Subaru B9 Tribeca Estate 2006 - Present

Subaru Entry into the large 4x4 club is the new B9 Tribeca. Up against cars like the BMW X5, Nissan Murano, Lexus RX, and Volvo XC90.  The big Subaru uses the same 3.0-litre six-cylinder 'boxer' petrol engine as found in the Legacy, linked to a five-speed automatic box. It comes with permanent four-wheel drive, but is more of a soft roader than an off roader.  It’s plush looking interior has smooth, flowing lines, but this doesn’t match the outside, which is a lot less refined and will be too big an imposing for many.

Inside the Tribeca the space is extremely comfortable with automatic climate control and electric windows fitted as standard.  The second row of seats is fully adjustable with a 60/40 split, which allows generous leg room with little impact on the luggage space of five-seat models. Passengers in the (optional) third row of seats aren't quite treated as well as some of the alternatives on the market, with no tiered seating, but with cooperation from the row in front there’s room and adjustment available for all to find comfort.  Inside the Tribeca occupants are shielded admirably from most of the external intrusions. Wind noise and road noise make virtually no appearance, even at high speed, and the engine is refined.

The two most affordable Tribeca models have five-seats (S5 and SE5) and offer good use of their interior room and luggage space. With the third row of seats in use on the SE7 model there is still an ample amount of luggage space to the back of the cabin. There is a storage box in the front armrest , and in five-seat versions there are extra storage compartments hidden under the boot floor.  As a nod to it’s sheer size the SE models come with a rear-view camera for safer reversing.

Subaru's versatile six-cylinder unit that powers the top Legacy models is fitted to the Tribeca. It boasts 245bhp at 6600rpm and 219lb-ft of torque at 4200 rpm. This feels fine under most conditions, but with maximum torque found in the top half of the rev range the five-speed seems indecisive looking for the right gear when faced with a hill. I can’t help feeing that a gutsy oil burner would be a useful addition to the range.  The auto box has sport and manual modes as well as the standard setting, which does offer the chance to get a bit more involved in the drive, but in automatic it offers a reasonable service.  Maybe slip it into manual mode just as you hit a hill, save the confused performance that occasionally presents itself.

On the road the Tribeca behaves like a smaller car than the behemoth that you stepped into.  It feels quite at home on the road with precise, if a little numb, steering and little bodyroll.  The suspension manages to feel taught on the road while soaking up all that the road can challenge you with.  Subaru have managed this feel in part through a low centre of gravity.  Which is no mean feat with the massive ground clearance.  This helps with cornering and grip on the road, which the Tribeca has in spades. 

Priced around the same sort of pace as the big Nissan and Volvo, they all undercut the BMW, but they don’t offer the same level of quality.  Price levels seem to be a factor in choosing a big 4X4, but not in the same way that they are for the rest of the motoring industry, the more expensive the better seems to be the yardstick, so only time will tell if the Subaru has enough to overcome badge snobbery.

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