The Subaru Tribeca started off as the B9 Tribeca with a uniquely styled front end to say the least. The newer styling of the Subaru Tribeca was received well in the creation of a cross-over SUV that has the soul of an all-wheel-drive boxer engine platform. For 2011 that same tradition continues in a well refined cross-over with room for 7.
Our 2011 Subaru Tribeca Touring test vehicle is well-built. You can tell how well constructed the Tribeca is due to its roomy quiet cabin and its good fit-and-finish all around the exterior. Outside of the Tribeca you will find a friendly looking front fascia that looks several times better than the older Tribeca which carried the ‘B9’ moniker. Although there is not much about the exterior that makes it stand out from the crowd, it flows well and looks decent. The Tribeca can easily fade into the background of other popular cross-over vehicles due to its subtle styling. I think of it as a ‘safe’ move by Subaru to avoid creating anything out of the ordinary. Either way, the Tribeca won’t draw any serious negative criticism about its exterior styling.
Aside from the interesting rear seating positions, the Tribeca is very spacious up front allowing ample room for the driver and front passenger. The front seats have a vast amount of adjustability forward and backward allowing people well over 6 feet tall to feel welcomed. The dashboard flows well from the driver’s side cluster through the high-mounted center navigation LCD screen. Some of the controls below the navigation and information LCD screen could use more character because they come off as being cheap. Also, the HVAC controls look like an inexpensive toy with digital number readouts.
The rear seating area has a separate a/c fan control directing air directly from the roof through two large vents. Our test vehicle was equipped with an over-head DVD player with LCD screen for movie playback.
Where the Subaru Tribeca Review shines is in the department of drivability. Subaru’s symmetrical all-wheel-drive system is excellent and does what it is supposed to do. Having had a chance to drive the Tribeca in the rain, I found it to be planted well on the road even when wet. The 18-inch wheels and rather large 255/55 tires is more than adequate for the Tribeca’s power output. The flat 3.6-liter 6-cylinder produces a decent 256 horsepower and 247 foot-pounds of torque vectored through all four wheels. On dry pavement you would be hard-pressed to be able to break any of the tires loose because this cross-over has some serious meat wrapped around its alloy wheels.
On the highway the Subaru Tribeca is well behaved and handles rough roads without too much harshness. The Tribeca also handles light-off roading with dignity but anything more would be a risk of trapping the 4,200 pound SUV literally between a rock and a hard place.
