[allip]

Hello!

I am looking to downsize and trade in my 06 Tribecca LTD for an 05-06 Forester. Does anyone have any suggestions on things to look out for?

Thanks!
Alli

 

[FLdrummer]

Looks like your first post. Welcome to the forum. :biggrin:

When you say 05-06 Forester, it might help to give a little more info. Turbo or non-turbo? Auto transmission or manual transmission? A lot of our advice depends on those details, plus the mileage of the vehicle. With that said, a well maintained 05-06 Forester should be a mechanically sound vehicle and the main issue you'll face will be adjusting to the smaller vehicle.

 

[JStorm]

If I did that, I'd be looking out for people smacking me in the head saying "WHY????".

Seriously, more info might help in guiding things to look for. Welcome to the site.

 

[BugI_FTW]

If I did that, I'd be looking out for people smacking me in the head saying "WHY????".

Seriously, more info might help in guiding things to look for. Welcome to the site.

When I saw the title, that is what I said. :Banane08:

 

[Dan]

Welcome along.

For downsizing are you referring to the vehicle size, the cost, or both?

A few things I'd consider carefully when checking out the Forester:

- it's not going to be as "nice" of a vehicle as the Tribeca. Even the LL Bean won't feel as luxurious.
- consider who will be sitting in the back seats. It's a bit tight with regards to leg room, depending on the positions of the front seats.
- if you're going to be dealing with baby seats, note that some fit better than others. Search for "baby" in the Interior section and you should find at least a few threads on that. IIRC, Britax and Recaro are popular options.
- if trying to save some money, note that Forester XT will probably have very similar fuel costs compared to the Tribeca.

Again, welcome along, and happy shopping! :icon_biggrin:

 

[Peaty]

I have an 04XT and an 06 Tribeca 7 seater. My F-XT modded, gets maybe 22 - 24 MPG on average and requires premium fuel. With the Tribeca we get 18 or so on average. Around town as low as 16. On long trips we can get in the low 20's. The Tribeca recommends premium but you can get away with lower grades. I've found though it gets better gas mileage with premium, not much but some so it's almost a wash when you are on long trips. The Tribeca is quieter and has quite a bit more room but it is a different class of car. For it's size the Forester holds a surprising amount of stuff though but the back seat is more cramped if you have long legs and put the seat back. The Forester is a lot more nimble feeling too and fun to drive. Between the two I found that the Tribeca seems to be better in the snow but I'm comparing my Manual Forester to the Tribeca which is automatic with VDC (not in the year Forester you are looking at) and it quite a bit heavier. One thing you will be happy with in the forester at least when it comes to replace tires it will be a lot cheaper. The Forester has 16" wheels whereas the Tribeca has 18's. Both good cars IMHO. As a DD the Forester is great but for long distance the Tribeca is much more comfortable.

 

[allip]

Thanks for the warm welcome. I expected head whacks about this post

This was not an easy decision, believe me. But, my husband lost his job several months ago so the car with the payment needs to go. I'm gutted as the Tribecca is my baby.

I am looking at three Foresters tomorrow, all automatic non-turbos:

2005 XS w/ 84,000 miles
2005 XS w/ 69,000 miles
2006 X w/ 67,000 miles

The Tribecca is known for dash rattles and issues with suspension bushings and mine has both. I know the 03 Foresters have issues with head gaskets. I'm curious if there are any known things like this on the Foresters.

I was also wondering about towing, we pull a small trailer behind the Tribecca for vacations and small dump runs. I'm sure the Forester isn't rated for as much weight as the Tribecca but will a non turbo handle small loads?

I have the 7 passenger with Nav and I know I am looking at a completely different class of car with the Forester but with two kids (and the occasional friend), two dogs and all the junk that goes along with them the Forester seems like it will meet most of our needs. My kids are out of carseats but still in boosters so I will be bringing their booster seats with me to make sure everyone will fit. I'm not too concerned with the lack of legroom in the back seat because most times it will only be kids back there.

Having just replaced the tires on my Tribecca (OUCH!!!) I'm thrilled with the prospect of smaller, less expensive tires.

Thanks again for the warm welcome, I am looking forward to further head smacks and your advice.

Alli

 

[FLdrummer]

Thanks for the warm welcome. I expected head whacks about this post

I am looking at three Foresters tomorrow, all automatic non-turbos:

2005 XS w/ 84,000 miles
2005 XS w/ 69,000 miles
2006 X w/ 67,000 miles

The Tribecca is known for dash rattles and issues with suspension bushings and mine has both. I know the 03 Foresters have issues with head gaskets. I'm curious if there are any known things like this on the Foresters.

I was also wondering about towing, we pull a small trailer behind the Tribecca for vacations and small dump runs. I'm sure the Forester isn't rated for as much weight as the Tribecca but will a non turbo handle small loads?

No 'head whacks' from us. This is a very good question that's sadly become a bit too common as of late.

Those vehicles, if all maintenance has been done, should be decent. I'd look at the 2005 XS w/ 69,000 miles first (based upon mileage vs. model year). No major mechanical issues that I'm aware of for the 2004 to 2006 model year vehicles. Foresters do tend to develop rattles. Some complain that the vehicle is rather noisy. Won't be noisy enough do drown out the noise of the kids though. :biggrin:

If a "small load" is less than 2000 pounds, the Forester should be able to handle it with no problem. The NA engine might be a bit anaemic in the mountains if both the trailer is loaded and the Forester is full. But if you only tow occasionally, it shouldn't be an issue if you are patient and don't ask the vehicle to do something it shouldn't (or can't). If you tend to tow a bit more than occasionally, an aux AT fluid cooler and motor oil cooler might be worthwhile addons.

Good luck.

 

[Tuned200]

Welcome and good luck. I like the tribeca but im sure the fuel mileage sucks.

 

[JStorm]

Thanks for the warm welcome. I expected head whacks about this post

This was not an easy decision, believe me. But, my husband lost his job several months ago so the car with the payment needs to go. I'm gutted as the Tribecca is my baby.

Sorry to learn the reasoning behind the question, but completely understandable. I agree with the above advice regarding vehicle choices and (potential) towing needs.

Best of luck regardless!!!

 

[Peaty]

I've had my Forester long enough to have had two booster seats in the back. It wasn't bad with just the two kids. No room to speak of to put a person in between them though. The sad part is the width of the Forester's rear seat is less than the Tribeca so the "stop touching me" aspect is greater than with the Forester

Still you can get stuff in there too, when the kids are small you can store things on the floor under their feet. There is quite a bit of room there.

I used Britax Booster seats where the back was kind of high but could later be detached and you only used the base. Kind of like this:

Britax Parkway SG Booster Car Seat

The issue was the headrest would not let the seat come all the way back so I had to move it up.

Before we got the Tribeca my wife had an 02 OB VDC Wagon. That was better fitting the car seats but as the kids grew (my son is bigger than me now) we needed the 7 seats as they always want to bring friends. So we stuff my daughter in the back back because she's still on the smaller side

Good luck with your decision, all three of your choices are reasonable. It's going to come down to the cost I'm sure. If it's a wash I say go with an XS if possible.