Subaru Tribeca 2007 review

Subaru is better known for agile rally cars and smaller wagons such as the Outback and Forester that use AWD for optimum traction on tarmac or dirt.

It kept running with that formula as other brands built big seven-seat AWD wagons that are selling well in Australia and are huge in the US.

Subaru has finally arrived at the big AWD wagon party with a car aimed at the US.

It comes standard as a five-seat wagon, but a third row consisting of two extra seats is available. The extra seats and space are just what Subaru Australia needs.

It has lost many loyal customers because it couldn't offer them anything larger than the Outback — too small for many families.

The Tribeca will take on medium-sized AWDs such as the Ford Territory Ghia, Nissan Murano and Toyota Kluger Grande.

It is a stand-alone model, but borrows a six-cylinder engine from the Liberty and Outback. The petrol unit is a 3.0-litre boxer with 180kW and 297Nm. There is no diesel option.

When many other models use six-speed transmissions, the Tribeca uses a five-speed automatic.

As do its Subaru siblings, the Tribeca has a constant AWD system.

All Tribecas come standard with electronic stability control, dual front, side and curtain airbags and seatbelt sensors on all seats indicate if someone has not belted-up.

Another sensor detects if the car is about to roll and automatically deploys the curtain airbags.

Subaru says the Tribeca is less likely to roll that other big AWD wagons because of its lower centre of gravity thanks largely to the boxer engine (with horizontally opposed cylinders) that sits lower than a regular six-cylinder engine.

The Australian New Car Assessment Program awarded Tribeca a five-star safety rating.

The five-seat 3.0R, the base Tribeca model, costs $53,990. The seven-seater is $2000 more.

A more luxurious 3.0R Premium five-seater costs $58,990 and the seven-seater adds $2000.

Standard gear for the base 3.0R includes a rear-vision parking camera, satellite navigation, cruise control, dual-zone climate control, electronically adjustable front seats, multi-function trip computer, six-stack CD sound with MP3/iPod input, 10 cupholders and 18-inch alloy wheels.

ON THE ROAD

MOST Subarus come from Japan, but the Tribeca is made in Lafayette, Indiana. To please the locals, it is big and has plush suspension.

And it upholds the US right to have more than one cupholder: the Tribeca has 10.

The Tribeca is unlike other lean and agile Subarus, but that doesn't mean it should be written off.

It is a large, practical and comfortable family car that comes with a lot of equipment as standard.

Unfortunately, the styling seems to have missed the mark. No one surveyed in the week I had the test car liked the look.

Some thought it was a bit weird, others thought it wasn't quite right and one person labelled it the ugliest car they had seen. Perhaps that person had not come across a Ssangyong Stavic.

The interior also looks different, but in a good way. A flowing wrap-around dashboard makes a feature of the centre-mounted colour screen, which shows rear-camera footage when reversing and all the sat-nav and system info.

Subaru has taken a big step forward with its interior quality. The Tribeca has metal-look surfaces and dials that look and feel as if they belong in a more expensive car.

Small things such as the way the lid for the compartment between the driver and passenger opens slowly and smoothly is straight out of the Lexus handbook.

The Premium model's leather seats are wide and flat (very American) and offer little support, but they are still reasonably comfortable.

So are all other five seats, though there isn't a lot of room in the last row.

The second row can slide back and forth (its also split 60/40) and all rear seats can fold flat to open up a large cargo area.

Small touches such as rear-zone roof mounted airconditioning vents and the roof-mounted DVD should keep passengers happy.

I liked the rear-view camera and satellite navigation, which you also get in the base car. Luxuries such as heated seats seem pointless now, but will be nice in winter.

The Tribeca is not going to impress people who love to drive. The suspension is soft, there's a fair amount of body roll and it tends to float along.

The dirt roads it ran on seemed to suit the Tribeca, which pounded over them with ease. Its AWD system is excellent and really gives good traction in the wet and on slippery gravel.

The 3.0-litre engine is a cracker in the Outback and Liberty, but has to work a lot harder to pull almost two tonnes of Tribeca.

It really could do with a lot more torque to get off the line and up hills, especially when fully loaded.

The boxer engine is a bit noisy, with some chain-whirring sounds when moving at city speeds, but the Tribeca cabin is serene when cruising and decelerating.

The five-speed automatic works well enough, but has to change down a fair bit to help the engine maintain speed. A six-speed may have helped.

THE BOTTOM LINE

NOT pretty, but a practical family wagon that is great value for money. 73/100