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.

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Rocking the vehicle
If you must rock the vehicle to free it from snow, sand, or mud, depress the accelerator pedal slightly and move the shift lever/select lever back and forth between “1”/“D” and “R” repeatedly. ...

Lubrication oil circulation in the refrigerant circuit
Operate the air conditioner compressor at a low engine speed (at idle or low driving speeds) a few minutes each month during the off-season to circulate its oil. ...

Alarm system
The alarm system helps to protect your vehicle and valuables from theft. The horn sounds and the turn signal lights flash if someone attempts to break into your vehicle. The starter motor is also inte ...