Subaru Tribeca is the best crossover

The 2008 Subaru Tribeca was named best resale value in the crossover utility vehicle segment by Automotive Lease Guide (ALG). The Subaru brand remains an industry leader in residual value, ranking fourth overall in ALG’s Industry Brand Residual Value Rankings. ALG ranks brands and vehicles predicted to retain the highest percentage of their original price after a conventional three-year lease term.

“We are very pleased to see that ALG has recognized the Subaru Tribeca as the best in the crossover segment for residual value,” said Thomas J. Doll, executive vice president and CFO, Subaru of America, Inc. “The Subaru brand is well known for its quality, durability and overall tremendous value in the marketplace. And the Subaru Tribeca is more of what our customers love about Subaru.”

The ALG residual value awards are derived after careful study of segment competition, historical vehicle performance and industry trends. According to ALG, the 2008 awards prove once again that compelling design, high quality manufacturing, disciplined pricing and volume programs are essential to achieve the highest residual value.
Award winners are featured on ALG.com and other automotive publications and websites dedicated to bringing the industry’s best-performing models into the public eye.

Residual value is not the only feature of the Subaru Tribeca that has received acclaim. The Subaru Tribeca is a Top Safety Pick by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) awarded Tribeca its 5-Star Safety Rating in both their frontal and side-impact NCAP crash tests. The Subaru Tribeca has also been recognized for its award winning interior design and is a recommended pick by leading independent consumer publications for reliability and owner satisfaction.

Source: subaru

2008 Subaru Tribeca - Features

I had considered buying a Tribeca a few years ago, but the awful front end scared me away. Subaru has fixed that to the point of now being fairly nondescript, which I like much more than the B9. The large wheels and tires make it seem more premium, too but it still retains enough Subaru quirkiness to make it stand out. Its stronger, six-cylinder boxer gives enough for a family hauler—not sporty, but it’s no dog either. The transmission seems well matched to the engine, and passing is not a problem in this large station wagon. Ours also had a strange rustle coming from the rear cabin. Not good.

Inside is typical Subaru, with function overriding beauty. A sea of molded plastic wraps around the front to the sides. Nothing on the dash says “Wow! I’m glad they thought of that.” Nor does it say, “Why the heck did they put that there?” It’s plastic and it looks like plastic. No chicanery here. However, there’s no MPG readout, which is common on many cars, and helpful for people with limited math skills.

I can’t say I like the new schnoz, but the reworked flat-six (also new for the 2008) finally has the low-end grunt the Tribeca always deserved. Horsepower isn’t up a huge amount, but it feels a lot faster off the line. Kudos to Subaru for addressing the critical issue of acceleration while leaving alone the Tribeca’s greatest asset, the swanky interior.

I had a chance to drive the revised Tribeca back-to-back with the new-for-2008 Toyota Highlander, one of the best sellers in the mid-size segment in which the Subaru competes. The facelifted Tribeca feels (and is) far quicker than the original despite its modest gains in horsepower and torque, and offers superior steering and road feel compared with the new Highlander.

But the Toyota trumps the Tribeca where it counts: A four-wheel-drive Highlander starts more than $2000 less than the Subaru, has much more passenger space in both the second and third rows, offers more horsepower (270 vs. 256), accelerates quicker, and gets better fuel economy (17/23 city/highway vs. 16/21). With competition like this, it looks like the Tribeca is destined to remain a low-volume player.

Screwy styling, weird packaging, a nearly useless third row—these are just a few reasons to dislike Subie’s star-crossed SUV since its launch a couple of years back. But the one reason that turned me off most was its lack of power, and that’s why I was pretty interested to see whether or not the Tribeca’s 2008 power infusion could win me over. The boxer engine always felt overwhelmed, especially during passing maneuvers or accelerating onto the freeway. Unfortunately for Subaru, 11 hp does not a fix make. Yes, there’s more usable torque (32 extra lb-ft, actually), meaning the low-end feels less lethargic, but it’s otherwise a same-old, same-old. At least the nose job means it looks a lot better.

I was never appalled by the B9’s nose or rear. I thought it looked unique—if anything it looked like an Alfa, and who would complain about that, right? The revision is not more tasteful, just more appealing to the masses. The IP stack is wonderful. The smooth aluminum texture is very high-end looking. The gauge cluster and climate control dials are equally as handsome.

Too bad the dashboard can’t be shortened a little. The aforementioned items are designed and done so well. But, the upper-center area of the dash is a big, gaping area of nothingness.

Source: caranddriver

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Subaru Tribeca to spawn a Scion SUV?

As reported before, Scion is looking to add more models to its lineup. Ever since Scion was founded in 2003, it has stayed true to offering only three models. Well now Toyota is planning to use its influence in Subaru and may rebadge a Subaru Tribeca as Scion SUV to join the tC, xB and xA.

According Automotive News, a Japanese magazine shows a picture of a Scion “xTribeca” idea in its latest issue. A spy photo shows a Tribeca-like vehicle diguised for testing with a badge on the grille that resembles Scion’s.

Since 2005, Toyota has owned an 8.7 percent stake in Subaru’s parent company, Fuji Heavy Industries. Subaru’s CEO, Ikuo Mori, has admitted that without Toyota’s input, Subaru would probably not exist. It seems now that Subaru is open to be taken over by Toyota if such an action takes place.

Subaru’s CEO also said that if Toyota does plan on aquiring Subaru from Fuji Heavy Industries, don’t expect much than just another Toyota division like Scion.

Source: egmcartech

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Subaru's crossover has a new nose, a new tail, a new engine and a more mainstream appeal as it sidles into the 2008 model year.

But wait, isn't the Tribeca only three years old? And while we're at it, what happened to the B9 middle name-the one that reminded us to make a doctor's appointment?

It sounds sinister but really, it's the best thing that could have happened. In its third model year, the Tribeca's been revisited in the mode of those low-budget shows on Oxygen or A&E, where women are kidnapped off the streets and forced to ditch their wardrobes and acquire some serious fashion sense dictated by the ubiquitous "Girlfriend!" and her ubiquitous gay sidekick.

The Edsel grille (the handiwork of designer Andreas Zapatinas, who also seems to have disappeared) is gone. And so is the B9 tag. Now the Tribeca wears a resculpted front end that's much more streamlined and mainstream. The grille's tucked neatly into the front bumper, while new headlamps give it a wider appearance and a much broader appeal. And along its sides, the Tribeca also wears new three-quarter windows, a reshaped rear valance, and bigger taillamps.

It's so mainstream it looks a lot like Chrysler's Pacifica, we say, or looks a lot more like an SUV, Subaru says. Either way, it's good move for the Tribeca, which in every other way already was an interesting alternative to the Pilots and Muranos of the world.

The Tribeca's new 3.6-liter flat-six engine is more than half a liter larger than before. Subaru says power is up from 245 horsepower to 256, and torque has risen from 215 pound-feet to 247 lb- ft. Not only does the new engine get better fuel economy in real-world driving, it also makes better power in the same cycle and does so on regular unleaded gas versus the old engine's premium thirst.

Teamed to a heavily revised five-speed automatic that weighs ten pounds less than before, the Tribeca should top its former track numbers of 8.5 seconds to 60 mph, while top speed will remain around 130 mph. That's a tick or two slower than vehicles like the Pilot and the Chrysler Pacifica-but those vehicles don't share the Tribeca's high-dollar engine sounds.

The Tribeca's all-wheel-drive system returns, and it still doesn't have a low range. But tooling around toasty Palm Springs in search of Starbucks, it's hard to find a real need for the system, which is biased to send 55 percent of its torque to the rear wheels until traction needs change. In other muddier instances, the Tribeca's traction has felt better than average, and its 8.4 inches of ground clearance is as good as any truck-based SUV. It can tow 3500 pounds, too, if you're inclined to pull things up inclines.

Subaru found some areas to improve in the rear suspension tuning, although the differences were nearly impossible to detect on the road. The Tribeca started out as composed as a resumé, anyway, and its ride is the most carefully balanced element of its character-pillowy, not billowy.

Little has changed inside the Tribeca, where a space-age theme throws its cozy semicircular arms and arrays of soft, blinking graphics around the driver and passenger. The occasional sense of being on a hot date with R2D2 can be dimmed right out with the lighting knob if you're not so open-minded.

A longer spell inside the cockpit reveals how snug the Tribeca can feel. It's a stretched Outback, after all. In five-passenger editions, the only issue you'll notice is the driver tunnel being a little skimpy - my right knee rested permanently against the center stack. But the second-row seat slides to and fro 8.0 inches, giving limo-like leg room. And for 2008 the second-row seat gets tilt-and-slide controls, and a new assist spring that makes moving the seat around a lot easier. Big grab handles make third-row access, on three-row Tribecas, a lot easier for kids, too.

Amidst all the changes, one of the most important features of the Tribeca remains the same. With its anti-lock brakes, traction control, and curtain airbags again standard, the crossover keeps its five-star safety ratings and its status as one of the NHTSA's top picks in its class.

With its social ills cured-the nose and name properly manscaped into oblivion-there's little holding the Tribeca back from any well thought out shopping list. More cautious? Sure. But it's better for it.

Source: thecarconnection

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2008 Subaru Tribeca

It takes a big man to own up to his mistake. And an even bigger one to fix it right away. Once Pontiac let loose the Aztek, it kept it in production for five painful years. The same happened with the AMC Pacer, which ran for six. The Ford Edsel went three. But when Subaru over-extended its drawing talent on the pucker-lipped Tribeca snout two years ago, it figured it out right away and went to work.

Hence the all-new, all-new Tribeca. It gets not just a new exterior with a more mainstream grille but a bigger engine and a smoother transmission, too. It’s the fastest redo in the West.

The new exterior is inoffensive but now runs the risk of being lost in the crowd, with a conformist look that sets it far apart from its predecessor, for better or worse.

Underneath that exterior, particularly under the hood, are significant improvements. An all-new 3.6-liter flat-six replaces the 3.0-liter. The engine is bored and stroked to get the extra 600 cc. An active valve control system varies cam timing on both the intake and the exhaust side (the 3.0 engine had active valve control on the intake only).

The engine now makes 256 hp at 6000 rpm and 247 lb-ft of torque at 4400, all on regular gasoline and all from the same external space as the 3.0-liter of last year. The 3.0 made 245 hp at 6600 and 215 lb-ft at 4200 but required super unleaded gas.

The five-speed automatic also is improved, with a new torque converter and control unit, plus a reduction of internal friction. As a result, downshifts are much faster, and hunting between gears is reduced.

We spent a long day driving a Tribeca over several hundred miles of interstates, mountain roads and stop-and-go suburban streets and found it mostly pleasant, by the standards of the class. There’s less lean and flop in transitions, and the 255/55R-18 all-season tires don’t protest until they’re really pushed hard. The power rack-and-pinion steering with engine-speed-sensitive variable assist and four-wheel disc brakes vented in front felt well matched to the task. The shifter in sport mode even matched engine revs on downshifts, which is cool.

We’d call the handling good. It wove through the mountain blacktop with what felt close to aplomb for something this tall, but it’s not as responsive as the Mazda CX-9 or the Acura MDX, which are both aimed at the performance end of the segment.

The Tribeca does have standard all-wheel drive, where most offer it as an option or not at all. It also has seven-passenger seating, which is not offered by everything in the class, and its artistically wavy dashboard stands out.

So it’s good in a field of good crossovers. Which leaves us where? In a big, big field.

Source: autoweek

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