2009 Subaru Tribeca review

Not since the Pontiac Aztek has an SUV been so heavily criticized for its appearance as was Subaru's B9 Tribeca when it debuted. For 2008, Subaru has replaced the controversial grille that became the crossover SUV's defining characteristic, tweaked its overall appearance and increased the size and power of its horizontally opposed six-cylinder engine. Subaru has also dropped the B9 portion of the model's name.

The updates make the Tribeca a better SUV than it was before. However, significant ergonomic and visibility problems and an only-adequate new engine mean that even though the styling blunder has been corrected, the Tribeca still has some catching up to do in the midsize-crossover segment.

See also:

SI-DRIVE (STI)
SI-DRIVE (SUBARU Intelligent Drive) works to maximize engine performance, control and efficiency. This system consists of three modes: Intelligent (I), Sport (S), and Sport Sharp (S#). By adjusting ...

Recommended brake fluid
Refer to “Fluids”. Never use different brands of brake fluid together. Also, avoid mixing DOT 3 and DOT 4 brake fluids even if they are the same brand. ...

Engine coolant
NOTE Each quantity indicated here is only a guideline. The necessary quantity for replacement may differ slightly depending on the temperature and other factors. For the checking, adding and rep ...