2003 Mazda Tribute Review

Name: 2003 Mazda Tribute Review
Brand: Mazda
Price: 1318 USD
Rating: 4.6 (204 reviews)

+88

Used Tribute for sale

Not available nearby

See Cars for Online Purchase See All for Sale

Appraise This Car

Mazda Tribute model years

2003
2002
2001

Mazda Tribute for Sale

See Edmunds pricing data

Has Your Car's Value Changed?

Used car values are constantly changing. Edmunds lets you track your vehicle's value over time so you can decide when to sell or trade in.

See pricing history

Edmunds' Expert Review

by the Edmunds Experts

Pros

Roomy and comfortable, peppy V6 engine, great value for the money, drives more like a car than a truck.

Cons

Loud engines, poor fuel economy and range with V6.

What’s new

DX, LX and ES trims carryover, but the V6 is newly limited to LX and ES. If you want to see what's new on the 2003 Tribute, you'll need to look inside. This year, the dashboard is two-tone, and the insert trim is either brushed aluminum (DX and LX) or fake black wood (ES). ES models are equipped with upgraded leather and a cold package that includes heated seats and exterior mirrors. New options include an auto-dimming rearview mirror with compass and a DVD entertainment system. Four new colors round out the changes.

Edmunds says

Despite the entrance of revised and redesigned competitors to the marketplace, Mazda's Tribute remains a favorite due to its competent blend of style, space and fun-to-drive nature.

Cost to Drive^{Cost to drive estimates for the 2003 Mazda Tribute DX Fwd 4dr SUV (2.0L 4cyl 5M) and comparison vehicles are based on 15,000 miles per year (with a mix of 55% city and 45% highway driving) and energy estimates of $3.50 per gallon for regular unleaded in Ohio.}

Monthly estimates based on costs in Ohio

$197/mo

$184/mo

Avg. Compact SUV

Calculate my fuel costs

Consumer reviews

Read what other owners think about the Used 2003 Mazda Tribute.

5 (72%)

4 (23%)

3 (4%)

2 (1%)

1 (0%)

4.6

204 reviews

Write a vehicle review See all 204 reviews

Most helpful consumer reviews

Over 300,000 miles

bluechicken, 12/28/2014

2003 Mazda Tribute LX-V6 Fwd 4dr SUV (3.0L 6cyl 4A)

I bought my Mazda Tribute new in December 2002. I live at 6,000 ft elevation on a mountain. For the first 9 years of owning my Tribute, I commuted 100 miles a day, mountain road all the way. My Tribute had no trouble pulling the grade going up the mountain. It performs great in the snow with snow tires. It is a very stable vehicle. I now have 306,000 miles on my Tribute!! The only …

Great little SUV - even after 120K!

wbzcourt, 10/20/2011

2003 Mazda Tribute LX-V6 Fwd 4dr SUV (3.0L 6cyl 4A)

I am sad to say that I recently totaled my tribute and am now shopping for a new one. I bought my 03 used with 25k miles on it. I was super impressed with its reliability in the 6 years I owned it. Bought new tires once. Major tuneup before a trip at 100k. Other than that - just oil changes. Ran perfectly. It did have some wind noise which was slightly annoying, but certainly tolerable. …

IN balance, best ever

Oldfrat, 03/18/2010

2003 Mazda Tribute LX-V6 Fwd 4dr SUV (3.0L 6cyl 4A)

I've owned and driven a lot of vehicles in the past 40 years including a 63 Corvair, 2 67 Corvettes, big Plymouths, Mercurys and Cadillacs, and a Dodge Ram truck. My 2003 Tribute is clearly the best ever on an overall basis. The other ones did some things a lot better than the Tribute, but none did everything to the same good level. It has the most driver leg room of any car I've …

Truly the best vehicle I've ever owned!

Gayle Davis, 12/29/2015

2003 Mazda Tribute LX-V6 4WD 4dr SUV (3.0L 6cyl 4A)

Truly the best vehicle I've ever owned! If they still made the tribute I would buy one immediately. We have had no problems with this car. We bought it new in 2003. The only problem with it now is that has developed a very slight oil leak; we lose very little oil and never have to replenish it between oil changes every six months. The only reason we are buying a new car is that the …

See all 204 reviews of the Mazda Tribute

Write a vehicle review

2003 Tribute Highlights

Trim:

Base MSRP Excludes Destination Fee	$18,455
Engine Type	Gas
Combined MPG	22 MPG
Cost to Drive	$197/month
Seating	5 seats
Cargo Capacity All Seats In Place	33.1 cu.ft.
Drivetrain	front wheel drive
Warranty	4 years / 50,000 miles

See all features & specs

Safety

NHTSA Overall Rating

The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration offers independent analysis.

Frontal Barrier Crash Rating
OverallNot Rated
Driver5 / 5
Passenger4 / 5
Side Crash Rating
OverallNot Rated
Side Barrier Rating
OverallNot Rated
Driver5 / 5
Passenger5 / 5
Combined Side Barrier & Pole Ratings
Front SeatNot Rated
Back SeatNot Rated
Rollover
Rollover3 / 5
Dynamic Test ResultNo Tip
Risk Of RolloverNot Rated

IIHS Rating

The Insurance Institute of Highway Safety uses extensive crash tests to determine car safety.

Small Overlap Front Driver-Side Test
Not Tested
Small Overlap Front Passenger-Side Test
Not Tested
Moderate Overlap Front Test – Original
Marginal
Moderate Overlap Front Test – Updated
Not Tested
Side Impact Test – Original
Poor
Side Impact Test – Updated
Not Tested
Roof Strength Test
Not Tested
Rear Crash Protection / Head Restraint
Not Tested

2003 Mazda Tribute Review

Edmunds' Expert Review

Pros

Cons

What’s new

Edmunds says

Cost to Drive^{Cost to drive estimates for the 2003 Mazda Tribute DX Fwd 4dr SUV (2.0L 4cyl 5M) and comparison vehicles are based on 15,000 miles per year (with a mix of 55% city and 45% highway driving) and energy estimates of $3.50 per gallon for regular unleaded in Ohio.}

Consumer reviews

Read what other owners think about the Used 2003 Mazda Tribute.

Trending topics in reviews

Most helpful consumer reviews

Over 300,000 miles

Great little SUV - even after 120K!

IN balance, best ever

Truly the best vehicle I've ever owned!

2003 Tribute Highlights

Safety

Related Used 2003 Mazda Tribute info

Vehicle reviews of used models

Shop used vehicles in your area

Popular new car reviews and ratings

Research other models of Mazda

Research similar vehicles

Other models

Join Edmunds

2003 Mazda Tribute Review

Edmunds' Expert Review

Pros

Cons

What’s new

Edmunds says

Cost to DriveCost to drive estimates for the 2003 Mazda Tribute DX Fwd 4dr SUV (2.0L 4cyl 5M) and comparison vehicles are based on 15,000 miles per year (with a mix of 55% city and 45% highway driving) and energy estimates of $3.50 per gallon for regular unleaded in Ohio.

Most helpful consumer reviews

Over 300,000 miles

Great little SUV - even after 120K!

IN balance, best ever

Truly the best vehicle I've ever owned!

2003 Tribute Highlights

Safety

Related Used 2003 Mazda Tribute info

Vehicle reviews of used models

Shop used vehicles in your area

Popular new car reviews and ratings

Research other models of Mazda

Research similar vehicles

Other models

Join Edmunds

Cost to Drive^{Cost to drive estimates for the 2003 Mazda Tribute DX Fwd 4dr SUV (2.0L 4cyl 5M) and comparison vehicles are based on 15,000 miles per year (with a mix of 55% city and 45% highway driving) and energy estimates of $3.50 per gallon for regular unleaded in Ohio.}