Mazda's commercials show its new Tribute zooming around with a pack of Miatas. This new sport-utility, we are led to infer, is just as prepared to zoom around a twisting road racing circuit as it is to veer off into the woods on a primitive two-track. Fortunately, it's an accurate characterization.
Sporty handling, luxurious refinement and brisk V6 performance make the new Mazda Tribute the best small sport-utility vehicle sold today (assuming most of your driving is done on pavement). Mazda and Ford worked jointly on developing the Mazda Tribute and Ford Escape and together they outclass the other small utilities.
The Mazda Tribute ES, the top model, comes loaded with leather seating, a six-disc in-dash CD player and other luxury features. It has been considered by some to be a poor man's Lexus RX 300, which costs another $12,500. Nearly 6 inches longer than a Jeep Cherokee, the Mazda Tribute comfortably seats four people. Indeed, the Mazda Tribute delivers an excellent value for people who want the image and versatility of a sport-utility coupled with refinement and better on-road handling than truck-based utilities.
Three trim levels are available: DX ($17,005), LX ($20,820) and ES ($21,825).
The base Tribute DX is powered by a 130-horsepower four-cylinder engine mated to a five-speed manual transmission; it is not available with an automatic.
All other models are fitted with a 200-horsepower V6 and a four-speed automatic transmission. In fact, 90 percent of all Tributes will come with the V6 and automatic, including the DX-V6 ($19,140).
All models are available with either front-wheel drive or four-wheel drive; four-wheel drive adds $1200-$1400 to the above prices.
Overall, the Tribute's external dimensions are comparable to those of the Jeep Cherokee and Honda CR-V. It is longer than a CR-V and wider than a Ford Explorer. The Tribute offers an aggressive look, due to its forward-tilted stance, short overhangs and wide track. Thick bumpers, side cladding and wheel lip moldings smoothly integrated into the body work convey a sense of stability and refined ruggedness. Large multi-reflector headlamps with clear lenses and rear combination lamps with crystal lenses convey a sense of sportiness. A two-tone color scheme and minimal use of chrome create a clean appearance. The Tribute is aerodynamically superior to the CR-V and 2000 RAV4.
The Tribute offers seating for five. In fact, the Tribute offers more front and rear legroom than the Lexus RX 300 luxury SUV. It's more comfortable with four people, however, and no shoulder belt is provided for the rear center position. The front bucket seats and the rear bench seat are comfortable and of higher quality than what's found in many SUVs. Like many smaller SUVs, the rear windows do not roll down all the way.
The second-row seat folds down revealing a flat cargo floor and more than 74 cubic feet of cargo space. It will even accommodate 4x8-foot sheets of plywood, if you don't mind flipping open the rear glass hatch and letting the plywood stick out the back. The lift gate window does not have to be closed before opening the rear hatch. A 12-volt power outlet is located in the rear of the cargo compartment.
Radio controls are easy to use with big volume and tuning knobs and the heating, air conditioning and ventilation controls are simple. Cruise controls are mounted on the steering wheel. The instrument panel is straightforward and easy to read. Noise, vibration and harshness levels are low when underway. Visibility in all directions is very good. The shape of the Tribute's hood and the seating position allow the driver to clearly see both front corners of the vehicle, an advantage over the Honda CR-V, while narrow A- (front) and D- (rear) pillars minimize blind spots. A low bottom edge maximizes visibility out the rear window and there's no spare tire to block the view.
