- suv
- Missoula, MT
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- autoshopper.com
2001 mazda tribute review this car review is specific to this model, not the actual vehicle for sale. Zoom!. introductionmazda's commercials show its new tribute zooming around with a pack of miatas. Mazda and ford worked jointly on developing the mazda tribute and ford escape and together they outclass the other small utilities. the mazda tribute es, the top model, comes loaded with leather seating, a six-disc in-dash cd player and other luxury features. It has been considered by some to be a poor man's lexus rx 300, which costs another $12,500. It is longer than a cr-v and wider than a ford explorer. Thick bumpers, side cladding and wheel lip moldings smoothly integrated into the body work convey a sense of stability and refined ruggedness. Large multi-reflector headlamps with clear lenses and rear combination lamps with crystal lenses convey a sense of sportiness. A two-tone color scheme and minimal use of chrome create a clean appearance. The front bucket seats and the rear bench seat are comfortable and of higher quality than what's found in many suvs. Like many smaller suvs, the rear windows do not roll down all the way. the second-row seat folds down revealing a flat cargo floor and more than 74 cubic feet of cargo space. The lift gate window does not have to be closed before opening the rear hatch. A 12-volt power outlet is located in the rear of the cargo compartment. radio controls are easy to use with big volume and tuning knobs and the heating, air conditioning and ventilation controls are simple. Cruise controls are mounted on the steering wheel. The instrument panel is straightforward and easy to read. Noise, vibration and harshness levels are low when underway. Visibility in all directions is very good. The shape of the tribute's hood and the seating position allow the driver to clearly see both front corners of the vehicle, an advantage over the honda cr-v, while narrow a- (front) and d- (rear) pillars minimize blind spots. A low bottom edge maximizes visibility out the rear window and there's no spare tire to block the view. leather seating surfaces and a six-way power driver's seat are standard on the es model. An available 190-watt am/fm/cassette/six-disc in-dash cd 505) stereo with six speakers and a subwoofer delivers excellent sound system for lx and es models. driving impressioncalling it the sports sedan of suvs, mazda's advertising features the tribute zooming around a circuit with a pack of miatas. Its sharp steering allows the driver to guide it precisely. Controlling it is easy, even when sliding around a parking lot full of pylons. At high speeds, the tribute is supremely stable, something we learned during extensive driving through the mountains and prairies of utah. Handling response is relatively taut without that mushiness that characterizes suvs with big off-road tires and long-travel suspensions. The ride quality is smoother and more sophisticated than that of the other small sport-utilities in its class with firm damping and a well-controlled ride. The car-based subaru forester is among the few vehicles in this category that offer better handling. mazda's engineers say the miata inspired them when they tuned the tribute's steering response. It feels direct and accurate without a big dead spot in the center. There's enough feeling in the steering to impart a sense of control. Though this is not a sports car, the tires provide respectable grip in paved corners. When pushed beyond their limits, the front tires start slipping before the rear tires just like nearly all suvs and most front-wheel-drive sedans. Called understeer, this means the tribute will describe a wider and wider arc through a corner as it is driven harder into a turn. So it's expected and predictable. Simply back off the throttle and it tightens its line. The tribute provides surprisingly good transient response (in left-right-left lane-change maneuvers). It isn't the smoothest v6 on the market, nor is it the roughest. The transmission shifts smoothly up and down appropriately for the situation and the engine's broad power band never lugs or strains. Mazda tuned the suspension for slightly more aggressive shifting and mapped it for quicker acceleration than the ford escape. A switch on some models allows the driver to lock the torque split 50/50, which is useful when driving off road or on snow-covered roads. though it performs well on primitive unpaved roads, the tribute is. summarymazda's new tribute is more sophisticated than the isuzu rodeo, mitsubishi montero sport, nissan xterra and suzuki vitara. And it costs considerably less than a similarly equipped xterra. Bucket Seats✔ AM/FM✔ CD Player✔ Air Conditioning✔ Sunroof/Moonroof
Missoula, MTMissoula, MT at autoshopper.com