Comments on: Is that a Subaru Tribeca or a Chrysler Pacifica?

By: Martin

Martin — Sat, 07 Jun 2008 18:35:13 +0000

I totally agree. In fact I think couple years down the line 2006 B9’s may be desired and viewed as a “collectible” item. The 2008 is just another model in the mass. The classic 2006 stands out big time and you can recognize it from a mile away. Just like the old Honda Insight or the ugly Harley’s are desirable, so will the 2006 in few years. As a matter a fact, a firend that works at a Subaru dealer that I bought my Tribeca in 2006 said that people often ask about the previous styling and are pushed away by the new look.

By: Jason Mitchell

Jason Mitchell — Fri, 30 May 2008 15:19:41 +0000

You are totally right on that one… the carbon footprint of a new vehicle is huge–no matter how good the MPG is. But, if you are going to buy a new vehicle, it does feel nice to get the best MPG possible. The smartest thing to do is buy a late-model used car, that’s for sure.

By: Brig Graff

Brig Graff — Fri, 30 May 2008 15:12:24 +0000

yeah, the other thing with new hybrids is this:
It takes SO MUCH coal-powered energy to build a brand new hybrid car (producing the battery, etc) that you have to drive a new hybrid thousands & thousands & thousands of miles before the savings in gasoline makes the car carbon-neutral with other new cars. In fact, it takes less energy to produce a Hummer than to produce a Prius.

And even non-hybrid new cars have a loooooong ways to drive before the energy used to build them (welders, refining, power tools, etc, etc) is made up for because of the increased fuel efficiency over your old SUV.

If you’re talking the environment, the BEST thing you can do is just not increase demand for new cars. Even if your old SUV doesn’t get ideal gas mileage, it’s still better to keep nursing it along than to put out demand for another brand-new car to be built. The best car for the environment is a used car.

There’s also the false economy of buying a new hybrid — how long do you have to drive it before the savings in gas make the $20-30k price tag break even with just driving a car that’s already paid off?

So if you drive an old ‘94 Geo Metro, which gets roughly the same mileage as a brand-new Prius, then the energy that was spent building that car is long-gone and the hybrid will never catch up to the Metro in terms of carbon neutrality.

By: Jason Mitchell

Jason Mitchell — Thu, 29 May 2008 15:28:02 +0000

I agree with you on the front end/back end deal. The old front with the new back would be ideal. I didn’t hate the old back end, it just was well… trying too hard (as you said).

And regarding Saab’s built on Subie platforms… I don’t believe that’s the case. Subaru built the Saab 92x, which is no longer in the lineup. I don’t believe that any other vehicles were built on Subaru platforms now or in the past.

They may, however, license the Subaru AWD technology, which Subaru has done with other manufacturers since theirs is so dialed.

Subaru just needs to get on with making hybrids and bringing diesel’s to the States. Now that Subaru is partly-owned by Toyota, they could use Toyota’s hybrid technology pretty easily and have an awesome one-two punch with their AWD and Toyota’s hybrid synergy drive. But, again… not like I’m in the market for a $35k vehicle right now anyway.

By: Brig Graff

Brig Graff — Thu, 29 May 2008 14:14:03 +0000

the thing I wish is that the Saab cars that are built on Subie platforms are not AWD, which is a shame. I heard that one of the Saab Aero trims will be AWD soon, but I think any of the Saab wagons should be AWD just like the Subies from which they are built.

By: Brig Graff

Brig Graff — Thu, 29 May 2008 14:12:44 +0000

I liked the old front end of the tribeca, but hated the back end. It had a swooped look that looked like it was trying too hard.