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:
Showing 31 through 40 of 225.00-
A fun ride! - 2006 Subaru B9 Tribeca
By John - August 23 - 3:33 amI have been looking for just the right vehicle that will fit my 66" body, be comfortable, get reasonable gas mileage for a small SUV and be fun to drive at a reasonable price. The Subaru B9 is just that car. I look forward to driving this vehicle each day as it truly is comfortable for a tall person. Although it is a bit lacking in 0-60 acceleration it has more than enough power to make the driving experience fun. Both the interior and exterior are refined and stylish. Some have complained about the front end being ugly but I will bet it will grow on people the longer it is out. I love it!
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owner - 2006 Subaru B9 Tribeca
By Jim - January 23 - 11:26 pmRated as being one of the safest vehicles on the road. All wheel drive is beneficial in snow and wet conditions also. Speed and performance is good for this type of vehicle. Mileage is low - we get approx. 21 miles per gallon since owning the vehicle. Wife is driving vehicle. Im not too pleased with the appearance of vehicle, but is handy with hatch and seats that go completely down. Very reliable and no issues whatsoever with the vehicle. GPS system is a great option if you travel frequently. We use it quite frequently. Kids enjoy seeing movies and makes the longer trips bearable for us also. We simply run to the library and have them pick out a few cds to watch.
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The most unknown SUV & is the Best - 2006 Subaru B9 Tribeca
By asraghu - January 5 - 11:03 amDriving experience is top class, the handling is so different from Murano & RAV4 that I almost decided not to take a serious look at this unknown candidate in my list. I saw a great value in the AWD system after reviewing all available documentation around on Subarus AWD vs, Audis AWD,; finally I decided that this is a very special SUV under the hood. The interiors were better than Murano and to some extent RX330. There are few problems with this SUV like the power lock switch does not light up, parking brake has issues etc. but just ignore all these for what you get under the hood & the handling. Once the engine warms up its almost silent there after. Acceleration is moderate/average.
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Tribecta Review - 2006 Subaru B9 Tribeca
By Diana Dunn - August 4 - 1:33 pmI fell in love with looks of this SUV the minute I saw it. The car is real comfortable and looks great. I love the moon roof. It has the navigation system but I havent had time to really learn it yet. However, I bought it because I haul around 4 grandkids all the time as well as I am a realtor and I wanted room for passengers. However, it is a tight squeeze to put more than four people in this vehicle. Three is really more comfortable. The worst part of this car is the extremely poor gas mileage. I thought being it was a 6 cyl. that I would get much better gas mileage than the Lincoln Towncar I traded in to lease this.However I get only 15.6 miles per gal. Also you must use 91% oct.
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Good vehicle but poor dealer service - 2006 Subaru B9 Tribeca
By sewel - April 7 - 4:42 amMy Tribeca has been a great car but factory dealer service was terrible- On my way home from their shop the dashboard lit up like a xmas tree- with only 40k miles it needed some regular service. They reported to me that the electic wire harness was faulty-critters had chewed it and it need to be replaced at more than $1000- was told it was a common occurance on Tribecas???? This one is parked inside athome so wtf- Since that visit the car has had many new problems my advise is to keep away from the Subaru dealer in Plano, TX when times are hard some people go beyond to create more business
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An opinion - 2006 Subaru B9 Tribeca
By Steve - November 20 - 5:56 amI have enjoyed driving this vehicle. Tight construction, firm seats, sport shift is fun to use. To date Ive averaged 18.9 miles p/gal overall driving. We had a recent 300 +/- mile highway trip and we got 22.9 mpg. I would prefer better mileage, especially today, but the vehicle has meet my expectations and Im very pleased with it. This is my first SUV and it is truly easy in, easy out. I had my first winter with this car and it was fantastic in the snow. I would buy another one.
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CANT BEAT THE VALUE - 2006 Subaru B9 Tribeca
By J CHAMBERS - November 17 - 2:43 amI traded in a 2004 VW Touareg with v6 engine which gave me more problems than I car to report. Electrical, transmission and no power. I purchased a B9 Tribeca a few days ago and comparing the two vehicles, the Subaru in my opinion the Subaru is a better value dollar to dollar on both base models.
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Could be better - 2006 Subaru B9 Tribeca
By B9CT - September 18 - 7:16 amI picked up my B9 yesterday and found things that I didnt during test drive. Woefully lacking in the pick up department. Almost seems the car is too big for the engine. SOA should address with factory authorized aftermarket performance upgrades. Loved the look and feel of the interior, dials and gauges well laid out, informative and good non-intrusive coloring (Blue/Orange). Front, middle and cargo areas have great amounts of room. All in all an ok vehicle.
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beautiful car - 2006 Subaru B9 Tribeca
By apkjczb - August 16 - 6:56 amI bought this car because I needed a car that has 7 passenger seating but I hate those big trucks with 7 seats, so this was the perfect match for me, I loved the interior design, and the leg room it has since I am a tall guy (6.2) the few things I am missing in the car is the Bluetooth, and rear backup sensor which is important for this car since it has a tiny rear window so its a large blind spot.
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Early Impressions - 2006 Subaru B9 Tribeca
By baddad303 - July 20 - 11:03 amLove the vehicle but.... Resonance vibrations when holding ~30 mph. BAD buffeting when the rear windows only are down and I do mean discomfort to the eardrums type buffeting! CD player has already failed mechanical failure message displays (mechanical error) not noted in the manual! Dealer told us not to slam the back gate - it would break a cheap plastic latch - this was told to us after the purchase as we were leaving . :-/ Note that all the doors do shut with grace, very easily with little noise, just a little thing but another example of the inconsistent quality of components. Weak radio of Wal-Mart quality - not a boomer by no stretch of the imagination.
