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Subaru B9 Tribeca (B9X)

8368 messages,  Last post on Nov 24, 2012 at 9:27 AM

You are in the Subaru B9 Tribeca Forum.

What is this discussion about? Subaru B9 Tribeca, SUV

Messages Page 165 of 838

#1635 of 8368 Tribeca in Philly by eps105

Feb 05, 2005 (9:16 pm)

Saw the Tribeca today at the Philly auto show. Got there when the doors opened and the girl let me sit in it briefly until she was told by another person to stop letting patrons behind the chains. No matter, I'm headed back down there Tuesday for one of those VIP invitation sessions where I'll get to sit in it a lot more.
 
Just want to back up Juice with my very first impression -- like he said, when I saw the nose in person, it just didn't look as bad as the pictures, period. I really does look smaller than the photos and fits the car quite nicely. The bright lights made the chrome look classy, dare I say. It really was a great looking car all the way around, and everyone I overheard looking at it was making positive statements.
 
The only thing I can add that I haven't seen in the hundreds of pictures and posts is that I confirmed that the headrests in the 3rd row do in fact slide up so that an adult sitting there would be protected.
 
Oh, and while some have criticized the sculptured headlights, the bubbled shape on the top makes them visible from the drivers's seat, which gives me a better feel for where the front of the car is. That's my #1 gripe with minivans -- can't see the corners -- and that's why every minivan I see on the road has dents and scratches on every corner!
 
Bottom line is that, while I am a huge Subaru fan and think the B9 will be a success, I still saw a lot of good competition from the Pilot, MDX, XC90, etc., and the bar keeps getting raised, E.G., the Pilot is getting refreshed for 2006 and will have side curtains, and I would guess some tweaks to the styling.
 
Oh, and no one has a better looking center console, period. First class all the way.
 
My $.02
 
Elliot

#1636 of 8368 <-- odyssey corners scratch free by njswamplands

Feb 06, 2005 (2:07 am)

#1637 of 8368 by ateixeira

Feb 06, 2005 (6:15 am)

Thank you, E.
 
Note that of a large group of people that have now seen the Tribeca in person, only two felt their opinion on the styling did not improve. And one is a died-in-the-wool Honda fan.
 
That says a lot.
 
-juice

#1638 of 8368 Information from SOA by famof3kids

Feb 06, 2005 (8:43 am)

Well, Subaru has taken the raps off this car and introduced it to us. Now, where is the followup information?
 
I have read several articles about the origin and engineering of this new vehicle. The latest Car & Driver says its based off of a modified Outback platform. Another website I read said it was based on a new platform that would eventually serve as the platform for the next GM minivans. Yet another website says it is an all new platform that is not shared, nor will not be shared with anything else.
 
Subaru wants us to buy a new $30k+ vehicle, offer no engineering details, offers 'odd' styling and we already know that there will be a Saab equivalent.
   
Sounds like the Subaru SVX all over again. However, at least then, they were offering lots of engineering details.
 
I'm betting on a failure.
 
Mark
03 Legacy
04 Quest
 
Previous:
96 Outback
95 Legacy
91 Legacy
88 GL
84 GL

#1639 of 8368 Re: [ateixeira] by robr2

Feb 06, 2005 (8:50 am)

Replying to: ateixeira (Feb 06, 2005 6:15 am)
I showed a picture of it in Automobile to my wife. She didn't have a problem with the nose but said no way to the rear quarter.
 
The nose has grown on me but I'm still trying to get used to the bulbuos headlights. I'm not a fan of that design on any vehicle.
 
Oh and no scratched bumpers on my mini-van either.

#1640 of 8368 safety... by poisson

Feb 06, 2005 (12:05 pm)

Replying to: bigelm (Feb 04, 2005 3:40 pm)
SAAB says that the primary for the center console ignition is for safety purposes. In case of an accident, the key doesn't get lodged in the knee of the driver. I had a couple of SAAB's in the past and liked that location for the key (never had an accident to validate their claim though).

#1641 of 8368 Tribeca Platform by trueawd

Feb 06, 2005 (12:24 pm)

Just so everyone knows. It's 100% its own platform and it's all new. Anything else you read is wrong. Fuji / SIA actually spent like $$100 million plus to redo the Isuzu side of the plant to be able to create this new and very flexible platform. Unlike many of the Japanese companies, like Honda, Toyota, Nissan...how they can use one platform for many things...even different size vehicles Aka Odyssey, Pilot, MDX, Accord, Altima, Maxima, 350z, etc (there is a great article in Automotive News like 3 years ago about how Honda can do that, how they can make these adjustments to the Accord platform and create an Odyssey at the same plant)...They can manufacture many different cars from one similar platform, although some might say the Odyssey and Accord are different platforms..that's true but they are just adjusted for size. Subaru has not really had this capability yet. I know Forester and Impreza are one and obviously we all know Baja and Legacy, but there technology was very limited to size of the vehicle in the factory. Now with the NEW Tribeca platform they can do much much more after the improvements to the plant. So for example Subaru could produce a larger sedan off that platform or something else. It's really a huge advancement for them. (there was an article in the Lafyette news paper from last year discussing how they made this huge investment to have this new awesome line and platform. Anyways, it's just a much bigger deal then most really even know, and it is a Fuji platform and it's all Fuji. There will be only the Saab sharing as we all know so far.
 
Go Subaru!!!
 
True

#1642 of 8368 Re: Information from SOA [famof3kids] by c_hunter

Feb 06, 2005 (12:34 pm)

Replying to: famof3kids (Feb 06, 2005 8:43 am)
It's definitely a "new" platform based on the Legacy/Outback -- the wheelbase and track were enlarged. The core Leg/OB platform is used worldwide, hence it's kind of small. The Tribeca is the first Subaru I know of to have a larger platform specifically for the US market. I'm sure it will get exported at some point.
 
The vehicle is not on sale yet, so cool your jets. In fact, they don't even have EPA gas mileage numbers, and they have not announced trim levels or pricing. This sort of pre-sale lack of information is typical. In this case, being a US-only model, we can't even look to global sales for clues, like we could with other Subarus that went on sale outside the US first. That said, there is a ton of info on the vehicle if you are willing to spend some time researching on the internet. You can certainly ask here (or read the post from the last month) if you want to know something -- we know quite a bit already.
 
Having seen/sat in the Tribeca at an auto show and researched it, there is no doubt in my mind it will be a success (and how much of a success depends on the pricing). Subaru has managed to come up with a unique vehicle, which means it will be different from the pack in several ways, and that's good. I really see nothing about the vehicle that remotely suggests it will be a failure.
 
If the 5-pax version stickers for $30-32K as the facts point to, and the usual Subaru discounts apply, it will be a compelling vehicle with a very fair price point.
 
Craig

#1643 of 8368 My impressions by snowbelter

Feb 07, 2005 (7:04 am)

Saw the Tribeca yesterday. It looks much better in person than it does in pictures. I found the infamous "nose" to be a bit odd, but not annoying. No "wow" factor for me, but the design, inside and out, could grow on me. As others have said, it looks well made, and roomy (but I wasn't able to sit in it.) Thought the light-colored leather interior will require lots of work to keep clean and hope there's an option for dark leather. There were a number of families looking at the car, people new to Subaru who didn't know one from a Suzuki and number of local Subaru sales people (no one from SOA) and they were busy explaining the car's features. One salesperson was telling people the car came with a V6, the same engine as in other Subarus. Thats a new fact for me. I also looked around at the competition. My quick impressions were that the Tribeca is not a "love it or hate it" design like the Murano or FX 35, and is put together better than the Murano with better materials , lacks the interior roominess of the Pilot, is similar in luxury to the MDX and not quite up to the Lexus 330. Even if the Tribeca is well made, is fun to drive, comes loaded up and gets great reviews, with a 40k price point, it will be a tough sell. People don't know Subaru and its not thought of in that price range. I remember when the VDC came out in 2000, and the reviews were "Nice car, but $32k for a Subaru?" I know others have different opinions. Martin

#1644 of 8368 Re: My impressions [snowbelter] by rsholland

Feb 07, 2005 (7:10 am)

Replying to: snowbelter (Feb 07, 2005 7:04 am)
Martin, what show was this?
 
BTW, it's an H-6, not a V-6.
 
Bob

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