Mazda Tribute was developed in association with Ford; Ford Escape is built on the same platform and is assembled at the same plant.
Available as Front- or Four-wheel drive.
Unibody construction, transverse mount engine, 5-speed manual or 4-speed automatic transmission with overdrive, MacPherson struts in the front, multi-link independent suspension in the rear.
Two engine choices: 4-cylinder 2.0-liter 130 hp engine (replaced with 4-cyl. 2.3L 153 hp engine starting from 2005) and powerful 3.0-liter V6 engine with 200 h.p.
The interior is comfortable and roomy, but some materials look rather cheap. The split rear seat can be easily folded flat (with headrests removed) for extra cargo room.
Ride and handling are good for an SUV, great maneuverability, good visibility. Optional four-wheel drive system provides good traction on a slippery road, although it's not designed for heavy off-roading.
ABS is optional (standard from 2006). Disk brakes in the front, drums in the back (late models have optional four-wheel disk brakes.
In NHTSA frontal crash test, 2001 - 2004 Mazda Tribute has five stars for driver and four stars for passenger, while 2004 - 2006 models have four stars for both driver and passenger. Five stars in side crash tests; three stars in NHTSA's rollover ratings.

The engine

Tribute is available with two engine choices:
4-cylinder 2.0-liter 16-valves DOHC 130 hp engine (starting from 2005 replaced with 4-cyl. 2.3L 153 hp engine) and the 3.0-liter 200 h.p DOHC 24-valve V6 engine. Either engine is fairly reliable if maintained properly and doesn't have major problems.

Strengths

- Good styling, perfect size
- Comfortable and spacious interior
- Good handling, maneuverability
- Not very expensive
- Powerful V6
- Rear seat folds flat

Weaknesses

- Not the best quality and reliability
- Early models have transmission shifter blocking the radio controls
- Ignition switch location
- Excessive road and wind noise at highway speed

Overall

Mazda Tribute combines handling of a car-based SUV with roomy interior and optional V6 of larger truck-based SUVs. It's not as cramped as Toyota RAV4, it offers optional V6 you won't find in Honda CRV and it's not as thirsty and bulky as larger truck-based SUVs.
However, quality and reliability are not the best; problems like defective rear wiper, excessive brakes wear, cupped tires, etc. are not uncommon. An extended warranty might be a good idea to protect yourself from unexpected repairs. Most reliable in small SUV segment are Toyota RAV4 and Honda CRV.

Few maintenance tips

- Wash your truck regularly, wax it once in a while to keep the car body shiny and protected from harsh environment.
- If you live in the area with high humidity, rustproofing will help to protect the car body from corrosion.
- Regular oil changes are very important to keep your engine in a good shape.
- Change transmission fluid regularly.
- Try to avoid overheating the engine; it may cause serious problems.
- Take care of minor problems as soon as you can, before they cause something serious.
- Always check your parking space for leaks, and if you find one, get it fixed as soon as you can.
- If your car stalls unexpectedly, visit your dealer, there is an engine computer software update available to address this problem.
- At least once a year have your car inspected in the garage on the lift (e.g when doing tire rotation) to keep it safe. Many components (e.g brakes, steering, suspension) cannot be properly inspected by simple visual inspection at one of those fast lube places; the car must be on the lift.

Mazda Tribute short specs. (2005 US model)

Dimensions:

Overall length: 174.4 (4429 mm)
Overall width: 72.0 (1828 mm)
Overall height:67.7 (1720 mm)
Wheelbase: 103.1 (2620 mm)
Ground clearance: 8.4 (214 mm)
Track front/rear:61.3 / 60.9 (1557 / 1547 mm

Maximum Towing Capacity:

Tribute i:1500 lbs (680 kg)
Tribute s3500 lbs (1588 kg)
Fuel Economy:

Tribute i   2WD Manualcity: 24MPG (9.8 L/100km)
hwy: 29MPG (8.1 L/100km)
Tribute i   2WD Automaticcity: 22MPG (10.7 L/100km)
hwy: 25MPG (9.4 L/100km)

Tribute i   4WD Manualcity: 22MPG (10.7 L/100km)
hwy: 26MPG (9.0 L/100km)
Tribute i   4WD Automaticcity: 19MPG (12.4 L/100km)
hwy: 22MPG (10.7 L/100km