I am looking to buy a newer vehicle. I really like the Tribeca. I have had a Subaru before it was a 97 Subaru Legacy GT. It was a very good vehicle. We got almost 250,000 + on it. I have some questions about the Tribeca.
We wouldn't be getting it from a dealer, my fiance works at an auto auction, which is a major conglomerate so they have an auction in pretty much every state. So he has contacts with dealers who can buy a car for him. So we won't know a whole lot about the vehicle but he has the ability to inspect it somewhat and he's good with cars. He fixes all of ours himself.
My questions are:
1.) What mileage should I stay away from? Most I've seen online from dealers within our price grange have at least 120,000 miles to 150,000 miles and are 06's and 07's. I realize that with the auto auction we can probably get lower mileage for our price rage and maybe a little newer. The trick will be finding one. People seem to keep them a while.
2.) What are common problems we should look for with higher mileage Tribecas? Is there a particular year to stay away from? My trailblazer is an 02 and the first two generations had an engine flaw with an engine knock at around 140,000 miles. Had we known that we would have went a year newer.
3.) Every vehicle has some flaw (i.e. dodges/jeeps have terrible transmissions, some makes rust through easy, while others have engines that don't last long) What are some of the flaws that the Tribeca may have, even insignificant ones? I really don't want a vehicle that has a major flaw. I would like the engine to outlast the car, have good transmissions, and doesn't rust easily. I realize that from model to model within the same brand of car there can be differences. I live in Wisconsin so we see lots of snow & salt during the winter. Obviously it wouldn't be kept outside, it would be in a garage. I have an 02 Trailblazer right now that is just starting to show signs of rust on the back tailgate and that's it.
4.) I have looked at discussions in here about the gas you should use in it. Debating between regular and premium. I can not afford premium as it is way too expensive. So if I use regular would it do any damage to the engine or car in the long run? Obviously better performance with premium. But I'm not an aggressive driver, I rarely pass anyone or speed. So I may not notice any difference in performance with regular as opposed to someone who has a heavy foot. If it gets at least as good or better than my trailblazer as far as gas mileage I'll be a happy camper. Trailblazer right now gets about 15miles in the city and at best 18 mpg highway. I have 1/2 highway and 1/2 city driving.
5.) Is it expensive to fix? Is it easily fixed by yourself? Do you need expensive specialty tools to fix it? Are parts expensive or hard to find? It was easy to find parts for the Subaru we had. But when the catalytic converter went, there was two and it was a pricy fix. So want to know if the Tribeca is similar?
6.) Is it really comfortable on long trips? We occasionally drive to to PA which is about an 11 hr car ride. I can't sit in vehicles with bucket seats or basically if my knees are higher than my hips, I will have problems. I have bad hips and back. So the vehicle must be comfortable driving distances.
Thanks for any help in advance!
Mel
