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The Tribeca is a luxury Sports Utility Vehicle from Japanese manufacturer Subaru, an expert in high performance four-wheel drive vehicles however this car is the only SUV in their current range. Bristling with refinements and impressive figures, the big car looks fantastic on paper but how does it compare with its peers? The range topping B9 Tribeca SE7 was to be my transport for a week and I intended to find out.

Access to the cabin is well designed, the floor level is at a good height and it was quite easy to seat myself it the voluminous cabin. Once in place, I found myself in a commanding position, surrounded by high quality materials and ergonomically placed controls and was presented with a clever, non intrusive centre console containing driver oriented controls.

Powered by a 3 litre derivative of the famous Boxer engine(the same type of unit which powers the Imprezza WRX rally cars), transmitting the power through an advanced auto-tiptronic box, the Tribeca isn't exactly slow. Capable of a surprising 9.3 second time from 0-60 and a maximum speed of 121 MPH, this big luxury SUV is more than a match for some of its more expensive competitors. The permanent four-wheel drive system is based on the same system used by the high performance Subaru road and rally cars.

As far as equipment goes, it's all there; most of the refinements that you'd pay extra for in many of the more expensive competitors come as standard. Dual climate control, cruise control, a 6-disc multichanger linked to an excellent sound system, fully electric and heated leather seats, a multi-function wheel the list goes on and on.

The first thing that struck me about the driving was the smoothness and near silence, however when pressing on' you will hear a pleasant snarl from the front end. Opening the throttle for the first time on a clear road, I was very happy to hear the distinctive, if slightly more refined sound of a Boxer engine - a sound I remember fondly from years as a rally spectator. The handling is astoundingly good for a vehicle of this type; there are many SUVs on the market capable of cornering almost like a hatchback, but the Tribeca is among the best at it. Despite having a good ground clearance, the balance of the car is confidence-inspiring, giving the impression that a lot of time has been spent on engineering the suspension and centre of gravity.

I used this car as my main means of transport for a week and found it excellent at any challenge I threw at it. Over a variety of roads, with multiple passengers and with frankly unnecessary volumes of shopping (thanks to my wife) I was always happy with the way the Tribeca performed. Comfortable, spacious, quick and well mannered on all types of road, it was
impossible to fault.

This big luxury SUV is a serious contender in a very competitive segment of the market and with huge competition, it stands to reason that the Subaru Tribeca needs to have an edge in order to cut itself a slice. It's obvious with this car that half the battle is won and if there's one thing that rally history teaches us, it's that Subaru is good at competition.

Learn more about this author, Damian Doyle.
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