The Mazda Tribute is an agile and powerful little SUV and it handles better than most sport-utilities. Its sharp steering allows the driver to guide it precisely. We found the Tribute stable at high speeds. Handling response is relatively taut on winding roads, without that mushiness that characterizes SUVs with big off-road tires and long-travel suspensions. Tribute handles much better than a Jeep Liberty, for example, and it's sportier and more fun to drive than a Honda CR-V.Steering response is direct and accurate without a big dead spot in the center. There's enough feeling in the steering to give the driver a good sense of control. The tires provide respectable grip in paved corners and transient response in lane-change maneuvers is surprisingly good. In other words, it's relatively tight when turning back and forth on a winding road or in an accident-avoidance maneuver. The suspensions on front-wheel-drive (2WD) and four-wheel-drive (4WD) versions are identical, so there's no ride-quality penalty with 4WD.
Noise, vibration and harshness levels are low when underway, so it feels relatively refined though not luxurious.
The Tribute's ride quality is smoother and more sophisticated than that of most other compact sport utilities. It offers firm damping and a good control of body motions. The 2005 Tribute received increased spring rates and a larger front stabilizer bar to general approval, lending it a sportier character when the roads get twisty.
The V6 in the Tribute s is neither the smoothest nor the roughest V6 on the market, but it's smoother and more satisfying than the four-cylinder engines found on most small sport-utilities. It's more powerful than the V6 engines in the Hyundai Santa Fe and Kia Sorento, but it's about 10 horsepower shy of the heavier Jeep Liberty's new V6 and trails the RAV4's very powerful V6 by 69 horsepower.
The V6 engine and four-speed automatic work well together. The transmission shifts smoothly up and down, appropriately for the situation. A broad power band means the engine never lugs or strains. Mazda tuned the transmission for slightly more aggressive shifting and mapped it for quicker acceleration than in the Ford Escape. Properly equipped, the Tribute can tow trailers up to 3500 pounds, which covers personal watercraft, ATVs, snowmobiles, and small boats.
The four-wheel-drive system improves driver control on wet pavement, ice and snow. The Tribute is capable of negotiating two-tracks, but it isn't designed for true off-road travel. Neither its four-wheel-drive system nor its suspension are up to tackling rugged terrain. There's no traction control system nor is there a set of low-range gears. If rugged terrain is on your itinerary, you might be better served by the Jeep Liberty. Tribute handles well on smooth dirt roads, however, and the four-wheel-drive versions should get to most of the places most of us want to go. The 2WD Tributes may have trouble slogging through silt or mud without getting stuck.
Tribute's four-wheel-drive system works full time, automatically transferring power between the front and rear wheels as needed. The Active Torque Control Coupling, introduced on the 2005 models, features a computer-controlled electromagnetic clutch. The newly developed system can react faster and more smoothly to changing road conditions and driver input than the old hydraulic system.
Tribute i models come with front disc and rear drum brakes, while the s is upgraded with four-wheel disc brakes. The brakes do a good job of slowing the Tribute down in a hurry and are smooth and responsive around town. ABS, which allows the driver to brake and steer at the same time, is standard, along with Electronic Brake-force Distribution, which balances brake force front to rear for more stable braking, and Brake Assist, which assists the driver in maintaining maximum brake force in an emergency stopping situation.
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