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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Towing and tie-down hooks
The towing hooks should be used only in an emergency (e.g., to free a stuck vehicle from mud, sand or snow). • Use only the specified towing hook and tie-down hook. Never use suspension parts or ...

Driving on snowy and icy roads
WARNING Do not use the cruise control on slippery roads such as snowy or icy roads. This may cause loss of vehicle control. CAUTION Avoid prolonged continuous driving in snowstorms. Snow will ent ...

Conditions in which front passenger’s SRS frontal airbag is not activated
The front passenger’s SRS frontal airbag will not be activated when any of the following conditions are met regarding the front passenger’s seat: ● The seat is empty. ● The seat is equ ...