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The Subaru SUV That’s A Vehicle Buyer’s Bad Dream

Which Subaru SUV was so awful that Subaru discontinued it? It's called the Tribeca. See why it could be the worst Subaru model of all time.
2013 Subaru Tribeca

Should you buy a used Subaru Tribeca? One new report from Brake For It says it was the worst Subaru SUV model ever made. They may be right. I have covered Tribeca before, and here is information for used cars that you may find helpful. 

The Tribeca started on the wrong foot. The Subaru B9 Tribeca had a strange name. The 'B' in B9 stands for the Subaru 'Boxer' engine, while the '9' was its platform designation. After only two years, Subaru realized it wasn't the best choice and dropped the B9 part of its name. 

2013 Subaru Tribeca with a family

Where did the Tribeca get its name?

I am still trying to understand why Subaru named its first 3-Row SUV after an upscale New York neighborhood. It was quite a change from the top-selling Outback and Forester, which were outdoor-themed names. The Tribeca was doomed from the start.  

Brake For It says, "Initially, the Subaru B9 Tribeca faced public scrutiny and criticism, and Subaru decided because of the backlash to change the B9's name to simply the Subaru Tribeca."

2013 Subaru Tribeca driving on the road

"If that wasn't bad enough, Subaru discontinued making the Tribeca in 2015 after slowed sales. The Tribeca had a 10-year production run, but Subaru sold less than 84,000 units. 

Five reasons why Subaru dropped the Tribeca 

Many Subaru Tribeca SUVs are still on the road today, and you might still be driving one. However, Subaru discontinued the slow-selling Tribeca for five reasons.

The Subaru Tribeca SUV never had a chance. 

  1. Cramped third-row seating 
  2. limited cargo capacity 
  3. an aging design 
  4. poor fuel mileage
  5. Tribeca could only tow up to 2000 lbs

A capable 3.6-liter six-cylinder Boxer engine powered the Tribeca, but it only got an EPA-estimated 16/21 city/highway mpg and 18 combined mpg.

The Japanese automaker couldn't compete in the competitive 3-Row segment with the Hyundai Santa Fe, Kia Sorento, Nissan Pathfinder, Mitsubishi Outlander, Toyota Highlander, and Honda Pilot. 

2009 Subaru Tribeca drivingThe Tribeca was Subaru's ugliest model.

I recently wrote that a report from iSeeCars says the Subaru Tribeca midsize SUV had ugly styling they would like to forget. 

iSeeCars says, "The Subaru Tribeca was the automaker's first seven-seat SUV on the market from 2005-2014. It had an ugly facade with a round exterior and a narrow rectangular grille that appeared visually unbalanced. Looks aside, the Tribeca also suffered from poor reliability ratings and a sub-par interior."

Subaru addressed five problems with the aging Tribeca with the new Ascent. 

The Subaru Tribeca may have been the Japanese automaker's worst mistake, so they wisely dropped it. Subaru listened to its dealers and customers and brought the all-new Ascent 3-Row SUV in 2019. The Subaru Ascent checks five boxes that the discontinued Tribeca did not. The Ascent isn't performing as well as was expected, but that's a story for another day. 

Thanks for reading, everyone. I hope you enjoyed the Subaru Tribeca B9 story. See you tomorrow for my latest Subaru Report.

For additional articles related to new Subaru models, here are a few of my top stories you may enjoy. 

My Must-Read Top Picks

Watch 2011 Subaru (B9) Tribeca / Destined to Fail

I am Denis Flierl, a 12-year Torque News senior writer with 20+ years of Subaru and automotive journalism experience. I enjoy bringing you, the Subaru fans and customers, the most up-to-date Subaru news, reviews, and new model information. You'll find the latest Subaru stories on the Subaru page. Follow me on my The Dirty Subaru website, Dirty Subaru blog, SubaruReport, All Subaru, WRXSTI, @DenisFlierl, Facebook, and Instagram.

I’ve got you covered! - I cover all Subaru all the time - It’s called the “Subaru Report.” Check back daily for my expert Subaru analysis!

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photo credit: Subaru USA

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