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Subaru Tribeca - What the Auto Press Says

The Tribeca delivers plenty of power and responsive handling, but in a highly competitive segment, it can easily get lost in the crowd and ranks near the middle of its class and the bottom half of the affordable crossover SUV class.

While auto reviewers praise the 2008 Subaru Tribeca's powerful, responsive ride and its excellent performance in crash tests, some wonder if it offers enough to distinguish itself from the competition. Redesigned for 2008, the Tribeca loses the 2007 model's "B9" moniker and adopts more conservative exterior styling cues, yet retains its ability to seat either five passengers in two rows or seven passengers with an optional third row. "The result is a much better machine that nonetheless might not be the pick o' the litter because the litter's growing so fast with such well-done vehicles," says USA Today.

The Tribeca is available in five- or seven-passenger configurations, and in base or Limited trim levels.

• "So it's good in a field of good crossovers. Which leaves us where? In a big, big field." -- AutoWeek
• "I have to say that the '08 Tribeca is a very attractive vehicle, especially for anyone with kids and carpooling responsibilities. If you're looking to downsize from a big, gas-guzzling sport-utility vehicle to something smaller and more fuel-efficient, it's a winner." -- BusinessWeek
• "As an alternative, the Land Rover LR2 costs about the same, and gives you off-road capabilities and Bluetooth cell phone integration. We recently reviewed the Mitsubishi Outlander, which costs substantially less, has more cabin tech, and gets better mileage." -- CNET

Tribeca Performance - 7.1 (Good)

Thanks to a new engine, the Tribeca is more powerful than the 2007 B9 version. Improved acceleration, along with responsive handling, is enough to impress most reviewers -- but not enough to lift the Tribeca out of the bottom half of its class for performance. Car and Driver calls the revamped Tribeca "a very well-balanced, stable, and confidence-inspiring ute -- just like its predecessor -- only faster." Read More

Tribeca Exterior - 6.5 (Mediocre)

While some reviewers deem the redesigned Tribeca's exterior too conservative, the majority find it to be an improvement over its predecessor. Gone "is the strange, areo-inspired visage," reports Motor Trend. "The nose job resulted in a face some call too generic ('Chrysler? Kia? What is that?'), but it's clean and pleasant-looking." Regardless, the Tribeca's controversial exterior continues to rank near the bottom of its class. Read More

Tribeca Interior - 7.2 (Good)

The Tribeca seats five in two spacious rows, or seven with an optional third row. With plenty of cargo space and a stylish, practical layout, the cabin earns good marks from most reviewers. As the Detroit News puts it, "Inside, Subaru has done a terrific job of merging efficiency and form." But again, the class is so competitive that the Tribeca's cabin falls near the bottom in the rankings. Read More

Tribeca Safety - 9.8 (Excellent)

The 2008 Subaru Tribeca gets an excellent safety score for its good performance in government crash tests. "Like other Subarus, the '08 Tribeca has stellar safety features and ratings," reports BusinessWeek. However, there are persistent complaints regarding the Tribeca's rearward visibility. Read More

Tribeca Reliability - 6.0 (Mediocre)

The 2008 Subaru Tribeca reliability score shown is the Predicted Reliability rating provided by J.D. Power and Associates. This score is based on trending the past three years of historical initial quality and dependability data from J.D. Power's automotive studies, specifically the Vehicle Dependability Study (VDS) and the Initial Quality Study (IQS). The 2008 Subaru Tribeca is covered by Subaru's three-year/36,000-mile basic warranty. Read More