Road Tests: Long-Term Test

Video highlights of this vehicle

A muggy August descended upon Southern California, the place where the Edmunds.com staff calls home. Road Test Editor Liz Kim took this opportunity to gripe about her ride for the month, the Mazda Tribute. Her main issue is a shortcoming presented by the ventilation system. The three-knob controls are standard-issue Ford (Ford owns a controlling interest in Mazda, and the Tribute and Escape share parts from the same bin), but getting into the mini-ute after a long nap in the afternoon sun, its inequities really came to light. For one thing, the only way to get recirculated air when stuck behind a noxious diesel truck is to turn the air conditioner to the maximum setting. For another, you can't get cooled air to a specific zone of your body — say, your tired, sweaty feet, since that zone option necessitates you turn off the air conditioner. All you can get is hot air or lukewarm air. This problem can be so very easily rectified through the use of separate buttons to control the air conditioner and recirculation functions.

Otherwise, the usual complaints applied, including the one about the Tribute's short fuel range that had our driver running to the gas station an immoderate amount of times during the month. Plus, the lackluster interior continues to rattle as much as a pair of maracas shaken by a sombrero-wearing señor at a quincerias party.

But really, these are minor gripes, and most of the time Liz finds the Tribute a joy to drive, with its vivacious powertrain and handling dynamics. The spirit of the 200-horsepower V6 engine is complemented by a precise steering rack that never falters and a four-wheel independent suspension with tight tuning that manages the weight transitions so well you're almost duped into believing that you're driving a car. Plus, equipped with options like a sunroof and an in-dash six-disc CD changer, the Tribute has more than its proper share of the "fun" quotient.

Last month, Liz sent herself on a guilt trip for lugging around in the Ford Explorer. She simply didn't feel she needed to appropriate that much space. While she appreciated the vehicle for what it does, she still had the vague notion she would never need the kind of space offered by the Explorer. The Tribute, however, didn't connote the same sense of wastefulness the Explorer exudes. She certainly didn't miss the two extra cylinders or the accompanying increase in horsepower; 200 of them are perfectly sufficient to suit her needs.

What she liked most of all was the fact that she was hauling around a vehicle approximately 1,000 pounds lighter and 16.5 inches shorter than the Explorer. She found the Tribute's 64 cubic feet of cargo space perfectly serviceable for a run to Home Depot to buy a cordless lawn mower for her sister. Certainly, there are those who need the capacity of a bigger SUV for their daily needs, but Liz surmised that most of the time, an occasional large box is about as bulky an item the majority of SUV consumers will haul. So why are there so many big, heavy trucks on the road? And how many licks does it take to get to the chocolaty center of a Tootsie Pop? Liz wants to know.

Our Galaxy Blue Tribute continues to charm its drivers with well-proportioned lines and chrome accents lending a pleasing appearance; this along with its lively driving experience explains why it's always seen as a desirable vehicle to be assigned for the month. No wonder it has a disproportionate amount of miles on the odometer, forcing us to shy away from lengthy road trips that will put expensive miles on the vehicle when it comes time for lease end. Tune in to see if this impression will hold in its final four months of its tenure at Edmunds.com.

Current Odometer: 33,571
Best Fuel Economy: 17.7 mpg
Worst Fuel Economy: 15.4 mpg
Average Fuel Economy (over the life of the vehicle): 18.2 mpg
Body Repair Costs: None
Maintenance Costs: None
Problems: None