Ford's all-aluminum 3.0-liter V6 Duratec engine has been around for a while, and it still gets the job done. Two hundred horsepower is plenty for the Mazda Tribute, never mind that the Nissan Xterra and Toyota RAV4 have quite a bit more. Although if you tow anything, you might need more than the Tribute offers.We didn't, not even with our load of people. The Tribute cruised at freeway speeds, even up long grades, without straining. The engine is smooth, quiet, and doesn't fall back on the transmission kicking down a lot. This is almost surprising, given that it's only a four-speed automatic, and that the full 193 pound-feet of engine torque comes at a relatively high 4850 rpm. We often find that cars with four-speed automatics need a fifth gear, but the Tribute's four-speed is adequate, and smooth.
Regrettably, we didn't have the opportunity to drive a Tribute with the 2.3-liter, four-cylinder engine. This is Mazda's bread-and-butter engine, and is well proven. Its 153 horsepower and 152 pound-feet of torque at 4250 rpm might be enough for your needs in the Tribute, although it can only tow 1500 pounds. It gets two more miles per gallon and costs $2000 less.
We have no complaints whatsoever with the ride. We put 272 miles on the Tribute, over familiar terrain that sometimes jags us in other vehicles, but we were able to forget about those bumps driving the Tribute, with its wide track and independent suspension, using MacPherson struts in front and multi-links in the rear. The suspension tuning has been refined for 2008, as well. There's no tipping, wallowing, weaving, shaking, or anything like that.
The handling is steady, tight and nimble 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 good visibility with no blind spots out the back is another virtue. There's a tight enough turning radius, which we tested once to catch a parking space on the opposite side of the street.
In terms of brakes, Mazda has taken a technological step backwards. The previous model had four-wheel anti-lock disc brakes, but the '08 Tribute uses drum brakes in the rear. It's disappointing, and apparently a cost-cutting move. It might be an issue if you tow.
The tradeoff is that, despite a decrease in the price of the Tribute by about $650, there's more safety equipment, and it's significant. Electronic stability control, rollover control and traction control, a tire pressure monitor, side front airbags and full-length airbag curtains all come standard. None of these things were standard on the 2006.
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