A test drive in a gently used Subaru Tribeca a couple months back didn’t cause me to wonder at its initial debut in Subaru showrooms. No, my curiosity, as it relates to the existence of the Tribeca, piqued as a result of the 2010 Subaru Outback.
New Outbacks are the closest thing to an SUV any Subaru Outback has ever been. In fact, MotorTrend named the Outback its 2010 SUV Of The Year. Where does this leave the Subaru Tribeca? The Numbers below examine the differences – and striking similarities – of Subaru’s two largest vehicles.
This is strictly a comparison of the Subaru Outback 3.6L Limited and the Subaru Tribeca Premium; the two most comparitively priced examples. Keep in mind, the 3.6L Limited is the Outback’s top trim level while the Tribeca Premium is actually the base Tribeca. And as a forewarning to Tribeca fans, very little doesn’t go in the Outback’s direction.
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256 – horsepower generated by the Subaru Outback’s 3.6L boxer-six, along with 247 lb-ft of torque, power which is sent to all four wheels via a 5-speed automatic
256 – horsepower generated by the Subaru Tribeca’s 3.6L boxer-six, along with 247 lb-ft of torque, power which is sent to all four wheels via a 5-speed automatic
188.2 – overall length, measured in inches, of the Subaru Outback
191.5 – overall length, measured in inches, of the Subaru Tribeca
71.7 – width, in inches, of the Subaru Outback
73.9 – width, in inches, of the Subaru Tribeca
65.7 – height, in inches, of the Subaru Outback, less than an inch lower than the Tribeca
8.4 – ground clearance, in inches, of the Subaru Tribeca, three-tenths of an inch less than the Outback possesses
107.9 – wheelbase, measured in inches, of the Subaru Outback, three-tenths of an inch shorter than the Tribeca’s wheelbase
45/55 – front/rear bias of the Subaru Outback’s all-wheel drive, identical to that of the Subaru Tribeca
74.4 – total cargo capacity, measured in cubic feet, of the Subaru Tribeca, 3.3 more cubic feet than can be found behind the front seats of the Subaru Outback
7 – seatbelts inside the Subaru Tribeca, 2 more than in the Subaru Outback
4,120 – curb weight, in pounds, of the Subaru Tribeca
16.1 – pounds per horsepower carried by the Subaru Tribeca
14.3 – pounds per horsepower carried by the Subaru Outback
16 – miles per galon rating attributed to the Subaru Tribeca for city driving by the EPA, 11.2% worse than the Outback’s city mpg figure
30,995 – price, in USD, of the loaded Subaru Outback 3.6L Limited
30,495 – price, in USD, of the basic Subaru Tribeca
5,930 – total Subaru Tribeca sales in the United States in all of 2009, down 46% compared with ’08
8,376 – total Subaru Outback sales in December of 2009, up 106% compared with December of ’08
So even b4 Tribeca sales tanked most people found it was overpriced?
The Tribeca's getting better looking at the same time the Outback is gettin worst.
@viktornis worst? typo or are you serious, like, the Outback is the worst-looking car anywhere?
The ground clearance alone make the Outback sound like an SUV to me.
Subaru clearly needs to sort out the difference between their two models. I don't think either need to disappear but I think some clear decisions need to be made. The Outback may match or best the Tribeca in key areas of comparison but the sum of all parts just fails to equal an SUV. From a styling point, the proportions are all off. The Outback, nor Forester for that matter, look like REAL SUVs. They successfully function much like it but just look like ridiculous, ugly station wagons with jacked up suspensions (hence the ground clearance) and AWD. The Tribeca needs to be marketed better and next redesign improved upon yet again, but I think with some changes could perform much like the Outback if not better and cater to a higher clientel more sucessfully because it's a more attractive car (since the 2008 redesign anyway). My dad has a 2008 Tribeca Limited and I think it's a fantastic car. It has nice road manners and has an upscale/sporty feel for a family-oriented CUV. If several things could be improved upon it would be to have improved rear seat legroom (the 3rd row is pointless anyway in a car that size) and a larger gas tank.