NWCN

The big news on the 2008 Tribeca is its new schnoz.

A few years back Subaru launched the B9 Tribeca. This crossover, available with seating for seven, marked a departure for the brand. Until this moment Subies were known for their standard all-wheel drive systems and, uh, practical styling. Sure there was the odd XT, the cultish SVX and the racy WRX, but by and large Subaru’s fashion statement meant no fashion statement at all. Northwesterners (and Northeasterners too) embraced Subaru like a box of gourmet organic granola.

The B9 Tribeca changed that with one bold stroke. The award-winning interior was daring, the side profile handsome. But the whole kit-and-caboodle came to a screeching halt when eyes met the front. Intended to evoke Subaru’s aviation heritage, the winged grille instead called to mind Ford’s Edsel. Ouch. It can be argued that the beak has kept this fine crossover from its full sales potential. Largely panned, the folks at Fuji Heavy Industry went back to the drawing board. Quickly.

The big news on the 2008 Tribeca is not that it ditches the B9 designation. No, cue up the fanfare music: It gets a new schnoz. But hey, looks are superficial, so before I touch on the proboscis, understand that there are a lot of other changes under the snout. Shortcomings have been addressed; good stuff has been left alone. Credit Subaru for making the right changes in short order.

New features

OK, the face. The new grille practically defines mainstream style. Better? Sure, but it neither offends or stirs passion. It’s just sort of there now. Perhaps because of the polarizing original, it's almost too normal now. The chunky conservative execution doesn’t quite follow the handsome, muscular and daring styling of rest of this rig. Considering I was a critic of the original nose, there’s just no pleasing me, huh? Overall, I suspect the refresh will attract more shoppers and that’s the important thing here. The back-end is cleaned up, losing the scalloped detail under the tail lights. 

Some felt the old Tribeca lacked power. The all-new 256-horse 3.6-liter H6 Boxer engine gets an additional 11-horse power. Torque, best described as that oomph off the line, is up to 247-pound-feet from 215. It now runs on regular fuel, which is always a money-saver. Why is it called “boxer”? Instead of the pistons moving vertically up and down like in most engines, Subaru’s fire in and out in a horizontal fashion, like a boxer’s punch. Get it? 

The Tribeca can scoot. I’ll estimate zero-to60 times at 7.5 to 8 seconds. The revised five-speed automatic transmission with manual shift control goes about its work with no fuss at all. The same goes for Subaru’s symmetrical all-wheel drive system. It’s transparent to the driver, automatically shifting power to the wheels that need it. A tip on the torquey new engine’s throttle response: Tribeca jumps off the line with the slightest touch of the gas pedal, making city driving less than smooth. It will impress on a test drive, giving the impression of massive power, but in daily use owners might find it tiresome in stop-and-go slogging.

The low profile design of the H6 engine provides a reduced center of gravity, which improves handling. Tribeca’s surprisingly firm suspension makes this big Subaru fun in the curves. Personally, I enjoy the driving dynamic, but some in the target demographic may find the ride on the stiff side. In mixed driving I’m averaging 17 miles to the gallon, about average for an all-wheel drive crossover.

Interior

Thankfully, the swoopy interior has been left alone. "Star Trek" fans will feel like Jean Luc Piccard at the helm, which is finished in faux aluminum. The gauges provide a lightshow at every twist of the key as the needles sweep through their travel. The controls are easy to learn, though the touch-screen that displays the optional navigation system is a bit of a reach. One more gripe: The nav system can’t be programmed at speed, even by a passenger. Darn lawyers. Got to love the back-up camera and (accountant alert) calculator that shares this display. 

The middle row that accommodates three has plenty of travel adjustment, but it’s mostly forward. They don’t slide far enough back to accommodate people with long legs. I’m an average-sized guy and have just enough knee room with the chairs all the way rearward. At least they recline and split three ways. Middle row seats now get a flip-fold feature on both sides; no need to herd third row riders to the passenger’s side anymore. This optional way back seating is sized for grade school kids. 

I’m skipping the Toilet Paper Test today because like many crossover buyers, I have chores to do. I just bought a room full of furniture at Ikea. Tribeca’s second and third row seats easily fold flat, though the front passenger’s doesn’t.  The Lack shelf is 75 inches long; Tribeca swallows it whole. No need to put it between the front seats on top of the center console either. A large TV stand and two coffee tables hardly make a dent in the cargo area.  I could go back and get a small couch.

Ratings

Tribeca is designed for families, and while the kids will be happy about rear windows that roll down and available DVD entertainment systems, parents have safety on their mind. No worries here. Beyond the six airbags, all-wheel drive, electronic stability control, anti-lock brakes, and traction control is a five-star government safety rating for both front and side impact.  It gets four stars in the new rollover rating. Rest assured though, no SUV or crossover has achieved a five-star rating in this test, not even Volvo.

This loaded Limited model I’m driving (with DVD entertainment system no less) goes for $38,440 with destination as tested. Tribeca bridges the five and seven seat market so cross-shoppers have a lot of work to do. The Tribeca’s similar size competition includes the Mitsubishi Outlander, Toyota RAV4, Hyundai Santa Fe, Ford Edge, Chevy Equinox and Pontiac Torrent. Larger crossovers are the GM rigs (Buick Enclave, GMC Acadia and Saturn Outlook), the new Toyota Highlander, Hyundai Veracruise, and Honda Pilot.  I’m a big fan of knowing what you buy so I strongly suggest multiple test drives. 

The short story is this: While most people will only notice the plastic surgery on the front end, the 2008 Subaru Tribeca is much improved under the skin. Nosing around for a family crossover (pun intended)? The sporty all-wheel drive Tribeca is worth a look.