2006-2014 Subaru Tribeca

Thirsty on fuel – Love the subaru 2007 tribeca 3.6r premium 7 seater but it very thirsty on fuel. Mainly city driving short trips.. 19.6L/100 is what it's sitting at currently, but I do have a "led foot!". Sits kids aged 8-12 fine but bit squashy. Hard to fit a rear facing carseat anywhere comfortably though unless the person infront in short. Show details ·  1

An excellent and underrated car – Pros: -Since this is not a very popular SUV model Tribeca tends to sell for relatively cheaper price compared to other brand of similar manufacture year, equipment etc. -3.6L engine is more than adequate, car does not feel under powered, drives and handles very well on road, doesn't feel too big and full-time AWD for your peace of mind. -A lot of… Read more ·  1

premium features sunroof, leather and power seats, dual aircon, top mounted DVD player, HID lights etc -EZ36 engine is less prone to Subaru infamous head gasket issues, but still service the car and check fluid regularly. -4 anchor points for car seat with middle row able to slide up and down to extend leg room or give a bit more space to 3rd row -Look is subjective but I think Tribeca post-2008 looks great, I especially love the car rear view. Cons: -A bit thirsty on fuel, I was able to average 11-11.8L per 100km mixed urban while driving it conservatively. Ever since car was given to wife the lowest fuel economy we've seen is about 15.5L per 100km most of the time 17L but this is considering aircon running every trip and short urban commute like school run, groceries etc -Fuel tank is a tad small so for frequent top up required. -Families with tall members will find Tribeca small inside, cabin space was just enough for my family with 3 tethered car seats fitted

Overall Tribeca is a very underrated car, and because of that you'll be getting a lot of value buying in 2nd hand market. Consider the size of your family before getting one.

Best decision ever made 2 buy it – I wasn't confident that should I buy this 2012 Tribeca since I was looking for other cars like Toyota. After test drive and looking at all the feature and value for money I was getting for this car I decided to buy it and this was the best decision I ever made. now it's got about 180km on the odometer and still going like new. never had any… Read more

problem just a simple service oil change etc really happy with the car. I recommend this to anyone with full confidence. as for my Tribeca I am keeping it. Upsides It's got plenty of power. very smooth to drive. very good handling on the road. very quiet. Drive like car but Seven seats. Good pickup Downside Speedo is not accurate so if I am driving at 110 it's only real-time driving at 100 I think it's due to different tyre size Fuel economy is similar to a Sedan V6 but I'm happy with the performance and happy with it.

The best 7 seater SUV . Only negative is the fuel consumption – I bought a 2011 Subaru Tribeca second hand from a dealer 6 months ago. My husband and I were looking to purchase a 7 seater SUV for our family for around 6 months but could not agree on one. We looked at captivas , new Nissan X-Trail, Honda Odyssey and ford Territory​. None of which were suiting our requirements until we found the Subaru… Read more

Tribeca. I couldn't believe what type of luxury features are included such as touch screen sat Nav, reversing camera, DVD player , leather seats , sunroof, heated and electric seating and such a sleek interior, the list goes on. The inclusions were far more impressive than cars that were 5 years younger. The car is so beautiful to drive however the fuel consumption is very excessive. I never use less than 20L/100km. I would recommend this car for anyone needing a 7 seater car who doesn't mind buying second hand.

can you afford to keep the car going is the question – i have had a 2006 b9 tribeca for 5 years now....time to get a new car....it just hit 100,754 miles...... pros: good looking, fast when you need it, power windows, power seats, heated seats, nice sound system. just the right size to get a lot of stuff done. cons: they say it fits 7 (i have the 3rd row seating) but there is no way you can fit… Read more

anyone bigger then a 2 year old back there, and even a child that small dosent have much foot room. Have to replace a headlight at least once a year. bushings keep falling apart, those are VERY pricey,. A normal tune up cost me $900. literally $100 was for parts. The rest was for labor because they have to remove the ENTIRE engine to change the spark plugs. And now, the radiator has blown a seal.....just got a quote from the shop, $1000 for that now....only really $200 in parts, but again, they have to remove the ENTIRE engine to get the job done.....nice car, if you can afford the up keep.

Great car with lots of bells and whistles – We bought a 2006 Tribeca secondhand a few months ago and are really loving it. All the fancy bits are spoiling us - heated seats, reversing camera, sat nav, mirrors that defrost themselves, puddle lights in front of each door, a digital compass in the rear view mirror, independent a/c and a DVD player for the kids in the back seat and the ability… Read more

to take their friends with us if we need to. Last school holidays we took it up to the northern Flinders ranges and even got to drive it on some 4WD only tracks - it performed beautifully. It is a rare car (especially the original 2006 model) - we have seen one other on the road. Because it's less popular, we got a good price - we paid several thousand less than our insurance company says it's worth. My only complaints are pretty minor - the style of the front looks a bit odd, the petrol tank is small (we get 450km or so per tank at around 13L/100km), there is a non-movable vent that blows on my left hand while driving, and now that we're spoilt by the reversing camera, we wish there was something at the front to help with parking too!

Update after owning for a few years:

We are still happy to have bought this car. The seven seats are useful when transporting my children's friends. Mechanically, it has been great. Because the body is unusual, we have been unpleasantly surprised at the cost of sourcing spare parts (side mirrors, driver's door window mechanism).

We were able to make use of the AWD features on a trip to the Flinders Ranges. We went to Arkaroola, where we found some of the signage unclear and accidentally took it onto a 4WD only track. It doesn't have great clearance, but the AWD performed well. Gadgets, reliable, great value It's probably spoilt us!

Towing with the Tribeca – I've already written a review on our 2011 Tribeca, but I thought I would add a bit more for those who were wondering about towing. We just recently completed a short 600km round trip towing a Jayco Eagle Caravan, fully laden with luggage, bikes, food, and kids in tow. We also had a Redarc Electronic Brake module, with remote head installed to… Read more ·  1

control the trailer brakes

The Car would have been nearing it's recommended towing limits.

I was very pleasantly surprised on how well the Tribeca towed. There was very minimal sag on the rear wheels, the vehicle was stable on the open road and the engine offered plenty of power to lug the 1500 (or so) kg we had on board. I left the transmission in S the whole time and used it as a manual, only ever going as high as 4th gear and cruising up inclines in 3rd at an average of 80km (or 88km allowing for the lousy inaccurate 10% Subaru speedo).

At one point I over took cars on an incline. You will need to leave the revs high to reduce the strain on the transmission.

Fuel consumption averaged at about 15.6L/100

Over all happy with it's performance. Power and Stability of vehicle nothing that I have not already said in previous post

I love it... but – We purchased our 2009 Premium Tribeca second hand about a year and a half ago. There are many things I love about this car, but several things I would change. It is a big car that doesn't feel big. It is powerful. It purrs like a kitten with normal driving, but roars when you put your foot down. I really enjoy driving it. It sticks to the… Read more ·  3

road, doesn't feel unstable in the slightest, where some of the taller SUVs do.

Mechanically we have had no significant problems, but with less than 90,000kms on it, you'd hope not. There seems to be what sounds like a ball joint issue that I need to get looked at, aside from that, no dramas. We get dreadful fuel economy - over the last 5,000kms we've averaged 17l/100kms. This is around town and driving it under normal conditions. We average about 300kms per tank. The speedometer is not accurate, and depending on the speed we are travelling can show up to 10km/h below the actual speed. Subaru say this is within the acceptable variance, however, I truly believe it is unsafe. I will be getting this adjusted by an auto-electrician. Subaru will not do this.

I love the design of the interior and as a front passenger or driver, the ride is fantastic. As other reviewers have said, the interior does mark fairly easily. I wouldn't want to be a passenger in the middle row for long, and doubt that you'd get me in and out of the back row too often! Great for kids - may be squashy for teenagers. Don't expect to put a load of groceries in the boot with 7 seats up. Typical of other 7 seat SUVs though.

The sounds system is great however the rear seat entertainment system is seriously outdated. It will only play original DVDs - I like to keep originals in the house and copies in the car. The only option for playing copied DVDs that I have found is with VCDs - and most movies don't fit on a VCD. Very frustrating! It should be able to play copied DVDs. Also, the US version of the car has an AV plug in the boot (you will see the cover where this should be located). The Australian car doesn't have this, nor the ability to switch from DVD to AV, so any chance of adding games or even an external DVD player is hopeless. The navigation system is frustrating - it is outdated, costly to update and is lacking in features such as being able to display speed on the maps (it is available but not while on the map display and when you think about my previous comment regarding the inaccurate speedo, it would be useful to be easily seen). For the expectations of this vehicle I would think a better navigation and entertainment system would be available.

Would I buy this car again or recommend it? Hard to say. I really do love driving it and if my issues with fuel economy were resolved I could probably live with the other issues. Fun to drive. Reliable. Feels luxurious. Fuel economy is awful (seriously!). Rear seat entertainment and navigation systems are outdated technology.

2007 Shock absorber – Has any one else had problems with their Tribecas rear left shocker? Mine came apart between the ram and the threaded rod that fits through the chassis. The small weld that is supposed to hold together came unstuck. No visible signs of weld around the exterior of the bolt . How can such a small dollop of weld be Aust standard for a part that is… Read more

expected to keep a cars chassis off the wheels. Comfort of Premium Package. Fuel gussler , shock absorber weld

Not the best buy – I own a subaru tribeca, 2011 model....has given me grieve since purchase....some problem or the other....Subaru does not help you...... Problem: Gives a high pitch note when driving high speed due to fault with sunroof....but they are not able to fix the problem.... Problems with the acon..... Drinks petrol like crazy.....thats ok...serviced at… Read more

25000km was 800dollar...apparently carbon accumulates if donot drive and cloogs the engine and needed to clean up.....Many more....

Not at all happy...

Subaru tribeca no way donot buy...pleaseeeeeee........their are other cars in market......... Only throttle speed.... Many as enumerated above....No resale value at all...I went to trade in and in 3 year less than half price...

Love it! – As a car salesperson, I see many cars and drive many cars on a daily basis. This was definitely my first choice for a 7 seater family suv. It looks great, drives beautifully and the interior is well designed. As a standard, it really does have everything eg... Sat nav, reverse cam, sunroof, dvd player, leather. The new gen one from 2008 onwards… Read more

are much better now because Premium unleaded is no longer required and it has a 3.6l vs 3.0 which is actually more fuel efficient. People say they're thirsty, but you can't expect to have a 3.6l v6 and complain. Styling, luxurious, sturdy on the road. Would be good if it had reverse sensors too.

Loving the Tribecca – We have been driving Subaru cars for 8 years & bought a Trbecca on the weekend, updating from the Outback. We looked around at Lexus, Cx-9 and considered some other SUVs. Ultimately it came down to the handling with the AWD & the va va vroom with the 3.6l engine, combined with the features for the price which all just stacked up. As we have young… Read more

kids they were thrilled to have the opportunity to have their friends in the car with them. Also the DVD is a hit for them. For me it's the room in the front plus sunroof etc. The mid seats have slightly less space than the Outback, but kids don't care! Looking forward to enjoying the drive!

Fantastic car, but – This is a really nice car to drive and you really get more bang for your buck with this car, however, I found that it was quite difficult to sell when I wanted to upgrade. I lease my cars and the usual trade in time is 3 to 4 years to get maximum trade in value, but it was difficult to move as it's not as popular as other Subaru models. I would… Read more ·  1

buy it again if I didn't want to update in another 3 to 4 years. Nice interior for price, reliable, great features for the price, all wheel drive. Not a popular model for resale.

Subaru tribecca 2008 – This car is quite thirsty on the petrol however it has some great features in the way of sunroof, rear camera, sat nav etc. my problem is I bought mine brand new and the speedo was 10km out. I was told by Subaru that they wouldn't fix it because they were allowed to be 10km out. Then my car all but ran out of oil and the oil light didnt register.… Read more

Subaru told me there was nothing wrong with the oil sensor. The service dept then failed to tell me that along with needing to come back when brake order came in, I apparently also have a crack in my oil sump. Apparently which they also wanted to fix. I think really my main issue with car is the Geelong Subaru are dodgey. Woukdnt buy again. Nice car. Terrible service. The car in general Subaru service, speedo out, apparently oil leak although no evidence so either leak or its eating oil

SUBARU TRIBECA REVIEW – Purchased a new 2012 Subaru Tribeca in March 2012. My 4th Subaru BUT should have done a bit more research. Found that the 'pre-wired for alarm' was not correct and they vehicle was not pre wired for an alarm, and eventually Mongoose worked out how to fit their alarm system with 'some' help from Subaru. Now the reference to the pre-wiring has been… Read more

removed by Subaru.

Then found that the Whereis mapping installed on the 'Subaru - Kenwood OEM Sat Nav system' could not be fully programed. No speed of vehicle and speed limit of road shown on map, no over speed alerts/warnings, no advanced lane or any other warnings. No full zoom or 2d/3d maps. Can't have map set with the vehicle direction going in the direction you are going (very annoying). BUT then had a bright idea if I contact Subaru, whereis and Kenwood they may be able to help as these units can be reprogramed and have software and firmware updates.

Whereis advised their mapping comes with all these and more functions and the problem is with Subaru and how they 'program' the Sat Nav unit.

Contacted Subaru and advised they would look at it and the unit was made by Kenwood and to contact them. Subaru only supplied the OEM Modle numbers which do not appear on Kenwood Site. Kenwood advised that I need to contact Subaru as they programed the Sat Nav unit not Kenwood.

So they all were passing the buck...

Now found that it is Subaru 'Policy' not allow their units to do what I wanted and that they would not re-program or tell me how to re-program the unit. So more checks made and found that the Sat Nav fitted to my 2012 Tribeca was an obsolete pre 2010 Kenwood Sat Nav which they were just trying to get rid of so they installed them in the Tribeca.

NOTE the 2012 Liberty, SV, Outback, Forrester all have a different Sat Nav unit... (all modern) BUT none have the functions I was requesting activated.

Now you may ask what the fuss is... well this is actually a road safety issue I can set the unit to display my vehicles current speed, the speed limit for the road I am traveling on and also set an warning for when I am over the speed limit.

This becomes very handy when you may miss a speed limit sign and assist you to remain under the speed limit to avoid those annoying speed camera fines and also being stopped by police for exceeding the speed limit.

Now even Monash University Accident Research has studied GPS and Sat Nav units and seem the road safety benifits of these functions BUT not Subaru still want you to go over the speed limit and 'crash' and also pay revenue in the way of speeding fines...

Now this is not the only issue. The Tribeca is made in the US (not Japan where ALL other Subaru vehicles are made) and they have THREE seperate production lines one for the US, one for Europe and one for Australia.

Now Australia only gets the one modle which is suppose to be the, 'top of the range' modle, but it has outdated Sat Nav - sound system, no reversing sensors, no rear fog lights (apparently we don't get fog in Australia), no fold back side rear view mirrors (Subaru advised thes do not comply with Australian ADR's... could not answer when I asked about all the other imported cars with fold back mirrors).

Anyhow as other reviews will tell you the vehicle only comes with petrol (No diesel) and 5 speed auto (should have a 6 speed) and is very thirsty using around 13 litres per 100km.

Now other than these issues the vehicle itself is very well built has loads of power/performance and handles very well as do all Subaru's and one of the reasons why I purchased this my 4th Subaru.

Now the issues I now have are with Subaru Australia who will not assist with any of these issues NO AFTER SALE SERVICE OR ASSISTANCE...

With the alarm issue they advised they would pay for the alarm unit but I had to pay for the fitting, as long as I signed an agreement not to go to the media on the 'alarm issue'. Now as the other issues (mainly the Sat Nav) were not included in this agreement they were advised that if these issues were not resolved these matters would also be relayed to the midia. Now this was after I paid to have the alarm fitted and it was fitted and receipt sent to Subaru AND NO PAYMENT MADE of the cost of the alarm as they promised... would not even reply to my email asking ifd they were going to pay as per our agreement (Only around $300).

Now also forget about Fair Trading Queensland... they did nothing waste of time.

Subaru could eailsy resolve the issue by either reprograming the Sat Nav or advising me how to have it done so I could do so, BUT they have chosen not to do this.

Subaru make great handing and performing vehicles BUT their lies and lack of after sales support will make this the last Subaru I buy.

Subaru were also not interested in the fittm

ent of the fold back mirrors, reversing sensors, fog lights etc. AT MY COST...

A very important thing in any purchase is the after sales support by the manufacturer.

I should have looked more closley at other vehicles such as the Mazda 9 and Jeep to start with. Anyhow a lesson for ALL when looking at purchasing a vehicle MAKE SURE that you check everything on the vehicle not just take it for a test drive... open everything the opens and shuts, turn anything on and off that does so, and check every single operation of the vehicle and equipment fitted.

The manuals are confusing as they show all the items which are not actually fitted to the vehicle. Also look at if you can change simple things in the vehicle like headlights bulbs etc. yourself without having to have the service centre do this... some items have to be done by the service centre. Go online and do some research and look at the vehicle owner manuals which can also be obtained on line.

I have also since found that some other manufacturers do not allow these functions on their vehicle Sat Nav units.

SO MAKE SURE YOU RESEARCH AND CHECK EVERYTHING ON THE VEHICLE BEFORE PURCHASE...

IF YOU ARE LOOK AT THE TRIBECA LOOK ELSEWHERE OR WAIT AND SEE IF THEY ARE GOING TO REBADGE THE TOYOTA IN 2014 ... WITH ANOTHER DEAL WITH TOYOTA. PERFORMANCE AND HANDLING, AND BUILD QUALITY NO AFTER SALES SUPPORT AND BEING LIED TO. OUTDATED ACCESSORIES

Built to a price not a standard – The Subaru Tribeca is a well appointed car, with alot of features most other SUVs either don't offer, or have as expensive options. The Sat Nav is fantastic, reversing camera very good. The fuel tank is very small for a car of this size and therefore regular petrol stops are required, and the car feels thirstier than it actually is. Fuel… Read more

economy is reasonable.

The build quality is typically American plastic, which let's the overall feel of the car down. Excellent features. Small fuel tank and below average build quality.

Excellent – I bought this car because of the high rating for safety as we have a newborn but i also love the style and comfort and the added extras that come with the premium tribeca. I haven't looked back. Sat nav system, the rear vision camera, leather interior, dual control air conditioning, dvd player in the rear, 7 seats... i could go on for a while! one… Read more

of the highest rated AWD car for safety features The heave doors are great for safety but carrying a child and trying to close the boot is difficult as it is really heavy! Fuel economy very low

Excellent – We love this car. We looked at a lot of different cars for our young family and this is definitely a great all round luxury/family/sporty SUV that is just the right size (not too big). It has something for everyone if you have a young family i.e. the kids love being in it and we love driving it as it's actually nice to drive with enough toys and… Read more ·  4

looks to play with. I love this car. We have the 2010. No need for options, love the reversing camera, rear dvd, built in satnav, 7 seats and especially the heated seats for my crook back. Engine and transmission are really smooth and the blend of good handling with luxury suspension is great for our young family. The interior dash is a definite 'love it or hate it' but I'm definitely a fan of the design. We accepted that fuel consumption would be higher than our previous 4cyl Outback but the tank has a smaller capacity than I would expect in a larger vehicle - this means more frequent filling up. A great feature to add would have been an automatic tailgate and maybe the paddle gear shifts seen on the 6cyl Outbacks and Libertys.

One thing for parents to look out for is the middle row seat does not have anchor points (?) The outer seats and the 3rd row seats do.

Good – Price is fairly resonable compare to other SUV/4WD. Also Subaru has always got high re-selling price if youc onsider to change it in 3-5 years time. This is a great car!!! I have the 2010 Mk 2011 and no option was required as it has everything you need. The design is better than the previuos model and the interior is really trendy. The fuel cosumption is a problem. But think about it's a 3.6 engine then you'll feel better.

Fantastic internal layout. Many buttons to press, each with a different function. Great car – Had the 3.0 premium now for 4 years. No major problems. I have the older shape, but the dashboard is the same as newer model. I actually like the older shape - looks more regal. The newer shape gives it a Toyota/Dodge look. The satnav is great, even talks to you - this function found in more expensive vehicles. Can play the DVD though the sat… Read more

nav when stationary.

Front seats can be heated - great for those with a bad back. Superb vehicle.

I tow a horse float with this vehicle. Reliable. Great interior. All of the dashboard functions are fantastic. Great sound system. Can play music DVDs through the sound system. Is a bit heavy on fuel, but it is a 6-cylinder. Interior is not very hard wearing and easily scratched.

Excellent – We have a premium subaru tribeca 2007. Absolutely stunning, excellent fitout, small problems that were sorted out quickly with no continued issues. Drivers seat can be set for two drivers. just sit and push buttom 1 or 2 depending on which driver you are and it moves to your setting. Absolutely magnificent on highway, very comfortable ride and… Read more ·  1

sits not too high and not too low. No problems getting in and out of vehicle from front or back seats. So much room inside and comfort a plus. Feel extremely safe driving city or country and would recommend to anyone. Will not hesitate to purchase another new model. Fueld ecomony in city driving is not too flash but compensates in all other areas more than enough. looks, dvd player, comfort, roomy, drivers seat set up. Fuel ecomony in city driving

Good – I like the car, but would not buy another unless these issues were addressed. I would consider the new model with the 3.6lt engine (due October 07), providing the economy is reasonable and it has the get up and go we have come to expect from Subaru. A real head-turner in black. The appointment level is excellent. Standard rear seat DVD is great,… Read more

plus and front info screen plays the DVD also, when the handbrake is on. Sunroof a nice touch also. Looks good with 18" wheels as standard. Puddle light option is a great idea and looks good. Fuel economy is shocking! I average 15lt per 100km, driving with economy in mind. 20lt plus when I drive it hard! Far thirstier than my friends Volvo C70 running a V8!The engine would perform well in the Liberty, but is under-powered for the Tribeca. Visibility is poor when looking out the back window, but the camera helps with that flaw. Audio controls on the steering wheel are minimal, much better on the Ford Territory and Mazda CX7. No option to upgrade to Xenon headlamps, although they are standard on Liberty GT spec B (a cheaper vehicle) No genuine running boards option, to assist my young kids getting in and out of the vehicle. I found that a non genuine set designed for a the Lexus LS300 fit and look great (about $600 fitted) Privacy glass that is fitted standard has no UV protection, meaning you still have to pay for window tinting. Info display is useless if the sunroof is open (too much reflection of the screen)