- suv 120,799
- 8,995 high price
- Columbus, OH
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- autoshopper.com
- suv 120,799 gasoline black automatic
2006 subaru b9 tribeca review this car review is specific to this model, not the actual vehicle for sale. New suv challenges nissan and toyota. introductionsubaru is becoming a premium brand. It looks like something from an alfa romeo. Subaru's new chief designer came from alfa, but he told us the grille was already set in stone when he arrived. The design of the tribeca doesn't please everyone, but seems to grow on some people with time. tribeca is a trendy, upscale neighborhood between new york's soho and lower manhattan districts. It isn't cheap real estate. Nor is the subaru tribeca cheap transportation. For its part, the tribeca is competitive in the class, especially given the lengthy list of features with which it comes standard, much of which are optional or not even available elsewhere. extensive driving in northern california revealed the tribeca to be a joy to drive, comfortable and practical. In short, we'd list it as a buy. That's a strong recommendation, given that we think highly of the highlander and murano. lineuptwo versions of the 2006 subaru b9 tribeca are available: a five-passenger 30,695) and a seven-passenger 32,395). Each is available in standard and limited trim. neither trim package is lacking in function or comfort. All tribecas, for instance, have subaru's vehicle dynamics control system, which joins forces with variable torque distribution all-wheel drive and all-wheel traction control to help the driver maintain control. Standard wheels are 18-inch aluminum alloys with low-profile, all-season tires; a tire pressure monitoring system is standard, too. Brakes are vented discs with antilock and electronic brake-force distribution systems. safety features include subaru's unique auto-retracting brake pedal assembly designed to lessen exposure to crash-related injury for the driver's feet and lower legs. Front seat occupants are protected by dual-stage frontal airbags, seat-mounted side impact airbags and active head restraints, which automatically push forward and up in rear-impact collisions. Curtain airbags insulate the front and second row seats in side impacts. All seating positions get adjustable head restraints, and outboard seats have height-adjustable anchors for seatbelt shoulder straps. The second row of seats is almost as flexible as the two front seats, with a 40/20/40-split reclining seatback and a 60/40-split seat bottom adjustable fore and aft. Dual-zone automatic air conditioning is standard, as is a 100-watt, am/fm/cd/mp3 stereo with six speakers. Cruise control is standard. So are power windows, outside mirrors and door locks. The steering wheel, which also tilts, and shift knob are covered in leather. And there's an information center displaying audio settings, time, fuel economy and outside temperature. the seven-passenger tribeca gets that way via the addition of a third-row seat split 50/50. It also adds heated front seats and an auxiliary rear air conditioner fan control in the second seating row. moving up to the limited in both the five-passenger 32,295) and seven-passenger 33,895) versions replaces the standard cloth upholstery with a choice of smooth or perforated leather seating surfaces. The stereo is upgraded to a 160-watt system with a six-disc, in-dash cd changer and nine speakers, including a sub-woofer in the rear cargo area. factory options are offered only on the seven-passenger model and include a rear-seat dvd entertainment system 1800) and a touch-screen, dvd-based, gps navigation system 2000). Subaru-approved options for both models and installed either at the port or by the dealer (installation costs are extra) number some 20 or so and include an assortment of features. Among them: an auto-dimming inside rearview mirror 183), battery warmer 30), engine block heater 30), hood protector 73), roof rack-mounted kayak carrier 147), roof-rack mounted bike carrier 140), and towing package with hitch and oil cooler 514). walkaroundthe 2006 subaru b9 tribeca shows a new, soon-to-be trademark face to the world. Purportedly patterned in a manner to remind us of its parent company's history as an aircraft manufacturer, with a central air intake flanked by grilles that look like wings, the new front end reminds us more of a poorly executed knockoff of classic alfa romeos. But that's a personal opinion. But we have better taste than they do. In any case, we don't consider the grille a deal breaker. moving past the odd grille arrangement, there is an undeniable aero-sleekness to the flow of the various surface planes and scupltings. Headlights are integrated into the leading edges of the front fenders. In plan view, the front end's curvature can be seen to ease the movement of the tribeca through the air. The steeply raked windshield and a-pillars pull the eye up and over the tall glass house to a spoiler laid atop an acutely angled back window. body side panels are mostly vertical, not quite slab-like, their expanse broken by mild fender blisters circling properly proportioned tires and wheels. Beginning at the trailing edge of the front door and even with the door handles, a soft crease grows as it moves rearward, giving the rear portions substance before ending in the wraparound taillights. The top half, above the continuation of the waist-high side crease, comprising the rear window and spoiler and looking rather light and airy, looks as if it came from a different vehicle than the bottom half, comprising most of the liftgate, the license plate surround, the bumper and lower trim panel and looking somewhat ponderous. Perhaps it's a consequence of having to package sufficient interior room for a third-row seat, but like the front end, it's a departure from the subaru look we've come to know and will require some acclimation. And as fondly as we recall the previous century's hot rod era, the dual exhausts don't quite fit. by the way, the b9 designates the platform. We didn't have much luck getting that out of them. So we'll just call it the tribeca, a name that goes well with forester, outback and impreza. interiorthe subaru tribeca's interior is a stunning styling statement. Visually, and ergonomically, it's a delight. It's been a long time since we've felt so immediately comfortable climbing into a new car for the first time. A little more time behind the wheel revealed that it's not perfect: the front seat cushions could be deeper for more thigh support, and the back support isn't great. right off, we didn't have to climb up into it, despite its positioning as a hybridization of wagon, minivan and sport utility. Rather, we simply opened the door and sat down. The relatively high seating position allowed us to check traffic several cars ahead, and outward visibility is marred only by seemingly overly thick a-pillars. We expect, though, that this is something we'd learn to work around. once buckled in, all the controls fell right to hand, and the gauges and panels tasked with communicating important information did so quite naturally. Well, maybe the fuel and coolant temperature gauges weren't completely intuitive, tucked away in the lower outboard corners of the instrument cluster and utilizing leds in lieu of the analog style. But we found it hard to imagine ways to improve the remainder, including the large, easily scanned tachometer and speedometer. beyond the bits and pieces, the organic, almost-wholesome sweep of the dash as it flows into the door panels creates cocoon-like comfort zones for front seat occupants. Arms and hands rest naturally on nicely textured surfaces with the requisite buttons and levers where they should be. Steering wheel-mounted supplemental controls are styled into the sweep of the wheel's spokes. The shift lever's sportshift slot, which allows the driver to manually select the desired gear, is properly placed to the driver's side of the primary gate. the rounded center stack extends into the cockpit for easy access to its controls and features. The primary audio control knob is centered within ready reach of the driver and front-seat passenger. The heating and ventilation controls are really cool, with big knobs that feature digital readouts. The front passenger's air conditioning temperature control knob is thoughtfully positioned facing t. AM/FM✔ Power Windows✔ Tachometer✔ Cruise Control✔ CD Changer✔ Navigation System✔ Air Conditioning✔ DVD Entertainment System
8,995 Columbus, OHColumbus, OH at autoshopper.com