kooldak's '07
Just got my '07 Tribeca, 7 Passenger Limited, Special Edition. Some thoughts and observations:
The decision:
After looking at probably 20 or so vehicles, both those that directly compete for the same market and some that do not, we decided to purchase a Tribeca. We spent several months looking, reading, driving and came to the conclusion that the Tribeca best fit our needs. Size, performance, ride, price, reliability, AWD (whatever we would have purchased would have had to have had either AWD or 4WD) all played a role - along with the secondary fact that both my wife and I were taken by the looks of the vehicle.
The purchase:
Once we determined that the Tribeca was our vehicle of choice we started visiting the dealers in our area. Not an easy task as the nearest dealer is about 100 miles away and the others are even further. The dealer closest to us (Premier Subaru in Santa Fe) started playing silly sales games with us, so I walked out on them. The dealer in Durango (Morehart Subaru) dealt with us straight up, bargained hard (but fair) on my trade, and gave me an excellent deal.
Because we wanted the Special Edition package and the memory seats, an '06 was out of the question. The '07s had just come out and there weren't any Harvest Gold Tribeca's available with the equipment we wanted (most options, but no DVD) so we had to order. Morehart and SOA both told me to expect 6-8 weeks delivery. I actually got it in almost exactly 4 weeks.
Delivery:
The dealer had the vehicle reeady to go when I came to pick it up - almost. Unfortunately the remote start did not work, the auto-dim mirror was not included, and a couple of other small items needed to be addressed. I also found out that even though I ordered the subwoofer/amp, the factory could not provide it. Supposedly, there is not enough room under the seat for that unit if you purchase the combination of the Navigation system and the XM Radio (which comes with the SE package). Not sure I understand that, but the factory included a note to that effect. Not too disturbed, though, as the sound system is decent without it.
I will need to return the vehicle to the dealer when my mirror gets here for installation of same and repair to the remote start.
Appearance:
Paint, fit, and finish are all superb. All lines are even, no gaps, no off-center parts.
IMHO, the chrome wheels and the chrome mesh of the Special Edition package really look good on the vehicle (see pics in the gallery). I was not aware that the grill was a true mesh and thought it was just a chrome pattern. The mesh looks much better in RL than it does in pics, but it leaves me a bit concerned about denting from road debris. Again, see close up pic of the grill in the gallery.
IMO, Harvest Gold is a small improvement in the color from the Champagne Opal in '06. But I sure wish the colors were a bit more vibrant, esp. the lighter colors.
Performance:
OK, it is early, but I am impressed with almost all performance aspects. I had read about the fact that the vehicle is underpowered, but my test drive and the short time I have been driving it, shows something different. With proper use of the shifting mechanism, the vehicle responds nicely when needed. See HB_Dad's posts about use of the automatic "Sport" mode"
Gas milage has also impressed me. Granted, I live in the middle of nowhere so my driving is almost all highway and no traffic, but my gas mileage is averaging 24.6 mpg
(based on calculations, not dash readout - dash readout seems to be a bit higher than actual, FWIW). I suspect that if I drove differently, I could significantly impair that mileage. I also took one trip into Santa Fe and found that city mileage is terrible (14-16 mpg). It is probably a fact that people who have a more normal proportion of city/highway driving obtain a lower gas mileage than I have. It also seems obvious to me that this vehicle is very sensitive to higher RPMs than most vehicles and your mpgs will suffer a good bit if you tend to "run and gun".
Comfort:
The ride is superb. It is a much better ride than my (ex) Lincoln Navigator. But seating seems to me to be too hard. I prefer a seat than I can sink into rather than sit on top of. The eight way driver's seat allows a lot of different positions, but still leaves something to be desired because of that firmness. My wife, who likes a more firm seating surface, loves it. The memory seats are great. With both of us driving, there is no need to manually adjust seating each time. But I would like to see the side view mirrors adjusted along with the seats. They are not.
Visibility:
Visibility is an issue. While the nice, wide windshield allows wonderful forward vision, the A-pillar obstructs peripheral vision and the back hatch window seriously obstructs rear vision. The rear camera included in the '07 Navigation system is almost a must, although the reverse sensors may serve in its stead. That said, I purchased both and feel that having both of them is somewhat redundant. The rear camera is very neat in that it shows a pair of green lines that indicate the sides and rear of the vehicle. You can watch the green line and know where your potential impact points will be within the length of the Tribeca.
The decision:
After looking at probably 20 or so vehicles, both those that directly compete for the same market and some that do not, we decided to purchase a Tribeca. We spent several months looking, reading, driving and came to the conclusion that the Tribeca best fit our needs. Size, performance, ride, price, reliability, AWD (whatever we would have purchased would have had to have had either AWD or 4WD) all played a role - along with the secondary fact that both my wife and I were taken by the looks of the vehicle.
The purchase:
Once we determined that the Tribeca was our vehicle of choice we started visiting the dealers in our area. Not an easy task as the nearest dealer is about 100 miles away and the others are even further. The dealer closest to us (Premier Subaru in Santa Fe) started playing silly sales games with us, so I walked out on them. The dealer in Durango (Morehart Subaru) dealt with us straight up, bargained hard (but fair) on my trade, and gave me an excellent deal.
Because we wanted the Special Edition package and the memory seats, an '06 was out of the question. The '07s had just come out and there weren't any Harvest Gold Tribeca's available with the equipment we wanted (most options, but no DVD) so we had to order. Morehart and SOA both told me to expect 6-8 weeks delivery. I actually got it in almost exactly 4 weeks.
Delivery:
The dealer had the vehicle reeady to go when I came to pick it up - almost. Unfortunately the remote start did not work, the auto-dim mirror was not included, and a couple of other small items needed to be addressed. I also found out that even though I ordered the subwoofer/amp, the factory could not provide it. Supposedly, there is not enough room under the seat for that unit if you purchase the combination of the Navigation system and the XM Radio (which comes with the SE package). Not sure I understand that, but the factory included a note to that effect. Not too disturbed, though, as the sound system is decent without it.
I will need to return the vehicle to the dealer when my mirror gets here for installation of same and repair to the remote start.
Appearance:
Paint, fit, and finish are all superb. All lines are even, no gaps, no off-center parts.
IMHO, the chrome wheels and the chrome mesh of the Special Edition package really look good on the vehicle (see pics in the gallery). I was not aware that the grill was a true mesh and thought it was just a chrome pattern. The mesh looks much better in RL than it does in pics, but it leaves me a bit concerned about denting from road debris. Again, see close up pic of the grill in the gallery.
IMO, Harvest Gold is a small improvement in the color from the Champagne Opal in '06. But I sure wish the colors were a bit more vibrant, esp. the lighter colors.
Performance:
OK, it is early, but I am impressed with almost all performance aspects. I had read about the fact that the vehicle is underpowered, but my test drive and the short time I have been driving it, shows something different. With proper use of the shifting mechanism, the vehicle responds nicely when needed. See HB_Dad's posts about use of the automatic "Sport" mode"
Gas milage has also impressed me. Granted, I live in the middle of nowhere so my driving is almost all highway and no traffic, but my gas mileage is averaging 24.6 mpg
(based on calculations, not dash readout - dash readout seems to be a bit higher than actual, FWIW). I suspect that if I drove differently, I could significantly impair that mileage. I also took one trip into Santa Fe and found that city mileage is terrible (14-16 mpg). It is probably a fact that people who have a more normal proportion of city/highway driving obtain a lower gas mileage than I have. It also seems obvious to me that this vehicle is very sensitive to higher RPMs than most vehicles and your mpgs will suffer a good bit if you tend to "run and gun".Comfort:
The ride is superb. It is a much better ride than my (ex) Lincoln Navigator. But seating seems to me to be too hard. I prefer a seat than I can sink into rather than sit on top of. The eight way driver's seat allows a lot of different positions, but still leaves something to be desired because of that firmness. My wife, who likes a more firm seating surface, loves it. The memory seats are great. With both of us driving, there is no need to manually adjust seating each time. But I would like to see the side view mirrors adjusted along with the seats. They are not.
Visibility:
Visibility is an issue. While the nice, wide windshield allows wonderful forward vision, the A-pillar obstructs peripheral vision and the back hatch window seriously obstructs rear vision. The rear camera included in the '07 Navigation system is almost a must, although the reverse sensors may serve in its stead. That said, I purchased both and feel that having both of them is somewhat redundant. The rear camera is very neat in that it shows a pair of green lines that indicate the sides and rear of the vehicle. You can watch the green line and know where your potential impact points will be within the length of the Tribeca.
