Subaru Tribeca compared with the Toyota Rav4

Safety

 For enhanced safety, the front and middle seat shoulder belts of the Subaru Tribeca are height-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The Toyota Rav4 doesn't offer height-adjustable middle seat belts.

 To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All Wheel Drive is standard on the Tribeca. But it costs extra on the Rav4.

 Both the Tribeca and the Rav4 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four wheel antilock brakes, traction control and electronic stability systems to prevent skidding.

 The Subaru Tribeca weighs 421 to 896 pounds more than the Toyota Rav4. The NHTSA advises that heavier vehicles are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.

 The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Subaru Tribeca is safer than the Rav4:

More stars indicate a better overall result. Lower numbers indicate better individual test results.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) performs roof strength tests. In that test the Tribeca earned the top rating of "Good" because its roof supported over four times the Tribeca's weight before being crushed five inches. The Rav4 was rated lower at "Acceptable."

 The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety rates the general design of front seat head restraints for their ability to protect front seat occupants from whiplash injuries. The IIHS also performs a dynamic test on those seats with "good" or "acceptable" geometry. In these ratings, the Tribeca is safer then the Rav4:

(Lower numerical results are better in all tests.)
For its top level performance in frontal, side, rear impact and roof-crush tests, and its standard Vehicle Dynamics Control, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety rates the Tribeca as a "Top Pick" for 2010, a rating only granted to 55 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Rav4 was not a "Top Pick."

Reliability

 To reliably power the ignition and other systems and to recharge the battery, the Tribeca has a 110 amp alternator. The Rav4's standard 100 amp alternator isn't as powerful.

Engine

 The Tribeca's 3.6 DOHC 6 cyl. produces 77 more horsepower (256 vs. 179) and 75 lbs.-ft. more torque (247 vs. 172) than the Rav4's standard 2.5 DOHC 4 cyl. The Tribeca's 3.6 DOHC 6 cyl. produces 1 lbs.-ft. more torque (247 vs. 246) than the Rav4's optional 3.5 DOHC V6.

 As tested in Consumer Reports the Subaru Tribeca is faster than the Toyota Rav4 4 cyl.:

 The flat cylinder configuration of the boxer engine in the Tribeca lowers its center of gravity, enhancing handling stability without compromising ground clearance. The Rav4 doesn't offer a boxer engine configuration.

Fuel Economy and Range

 The Tribeca has a gallon more fuel capacity than the Rav4 (16.9 vs. 15.9 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

Transmission

 For more complete vehicle control the Tribeca has a manually controlled automatic, with the available convenience of an automatic transmission and the complete gear control of a manual transmission without the inconvenience of a clutch. A manually controlled automatic allows the driver to eliminate unwanted shifts and maximize engine braking by down shifting while cornering. The Rav4 doesn't offer a transmission that allows complete gear control.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the Tribeca's brake rotors are larger than those on the Rav4:

 The Tribeca stops much shorter than the Rav4:

Tires and Wheels

 For better traction, the Tribeca has larger tires than the Rav4 (255/55R18 vs. 215/70R16). The Tribeca's tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Rav4 (255/55R18 vs. 235/55R18).

 The Tribeca's tires provide better handling because they have a lower 55 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Rav4's standard 70 series tires.

 For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Tribeca has standard 18 inch wheels. Smaller 16 inch wheels are standard on the Rav4.

Suspension and Handling

 For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Tribeca's wheelbase is 3.5 inches longer than on the Rav4 (108.2 inches vs. 104.7 inches).

 The Tribeca's front to rear weight distribution is more even (55% to 45%) than the Rav4's (57.4% to 42.6%). This gives the Tribeca more stable handling and braking.

 The Tribeca Limited handles at .77 G's, while the Rav4 4WD pulls only .74 G's of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

 The Tribeca Limited executes Motor Trend's "Figure Eight" maneuver 1.3 seconds quicker than the Rav4 (28.7 seconds @ .57 average G's vs. 30 seconds @ .52 average G's).

 For greater off-road capability the Tribeca has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Rav4 (8.4 vs. 7.5 inches), allowing the Tribeca to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

Passenger Space

The Tribeca has standard seating for 7 passengers; the Rav4 can only carry 5.

The Tribeca has .5 inches more front legroom, .2 inches more front hip room, 1 inch more front shoulder room, 2.2 inches more rear hip room, 2.2 inches more rear shoulder room and .9 inches more third row legroom than the Rav4.

Cargo Capacity

The Tribeca's cargo area provides more volume than the Rav4.

The Tribeca has standard second and third row seats which fold flat into the floor. This completely clears a very large cargo area quickly. The Rav4 only has a third row Split-and-Stow seat which folds into the floor. The Rav4's second row seat doesn't fold into the floor and eats up cargo room.

The Tribeca's liftgate lifts up in one piece, completely out of the way of loading and unloading, while sheltering the cargo loading area. The Rav4's swing out door blocks loading from the passenger's side.

Payload and Towing

The Tribeca's standard towing capacity is much higher than the Rav4's (2000 vs. 1500 pounds).

The Tribeca has a much higher standard payload capacity than the Rav4 (1560 vs. 1041 lbs.).

The Tribeca has a higher maximum payload capacity than the Rav4 (1560 vs. 1370 lbs.).

Servicing Ease

The Tribeca uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Rav4 uses a prop rod to support its heavy hood. It takes two hands to open the hood and set the prop rod, the prop rod gets in the way during maintenance and service, and the prop rod could be knocked out, causing the heavy hood to fall on the person maintaining or servicing the car.

 The engine in the Tribeca is mounted longitudinally (North-South), instead of sideways, as in the Rav4. This makes it easier to service and maintain, because there are no rear spark plugs and the accessory belts are in front.

Ergonomics

When two different drivers share the Tribeca Limited/Touring, the memory seats make it convenient for both. Each setting activates different, customized memories for the driver's seat position. The Rav4 doesn't offer memory seats.

The Tribeca's standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. The Rav4 Base doesn't offer heated side mirrors.

For greater rear passenger comfort, the Tribeca has standard rear a/c vents to keep rear occupants more comfortable. The Rav4 doesn't offer rear vents.

Economic Advantages

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Tribeca is less expensive to operate than the Rav4 because it costs $24 less to do the manufacturer's suggested maintenance for 50,000 miles. Typical repairs cost less on the Tribeca than the Rav4, including $10 less for a starter, $23 less for fuel injection, $131 less for a fuel pump and $192 less for a timing belt/chain.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports recommends both the Subaru Tribeca and the Toyota Rav4, based on reliability, safety and performance.