Review Subaru Tribeca Automatic 2008

Key strengths: Subaru reliability, creature comforts, quiet ride, all-wheel drive, not a car you see everyday

Areas for improvement: Excessive weight, average mileage for the segment, dash design, outward visibility

I had the opportunity to drive the Tribeca in mixed traffic over a period of days. I highly encourage anyone considering a new car to drive over an extended period to "live with" the car before purchasing. A long drive behind the wheel will bring out more positives or negatives than a 10-minute jaunt. One thing I am struck with on the Tribeca is the sense of weight. The car feels solid and this is evidenced by the very good safety scores (impact scores are highest rating 5-star and rollover is 4-star, the best you'll see in a crossover). I daily drive a Hyundai Santa Fe, and the 5700 lbs of the Tribeca swallows up the 16 horsepower advantage the Tribeca has over the Santa Fe. Fuel economy also takes a hit against the Santa Fe. I noticed the Tribeca felt more sluggish and less nimble than the Santa Fe in casual driving. When pushed, however, the Tribeca pulls well. Subaru has added small triangular windows at either end of the dash--for what, I can't tell, as you can't see either window from the driving position due to the depth of the A-pillar. I found the seating position generally comfortable, but the shape of the headrest was intrusive. Most of the press reviews like the design of the dash. I found that the curve of the center stack reflected daylight and made the buttons on the far side of the radio unreadable in certain daylight conditions. The navigation screen also was unreadable in certain light conditions. This model has the rear back up camera, which projects on the nav screen when in reverse; I wouldn't consider a Tribeca without this feature as rear visibility is compromised due to the high belt line at the rear of the vehicle. Initially, I was let down at the lack of rear-seat leg room, but later discovered (as I was returning the car) that the rear seats have fore-aft travel of approximately 4 inches. The car is very comfortable to drive--quiet, smooth and roomy. The running costs for Subaru Tribeca Automatic are normal