New Touring model adds luxury.

Introduction

The Subaru Tribeca is a midsize crossover SUV that seats seven. Its overall dimensions put it in the same class as the Toyota Highlander and Nissan Murano. It's nearly as big as a Ford Explorer, in other words. Properly equipped, the Tribeca can tow up to 3,500 pounds. 

Tribeca is loaded with technology. It's equipped with a particularly good all-wheel-drive system, giving drivers the latest in all-weather safety and performance. 

For 2010, a new, more luxurious Touring model is now at the top of the lineup. The lineup for 2010 has been simplified to three trim levels. The base model has been upgraded to Premium, and the Limited is the mid-level model. For 2010, all Tribeca seat seven; the five-seat variations have been discontinued. Tribeca was launched as a 2006 model. 2008 brought styling revisions, a larger engine and mechanical refinements. 

We find the Tribeca a joy to drive, with a roomy, comfortable cabin that has an upscale feel. It's a practical vehicle with lots of nice features. The bigger engine has given the Tribeca the power it needed. Subaru is a leader in all-wheel-drive technology so the Tribeca boasts one of the best all-wheel-drive systems in its class, making Tribeca a superb choice for foul weather. 

Lineup

The 2010 Subaru Tribeca comes in three trim levels: Premium, Limited, and Touring. All seat seven. All are powered by the same 256-horsepower, 3.6-liter six-cylinder engine driving all four wheels full time through a five-speed SportShift automatic with a manual shiftgate. 

Tribeca Premium ($30,495) comes with cloth upholstery, dual-zone automatic climate control, an eight-way power adjustable driver's seat, and a four-way power passenger's seat, both with manual lumbar adjustment and (new for 2010) heat. The second row of seats is almost as flexible as the two front seats, with a 40/20/40-split reclining seatback and a 60/40-split seat bottom adjustable fore and aft. The now-standard third row splits 50/50, and has its own auxiliary air conditioner, with outlets in the headliner and a separate fan speed control. A tip-and-slide feature for the second row makes the third row easier to enter from either side. Also standard are a 100-watt, AM/FM/CD/MP3 stereo with six speakers and an auxiliary input jack; cruise control; an interior air filter; fog lights; remote keyless entry; power windows; power heated outside mirrors; and power door locks. The steering wheel, which tilts and has radio controls, and shift knob are covered in leather. And there's an information center displaying audio settings, time, fuel economy and outside temperature. The standard tires are P255/55HR18 Goodyear Eagle LS2 all-seasons on five-spoke alloy wheels. 

Tribeca Limited ($32,495) adds leather seating for the first two rows, two-position memory for the driver's seat, HomeLink universal remote, and ambient interior illumination. For 2010 a power moonroof is no longer standard, but a 385-watt harman/kardon 10-speaker audio system is, along with a six-CD changer, XM Satellite Radio, and BlueConnect hands-free Bluetooth capability. 

Tribeca Touring ($35,795) adds moonroof, HID headlights, rear-vision camera with its monitor imbedded in the rearview mirror. Outside, Touring sports a monochrome paint scheme highlighted by silver-painted roof rails, a silver-painted front underguard, and seven-spoke alloy wheels. 

Options include moonroof ($1,500), navigation system with rear view camera ($2,200), and a rear-seat video entertainment system. A long list of dealer-installed accessories is offered, including all-weather floor mats, auto-dimming inside mirror, reading lights, puddle lights, bumper-protection, and roof-rack systems set up specifically for kayaks or bicycles. 

Safety features on all models include Subaru's Vehicle Dynamics Control, Variable Torque Distribution all-wheel drive and all-wheel traction control to help the driver maintain control. Brakes are vented discs with antilock (ABS), Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD), and Brake Assist. Front seat occupants are protected by dual-stage front airbags, seat-mounted side impact airbags and active head restraints, which automatically push forward and up in rear-impact collisions. Curtain airbags insulate the front and second row seats in side impacts. All seating positions get adjustable head restraints, and outboard seats have height-adjustable anchors for seatbelt shoulder straps. Child safety seat anchors (LATCH) are provided for the rear seats. A tire-pressure monitoring system is standard. The only safety option is the aforementioned rearview camera. 

Walkaround

We like the monochrome look of the new Touring model. The monochrome scheme pulls the design together without making the Tribeca visually taller; it also shows off some interesting detail work, particularly at the front, that was previously lost in all that darkness. The bright grille, door handles, and roofrails provide just enough flash and contrast to ensure that the Touring looks like a real machine, and not (as with some monochrome designs) an extruded plastic toy. We like the Touring's new seven-spoke alloy wheels: a clean design with just enough three-dimensionality to suggest dramatic tension. 

Otherwise, the look of the Subaru Tribeca hasn't changed significantly in the two years since it was re-styled for 2008. It's a nice-looking vehicle. But if the 2006 original went too far in being funky, the current styling may go too far in trying not to offend. The near-rectangular grille is swept back and a little wider at the top, like that of so many other SUVs and crossovers. It flows into a gentle bulge at the center of the hood, while the lights to either side curve back and around into the fenders. 

Along the sides, the body panels are mostly vertical, though not slab-like; their expanse is broken by mild fender blisters circling properly proportioned tires and wheels. Beginning at the trailing edge of the front door and even with the door handles, a soft crease grows as it moves rearward, giving the rear portions substance before ending in the wraparound taillights. An understated character line etched into the doors and running between the wheel arches draws attention to the matte-black rocker panels on Premium and Limited and subtly reminds us of the Tribeca's 8.4-inch ground clearance. The steeply raked windshield and A-pillars pull the eye up and over the tall glasshouse to a spoiler laid atop an acutely angled back window. The standard alloy wheels, with their five split spokes, look handsomely sturdy. 

Around back, as at the front, the Tribeca traded controversy for conformity with its 2008 redesign. There's still just a hint of a defining waistline, thanks to that upper-level crease that joins with the rear door handles with the gentle convex peak across the oval taillights. A sunshade-like spoiler trails the rear edge of the roof, and the bumper dips naturally into a step below the one-piece tailgate. Again, it's all good-looking, but little different from the Tribeca's competitors. 

Interior

Visually, and ergonomically, we found the Tribeca cabin a delight. It feels luxurious and upmarket. We felt comfortable immediately after climbing in. The organic, almost-wholesome sweep of the dash as it flows into the door panels creates cocoon-like comfort zones for driver and front-seat passenger. It's a stunning styling statement. A little more time behind the wheel revealed that it's not perfect, however. The front seat cushions could be deeper for more thigh support, and back support isn't great. 

We found getting in and out easy. We didn't have to climb up into it or down into it. We simply opened the door and sat down. Once underway, the relatively high seating position allowed us to check traffic several cars ahead. Outward visibility is slightly compromised by the thick A-pillars (on each side of the windshield); thick pillars are the trend as automakers design vehicles to better protect occupants in rollovers. 

Once buckled in, we found all the controls easy to locate and operate. The gauges and panels tasked with communicating important information did so quite naturally. We liked the large tachometer and speedometer, which were easy to scan. The fuel and coolant temperature gauges weren't completely intuitive, tucked away in the lower outboard corners of the instrument cluster and utilizing LEDs in lieu of conventional pointers. Arms and hands rest naturally on nicely textured surfaces with the requisite buttons and levers where they should be. Steering wheel-mounted supplemental controls are styled into the sweep of the wheel's spokes. The shift lever's SportShift slot, which allows the driver to manually select the desired gear, is properly placed to the driver's side of the primary gate. 

The rounded center stack extends into the cockpit for easy access to its controls and features. The primary audio control knob is centered within ready reach of the driver and front-seat passenger. The heating and ventilation controls are really cool, with big knobs that feature digital readouts. The front passenger's air conditioning temperature control knob is thoughtfully positioned facing the passenger. The stereo handles MP3 media, and includes an input jack in the center console. An elaborate information screen and (optional) navigation system display are centered in the upper half of the dash with controls that are accessible to both the driver and front passenger. 

The touch-screen navigation system includes a rearview camera, a great safety and convenience feature. When the driver shifts the transmission into Reverse, the navigation system's center LCD display shows what the color camera detects within its field of vision behind the vehicle. Reference lines help guide the driver. In everyday use, rearview cameras make parallel parking easier and quicker. A rearview camera can help alert the driver to hazards that are difficult to see otherwise, such as a child sitting on a tricycle behind the vehicle. 

The second row is more comfortable than it looks at first, which we discovered on a daylong round trip between California's Central Valley and the Bay Area and another extended ride in the back seats around California's Wine Country. The second-row seatbacks can be reclined. Indeed, we never even thought about comfort while riding in the back seat for more than an hour, indicating it was roomy and quite comfortable. The second row is one of the most flexible we've seen in terms of configurations and range of adjustments, as we learned on routine trips to the grocery store, the post office and just generally running around town for a week. A new tip-and-slide function eases access to the third row from either side of the vehicle. 

The glove box offers enough space for the owner's manual, cell phones, and garage door remotes. Two cupholders are concealed beneath a well-damped cover in the center console aft of the shift lever. Rearward of this is the padded center armrest covering a respectably sized storage bin. Two more cupholders can be found in the fold-down middle seat center armrest. Space for a water bottle is molded into the map pockets on each of the four doors and into the quarter panels in the cargo area. Storage nets are stitched into the back sides of the front seats. There are four power points: two in the front center console, making for a bit of a stretch for radar detector cords, and two in the cargo area. The sound-insulating subfloor in the cargo area has several different-sized bins molded into its top side. 

The Tribeca impressed us in routine, daily use. Flipping up the tailgate and dropping the third-row seat to load up a week's groceries or purchases from the neighborhood hardware store for a weekend's chores quickly became second nature. Dropping the second and third rows opens up 74.4 cubic feet of cargo room on a flat load floor. That's competitive for the class, though there are plenty of SUVs with more room. By way of comparison the Toyota Highlander offers 95.4 cubic feet of cargo room, and the (admittedly bulkier) Mazda CX-9 has 100.7 cubic feet. On the other hand, the Nissan Murano offers only 64.5. Overall, the Tribeca compares well on utility. 

Driving Impression

The Subaru Tribeca is enjoyable to drive regardless of weather conditions. 

It's powered by a 3.6-liter horizontally opposed six-cylinder engine that makes 256 horsepower and 247 pound-feet of torque. Subaru's 3.6-liter six-cylinder delivers competitive performance in a class filled with excellent V6s. We found the 3.6-liter H6 offers responsive power. Only slight pressure on the gas pedal brings up sufficient power for passing. 

The transmission is smooth and responsive. Shifts up and down are managed almost seamlessly. Even when shifted manually using the SportShift there is only the slightest interruption in the energy flow. When using the SportShift, the Tribeca will shift up a gear automatically at engine redline (because it assumes the driver forgot it was in manual mode); it will not, however, drop down a gear without the driver tapping the lever forward. We often found it easiest to simply put it in Drive and let it do its own shifting, since it did such a good job on its own. 

Fuel economy isn't a standout feature, however. The Tribeca earns an EPA rating of just 16/21 mpg City/Highway. This is likely due to weight and all-wheel drive. 

The more time we spent with the Subaru Tribeca, the more we liked it. Multi-lane, divided highways passed under its impressively quiet tires as smoothly and as rapidly as did winding, switchback-laden two-lanes. 

Credit for much of the Tribeca's smoothness belongs to the high degree of refinement Subaru's engineers have achieved in development of the horizontally opposed six-cylinder engine. Credit for the Tribeca's nimble handling goes to the relatively low center of gravity that comes with that essentially flat engine placed low in the chassis, a trademark Subaru engineering feature. The Tribeca is bigger than it looks and in close quarters it feels big, but on the road it handles surprisingly well. The Tribeca tracks through tight, left-right-left transitions with little body lean and inspires confidence at high speeds that you wouldn't experience in most SUVs. The steering is accurate, though a little slow. We felt the brakes weren't ideal, or at least not to our liking; brake feel wasn't truly linear and somewhat spongy. And the steering column is offset a smidgen to the right, toward the centerline of the vehicle. A lot of vehicles have imperfectly located steering wheels, but we were surprised to find this in a Subaru. 

All-wheel drive comes standard, and Subaru is a leader in this technology. Subaru's all-wheel-drive system makes the Tribeca an excellent choice when the weather turns foul or conditions become slippery, whether it's snow or ice, or a muddy, unpaved road, or a rainy, oily backroad or on-ramp. Under normal conditions, it sends 55 percent of the power to the rear, to provide a handling optimized rear-drive bias. The system also serves as an active safety feature, even on dry pavement, helping to reduce skidding in corners and aiding the driver in controlling the vehicle. Subaru's all-wheel drive is your friend. 

When our time with the Tribeca came to an end, we were sorry to see it go. We could see ourselves owning the Tribeca and being quite content with life as a one-car household. 

Summary

The 2010 Subaru Tribeca has all the right feel of control and dexterity, plus impressive hauling capacity for people and things. The 3.6-liter H6 engine delivers competitive performance when compared with other SUVs. Careful suspension tuning and a relatively low center of gravity results in responsive handling that makes driving the Tribeca enjoyable. The engine and ride quality are smooth and comfortable. Subaru's all-wheel drive technology is thoroughly proven. A new Touring model delivers more luxury and is distinguished by its body-colored trim. 

Tom Lankard filed this report from San Francisco after his test drive on the coastal roads north of the Bay Area and California's Central Valley, with Mitch McCullough reporting from the Wine Country and Kirk Bell reporting from Chicago, and John F. Katz in Pennsylvania. 

Model Lineup

Subaru Tribeca Premium ($30,495); Tribeca Limited ($32,495); Tribeca Touring ($35,795). 

Assembled In

Lafayette, Indiana. 

Options As Tested

Moonroof with navigation package ($3,700) includes rearview camera; Cargo Area Convenience Group 4C ($254) includes rear cargo net, rear cargo tray, rear cargo cover; Convenience Group 1 ($349) with puddle lights and rear dome and reading light; Popular Equipment Group 2A ($349) with splash guards and roof rail crossbars; Protection Group 1 ($399) with floor mats, front bumper underguard, and rear bumper cover.