Ask the Car People.SM


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 540 of 837

#5389 of 8368 Review - "Scotty, we need more torque!" by bluetrane

Aug 26, 2005 (9:51 am)

Hello all,
 
Background - I have been new car shopping for several months. I currently drive an Audi A4 Avant (absolutley wonderful car) which is coming off lease soon. My kids are getting bigger and the older one is complaining about the rear legroom. My wife really wanted at least the potential of carrying 7 passengers. The Odyssey and Sienna are too wide and long for my tastes and other minvans are missing safety features I want, so, off to crossover land.
 
I cross-shopped the Tribeca primarily against the MDX, XC90 and Highlander Hybrid. My thoughts about the Tribeca.
 
- Overall a very nice package, not too big, not too small.
 
- Cockpit is very well laid out and very nicely styled. I'm used to the legendary Audi interior and still find the Subie to be quite nice.
 
- Nav is nice, but definitely a cut below the Honda/Acura voice contol unit. It is as good or better than any other system on the market though.
 
- I test drove the Tribeca 3 times, all in 90 degree + humid weather. The AC system is a bit on the anemic side, especially without air recirc on.
 
- Back seat room is fine with a lot of flexibility in legroom.
 
- I'm 6' even and reasonably nimble - I can fit into the 3rd row and could even handle a short trip back there in a pinch. While I wouldn't want to be back there myself for long, it is fine for kids or for smaller adults on occasion. Bottom line, if you have a family of 6, this is nor your vehicle, but if you just need the extra room on occasion, it's fine.
 
- Handling was good, although I did not find it appreciably better than the MDX/XC90/HH, and I drove them all on the same day. Ride very car-like.
 
- Styling is bold and eye-catching. If you haven't seen one in person, it really looks much better than in photos. Some people will be turned off but I'm fine with it.
 
- Visiblity is an issue. The A-pillar is too wide, and you have to take backing up as a point of faith .
 
- The engine and transmission just don't seem quite right. I really think the relatively low torque of the engine hurts in this application, as it doesn't feel enough to get 2+ tons moving. The transmission seemed to hunt and lurch a lot on hilly roads. The Tribeca really needs a little bigger engine or (even better) a low-pressure turbo. Remember that horsepower is what you brag about, but torque is what you notice. The Volvo (2.5T), with almost 50 fewer HP but a lot more low-end torque felt much better off the line and on hills. If you really want to experience torque, by the way, try a Highlander Hybrid (wow!).
 
Overall, I was quite impressed with the Tribeca, but an MDX test drive 20 minutes after the Subie sold me on the Acura. I can certainly see a 2007 model with the increasingly ponderous name "Subaru B9 Tribeca XT" with a turbo and no torque issue. Before the flames come, let me reiterate that I think this is a really good crossover, and I would be happy to have one, but for my needs, the MDX is a little better.

#5390 of 8368 Re: Review - "Scotty, we need more torque!" [bluetrane] by c_hunter

Aug 26, 2005 (10:19 am)

Replying to: bluetrane (Aug 26, 2005 9:51 am)
Thanks for the well thought out feedback! A couple things I will comment on:
 
Sounds like you did not have the climate control system on "auto" (what gives it away is that auto would never drop out of recirc in 90+ weather). I think most people would say that the climate control system, gets too agressive at cooling when in auto mode!
 
I probably had a stronger opinion about handling than you. I really felt the MDX lean in turns when test driving one back in 02, and that's what turned me off the vehicle. On my recent test drive of the B9 (don't own one), I thought the handling was great and one of the strong suits of the vehicle. You definitely feel the benefit of the symmetrical AWD platform and low-CG drivetrain compared to the FWD-based competitors like the MDX and Pilot. On curved highway exit ramps, I really noticed the MDX and Pilot leaning.
 
I agree the B9 could use more torque for sure. Did you try the transmission's sport mode? (not manual mode). It helps quite a bit, especially with more agressive downshifts.
 
So are you getting a leftover 05 MDX, or waiting for the new 06 model? They will be revised pretty significantly for 06, with a few nice features.
 
Craig

#5391 of 8368 Give and Take by ateixeira

Aug 26, 2005 (10:50 am)

Toyota can cut out features because they have Lexus to make up for it, you just pay more to get it all. Same with Honda and Nissan.
 
Subaru doesn't have that, plus they have to build the cost of AWD into every single vehicle. That puts them in a tough position - if they offer everything, they would have the most expensive (to produce) vehicle in every single segment. Their plants are in Indiana and Gunma, Japan, not Korea or Mexico, so they're not saving any money there either.
 
But that's a good thing, and why Subaru topped CR's reliability tests for MY2004. Meanwhile Mexican-built VWs sit at the very bottom of the ratings, yet VW is "German" so they get a pass? No fair.
 
I'd rather give up a telescoping wheel and auto-down power windows just so I didn't have to visit my dealer for ignition coils and window regulators several times during ownership. Ironically, those auto-up/down windows are exactly what is failing.
 
Garmin 2610 doesn't have an internal battery does it? The Street Pilot c320 is cheaper and more versatile because it does have a battery. It takes an SD card, so a 1 Gig card fits the whole country. You can get the devide and the SD card for under $500. 2610 might have a bigger screen however.
 
Tom Tom is a bit pricier and I did not evaluate it.
 
-juice

#5392 of 8368 Tribeca Feedback by ateixeira

Aug 26, 2005 (10:54 am)

Back seat room is fine with a lot of flexibility in legroom
 
Give that man a prize!
 
You're one of the few that was able to figure that out, even most professional reviewers miss that.
 
The handling advantage would only be noticed at the extremes. Bob and I got to take it on a moose-avoidance test, i.e. hard left and then hard right, and it really handled that emergency situation with a flat stance and little drama.
 
The Murano they had along for comparison was squeeling tires and all over the place, quite a handful. One driver even got it up on two wheels, which is scary.
 
Most of the time you won't notice the difference, though. Plus stability control on the MDX should kick in before that happens. Nissan should re-tune theirs.
 
-juice

#5393 of 8368 Re: Review - "Scotty, we need more torque!" [c_hunter] by foxbat121

Aug 26, 2005 (11:02 am)

Replying to: c_hunter (Aug 26, 2005 10:19 am)
Sounds like you did not have the climate control system on "auto" (what gives it away is that auto would never drop out of recirc in 90+ weather). I think most people would say that the climate control system, gets too agressive at cooling when in auto mode!
 
Actually that's not correct. "Auto" mode will turn on recirc mode initially. However, when internal temp drop to very close to what you preset, it will turn off recirc. The problem is that in 90+ weather, the vent lets in too much hot air and you feel the A/C is not cold enough. I think that's a software bug in the climate control. If internal and external temp difference is too much (from 90+ outside to 70+ internal), it should never turn off recirc.
 
I encountered this issue in a trip week ago. Manually turn on recirc solved the issue.

#5394 of 8368 Re: Review - "Scotty, we need more torque!" [c_hunter] by bluetrane

Aug 26, 2005 (11:34 am)

Replying to: c_hunter (Aug 26, 2005 10:19 am)
"Sounds like you did not have the climate control system on "auto" (what gives it away is that auto would never drop out of recirc in 90+ weather). I think most people would say that the climate control system, gets too agressive at cooling when in auto mode!"
 
I tried it both ways. It bothers me to have CC on recirc for too long
  
"I agree the B9 could use more torque for sure. Did you try the transmission's sport mode? (not manual mode). It helps quite a bit, especially with more agressive downshifts."
 
I didn't use Sport mode. I have this on my Audi and it absolutely tanks gas milage around town, and I find the way that gears are held to be a little unsettling. I'm sure it would have helped, but I couldn't see driving this way every day
  
"So are you getting a leftover 05 MDX, or waiting for the new 06 model? They will be revised pretty significantly for 06, with a few nice features."
 
I'm getting an 05 for $1500 under invoice (dealer incentive cash). With this, pricing on the MDX was less than $1000 over my quote on a Trib 7 Limited/Nav/RES. If the price delta were greater, I would have thought real hard about the Subie instead. Both manufacturers have nice lease deals now.
 
FWIW, out of the cars I drove, I really liked the Volvo the best, but configured the way I wanted it was about $6000 more. The Highlander Hybrid is an amazing piece of machinery that feels like a strong V8 with 4 cylinder milage. It was $42k, missing some features I wanted, and thanks to unfriendly lease terms $150 more a month than either the Acura or Subaru. You can buy an awful lot of gas for $150.

#5395 of 8368 Re: Give and Take [ateixeira] by cluelesspa

Aug 26, 2005 (11:36 am)

Replying to: ateixeira (Aug 26, 2005 10:50 am)
I'd rather give up a telescoping wheel and auto-down power windows just so I didn't have to visit my dealer for ignition coils and window regulators several times during ownership. Ironically, those auto-up/down windows are exactly what is failing.

 
I wonder where you got the info on failing window regulators. I dont think its a good assumption to assume ALL window regs are failing and therefore a bad thing. I had all 4 windows auto down in the Pacifica and it was one of the few things that didnt fail also never saw that as an issue on the Pacifica problems forum

#5396 of 8368 Re: Give and Take [cluelesspa] by newtosubie

Aug 26, 2005 (11:57 am)

Replying to: cluelesspa (Aug 26, 2005 11:36 am)
I think Juice was referring to VW having window regulator problems. See post #4952.

#5397 of 8368 $150 more a month by ateixeira

Aug 26, 2005 (12:54 pm)

That's more than my Forester takes in gas each month, easily. I probably use about $100/month in my total gas bill for 2 cars.
 
Hybrids are selling for MSRP; with an MDX selling for a substantial discount there is no way they can match the lease terms.
 
Yep, that was a common problem with VWs. Funny thing is the same people that ask for those features are the ones that complain the loudest when said features don't work.
 
-juice

#5398 of 8368 My 24-hour Tribeca test drive by willoc

Aug 26, 2005 (2:04 pm)

I just returned mine last night, I am buying my 2nd Outback right now (2005 XT Ltd 5-speed), but took the B9 out for a day to check it out. I agree with most of Bluetrains comments except I never had an Audi to compare it to! I really did enjoy driving it and it looked damn nice parked in my driveway, it is a beautiful design even with the nose (which I don't mind one bit either). It is a little lacking on torque, but it feels about as fast as the 03 Outback VDC that I am trading in right now, so it's not too bad. I'm sure it's comparable to the Murano or most other vehicles people are shopping the B9 against. The rear visibility is a bit of an issue especially for short people (I am 6' so no major problem - but the rear window and pillar make a big blind spot). The radio is pretty good but does not compare to the McIntosh in my VDC..I wish Subaru would strike another deal with McIntosh soon because I will probably wind up upgrading the speakers in my new OB too. Bass is a bit boomy and the sound in general is a little hollow, but it is still good nontheless. Anyway to sum things up, if I were shopping for an SUV it would be at or near the top of my list, it does handle real well and is very well built. You can feel the quality in the heavyish doors, fit and finish very good, etc. And the gas mileage seems very good if it stays close to EPA ratings.

Messages Page 540 of 837

To POST a message, please Sign In.

Advertisement

Browse by Category

Browse by Vehicle
   View All Vehicles

Browse by Board
Browse by Topic
View All Topics

Edmunds Community

Advertisement