SUVs

It is pretty amazing how auto manufacturer’s are drawing no lines as far as where they are building their automobiles. It excites me that we live in such a global market place where it has grown fuzzy to determine what driving American or driving German means.

European manufacturer’s are reaping the rewards right now of the strength of the Euro vs. the dollar.

That is why it is not surprising that BMW announced back on May 16 that they have plans to build the next generation BMW X3 at it’s plant in Spartanburg, SC. This is a big blow for Magna International which currently assembles the X3 for BMW at its Magna Steyr plant in Graz, Austria.

Here is what car and driver had to say.

“While not unexpected, it is a blow for Magna International which currently assembles the X3 for BMW at its Magna Steyr plant in Graz, Austria. In preparation for the addition of the X3, which launched in January 2004, Magna purchased its next-door neighbor, Chrysler’s Eurostar plant that was making minivans and PT Cruisers. Once Magna owned the whole complex, minivan production moved to Magna’s original plant; PT Cruisers were consolidated at the Toluca, Mexico, plant; and the vacated Eurostar space was prepped to set Magna up as the sole source for the new BMW.

In 2006, the X3 represented about 45 percent of Graz’s total vehicle output. But the writing has been on the wall since BMW officials began suggesting the next X3 could share underpinnings with the Z4—and both could end up adopting the new 3-series architecture.

BMW is spending $3 billion to expand capacity at Spartanburg within three years from 140,000 units annually to 200,000. It already revamped operations, replacing two separate assembly lines with a single flexible one that builds the Z4 and the midsize X5 SUV. The new coupe-shaped X6 (based on the X5) also will be sourced out of South Carolina next year. The continued strength of the euro vs. the dollar is one of the reasons for building more of the BMW lineup in the U.S.”

The Subaru Tribeca. Never heard of it until I saw a car review program on PBS today that was raving about it. My Fiancé drove a Subaru first year out of High School. He is a car designer now and still claims that it was one of his favorite cars. (Probably because he drove it with absolutely no sense and it actually survived for more than 2-years.) Anyway, it peeked my curiosity. On to the Tribeca.

About the Name…

B9 Tribeca is so-called because B9 is Subaru’s internal designation for the chassis and powertrain that are the vehicle’s foundation. Tribeca — short for Triangle Below Canal Street, a hip area of Manhattan — is a signal that the vehicle is cool, off the wall, distinctive.

OK, now the meat. Here is what USATODAY.com had to say -

Subie’s all-wheel-drive, high-riding station wagons and sedans (along with Toyota’s RAV4) pioneered what we now call crossover sport-utility vehicles. But Subaru has been losing business as its Legacy and Outback owners decide they need something larger than the midsizers that have been Subaru’s biggest, something with a third-row seat.

Tribeca is based on an enlarged version of the Outback wagon platform and uses the 3-liter, six-cylinder engine and sophisticated all-wheel-drive system from upmarket versions of Outback. Thus, the underpinnings are more or less proven and perform quite well on both slick and dry surfaces.

Tribeca is pleasant to drive day in, day out. It is reasonably handy in most types of use. The list of standard features is long and well thought out.

Tribeca’s engine, a little shy on low-speed power, can be encouraged to deliver its utmost by a simple flick of the driver’s wrist, moving the automatic-transmission lever into sport mode. That holds the transmission in lower gears longer and kicks down into lower gears with less gas-pedal provocation, which makes the Tribeca snappier at the cost of a little more gas.

Subaru is considering an engine that would have more power overall, especially at low speed, but details are scarce and timing appears distant.

Tribeca is an SUV that quickly can earn affection simply by being so nice and so easy to use in so many ways; almost forgettably accommodating. In that sense, it’s a typically, subtly alluring Subaru.

For more on the 2007 Tribeca visit edmunds.com