Subaru Tribeca vs Toyota Highlander?

[rayquan]

Hi, what is your opinion about the above two cars? Is Subaru a reliable car? I didn't see much of them on the road in Calgary. What is the reason for that I wonder? Thanks.

Raymond

[bobby_lu]

The reason you dont say many Tribeca's is that they looked like retarded aliens until the current model year

[The Cosworth]

Originally posted by bobby_lu
The reason you dont say many Tribeca's is that they looked like retarded aliens until the current model year

I agree... but still don't like the new ones as much as the highlander.


I really really like the new look of the highlander, along side reliability and holding residual value. Personally it is a no brainer

[That.Guy.S30]

the tribecas are reliable. just damn ugly. ontop of that you have two shitty subaru dealerships in this city who dont give a damn about you.

driving a subaru is unique. itll probably dirve better than the toyota.

[DonJuan]

Dude, are you blind? This isn't even a comparison.

"Would you rather buy a Tribeca or get kicked in the balls?"
Now thats a comparison! I'd prefer getting kicked in the balls myself.

Highlander FTW

[Strider]

I see quite a few of the previous generation of Highlanders around... but the newest gen of the RAV4 is pretty much the same size and I'm sure has all the same features or more.

The newest Highlander if i'm not mistaken started in MY 2008, so it's too new to see a lot of them around... I'm sure they'll gain a lot in popularity.

As for the subarus, the B9 Tribeca (last gen) was just plain ugly... which might explain the poor sales. The new generation is still quite new too (2008), and may be seen as overpriced at $42k for the base. That being said, there are people who have bought new loaded Tribecas for $34k out of the states though, so that might be worth considering. I'd expect to see them gain a bit more in popularity.

[max_boost]

Definitely buy the Tribeca from WA. No state tax! It is manufactured in Indiana so no duty as well! Also, I've heard from a few people that the dealers in the area are more than willing to sell at invoice too :D

My family has 3 Subys.

00 Impreza (100,000kms)
03 Forester (202,000kms)
06 WRX (24,000Kms)

Zero problems. These are fantastic cars! I love them so much I'm going to keep buying them once I'm ready for a new car.:thumbsup:

[rayquan]

Yes, I was planning to get the 08 Tribeca from US with our strong CAD. I'll go the dealer in here to have a look/test drive this Saturday to see if we like it. It doesn't look bad from the pictures. My favorite one would be MDX, unfortunately, US Acura dealers wouldn't sell it to our Canadians. Do you think it would be possible to have a friend/relative in the States bought a new one and resell it to me?

Raymond

[HRD2PLZ]

I really liked the 2008 Highlander. I test drove 2 of them and was really close to buying one a couple months ago but ended up with the RX350 instead. IMO, the Tribeca is so terrible looking.

I know quite a few people with the Highlander (previous and current gens) and they absolutely love them.

[acslayta]

My dad drove a highlander for 4 years and absolutely nothing went wrong with it. Plus it was really nice to drive.

[clem24]

I hear the Tribeca is a completely guzzler. Of course the Highlander is probably up there too, but I think the Tribeca is just that much worse. Personally, I do not like the styling of the new Highlander at all. I think the old one had much cleaner lines. Even the current RAV4 looks cleaner. The redone Tribeca looks more like a Chrysler Pacifica..

Have you considered the Hyundai Veracruz? Beat out a Lexus RX330 in the last comparo...

[rayquan]

Well, I just went to the Subaru dealer today to see the Tribeca. The exterior look is OK, but the interior design doesn't feel like a ~44K for a base model. Even for the top model, the face board is basically the same; they should put some kind of wood trim at least! We test drove it, the handling is quite good. For the Canadian price, which is roughly $46,000 ($43,500 + freight + GST + ... - $1500 cash rebate) for the base model, I don't think it is worth it. But for the US MSRP = ~$30K, it will be different story. They don't have any price adjustment in here for the recent strong CAD, except for $1500 cash rebate and 1.9% financing. With such a high price and a so so design, just wonder what is their target group and their selling point :confused:.

We then went to Acura dealer. The MDX is really at different level. Too bad it was too late for a test drive, but the design (inside and out) is top notch. Right now, if you pay by cash, there will be a $7000 cash rebate from price after tax; that will come to ~$50K for the base model, which is not that much more compared to buying from US (assuming buying from relative/friend who has just bought a new one from US dealer if that worked).

With a price difference of ~$4K here in Canada, one would definitely go for the MDX :thumbsup: .

[Aleks]

Originally posted by clem24
I hear the Tribeca is a completely guzzler. Of course the Highlander is probably up there too, but I think the Tribeca is just that much worse. Personally, I do not like the styling of the new Highlander at all. I think the old one had much cleaner lines. Even the current RAV4 looks cleaner. The redone Tribeca looks more like a Chrysler Pacifica..

Have you considered the Hyundai Veracruz? Beat out a Lexus RX330 in the last comparo...

Everyone always thinks All toyotas have great fuel economy. They don't.

2008 Toyota Highlander 4WD
Regular Gasoline
19mpg Combined

2008 Subaru Tribeca AWD
Regular Gasoline
18mpg Combined.

They both guzzle about the same..


Originally posted by DonJuan
Dude, are you blind? This isn't even a comparison.

"Would you rather buy a Tribeca or get kicked in the balls?"
Now thats a comparison! I'd prefer getting kicked in the balls myself.

Highlander FTW

http://news.windingroad.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/04/2008-tribeca-f-3-4.jpg
http://www.thetorquereport.com/2008_toyota_highlander_hybrid-thumb.jpg

To me these two SUVs look pretty similar or am I missing something? :dunno:

[CelicaST-162]

^^ haha, I think you are because they look no where near simillar IMO..

Tribeca looks sporty, younger crowd ish
Highlander is more older people that like a classy-ish ride.

Regardless, both vehicles are nice looking...

[clem24]

Originally posted by CelicaST-162
^^ haha, I think you are because they look no where near simillar IMO..

Tribeca looks sporty, younger crowd ish
Highlander is more older people that like a classy-ish ride.

Regardless, both vehicles are nice looking...

Man.. Tribeca does not look sporty at all... It's a freakin' SUV. Soft and cushy. What do you mean by younger crowd?? Like 50 vs. 70? You think anyone under 40 would want to buy one of those?

Highlander just looks all wrong. It doesn't looks classy at all. The BMW X5. That's class. The MDX. That's class. Even the RDX has more class. This thing? Looks like a buck tooth hillbilly with a drunken grin.

[AVA]

all Tribeca's look disgusting
get a Toyota for its reliability and its much superior looks.

[jagguy]

Stole this :

"As SUVs go, the Highlander has been a capable vehicle and a good representation of the Toyota brand. Toyota makes fine vehicles but this is a classic example of doing things too safe—it’s not unique, impressive, exciting or particularly outstanding at anything from style to functionality. But it is a Toyota and it has sold very well.

Completely redesigned for the 2008 model year, the new Highlander is longer, wider and taller than the previous generation. The shape is similar to the previous model but it is slightly more rounded and now shares some design cues with the new Toyota Tundra and RAV4.

The 2008 Highlander is powered by a 3.5L V6 mated to a 6-speed automatic transmission. Torque, which is what you actually feel when you accelerate, is 248 lb/ft, just 1 lb/ft more than the Tribeca.

The Toyota engineers spent a lot of time trying to make the interior of the new generation Highlander more versatile. The middle seat in the second row can be removed and stored in a slot under the front centre console to give second row passengers more room and to make it easier to access the third row. The downside is that the seat is even more uncomfortable, effectively making only four seats suitable for long trips (the third row is still too small for adults).

Still unimpressive and unexciting—but it will still sell pretty well because of the Toyota reputation.


Highlander Strengths
Highlander Weaknesses

Toyota's reputation for building high quality products
Standard rearview camera
Powerful V6 engine
Spacious interior dimensions (with the exception of the 3rd row seat)
Good fuel economy
Conservative styling inside and out
Short-travel suspension caused by unequal-length axle shafts (road irregularities are transmitted to the passenger compartment)
Highlander relies initially on Traction Control to counter wheel slippage. Rather than redistributing torque, it slows the vehicle—a disadvantage when you need traction and speed
Few standard luxury features

Tribeca Advantages

Superior AWD, Traction and Stability Control
More standard luxury features (sunroof, 18” wheels, power heated front seats, HID headlights)
Award-winning interior and distinctive exterior styling
Much better value for the dollar
Better ride quality and dynamic (handling) performance "


Obviously I'm a subie fan....

BTW, current Tribeca finance rates are 0.5% - 2.9% , and you can't get a moonroof or HID in the states...:D :D :D :D


"ontop of that you have two shitty subaru dealerships in this city who dont give a damn about you. " if you're having issues, PM me...I'll see what I can do

[FishPoo]

Originally posted by jagguy
"ontop of that you have two shitty subaru dealerships in this city who dont give a damn about you. " if you're having issues, PM me...I'll see what I can do [/B]

Hehe, do you work there?

I prefer Subaru Calgary if you catch them when they're not busy, or it's best to call first, ask questions, and see if you can setup a time to come in. Some sales people are better than others, and you might just get unlucky, look at the sales board, the number one guy Terri (sp?) is a good guy to talk to.

[jagguy]

Yep. I work at Calgary Subaru. Terry is awesome and takes good care of his customers...but then again, so do I...