Overview & Reviews

The Subaru B9 Tribeca was the first midsize SUV from a company that traditionally just made smaller station wagons with elevated ground clearance. Bigger and taller than other Subarus, the B9 was meant to be a viable alternative to established Japanese crossover competitors as well as other more upscale sport-utilities.

Named for New York City's fashionable and affluent TriBeCa neighborhood (the B9 was tacked on seemingly just for fun), it also became Subaru's first U.S. vehicle to feature a new design expression consisting of a stylized triangular grille and rounded bodywork apparently inspired by aircraft. It wasn't well-received, however, which was made all the worse because it was underpowered and not as spacious inside as other three-row SUVs.

In an ultimately unsuccessful attempt to turn the ship around, Subaru adopted more conservative styling for 2008 and ditched "B9" in the process. The rechristened Subaru Tribeca is covered in a separate review.

Most Recent Subaru B9 Tribeca
The Subaru B9 Tribeca was sold for 2006 and 2007, before it dropped the B9 from its name. Attached to its standard all-wheel-drive system and five-speed automatic was a 3.0-liter horizontally opposed (boxer) six-cylinder engine that produced 245 horsepower and 215 pound-feet. This modest output didn't do the relatively heavy B9 any favors, bringing it from zero to 60 mph in a pokey 9.6 seconds.

The B9 came in five- or seven-passenger configurations with either base or Limited trims. The base car included 18-inch alloy wheels, a sunroof, power front seats (eight-way driver, four-way passenger), a tilt-only steering wheel, dual-zone automatic climate control, and a six-speaker sound system with a CD player. An auxiliary audio jack was added for 2007. With its seven-passenger configuration, the base B9 Tribeca gained heated front seats and rear climate controls. The Limited got you leather upholstery and an upgraded sound system with a six-CD changer. Options on the Limited included a navigation system, a rearview camera and a rear seat entertainment system.

The Subaru B9 Tribeca's cabin had a distinct look with a waterfall center stack painted silver. It looked cool, but with its awkwardly arranged buttons, it was definitely a case of form over function. The cabin's abundance of hard plastic was also a turn-off, although we liked the central screen that displayed the climate control and audio information.

Many have found the B9 Tribeca's driving position awkward, which was largely a result of the non-telescoping steering wheel. Legroom was sparse for third-row passengers, and even those in the second row might feel a little cramped -- a rear-facing infant seat barely fits. Fortunately, cargo room with the seats folded was a bit more generous, with up to 74 cubic feet available.

In general, we found the Subaru B9 Tribeca to have too many flaws to be recommended as a used SUV purchase. Power was improved with the subsequent Subaru Tribeca, but it, too, remains an also-ran as more impressive crossovers have arrived on the scene.

User Reviews:

• 

  This is a great small family vehicle - 2007 Subaru B9 Tribeca
  By Joesubaru - July 17 - 1:13 am

  We love this car. This is our 4th Subaru and the biggest they make; we have the WRX and the Baja, and this make a great safe and fun car.

• 

  AWD nice - short on details - 2006 Subaru B9 Tribeca
  By Dr. Dave - April 6 - 6:13 pm

  We had driven the Lexus RX 330 and Acura RXD and found both superior in ride and quality. However the price on those 2007 models was prohibitive, and Subaru was promoting a nice finance incentive for the 2006 B9s. I thought the B9 was overpriced at $37K, but at $30K with the navigation system, we thought it was fair. Its a beautiful body design and the power train is efficient. Those wide tires will grip anything, especially nice for the wifes winter Michigan drives. Driving it is noisy as its not as baffled as our Lincoln LS sedan. The sound system sounds a little hollow too, but it is adequate. The ride was bumpy, and we now found out that all 4 tires are out of balance, needing 2 new.

• 

  Great drive, bad mileage - 2006 Subaru B9 Tribeca
  By Amber - December 26 - 12:56 pm

  Love the car, hate the gas mileage. The nav system is awesome! I love the feel of the drive. Love the payout. It feels safe and I dont find any issues with the acceleration. Lots of room. Easy to load two big doggies in the back. Anyone have ideas on how to improve MPG? I have been using the premium gas.

• 

  hazardous headlights - 2006 Subaru B9 Tribeca
  By aok - November 27 - 1:30 am

  Nice look and ride in daylight. Very dangerous low beam headlights. We had it checked out and service said thats the normal operating characteristic. Cant see 10 feet in front going down a hill at night. Flawed design-needs safety recall. Another Tribeca owner said its like a horizon line right across your vision. Its a notched line, pitch dark on top. Need to drive with high beams on-creates another safety issue for oncoming cars. Poor, hazardous headlight design. Service has heard it lots-why dont more bring it up?

• 

  Short on detail - 2007 Subaru B9 Tribeca
  By Tom - August 11 - 12:23 pm

  This is my first Subaru, and I bought it based on its safety ratings, the recommendations of friends and on my own long-standing perception of Subaru as an Innovator. Nice car, nice looking, but Subaru is falling short on the details. The $2,000 plus 2007 navigation system is shipping with a 2- year old 2005 vintage map CD. The companion audio system doesnt display title/artist/station information from CD player or radio on that big color screen like other cars in its class. It is also loud in the passenger cabin.

• 

  Door Locks - 2006 Subaru B9 Tribeca
  By Door Locks - April 20 - 12:43 am

  Its fun vehicle to drive, but I have door locks. First it was the driver side front door lock that is not working. After few months I found out now its the front passenger side door lock is not working and recently I found that rear passenger side door lock is not working also. I tried dealership to repair it, but due to mileage on it I have to pay $350 for each lock. NO OTHER ISSUES. Does anyone has this problem? Can this be a defective locks from the manufacturer?

• 

  Nice vehicle - 2006 Subaru B9 Tribeca
  By vermonter - April 7 - 12:50 pm

  I like the styling. The fit and finish are fantastic and the interior lights are quite soothing. Small gas tank and overall MPG of 16 is a modest drawback. Rear seat is small, good for little children and little else. Very easy to adjust rear seats. I got a back up warning signal as option. Needed given rear design.

• 

  Disappointed - 2007 Subaru B9 Tribeca
  By Scott - March 27 - 5:30 am

  We purchased this car with 12,000 miles on it. It doesnt have as much power as other cars on the market, transmission shift terrible. Nav system isnt that great, poor graphics.

• 

  Disappointed in Subaru - 2006 Subaru B9 Tribeca
  By marianne7214 - February 14 - 6:59 am

  I like my Tribeca overall, however, I am extremely disappointed to find out that I need new bushings (like many other owners with a low mileage car). This would appear to be something that should be recalled, however, SOA has yet to do so. Dealer cost to replace bushings is over $1000. I was also disappointed to find out how hard it is to get/install anything for the car (windshield wipers, replace light bulb). Windshield wipers arent available at auto parts stores and light bulb took dealership mechanic over 30 mins to install.

• 

  Car Performance - 2006 Subaru B9 Tribeca
  By Carl Tordonato - December 19 - 3:16 am

  The engine is very sluggish, with slight acceleration of the gas pedal the engine hesitates then the transmission shifts down as if the engine loses power. I am very disappointed with the performance.