Road Tests: Long-Term Test

Video highlights of this vehicle

Our trusty little Tribute rotated through various editors this month, going from baby-toting duty to off-road high jinks, depending on who was driving. With almost 35,000 miles on the ticker, it's showing a few signs of wear, but on the whole it remains a staff favorite.

Road Test Coordinator Kelly Stennick took a turn in the Trib' for a weekend and found it to be an excellent vehicle for errand-running with her two-year-old daughter. "It's just about the perfect size — high enough to give you a good view of traffic, but still manageable when it came to getting my little one out of her car seat," Kelly remarked. "I also like the fact that it doesn't feel quite as big on the road as the Explorer. Some people like the king-of-the-road stature, but I much prefer the Tribute's smaller feel. It makes parking less of a pain and you don't really give up much in the way of cargo capacity. I can still fit a good size stroller in the cargo bay without a hassle."

As one of the newer members of the staff, Kelly never experienced the Tribute in its squeak-free infancy, but even still, she couldn't overlook the numerous creaks and rattles that permeated the cabin on her various short trips. "I don't know how good or bad it was when it was new, but I'm guessing it was significantly tighter than it is now. With over 30,000 miles on the clock, perhaps this is to be expected to a certain degree, but our long-term Passat has nearly twice the miles and half the squeaks — go figure."

Some of those squeaks could have been the result of Road Test Editor Ed Hellwig's romp in the dirt with the Tribute. "I know most people will never use their Tribute for serious off-roading, but I was curious as to just how capable and fun it would be in the rough stuff." A long detour into the San Bernardino Mountains allowed Ed to test the Tribute's four-wheel-drive system and push-button locking center differential. "It's actually quite fun on more moderate fire roads. With plenty of low-end power and a relatively stiff suspension, it's easy to slide it around the turns without feeling out of control. Once in a while, you can feel the power being transferred from front to back, but if you keep the center differential locked it's rarely a problem," Ed wrote in his notes.

When the going gets rough, however, the Tribute tends to have a little trouble. "When I encountered a few tight spots that required a little more ground clearance and suspension travel, the Tribute didn't fare as well. I hit the side sills a few times and any decent size holes or drops tended to bottom out the suspension. None of this was unexpected, and it made it through with a little careful driving, but anyone who encounters this type of terrain on a regular basis probably wouldn't feel too good about knocking it around so much."

Back on the highway, Ed was quickly reminded of why most people buy the Tribute. "This thing can really rip through the turns. It didn't exactly beat any Corvettes on the way down the hill, but it was pretty close to a lot of cars in terms of its handling ability and composure on the winding highway back to civilization. The steering has a nice, heavy feel that delivers good feedback, and body roll is kept well under control." As much as Ed liked the Mazda's handling, however, he wasn't about to turn in his car keys just yet. "I would still prefer a car any day on the street, but when I considered how much fun I had in the dirt earlier in the day, the Tribute's respectable road manners were a pleasant surprise."

With the odometer about to tick past 35,000 any day now, our Tribute is nearly ready for another service appointment. Hopefully, removing a dust-choked air filter doesn't cost extra.

Current Odometer: 34,817
Best Fuel Economy: 20.2 mpg
Worst Fuel Economy: 12.0 mpg
Average Fuel Economy (over the life of the vehicle): 18.2 mpg
Body Repair Costs: None
Maintenance Costs: None
Problems: None