Road Tests: Long-Term Test

Video highlights of this vehicle

Another month gone by, and our long-term Tribute continues to impress. With its car-like handling and sport-ute versatility, the Tribute is rapidly becoming a staff favorite. Despite early recall problems and a few nagging concerns with a dealer-installed security system, we've had little trouble with our four-wheel-drive ES tester.

Edmunds.com CEO Peter Steinlauf spent a considerable amount of time behind the wheel and found the Tribute comfortable and spacious during his daily commute. He liked the excellent view provided by the high seating position, but the overly long gearshift lever that blocks the radio and hard-to-find ignition continued to annoy. He also found that when loaded with a full complement of passengers, the normally swift Tribute loses some of its punch. "It could use a bit more power, but otherwise, it's a great little vehicle."

Being so popular, it's not surprising that the Trib has racked up over 20,000 miles so quickly. The maintenance schedule calls for an oil change at 22,500 miles, so a visit to Santa Monica Mazda was in order. We called mid-morning expecting that something as simple as an oil change shouldn't require advance notice. They said no problem, so we promptly headed down to the service department where Chris, our service advisor, wrote us up. He attempted to add a few extras in with our basic service, but we insisted on going by the book, requesting that only a tire rotation be added in along with the oil change. We returned around 4:30, and after tracking down Chris, we were presented with a bill for $37.50, a few dollars more than our estimate, but still reasonable for an oil change and tire rotation.

So after almost a year of hard service, our Tribute has encountered few problems. Nearly everyone on staff has enjoyed their time behind the wheel, and its place on our Most Wanted list attests to our satisfaction. Its combination of power, performance and versatility makes it a great small car alternative that won't leave you feeling like a freeway pip squeak.

Current Odometer: 23,065
Best Fuel Economy: 14.9 mpg
Worst Fuel Economy: 12.0. mpg
Average Fuel Economy (over the life of the vehicle): 18.2 mpg
Body Repair Costs: $0
Maintenance Costs: $37.50
Problems: None