Car reviews

Introduction

The Tribute has the rugged looks of an off-roader, but you’ll soon find it to be more at home on the tarmac. Inside it shares a lot in common with the Ford Maverick it was built in conjunction with. This is a good thing though as everything is clearly laid out and easy to use. There is a good amount of space inside too making it a viable family car. It’s just a pity that the interior is so dull. Uniquely for a car like this the entry level engine comes as either a two or four-wheel drive.

Exterior & Interior

The Tribute comes with a good off-road image with its high ride height and distinctive bumpers. It also comes with a spacious interior even if it is rather bland unattractive. Up front there is plenty of space for the occupants to sit comfortably and all of the seats are supple and supportive. The boot is a good size though being able to accommodate the whole family’s luggage easily with the added bonus of being able to fold flat the back seats so you can carry larger objects too. Everything on the dash is well laid out and there has clearly been some thought that has gone into its construction.

There are two trim levels to choose from in the 2.0-litre engine, the GXi and GSi. We’d go for the GSi as you get a lot more kit for you’re money and on used buys the gap in cost between the two will have shrunk dramatically. The V6 comes with its own trim though and that includes a CD multichanger, leather upholstery and an automatic gearbox.

Drive

The Tribute is much more at home on the tarmac than it is off-road. This is despite its rugged looks which almost give a false indication about the performance of the car. The ride is good and supple and the steering feels nicely weighted and accurate. There is far too much body roll in the corners though. Off-road it doesn’t compare well to any of its rivals with the Freelander, Rav-4 and CR-V all being better. However, if you’re only going to be making the occasional jaunt up a dirt road or across a field then the Mazda Tribute should suit your needs well.

The driving position is good too with plenty of adjustments allowing the driver to find a comfortable driving position easily and there are good views of the road ahead.

Faults & Repairs

The Tribute was never sold in great numbers in the UK and as such it’s hard to guage the overall reliability. It’s owners have nothing but praise for it and as Mazda’s consistently feature high on the reliability surveys you can be sure that you will hardly ever have any problems with it.

Service and repair costs should prove fairly low too as Mazda’s hourly rates are some of the lowest in the business and the average repair costs tend to be fairly low too.