Road Tests: Long-Term Test

Video highlights of this vehicle

The Edmunds.com long-term program has several goals, one of which is to maintain a healthy mix of vehicles. Despite claims from certain staffers that a Ferrari 360 Spyder would perfectly round out the fleet, our long-term candidates have to fit into the overall scheme of things. Obviously, we try to cover as many market segments as is fiscally possible, especially given the fact that we actually pay for our long-term cars rather than have them handed to us by the manufacturer. We also try to maintain a balance between cars and trucks and foreign versus domestic nameplates while still showcasing what we believe to be the hottest new products.

Lucky for us, Mazda's new Tribute covers all of these practical bases in the long-term program while still being an entertaining and utilitarian vehicle. First, it's technically a truck (even though it's got unibody construction, four-wheel independent suspension, and rack-and-pinion steering) so that helps balance the car/truck aspect of our fleet. It's also a foreign nameplate (though 85 percent of its parts content comes from North America and it's assembled in Kansas City), which keeps our foreign/domestic ratio in check. Finally, because it has a near identical twin, the Ford Escape, it's likely that Escape owners, and potential owners, will get as much benefit from this car's appearance in our long-term updates as Tribute owners do, thus doubling the "cute ute's" readership.

But is it a hot product? Does it register on the all-important "I gotta have one!" scale that every automaker tries to shoot for when introducing a new model? The answer is, "That depends." In a bizarre twist of fate, our car-buying consultant, Phil Reed, found himself in the strange position of trying to locate two Tributes at the same time. Both of them had to be ES-V6 models with ABS. One was for our long-term fleet, housed primarily in Los Angeles; the other one was for an Edmunds.com executive's daughter living in New York City. The buying experience for each Tribute was as varied as the December weather patterns in each of these two cities.

Similar to our PT Cruiser challenges back in August, the Tribute proved to be much hotter on the West Coast than it was back East. After realizing that ES-V6 models with ABS were tough to locate, Phil began cold-calling dealers and asking them if they had any ES-V6 Tributes on the way. He was quoted prices ranging from $1,000 to $3,000 over MSRP. Finally, at Galpin Mazda in Van Nuys, Calif., Phil talked to David Gutierrez. Mr. Gutierrez told Phil that they were selling Tributes for sticker, except for the DX model, which was being slightly discounted. They didn't have any Tributes on the lot that met our requirements exactly, but they expected a Galaxy Blue Metallic ES-V6 with ABS to arrive in the next two weeks, and they needed only $100 to hold it for us. We should mention that this price was agreed upon before Galpin knew the car was for Edmunds.com.

In New York, the process was far less belabored. Phil explains, "Back East, the availability of the ES seemed better. I found several ESs sitting on lots. The ES that we ultimately bought was $400 over invoice, but the sales manager, Ralph Sibbio, and the sales consultant, Linda Cipriano, at Manhattan Auto Group, knew who we were and gave us a sweet deal." When our executive's daughter arrived at the dealership to take delivery, the sales staff, in her words, "rolled out the red carpet" and had her on her way in no time.

Our difficulties in locating a suitable Tribute on the West Coast were further complicated when, on the day we were scheduled to take delivery, a recall was issued. Because it was a safety recall related to the windshield wipers, the dealership wouldn't release the car to us until it was inspected. The timing couldn't have been worse, as our executive editor was taking the week of Thanksgiving off and the recall came on the Friday before, meaning he wouldn't have the Tribute during his vacation. A week and a half later, after crosschecking the vehicle identification number with those on the recall list, Galpin Mazda confirmed that our Tribute was not affected by the recall. We were finally allowed to pick it up.

This recall incident points to what is perhaps the most troubling aspect of the Ford Escape/Mazda Tribute. In the six months since these vehicles were introduced, a total of SIX recalls have been issued, many of them rather frightening. For instance, the first recall involved a malfunctioning cruise control unit that could cause the throttle to stick. Then came notice of a faulty steering column screw that might allow the steering wheel to fall off. This was followed by news of rear wheels that might fall off and leaky fuel lines that could result in fire. Thankfully, by comparison, the faulty windshield wiper linkage that held up our Tribute for a week and half seemed rather innocuous.

As with the Focus, the Tribute is superior to many vehicles in its class. At 200 horsepower, it's the most powerful mini-ute on the market. Ride and handling are among the best you'll find in a high-profile vehicle. And, as with the Focus, incessant recalls shortly after the vehicle's introduction could threaten its long-term success. They most certainly are causing a few Escape/Tribute buyers to rethink their purchase choice.

After a month behind the wheel of our Galaxy Blue Tribute, executive editor Karl Brauer is prepared to forgive the Mazda's checkered past. The engine "is a delight" in his opinion. It makes a low frequency groan when heavy throttle is applied, but the Tribute actually bolts forward (a term he never thought he'd use in reference to an SUV), oftentimes surprising the sport coupe driver next to him at stoplights. Freeway merging is pure bliss and the 3.0-liter V6 has no problem maintaining 75 mph or more.

This abundant power combines with tight steering and a stable ride to give the Tribute an eerily sporty feel. The commercials claim this vehicle is what would happen if a bunch of sports cars (in this case, Miatas) raised an SUV. A somewhat goofy, but certainly accurate, concept for describing the Tribute's driving characteristics. Mr. Brauer's commute doesn't allow for any true handling tests, yet even on the mean streets of West L.A. he came to appreciate the Mazda's ability to bound over neighborhood dips in one instant, then sluice around a freeway on-ramp the next. If this is the future of the SUV (and we believe it is) than tomorrow can't get here soon enough.

A few minor (and one major) complaints did arise during our honeymoon period with the Tribute. The most glaring, or should that be dimming, was the angle of the headlights. Aimed almost directly at the ground, they failed to illuminate anything more than 8 feet beyond the Tribute's grille. It took a trip to Santa Monica Mazda to re-aim them, though this was handled in a few hours and cost us nothing.

Beyond the headlight issue, we noticed rather weak detents between gears, requiring extra care when shifting between park, neutral, and reverse. We've been impressed with six-disc in-dash CD changer, but can't understand why Mazda failed to give us a tuning knob for the radio. It's not like the knob doesn't already exist. In fact, it's sitting right there, waiting to be used for audio functions like bass, treble, balance, etc. But these functions come up only when you push the knob in before turning it. Simply turning the knob does nothing while tuning the radio requires pushing up and down on smallish buttons. Seems like a waste of hardware to us.

There's also a rattle coming from the cargo area, likely due to a loose interior panel located on the rear hatch. Otherwise, build quality appears first rate with sparkling paint, supple leather and tight body panel tolerances.

How will the Tribute hold up over two years of life with Edmunds.com? Check back here every month for the next 24 and find out.


Total Odometer Reading: 728
Best Fuel Economy: 17.5
Worst Fuel Economy: 12.5
Average Fuel Economy (over the life of the vehicle): 14.3
Body Repair Costs: None
Maintenance Costs: None
Problems: Headlights pointed straight down, providing no forward illumination (fixed for free under warranty).