump back in and use a power accessory... I made it that when you LOCK the car cuts power. And along these lines, I made it that pressing UNLOCK breathes life into accessory power - the radio comes on and is playing when you hop in which is kind of novel.. but also lets me use other accessories without ever having to put a key in the ignition! .. it powers off after a time, or locking the car again.
I also found a one-wire way to get power windows to work when Accessory power is on (instead of requiring ignition power to be on).. Also applies to sunroof on wagons.. so now I can use windows during retained power time. This one-wire trick also applies to Tribecas!! After studying the electricals between these two vehicles, I can see where Tribeca started from - the Legacy.
I've posted the brainpower on doing this elsewhere on another forum, legacygt.com I also offer install kits on a website if you don't want to make your own but buy a complete and tested kit ready to install, with Legacy instructions. Read more about it here
http://legacygt.com/forums/showthread.php?t=34363
Cheers
Scott McPhee