2008 Mazda Tribute Review

What We Drove

Our test vehicle was a Tribute s Touring two-wheel drive, which included the $560 six-disc audio system and cargo cover package. Among the standard features included in the $22,965 price are fog lights, roof rack, tilt steering wheel, cruise control, six airbags and stability and traction control. All told, the MSRP came to $23,525, including the $635 destination fee.

Performance

The 200-horsepower, 3.0-liter, V-6 provides adequate power for daily driving, and with a 193 lb.-ft. of torque, the Tribute leaves the line with some authority. Freeway speeds are reached without strain and there weren’t any issues on long uphill sections of road. All in all, its performance was OK, if not a bit dull. The four-speed automatic was smooth and resistant to hunting gears, although a five-speed automatic would make for better economy. As it was, gas mileage was an unimpressive 18.6 mpg, although the EPA rates this version at 18 city and 24 on the highway.

Handling

Nothing much about the Tribute’s handling sets it apart from other small SUVs. It doesn’t exhibit any bad habits at low speeds and tooling around town it rides comfortably and maneuvers parking lots easily. Out on the highway, the body roll and wallow don’t inspire confidence at freeway speeds. The brakes are good, with a solid feel in the pedal and are easy to control. Aggressive stops were drama-free thanks to antilock and brake-force distribution. The electrically assisted power steering was numb regardless of vehicle speed and despite its variable ratio.

Visibility

Like its Ford sibling, the Mazda Tribute has good visibility to the sides and rear, thanks in part to large side mirrors. The view straight ahead is a bit limited by the tall front nose. While backing up, a sonar system beeps when you get close to an object. The closer you get, the faster it beeps. A back-up camera would let you see what you’re getting close to, but the sonar was a welcome addition. Door window sills are tall, but you can still see the ground to check parking stripes without opening the door.

Fun to Drive

It’s an OK driving cute ute, but it doesn’t possess any Zoom, just run-of-the mill Ford. For what is essentially a station wagon with a boxier body, it’s got plenty of utility to get groceries or go to the mall. The lack of tie-down hooks in the cargo area makes it less suited to outdoor activities regardless of whether it’s all-wheel drive or not. But the least fun aspect of it was that after about 25 miles of driving in fog and mist, water seeped between the weather stripping and the door and dripped onto the driver’s arm. That’s probably a feature peculiar to our test vehicle.  

Front Comfort

The cloth-covered front seats were supportive and comfortable. The driver’s seat is a six-way power model with manual lumbar while the passenger seat is a four-way manual.  The vinyl covered tilt wheel isn’t as nice as one covered in leather, but it’s densely padded and serves its purpose well. Arm rests are padded. Door tops have no padding, but the sill is wide enough for resting your arm. While there are no assist handles, the Tribute doesn’t sit high enough to be a challenge when getting in or out.

Rear Comfort

The 60/40 rear bench seat is comfortable, though adults won’t find as much leg support as there is up front. However, head and leg room are good, and there’s plenty of space for your feat under the front seat. Even the center position is good, with a headrest that goes up high enough for an average adult. There are only arm rests on the doors; a pull-down center armrest would be an improvement. Just as with the front seats, there are no assist handles in the back, but again this doesn’t pose a problem.

Interior Noise

The Tribute is a little quieter than it’s Ford cousin, but there’s still quite a bit of wind and road noise, most of which is off the front end and side mirrors. Road noise comes mostly from the rear tires. Drive train noise is noticeably quieter. Considering the Ford version of this vehicle was one of the noisier that we’ve tested recently, any improvement is welcome. Other than the external sounds, there weren’t any noticeable squeaks or rattles inside the Tribute.

Loading Cargo

The rear cargo floor is low enough to make loading easy. The rear seats can be folded flat after removing the headrests, and the entire operation is easy but can’t be done from just the rear hatch. What’s missing are two items that are pretty standard these days: tie-down hooks and a 12-volt outlet.

Build Quality

Gaps on the exterior were tight but uneven.  Exterior trim was tightly affixed, and the silver metallic paint job looked good. Inside, there were some very obvious gaps: particularly bad was the fit between the upper and lower trim on the B-pillar. Interior door panels as snug to the dashboard as they could have been. Trim along the floor and door sills was loose and felt like it could be pulled off by hand.

Materials Quality

Two different kinds of cloth cover the seats. The center sections were made of a durable material with a somewhat course texture. The bolsters, headrest and back of the seat were covered in a softer knit fabric. Both were of good quality. But the plastics on the Tribute were disappointing. Mold lines, flashing and sharp edges were too prevalent. The actual plastic had a nice texture and wasn’t flimsy, just too many places that might draw blood.

Styling

There isn’t a lot to distinguish the Mazda Tribute from the Ford Escape except the front grill. The exterior redesign of the Tribute wasn’t that extensive from the original because the basic platform is unchanged from its introduction eight years ago. The interior styling duplicates the Ford. On our test vehicle, the color scheme was black and a pale yellow color akin to cheap margarine. It’s blander than if it had been all black, and the light color on the seats ensures that they’ll be visibly dirty before the first oil change. Luckily there’s a solid slate gray upholstery option.

Storage

The Tribute has large bins in each of the front doors, smaller bins in the back doors and pockets on the backs of the front seats. Up front are two cupholders, and there are two for those in back, but they’re on the end of the center console armrest and vulnerable to the front occupants' elbows. The center console itself has a large bin under the armrest with two removable trays. The glove box is on the small side, barely big enough for the owner’s manual.

Infotainment Controls

All of the controls are logical and easy to operate, thanks to a large volume/power knob, a seek/track button and a large tuning dial, and well-marked buttons for 10 presets, source selection and audio functions. Unfortunately, the display is atop the dash and not very well shrouded, so it washes out with direct sunlight.

Climate Controls

Our  test vehicle came with a very basic single-zone climate system. It doesn’t get much simpler than this: fan speed knob, large on-off button, temperature control knob, plus nine buttons to control air conditioning, airflow and defog functions. All the buttons are well-marked and easy to use. The knobs are large enough to use with gloves, but don’t have grippy surfaces.

Secondary Controls

Late-model Fords have a somewhat awkward setup, and the Tribute shares this. The headlight switch is on the left side of the dashboard and the windshield washer switch is moved to the end of the turn signal stalk instead of its own stalk on the right side. The window, exterior mirror and door lock switches are also in the same odd placements that Ford has adopted. Window switches don’t fall naturally to hand; the first buttons you find are the rear windows. The mirror switch is up on the window frame and the door lock button is next to the handle.

Competition

The Tribute faces significant competition from other small crossovers, including the Chevrolet Equinox, Ford Escape, Honda CR-V, Hyundai Tucson, Jeep Liberty, Subaru Forester, Saturn Vue and Toyota RAV4. All are in the same price basic price range.The CR-V, Compass, Patriot and Forester only come with four-cylinder engines, although all of those make good power. The others either have a V-6 standard or as an option. Despite the Tribute’s refresh, there are newer models that cost less or offer a more complete feature set.

2ND Opinion – CHEE

Psst: Mazda now has something named a CX-7 and a CX-9. It’s true! And they are two very sexy and fun-to-drive crossover vehicles that bring the Mazda “dna” to this segment. That’s happy news for crossover buyers, so…for those of you still confused out there, this means that the Tribute, despite its refreshed sheet metal and upgraded interior materials, is really not much better than a Ford Escape and really should be the last vehicle on your shopping list. Buy the CX-7, the CX-9, and drive off the Mazda lot happy.

2ND Opinion – BUGLEWICZ

Buyers looking at Ford’s various permutations of the Escape should stop by a Mazda dealership. The Tribute has one advantage over its Ford-badged brother: Silence.

Of course, silence is relative. There’s still wind, road and tire noise permeating the cabin at virtually every speed. However, Mazda has apparently added an extra layer of deadening between the cabin and the engine compartment, quelling the thrashy V-6 engine. It’s still unpleasant, but at least now it sounds like the blender chewing on washers is on the other side of the house, rather than directly in front of you.