2010 Mazda Tribute Review

The 2010 Mazda Tribute offers a little zoom in the overcrowded world of compact sport utility vehicles. It is fun to drive and provides all the expected conveniences of a compact SUV. There are no significant changes for 2010. The Mazda Tribute, a sibling to the Mercury Mariner and Ford Escape, got a significant exterior and interior face-lift for 2008. For 2009, Mazda made a slew of mechanical changes designed to improve performance and efficiency, including new four-cylinder and V-6 engines. Sport, Touring and Grand Touring trim levels are offered. The Tribute competes head to head with the Toyota RAV4, Honda CR-V and Chevrolet Equinox. Standard safety features include electronic stability control with roll control, front, side and curtain airbags, four-wheel anti-lock brakes, traction control, and tire pressure monitoring. The biggest change for 2010 is that the Mazda Tribute incorporates flex-fuel capability with the 3.0-liter V6. The Grand Touring trims receive a video display system in the rear view mirror, and towing package as standard equipment. EPA Fuel Economy for the Tribute comes in at 18 - 22 mpg city and 23 - 28 mpg highway; it has a starting MSRP of $20,090 - $28,600.

2010 Tribute Power

The 2010 Tribute is available with two engine options: a 2.5-liter four-cylinder or a 3.0-liter V6. A five-speed manual transmission is offered, but only on the i Sport FWD trim, all other FWD and AWD trim levels, regardless of engine, are standard with a six-speed automatic transmission. Tribute s models use Ford's Duratec 3.0-liter V6 that makes 200 horsepower and 193 pound-feet of torque. It's a smooth engine that works well in the Tribute with its four-speed automatic transmission. Many competitors have (and need) a five-speed automatic, but the four-speed in the Tribute is adequate. Tribute i models use Ford/Mazda's proven 2.3-liter four-cylinder, the same engine that powers the Mazda3, and is popular in race cars because of its potential to make big horsepower. In the Tribute, it delivers a modest 153 horsepower and 152 pound-feet of torque. It gets better fuel economy than the V6 and costs about $2000 less. The Tribute has a choice of being either front- or all-wheel drive.

Mazda Tribute Design

The Tribute for 2010 offers a stylish design with a black egg-crate grille, in Mazda's wedge shape that suggests a grin, with a chrome Mazda gullwing logo centered in a chrome strip across the top. The halogen headlights, small and simple trapezoids, complement that shape. The B-pillar slopes back with a small angle to give the side windows some angularity. This allows a practical sized rear cargo window, for better visibility and safety. The liftgate window opens separately, a nice feature that used to be common but is less so these days. The taillights, like the rest of the Tribute, are no-nonsense: big and blocky enough to be safe, with just enough shape to be handsome. The rear bumper has a flat shelf having a rubber strip, making climbing up to the roofrack easier; that rack, with crossbars that easily adjust by fingertip knobs, is standard on all models but the Sport.

Driving the Tribute

The handling of the 2010 Tribute is steady, tight and nimble for around town. One of the few new mechanical features is electric power rack-and-pinion steering, which helps make the Tribute easy to parallel park. The front fenders are more squared off than before, making it easier to see the front corners when parking; and, out the back, good visibility with no blind spots is another virtue. The turning radius is tight enough to make a U-turn in the width of a city street. On the highway, the Tribute accelerates fine with either powertrain option and is easy to control.

2010 Tribute Cabin

The Mazda Tribute cabin offers plenty of space for five, and has a variety of storage and convenience features. For the passengers in the rear seat, there are two fixed cupholders on the console between the front seats, a small storage bin, an AC outlet, map pockets on the front seatbacks, and door pockets. The rear doors close easily with a solid notch for the hand. The Tribute has seating for five and a 60/40-split folding rear seat. The rear seats fold easily enough, although not totally flat. The seat bottoms slide forward, and the seatbacks then flop down. Everything is at hand and not problematic for the driver. The gauges are clean and easy to read, with a neat tach and speedo, split by small gas and temp gauges. The center stack contains everything that's needed, with dials for the main controls of the sound system and climate system, and buttons that have simple standard icons and are big enough to see and use. This simplicity makes for a safer vehicle, because the driver's concentration isn't stolen by confusion or problem solving.

Mazda Tribute Lineup

The Tribute i Sport comes with cloth interior, air conditioner with pollen filter, all the usual power things, 16-inch alloy wheels with all-season tires, halogen headlights and foglights, flip-up rear window, cargo hooks, rear heater ducts, reclining front seats, 60/40 split folding rear seats, AM/FM/CD player with four speakers, remote entry, cruise control and tilt steering wheel.

Touring adds a roofrack with crossbars, tinted glass, six-way power driver's seat with lumbar support, overhead console with bins.
Grand Touring adds leather seats, heated front seats, 190-watt sound system with six-disc CD player and seven speakers, a moonroof, heated mirrors, automatic headlights, and a cargo cover.

Tribute s Sport, s Touring and s Grand Touring are equipped exactly like those three models but with the V6 and associated equipment.

Conclusions

The Tribute is perfect for families and commuters alike looking for the utility of an SUV in balance with the driving performance of a sedan. Mazda is known for its 'zoom zoom' fun to drive approach, and the Tribute is clearly a true member of the Mazda family. This is an affordable vehicle, coming in at the $20,000 range, it has decent fuel efficiency and a great handling performance.

Reedman Toll Mazda

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