While the previous model of Tribeca didn’t have the most appreciated exterior design, the 2008 model came with a new restyled front and backend.
Not an impressive new design, rather trivial, the base model of the Tribeca came with 18-inch alloy wheels as standard.

The Tribeca came with 3 trim levels: base, limited and premium.

The base model was pretty well equipped, having heated seats, power windows and doors, a steering wheel with radio controls and an MP3 jack. It did not have a telescopic steering wheel.

The top of the range offered the possibility to add a 3rd row of seats, suitable for the smallest members of the family due to the limited head and legroom. The access to the 3rd tow was made easy with the sliders on the 2nd row.

The interior of the Tribeca was not restyled and that’s because the previous one was well appreciated with its wave shape.

The 2008 model came with an improved engine, a 3.6-liter boxer that worked with regular petrol. The fuel range was similar to the previous Tribeca. The new engine developed 250 hp and had an increased torque.

The cabin was quiet and the car ran smoothly on highways.

While the base model was accessible, the top of the range had a price of around $52.495.

Subaru introduced the Tribeca’s first generation in 2005, and it was one of the best examples of how not to design an SUV.
With an increased demand for SUVs on the market, Subaru couldn’t stay aside. It already had the Forester crossover and the Legacy Outback, but it didn’t produce a seven-seat vehicle. That one came in 2004 as a concept car named B9X unveiled at the South Florida International Auto Show, followed by the production model at the 2005 North American International Auto Show, and it was a shocking view.

Subaru had a few design failures before the Tribeca, but the big SUV was above them all. Its front fascia was the most debatable part of the vehicle. Its three-grille layout was obscene. Its headlights looked like they were forced to be on that car. From there on, it was a right SUV. It was slightly longer than the Legacy Outback, which with it shared the platform. The carmaker made the taillights small, narrow, and placed quite tall for the car’s height.

Inside, Subaru’s designers looked like they didn’t know how to make a dashboard for that kind of vehicle. Its instrument cluster was hard to understand. The carmaker placed the binocular-style speedometer and tachometer and then added the fuel and temperature gauges on the outer sides, in a place where they were difficult to see. Subaru offered the Tribeca with an option of seven seats but with minimal room for the last row. To compensate for that, the carmaker made the middle row slide forward.

The best part of the Tribeca was the platform. It was an extended version of the Outback, with a double-wishbone suspension in the rear. Thanks to its flat-six engine and the symmetrical all-wheel-drive system, the SUV handled better than most of its competitors.