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2001 Mazda Tribute ES V6

Date: 21 April 2001	Miles: 2,000
Our 2001 Mazda Tribute ES is loosely based on the chassis of a Mazda 626 sedan. That means a unitized frame with car-like ride and handling traits. Our Tribute's been free of significant problems. We've seen some articles addressing Tribute quality, but except for some wind noise, a loud heater fan motor, and a shifter lever that gets in the way, we're quite happy. That goes for mileage too at 18.6 after only 2 months and 2,000 miles. We still have praise for Tribute, our Drivers' Choice pick as Best of the Year.
Date: 2 June 2001	Miles: 5,000
We picked the Mazda Tribute SUV and its Ford kin, the Escape, as the best vehicles of the year for our 2001 Drivers' Choice Awards. Now we are living with this 2001 Mazda Tribute ES V6 4WD to see just how smart we really are. Well, after a little over 3 months and 5,000 miles, we think that we are very smart. Our log books are filled with praise for the 200 horsepower V-6, and the Tribute's nearly perfect large-compact size. Just big enough to be very useful, yet small enough to be highly maneuverable in urban traffic. Fuel economy is down a bit, however, to 17.5 miles per gallon. And our initial list of two complaints hasn't changed. The column gear shift interferes with the radio, and there is more wind, road, and engine noise than we expected. But, as one of our staff put it, ''our loaded Tribute is a great little package for 25 G's.''
Date: 28 July 2001	Miles: 10,000
Our Tribute's been free of significant problems during its first 5 months with us. Our staff loves the Tribute's strong 2.5-liter V-6, its agility, and its cargo flexibility. Dislikes include too much interior noise. From engine, wind, road, and even the heater fan. But, we've had no mechanical faults, not a one. Fuel economy is now at 17.2 miles per gallon after almost 10,000 miles. While better than bigger SUVs, that's still less than the 18 City/22 Highway estimates by the government. It should be better, and hopefully it will be.
Date: 31 August 2001	Miles: 12,500
This Mazda Tribute is among the newest of SUVs. But, more importantly, the Tribute, along with its cousin the Ford Escape, are helping to fuel rising sales of a new generation of compact, car-based sport-utility vehicles. With a unitized chassis borrowed from a sedan, the Tribute and its competitors tend to ride better than truck based SUVs. And, although not as capable off road, their simple 4x4 systems and ample ground clearance are more than adequate for snow, slush, and the occasional trip to the mountains or the shore. In short, they are just what the public wants. The comfort and convenience of a car disguised as a truck. No wonder the Tribute and Escape garnered our 2001 Drivers' Choice award as "Best Of The Year". But, if you think vehicles like Tribute are neither feast nor fowl, and must have tradeoffs, you're right. Our Tribute may handle like a new car, but it's as noisy as a 5-year-old pickup. Too much road, wind, and engine noise. Also, we miss not having a low range for the 4-wheel drive. Still, the Tribute's locking center differential is very effective in deep snow and sand. One minor complaint is the long gear shift lever that blocks the radio controls. We're told 2002 Tributes may get a shorter one. Our Tribute has Ford's 3.0-liter Duratec V-6 with 200 horsepower and 200 pound-feet of torque. It makes the Tribute a spirited street performer. Again, very car-like. But one thing that's truck-like is the less than hoped for fuel economy. Our Tribute, now 7 months old and with 12,500 miles on its clock, returns 18.5 miles per gallon. That's not much better than mid-size units like Explorer, and disappointing given the government estimates of 18 City and 24 Highway. However, our Tribute is on the economy upswing with the last tank delivering over 22 miles per gallon.
Date: 26 October 2001	Miles: 14,248
Well, its been 9 months since we took delivery of this Mazda Tribute ES V6. And, in all that time, and in 14, 248 miles, we've come to appreciate the value and capabilities of this biggest of the little SUVs. The Tribute marries a cargo bay that is as wide and a bit taller than a Ford Explorer, with the car-like ride and handling of a vehicle derived from the 626 sedan, with one of the most capable all-wheel drive systems available. While it may lack the true low range of some bigger SUVs, you can lock the front and rear axles together for real 4- wheel drive when needed. On the less than bright side are only the few things we discovered after its first month with us. The Tribute is a rather nosiey drive. In road noise, engine noise, and tire noise. Also, the column gear shifter blocks some center stack controls. That however, is cured for 2002. While there were several recalls early on, we've had no mechanical faults. And, there are also no more squeaks and rattles now than then, and the Tribute's 200-horsepower V- 6 is getting looser and more responsive by the day. And, more frugal. We're up to 19.2 miles per gallon, that's a 2% rise since last report. So, drive on little Tribute, a strong member of our test fleet, and along with its kin the Ford Escape, still MotorWeek's Drivers' Choice Best Vehicle Of The Year.
Date: 21 December 2001	Miles: 16,212
Almost 11 months have passed since we took delivery of our Mazda Tribute ES V6, and almost 10 months have passed since we named it, and its kin the Ford Escape as our MotorWeek Drivers' Choice pick for Best Of The Year. We are thus most pleased to say the Tribute has done nothing in all that time, and some 16,212 miles, to make us regret our decision. In fact, while most of our long term vehicles start to loosen up at about this stage in their lives, the Tribute seems as well-cemented together as the day it was new. Our only pause is that some of the staff find the throttle too sensitive to feather properly when you only want the barest minimum of power to keep moving on icy roads. But, it certainly has been fault free, and not bad on gas either. For all its guts it still delivers 19.0 miles per gallon. For 11 months we have also complained about lots of interior noise, and the awkward gear shift that blocks the center stack controls. Both addressed by Mazda in 2002 Tributes. So, our best pick then, still is.
Date: 02 January 2002	Miles: 17,435
The Mazda Tribute continues to be one of our favorites among small SUVs, even with so many new entrants of late. Its 200 horsepower V-6 is one strong point, its trim styling and large comfortable interior two more. Fuel economy has risen slightly, to 19.1 miles per gallon after 17,435 miles. Mechanically it is as solid as the day delivered, and while not the quietest SUV on the road, sound intrusion has never deteriorated.
Date: 29 March 2002	Miles: 17,435
A little over a year ago, we picked the Mazda Tribute, along with its kin the Ford Escape, as the top small SUVs for 2001, shortly after we took delivery of this Mazda Tribute ES-V6 for our long term test fleet. Now, as our Tribute 4X4 is retired, we're pleased to say ''we told you so''. The Tribute proved itself a worthy choice after a hard 17,435 miles of mostly short haul, crew and equipment carrying adventures. Mazda says there is a lot of ''zoom-zoom'' in this SUV and we concur. Much of it comes from the 200-horsepower Duratec V-6 which performed flawlessly, and also managed a respectable 19.1 miles per gallon over the test. Our complaints were documented early on: a high interior noise level. Noise from the engine, and the tires, and the wind. But that's about it. The Tribute was such a hit with so many of our staff that one of them bought it. It seems that the Mazda Tribute is one small SUV that MotorWeek just couldn't let slip away.