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| Cato on
canadacar
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| 23 June 2000
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MAZDA TRIBUTE
The question for Mazda Canada boils down to this: is the 2001 Mazda Tribute small sport-utility vehicle a match for the hot-selling Honda CR-V? Better than a match, even?
The answer is yes, absolutely. And when the Tribute goes on sale this summer, along with its Ford sibling, the Escape, I would expect Honda to feel some heat. A lot of heat, actually.
Which would be something entirely new for the CR-V. Since it was launched in '97, the CR-V has emerged as Canada's most popular
mini-ute. Honda now sells about 25,000 CR-Vs a year in Canada, for a three-to-one edge over its closest rivals.
Now along comes the Tribute with two engine choices, including an available 200-horsepower V6 that has a 60-hp. edge over the 140-hp. CR-V. The Tribute also has an edge in elegant styling, more front and rear legroom than a Jeep Cherokee (another rival), a smoother ride and tighter steering than the Nissan Xterra (yet another rival) and an expected five-star or best possible crash test rating.
In short, the Tribute is a useful, thoughtfully designed station wagon for the new millennium - right down to its patented four-wheel-drive system. Yes, it will do a little
off-roading, but the Tribute is mostly about having plenty of cabin space in a vehicle with some style, not to mention the ability to handle slippery road conditions.
Okay, then, where did the Tribute come from, what's it like to drive and how much?
The Tribute is the first vehicle produced for the world through the joint efforts of Ford Motor Co. and Mazda. Ford, in case you didn't know, holds a controlling stake in Mazda, Japan's fifth largest car company.
That said, the Tribute was designed and engineered by Mazda in Japan. I would reckon that should be a good thing, in that Mazda is known as a company of top-notch engineers. Unfortunately, those engineers haven't always been the completely tuned in to the marketplace. There were times in the past when Mazda's engineers seemed to be making cars just to please themselves. Thus, in the middle of the '90s Mazda found itself losing millions, teetering on the edge of bankruptcy.
Along came Ford with its global buying power, deep pockets and a greater focus on building cars and trucks - especially trucks - people want to own. The Tribute (and the Ford Escape) reflect a marketplace shift to trucks,
sport-utes and hybrid-type vehicles that fall somewhere in between. For instance, this fall Toyota will launch a re-invented RAV4 (another Tribute competitor) and a larger utility based on the Toyota Camry sedan called the Highlander.
Not surprisingly, the Tribute itself is loosely based on the former Ford Contour sedan. The Tributes sold here will, in fact, be built in the same Kansas City assembly plant that used to snap together Contours and Mercury Mystiques. Likewise, the two engine choices both come from the Contour: a 3.0-litre V6 (200 hp., as I said) which is a modified version of the old 2.5-litre V6 (170 hp.), and a 130-hp. four-cylinder.
Mazda plans to sell both two- and four-wheel drive versions of the Tribute. The base front-drive DX will list for $22,500, while a loaded four-wheel drive ES V6 will sticker at $32,600 and includes a leather interior and a 190 watt audio system with a six-disc CD changer. Five other versions will be priced somewhere in between those two.
I would expect the most popular of the bunch to be the $26,800 four-wheel drive DX V6 version. The latter's standard equipment includes dual front and side airbags, tilt steering, a good stereo and a one-piece fold down rear seat. (If you want a split/fold-down rear seat you need to move up to the $29,300 LX V6.)
The long and short of it is pretty straightforward. The Tribute is a well-equipped
mini-ute with modern, if not daring styling, plenty of giddy-up and a four-wheel-drive system well suited for getting you out of a snow-covered driveway.
In everyday traffic, the Tribute behaves very much like a tallish station wagon. The brakes are strong and the steering is very sharp for this kind of vehicle. Twist the Tribute through some emergency manoeuvres and it is reasonably responsive. In straight highway driving there is only a little noise coming from wind hitting the side mirrors. Mazda officials claim the Tribute's body is 40 per cent stiffer than a CR-V. I don't doubt them, based on my experience behind the wheel. Feels like a very tight package.
Speaking of package, the cabin has the look and feel of pure passenger car. Big instruments, easy to find controls and plenty of head room. The only hint you have that this is a
mini-ute is the switch on the instrument panel that allows the driver to lock in the four-wheel-drive system for extra grip on slick roads.
So far I've only spent a single day with a Tribute and I would expect a longer test planned for this summer will put more detail into my initial observations. But I'd be surprised if the Tribute didn't find a whole bunch of buyers. Some, I suspect, will come over from Honda and other rival automakers.
Yet I also think the Tribute and vehicles like it offer a combination of versatility and style that should appeal to current owners of four-door sedans and even minivans. In the long run, I can see
mini-utes carving out a larger niche, at the expense of more traditional vehicles.
 2001 MAZDA TRIBUTE DX V6 four-wheel drive sport-utility
Engine: (front engine/all-wheel drive) 3.0-litre V6 w/four valves per cylinder operated by dual overhead camshafts; electronic engine management/sequential fuel injection; 200 HP. @ 6,000 rpm; torque rated 198 ft-lbs @ 4,750
rpm.
Transmission: four-speed automatic.
Steering: power-assisted rack and pinion.
Brakes: front disc/rear drum.
Tires: 215/70R16 all-season radials.
Wheelbase: 2,620 mm (103.1 in.).
Curb weight: NA.
Max. trailer towing: 1,588 kg. (3,500 lbs.)
Price (MSRP base): $26,800.
Key standard features:. steel wheels, rear flip-up window, AM/FM stereo w/four speakers, tilt steering, mini console, driver and passenger vanity mirrors, 1-piece fold-down rear seat, manual AC, manual windows/door locks/mirrors, tachometer, 3 power points, cargo area
lamp.
Key options: Convenience package (pricing not available) includes power windows/door locks/mirrors, cruise control, roof rack, overhead console, interior lights-off delay.
J.D. Power & Associates Initial Quality Study (number of owner-reported problems in first 90 days; lower number is
better):
Mazda vehicle line: 169 (industry average 167)
Consumer Reports Predicted Reliability: New.
Performance in 0-100 km/h: 8.6 sec. (est.)
Safety/security: dual airbags; side airbags; available anti-lock braking; all-wheel drive; no rating for headrest effectiveness; no rating for driver/passenger crash protection; no rating for front/rear side impact protection; theft-deterrent
system.
Warranty):
Basic: 3 years/60,000 km.
Major components: 3 yrs./60,000 km.
Rust perforation: 5 yrs./unl. km.
Roadside assistance: none..
Pros
· Smart design
· Plenty of V6 power
Cons
· Completely new vehicle in the marketplace is unproven
· More body lean in cornering than you get in a sedan or traditional station wagon
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