1/9 article in Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun, from Japan reports that:

- In North America, Subaru will add a Tribeca model to the lineup that will run on regular gas within this year.

- Modification to the current 3.0L will allow for use of regular gas. The existing model will undergo a 'minor change'.

- According to a FHI executive, "If there is demand, we will consider a larger car".

- US sales of Tribeca from Jan thru Jun 2006 was 10,106 - 1,000 less than projections. The original projected sales for the entire year was lowered by 6,000 to 19,000.

1/9 article in Nikkan Kogyo Shimbun, from Japan reports that:

- In North America, Subaru will add a Tribeca model to the lineup that will run on regular gas within this year.

- Modification to the current 3.0L will allow for use of regular gas. The existing model will undergo a 'minor change'.

- According to a FHI executive, "If there is demand, we will consider a larger car".

- US sales of Tribeca from Jan thru Jun 2006 was 10,106 - 1,000 less than projections. The original projected sales for the entire year was lowered by 6,000 to 19,000.

great news to hear.. i can bet that the horsepower numbers will probably drop a bit now too, but to tell everyone it takes regular is a nice thing, instead of saying "premium is recommended"

great news to hear.. i can bet that the horsepower numbers will probably drop a bit now too, but to tell everyone it takes regular is a nice thing, instead of saying "premium is recommended"

When I switch to another Tribeca in a few years, I will STILL only use premium. C'mon people, the difference in a tank fillup is about the amount of a cup of cheap coffee, and premium will still get you better performance and mileage!!

When I switch to another Tribeca in a few years, I will STILL only use premium. C'mon people, the difference in a tank fillup is about the amount of a cup of cheap coffee, and premium will still get you better performance and mileage!!

i agree... but telling that to customers is harder ;)

its easier to tell the customer once they come into the dealership for plugged cats or a loud engine ping ;)

i agree... but telling that to customers is harder ;)

It's funny that people can justify paying $30K-$40K on a vehicle but then cheap out on treating it well. The funny thing is that the added fuel economy might actually make a full tank of premium cost less than a full tank of regular, and it is still better for your engine and fuel system. :lol:

Only if the car is tuned for premium, however. Cars that were designed to run on regular will rarely see much of a benefit from running them on higher octane fuels.

and the disappointing part of the story:
"The existing model will undergo a 'minor change'."
That doesn't sound too promising for a revamped B9 Tribeca.

It's funny that people can justify paying $30K-$40K on a vehicle but then cheap out on treating it well. The funny thing is that the added fuel economy might actually make a full tank of premium cost less than a full tank of regular, and it is still better for your engine and fuel system. :lol:

you do make a valid point... people cheap out on gas.. BUT i will say acura/lexus owners will go for the premium.. or at least the ones that i know will

and the disappointing part of the story:
"The existing model will undergo a 'minor change'."
That doesn't sound too promising for a revamped B9 Tribeca.

it sure as hell better be more than MINOR :mad:

When I switch to another Tribeca in a few years, I will STILL only use premium. C'mon people, the difference in a tank fillup is about the amount of a cup of cheap coffee, and premium will still get you better performance and mileage!!

If the car is tuned for 87 then often times putting 91 or 93 is not only a was of money but it can also lower the performance of the engine.

~Leor

- According to a FHI executive, "If there is demand, we will consider a larger car".


Uh... :huh: if FHI think that premium fuel is the only thing holding back the Tribeca then we really are screwed.

and the disappointing part of the story:
"The existing model will undergo a 'minor change'."
That doesn't sound too promising for a revamped B9 Tribeca.

See this thread:

http://forums.nasioc.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1119370&page=6

and look at post #136 for more info on this.

I've never seen a documented study/case that demonstrates improved fuel economy w/ premium gas but that doesn't mean it isn't true.

this comes directly from Chevron's web page, since they make a higher margin on premium, you would think that they'd want to sell more of it but they clearly state there is no fuel economy benefit to premium.

Don't Buy a Higher-octane Gasoline to Improve Fuel Economy

Octane and energy content are not related. Premium-grade gasoline doesn't necessarily have a higher energy content, especially if it is oxygenated.

The exception to the above advice is when a lower-octane gasoline doesn't satisfy the octane requirement of the vehicle's engine. The abnormal combustion that announces itself as knocking reduces engine efficiency. Using a higher-octane gasoline that eliminates knocking will improve both engine performance and fuel economy.

Many newer vehicles with an electronic control module (ECM) also have a knock-sensor device. When the sensor detects knocking, the ECM retards the engine's ignition timing to eliminate the knocking. This happens so quickly that the driver never hears the knocking. But retarding timing decreases power and fuel economy. A higher-octane gasoline may improve the performance of knock sensor-equipped vehicles that have less power than when new.

At 20MPG over 15,000 miles, a 25cent difference per gallon for premium would cost you almost $200, that's a lotta cups of coffee. At 15MPG its more like $250.

I've never seen a documented study/case that demonstrates improved fuel economy w/ premium gas but that doesn't mean it isn't true.

this comes directly from Chevron's web page, since they make a higher margin on premium, you would think that they'd want to sell more of it but they clearly state there is no fuel economy benefit to premium.



At 20MPG over 15,000 miles, a 25cent difference per gallon for premium would cost you almost $200, that's a lotta cups of coffee. At 15MPG its more like $250.

right, but if you need say 75% throttle to get the whale moving on regular fuel -vs- 50% or less on premium you are obviously burning less fuel on premium. YMMV

premium vs. regular is the most overstated argument evAr

its absolutely a non-issue for my car buying decisions

Running premium in a car designed for regular is a waste of money and will lead to decreased performance.

Reason being is that the compression is not high enough to completely burn the premium gas leaving behind more carbon deposits.

As far as running regular in a car designed for premium, well thats just stupid.

Uh... :huh: if FHI think that premium fuel is the only thing holding back the Tribeca then we really are screwed.

yep...it needs more cubes

At 20MPG over 15,000 miles, a 25cent difference per gallon for premium would cost you almost $200, that's a lotta cups of coffee. At 15MPG its more like $250.

And if 87 cost $2 a gallon, thats like getting around 22.5mpg on premium as far as your wallet is concerned.

As car enthusiasts the great part of this news is that there's more room for aftermarket forced induction when you drop premium into them.

Having to run premium gas will send a lot of customers to other brands that don't need premium gas. You can argue all you want that it really doesn't cost that much extra—but it doesn't matter, as the word "premium" attached to gas is an instant "red flag" for many customers.

Bob

When the "premium fuel objection" comes up on the Acura side of my store the easiest retort is "You're buying a premium vehicle Mr/Mrs Customer...". Subaru doesn't have the brand cache to make that statement. :(

When the "premium fuel objection" comes up on the Acura side of my store the easiest retort is "You're buying a premium vehicle Mr/Mrs Customer...". Subaru doesn't have the brand cache to make that statement. :(

A friend our ours bought a base Volvo S60 because it ran on regular, and her old Acura need premium. I know that for a fact, as they told us so.

There are a lot of people like that. Unfortunately car geeks have trouble understanding that line of thinking, but it's a very real issue in selecting a new car for many people.

Bob

IF I had to pay for premium gas and get average to low MPG, then I'd complain; if it's good MPG, then I'd be a potential customer/buyer.

Subaru with Premium gas = not so great MPG's.

Other brands with regular gas = pretty good MPG's.

It's not rocket science....

When the "premium fuel objection" comes up on the Acura side of my store the easiest retort is "You're buying a premium vehicle Mr/Mrs Customer...". Subaru doesn't have the brand cache to make that statement. :(

wOw i couldn't say this better myself

There are a lot of people like that. Unfortunately car geeks have trouble understanding that line of thinking, but it's a very real issue in selecting a new car for many people.

Bob

Yup. When I was in the sales side of our dealership, I remember it was very difficult to convince people they needed to use premium fuel in the higher compression engines unless they were enthusiasts. I can't tell you how many times I had people willing to drop over $30,000 on a vehicle, yet would balk at the thought of paying a dollar or two more each time they filled up.

To the average, everyday person, even if they liked everything else about the turbo cars (or the high end 6 cylinder models), the fact that they required premium fuel just killed it for the majority of them.

right, but if you need say 75% throttle to get the whale moving on regular fuel -vs- 50% or less on premium you are obviously burning less fuel on premium. YMMV
good point, though I guess I'd have to say, you need a better whale then. one that's designed to get moving on regular fuel ;)

To the average, everyday person, even if they liked everything else about the turbo cars (or the high end 6 cylinder models), the fact that they required premium fuel just killed it for the majority of them.It's totally irrational, too, since any car tuned for premium fuel, when detuned for regular will get worse mileage usually more than offsetting any costs incurred by the cost of premium fuel. I knew someone with an Acura MDX who insisted on regular when it called for premium to save a couple bucks per fillup. Poor engine. :(

I guess what you need to do is make sure the ECU does a great job of adapting to octane without knocking to death so those smart enough to run premium enjoy the added mileage and power. :)