Acceleration, Ride & Handling

One engine is available in the Tribeca, and it's a solid one. The 3.6-liter, horizontally opposed six-cylinder makes 256 horsepower and offers punchy acceleration around town. Even the lightest tap of the throttle results in quick acceleration. The engine does, however, seem to lose some of its gusto at highway speeds when trying to pass.

With only one engine, transmission (a five-speed automatic) and driveline configuration, the Tribeca's gas mileage is a somewhat unimpressive 16/21 mpg city/highway — take it or leave it. Other crossovers have the option of more efficient front-wheel-drive models, and the Highlander has a base four-cylinder engine for the gas-conscious.

One of the Tribeca's strongest driving attributes is its ride quality; the suspension absorbs road imperfections with ease, making for a very comfortable commute.

    See also:

    Driving tips
    ● On a road surface where there is a risk of wheelspin (for example, a snow- or gravel-covered road), you can pull away from a standstill safely and easily by first selecting the 2nd gear of ...

    Air conditioner compressor shut-off when engine is heavily loaded
    To improve acceleration and gas mileage, the air conditioner compressor is designed to temporarily shut off during air conditioner operation whenever the accelerator is fully depressed such as during ...

    Automatic illumination (models with moonroof)
    The map lights illuminate automatically in the following cases. • Any of the doors other than the rear gate is opened. (The map lights do not illuminate when only the rear gate is opened.) • The door ...