2011 Subaru Tribeca

It hasn't always been this way. When the Tribeca was first introduced about five years ago the model had a trend-setting snout, with rounded headlamps and a 'winged' grille inspired by Subaru's aircraft history. Turned out the design was very much love-it-or-hate-it (more the latter), so the Tribeca underwent a major overhaul for 2008, with a more conservative, anonymous front end that shoppers seem to like better.

While the exterior of the Tribeca is quite unremarkable, the interior makes more of an impression. A curvy, overtly futuristic (read, already feeling dated) cockpit-like interior of the original model remains; it's a handsome setup in the details, and its ambient lighting is especially extensive. But some might find a bit too much matte-metallic trim, and away from the instrument panel the interior feels nice but unremarkable.

Handling is one of the best attributes of the Tribeca; push hard into a corner and the Tribeca has good body control and better steering than most other vehicles of this type. The Subaru Tribeca's 8.4 inches of ground clearance and standard all-wheel drive may scream off-road prowess, but this mid-size crossover is better suited to the suburban environment. Real off-roading isn't the goal here—just all-weather performance.

Front seats in the Tribeca are wide and firm, with nice proportions and bolstering. Lumbar support is adjustable for both the driver and passenger, and it's easy to find a good driving position—although the lack of telescopic steering adjustment could prevent some from getting comfortable. One issue for some taller, lankier drivers is that the curvy instrument panel design tends to limit knee space—and potentially comfort, on long trips.

In back, the second row slides fore and aft by eight inches—and split 60/40 for longer cargo—and once adults slide it back they'll find enough space to be comfortable. It's a bit flat and not tremendously comfortable, either. The third row, though, is a bit hard to get to (though there are grab handles) and nearly unusable if the second row has been moved back for second-row passengers. You could end up with a balancing act where no one's happy. Fortunately that third row folds flat and expands cargo space when it's not in use.

The Tribeca has a firm but smooth and controlled ride, and an interior that's a step quieter than what we've become accustomed to from Subaru.

The Tribeca gets nothing but top 'good' marks from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's (IIHS), and . On top of that, the Tribeca boasts a ton of standard safety features, including side-impact airbags for the front seats and side curtain airbags for first- and second-row passengers but not for third-row passengers. We advise opting for the rearview camera, which makes those pesky reverse parking maneuvers a breeze.

The Tribeca hasn't yet been rated by the federal government, as part of the stricter crash-test ratings system being phased in for the 2011 model year, but under the former system the Tribeca achieved top five-star results in all categories for frontal and side impact.

In addition to its standard all-wheel drive and torquey six-cylinder engine, leather trim, heated front seats, cruise control, a six-disc stereo, and rear air conditioning are all offered on the base Premium model. Keyless entry and a seven-inch LCD display screen are also included. The Limited trim adds, among other things, a moonroof, roof rails, leather, better speakers, an in-dash CD player, HomeLink, Bluetooth hands-free, a 50/50 split third row, and rear climate controls with air conditioning. There's also a sound-system upgrade, included with the Limited, bringing ten speakers, 385 watts, and XM satellite radio tuning.

A new Touring model joined the lineup last year; it features a moonroof, a navigation system, and a reversing camera all as standard.