Practicality aplenty
What the Tribute lacks in sport, it makes up for in utility. Wide-opening doors, ease of access and exit front and back and plenty of interior space make this Mazda is great family vehicle.
The cargo area can hold up to 1,877 litres when the rear seats are folded; too bad you have to take off the rear headrests to do so. On the other hand, the glass backlight opens independently from the liftgate for dumping in small objects or loading up to the max when going on a family trip.
For those who still ignore it, the Tribute is a clone of the Ford Escape, and its interior is virtually identical. That's not a bad thing, since the dashboard layout is straightforward and very functional, and the center dashtop display is easy to read. The piano black trim pieces get dusty pretty quickly, however.
Competition
The Mazda Tribute GX-I4 with front-wheel drive and a 5-speed manual starts at $22,550, while this AWD tester goes for $26,245. It comes loaded with stability control, roll stability control, A/C, power windows and mirrors, keyless entry, a CD/MP3 player and 16-inch alloy wheels.
In comparison, here's how the other 4-cylinder SUVs with all-wheel drive figure from a price standpoint:
Ford Escape XLT I4, 171 hp, $27,499
Honda CR-V LX, 166 hp, $29,790
Jeep Compass North, 172 hp, $23,127
Jeep Patriot North, 172 hp, $22,317
Kia Sportage LX Convenience (manual only), 140 hp, $25,895
Mitsubishi Outlander ES 4WD, 168 hp, $26,998
Nissan Rogue S, 170 hp, $26,598
Subaru Forester 2.5X Touring, 170 hp, $29,095
Suzuki Grand Vitara JX, 166 hp, $27,995
Toyota RAV4 with B Package, 179 hp, $27,935
Volkswagen Tiguan Trendline 4MOTION, 200 hp, $30,975
The Jeeps are cheaper alternatives than the Tribute, but they are a bit smaller and lack a little polish. If you're wondering why the Escape is more expensive, since they're basically twins, it's because the Ford gets a power driver's seat, SIRIUS satellite radio, roof rack crossbars, and that's about it, but its freight charge is $235 less. Is that worth the extra thousand dollars? We don't think so.
Conclusion
The Mazda Tribute satisfies the needs of many families, being perfectly-sized and offering plenty of room. The new powertrain provides good performance and fuel economy, all at an affordable price level.
So, for those who hesitated on a 4-cylinder model for reasons such as available power for merging in traffic can be assured that the 2009 version of the Tribute can handle it. If you still need to pull a load that's more than 1,500 lbs (680 kg), though, the V6 is still the way to go. Personally, I'll take a front-drive GX-I4 and a good set of snow tires, thank you.
photo:Matthieu Lambert
What the Tribute lacks in sport, it makes up for in utility. Wide-opening doors, ease of access and exit front and back and plenty of interior space make this Mazda is great family vehicle.
The cargo area can hold up to 1,877 litres when the rear seats are folded; too bad you have to take off the rear headrests to do so. On the other hand, the glass backlight opens independently from the liftgate for dumping in small objects or loading up to the max when going on a family trip.
For those who still ignore it, the Tribute is a clone of the Ford Escape, and its interior is virtually identical. That's not a bad thing, since the dashboard layout is straightforward and very functional, and the center dashtop display is easy to read. The piano black trim pieces get dusty pretty quickly, however.
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| For those who still ignore it, the Tribute is a clone of the Ford Escape, and its interior is virtually identical. |
Competition
The Mazda Tribute GX-I4 with front-wheel drive and a 5-speed manual starts at $22,550, while this AWD tester goes for $26,245. It comes loaded with stability control, roll stability control, A/C, power windows and mirrors, keyless entry, a CD/MP3 player and 16-inch alloy wheels.
In comparison, here's how the other 4-cylinder SUVs with all-wheel drive figure from a price standpoint:
Ford Escape XLT I4, 171 hp, $27,499
Honda CR-V LX, 166 hp, $29,790
Jeep Compass North, 172 hp, $23,127
Jeep Patriot North, 172 hp, $22,317
Kia Sportage LX Convenience (manual only), 140 hp, $25,895
Mitsubishi Outlander ES 4WD, 168 hp, $26,998
Nissan Rogue S, 170 hp, $26,598
Subaru Forester 2.5X Touring, 170 hp, $29,095
Suzuki Grand Vitara JX, 166 hp, $27,995
Toyota RAV4 with B Package, 179 hp, $27,935
Volkswagen Tiguan Trendline 4MOTION, 200 hp, $30,975
The Jeeps are cheaper alternatives than the Tribute, but they are a bit smaller and lack a little polish. If you're wondering why the Escape is more expensive, since they're basically twins, it's because the Ford gets a power driver's seat, SIRIUS satellite radio, roof rack crossbars, and that's about it, but its freight charge is $235 less. Is that worth the extra thousand dollars? We don't think so.
Conclusion
The Mazda Tribute satisfies the needs of many families, being perfectly-sized and offering plenty of room. The new powertrain provides good performance and fuel economy, all at an affordable price level.
So, for those who hesitated on a 4-cylinder model for reasons such as available power for merging in traffic can be assured that the 2009 version of the Tribute can handle it. If you still need to pull a load that's more than 1,500 lbs (680 kg), though, the V6 is still the way to go. Personally, I'll take a front-drive GX-I4 and a good set of snow tires, thank you.
photo:Matthieu Lambert
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