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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Roominess & Cargo
Front-seat legroom and headroom was fine for me (about 6 feet tall), even with the panoramic moonroof that comes on most trim levels. The seats have slight side bolsters that come in handy during ...

Tire pressures and wear
Maintaining the correct tire pressures helps to maximize the tires’ service lives and is essential for good running performance. Check and, if necessary, adjust the pressure of each tire (includin ...

Sliding moonroof
1) Open 2) Close Press the “OPEN/CLOSE” switch rearward to open the moonroof. The sun shade will also be opened together with the moonroof. For Outback, the moonroof will stop at a position appr ...