2006 Subaru B9 Tribeca Review Summaries

What reviewers liked most about the Subaru B9 Tribeca:

The Tribeca delivers the combination of practicality and all-wheel-drive responsiveness that makes Subaru's other cars such worthy entries in their own segments.

-- AutoWeek

With its standard 18-inch wheels, stability control and symmetrical all-wheel-drive system (under normal conditions torque is split 45/55 front to rear), the Tribeca remains composed and fun to drive over sinuous routes.

-- AutoWeek

Although not aggressively bolstered, the seats are firmly supportive and produced no discomfort during an intensive drive from San Francisco to Los Angeles.

-- Car and Driver

Straight-line performance is adequate and made to feel better than the figures suggest by a broad torque spread and good throttle response allowed by the variable valve-timing-and-lift system.

-- Car and Driver

The 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.

-- New Car Test Drive

The interior is nice, if you keep the rearmost seat folded down. In that configuration, the B9 has lots of room behind the second-row seats, which slide back and forth to adjust legroom -- a rare feature and a treat for backseat passengers.

-- The Wall Street Journal

What reviewers liked least about the Subaru B9 Tribeca:

Sufficient power for around-town driving, but sluggish from a stop and feels strained in highway passing or uphill climbs.

-- Consumer Guide

Getting in and out of the third row on seven-passenger models isn't easy for adults; it's best left to the younger set.

-- New Car Test Drive

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. Some of our colleagues like the design. But we have better taste than they do. In any case, we don't consider the grille a deal breaker.

-- New Car Test Drive

The second-row seatback on the right side folds forward for access to those third-row seats. This kept us from mounting our child seat in the middle of the second row -- where it belongs -- because it interfered with the folding.

-- The Wall Street Journal

Subaru B9 Tribeca Comparisons:

Tribeca pricing reaches into the upper realm of midsize SUVs, where there are other compelling alternatives.

-- Consumer Guide

... 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.

-- New Car Test Drive

The Tribeca drives a lot like the Chrysler Pacifica, Ford Freestyle and other seven-passenger SUVs. It rides smoothly on long stretches of highway, but isn't much fun to drive in town or on twisty back roads.

-- The Wall Street Journal

The Tribeca's six-cylinder engine puts out 250 horsepower, the same as the Legacy GT, but the SUV outweighs the wagon by about 800 pounds, putting what seems to be an undue strain on those 250 horses.

-- The Wall Street Journal

Best one-liner about the Subaru B9 Tribeca:

Dividing the floor space among three rows shorts everyone of legroom, so everybody flies coach.

-- Car and Driver

...we have to say that we found the Tribeca about the strangest-looking vehicle we've seen since Ford's Edsel ...

-- The Wall Street Journal