Subaru Tribeca 3.6 Review: Cross Talk

What we like:

lat-six engine layout is shared with a Porsche 911

potential to seat seven

What we dislike:

Expensive to fuel and tax

not a true seven-seater

doesn't have the traditional ride and handling virtues of a Scooby

Ride quality isn't fantastic either - the Tribeca's ride feels jittery over continuous bumps at medium cruising speeds. The suspension settings somehow don't feel as sorted as in Subaru's other models like the Legacy and Forester.

Subaru obviously thinks that most Tribeca owners will never take theirs off-road so no locking differentials, low range ratio and hill descent aids are present. Moreover the long overhangs and modest ride height aren't actually off-road friendly. Standard on the Tribeca is VDC (Vehicle Dynamics Control) stability control system.

Subaru has received plenty of flak for the lack of design flair and quality feel with their interiors in models like the Impreza. The Tribeca though, is a whole different experience from the Impreza's Spartan interior. With smooth curves and the flowing Y-shaped dashboard and good looking switchgear, I dare say it looks handsome and refreshing (for a Subaru at least).

Overall build quality is high - there are soft touch surfaces everywhere and the switchgear not only looks good but operates in a nice, tactile manner as well.

Up front, the neat looking dashboard is dominated by a prominent LCD screen that displays settings for both the climate and audio system among others. The electrically adjustable front chairs are big and comfortable but they could do with a tad more under thigh support. A big plus is the large cubbyhole behind the gear lever - you can easily place your bowl of ta bao mee pok in there!

At the rear, passengers will hardly need to complain about any lack of head and legroom. Moreover, the rear seatbacks can be adjusted for recline for the most comfortable seating posture. Subaru labels the Tribeca as a 5 + 2 seater rather than a seven so don't expect legroom to be generous in the rearmost row. In fact, I can't imagine any full sized adult will ever feel comfortable in there.

Flatten the rearmost seats though and the Tribeca's interior starts to make more sense - there's now a large and flat loading area that is not only voluminous but also well shaped. In addition, the second row seat backs also tumble down to expand the boot area even further if required.

At close to $140,000, the Tribeca isn't exactly an affordable choice but you do get a lot of kit, especially on the safety front and that charismatic flat-six engine. Disappointingly for the Tribeca though, there are more affordable SUV models out there that are better in doubling up as a seven-seater MPV and cheaper to tax.

Credits: Story and Photos by Raymond Lai