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2012 Subaru Tribeca Philadelphia

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2012 Subaru Tribeca Design

Along the sides, the body panels are mostly vertical, though not slab-like; their expanse is broken by mild fender blisters circling properly proportioned tires and wheels. Beginning at the trailing edge of the front door and even with the door handles, a soft crease grows as it moves rearward, giving the rear portions substance before ending in the wraparound taillights. An understated character line etched into the doors and running between the wheel arches draws attention to the matte-black rocker panels on Premium and Limited and subtly reminds us of the Tribeca's 8.4-inch ground clearance. The steeply raked windshield and A-pillars pull the eye up and over the tall glasshouse to a spoiler laid atop an acutely angled back window. The standard alloy wheels, with their five split spokes, look handsomely sturdy.

Handling of the 2012 Subaru Tribeca

All-wheel drive comes standard, and Subaru is a leader in this technology. Subaru's all-wheel-drive system makes the Tribeca an excellent choice when the weather turns foul or conditions become slippery, whether it's snow or ice, or a muddy, unpaved road, or a rainy, oily backroad or on-ramp. Under normal conditions, it sends 55 percent of the power to the rear, to provide a handling optimized rear-drive bias. The system also serves as an active safety feature, even on dry pavement, helping to reduce skidding in corners and aiding the driver in controlling the vehicle. Subaru's all-wheel drive is your friend. Vehicle Dynamics Control (VDC), a stability control system, automatically senses steering and braking inputs to help keep the vehicle on the driver's intended path.

2012 Subaru 500 Driving Impressions

The transmission is smooth and responsive. Shifts up and down are managed almost seamlessly. Even when shifted manually using the SportShift there is only the slightest interruption in the energy flow. When using the SportShift, the Tribeca will shift up a gear automatically at engine redline; it will not, however, drop down a gear without the driver tapping the lever forward. Blips are programmed into aggressive downshifts, like a sports car. We often found it easiest to put it in Drive and let it do its own shifting, since it did such a good job on its own.

Interior of the 2012 Subaru Tribeca

The touch-screen navigation system includes a rearview camera, a great safety and convenience feature. When the driver shifts the transmission into Reverse, the navigation system's center LCD display shows what the color camera detects within its field of vision behind the vehicle. Reference lines help guide the driver. In everyday use, rearview cameras make parallel parking easier and quicker. A rearview camera can help alert the driver to hazards that are difficult to see otherwise, such as a child sitting on a tricycle behind the vehicle. On models without navigation, the image is displayed on the rearview mirror, but the image is smaller and, we think, less useful.

Tribeca features an available 385-watt Harman Kardon premium audio system with a 6-disc in-dash CD changer, MP3 playback capability and XM® Satellite Radio. It's all delivered by 10 speakers placed throughout the cabin. Use the touch-screen navigation system to enter your destination and it does the rest. The system can also be used to play DVDs on it's 7-inch multi-function diplay, or to show the rear vision camera while reversing. The three rows of seating comfortably hold up to seven passengers. But with folding second and third rows it's designed for maximum flexibility. Whatever your people/cargo combo, it can fit.

Conclusion

The Subaru Tribeca has all the right feel of control and dexterity, plus impressive hauling capacity for people and things. The 3.6-liter H6 engine delivers competitive performance when compared with other SUVs. Careful suspension tuning and a relatively low center of gravity results in responsive handling that makes driving the Tribeca enjoyable. The engine and ride quality are smooth and comfortable. Subaru's all-wheel drive technology is thoroughly proven.

Some information for this review was obtained from NewCarTestDrive.com