Mazda Tribute

zmeenow · September 2002

HI ALL!
BEEN READING YOUR COMMENTS AND SUGGESTIONS WITH MUCH INTEREST..I JUST BOUGHT MY ES-V6 LOADED..$400 OVER DEAL INVOICE.(GOT THE TOWING PACKAGE THOUGH I DIDN'T REALLY WANT IT.BUT NOT MUCH LEFT ON THE LOT.....I HAD TO TAKE IT.DEALER ONLY CHARGED ME HIS INVOICE PRICE ON IT) 2 WEEKS AGO..ALMOST 1000 MILES... NO RATTLES NO STALLS NO SMELL OF GAS... I'M REALLY ENJOYING DRIVING THIS CAR! PICK UP IS QUICK HANDLES GREAT!GAS MILAGE ISN'T A+ BUT THEN AGAIN... I ALSO OWN A MERCEDES C240(2001) WHICH USES PREMIUM GAS AND GETS ABOUT THE SAME MILAGE... GUESS WHICH IS CHEAPER TO DRIVE???????
AND... THE MERCEDES.... CONSTANTLY HAS NAGGING LITTLE PROBLEMS THAT HAVE ME GOING BACK TO THE DEALER.MERCEDES OWNERS SEEM TO UNDERSTAND THAT OWNING A CAR,NO MATTER WHAT THE PRICE, MEANS DEALING WITH IMPERFECTION.ENJOY YOUR TRIBUTES AS I AM!!!!

ZMEENOW

nippononly · September 2002

A friend just bought a 2WD LX-V6, and he has now put about 1000 miles on it, and has been getting around 18 mpg. He is a little bummed it is so low...just wondering if that is typical of the other Trib owners here? That is only slightly lower than what the window sticker says, and he is in a morning commute in it each day, stop-and-go traffic for 20 minutes or so.

OTOH, I have seen posts here with people getting mid- to upper-20's for mpg??

lizzy55 · September 2002

The practice of putting automatic oil in a new engine is not a good one . Trans oil is very low viscosity and will not lubricate your overhead cam engine very well . Regular faithful servicing will not get you into a situation where you need to resort to this old trick .Old engines that get sludged up from lack of service can be cleaned out somewhat by auto trans fluid because it is so detergent like . The best way to prolong engine life is to service regularly and feed the engine clean air and fuel .

rph74 · September 2002

As for gas mileage, we get about 19 mpg in "normal driving" and between 22-24 mpg on our long road trips. We are a little disappointed at times when we might get 20-21 mpg on certain highway trips. But to put things into perspective that is still good mileage compared to the bigger SUV's out there. The Mazda is big enough to carry all of our stuff 8 hours (2 dogs, a lab and a small terrier). We had poorer mileage at first, and started getting better mileage as more miles were put on the car. We are now at 16K, pretty low for 2 years of ownership.

rph74 · September 2002

We have had no problems with our 2001 Tribute built in 11-01. That was built after all of the recalled ones were. I recommend buying this car, because it has plenty of room, handles well, and gets decent gas mileage. We have had no fit and finish problems on our car, but we can tell that certain trim pieces are made of cheap parts. The only quip I have with the car is that the seats aren't that comfortable for long trips, I require a seat cushion for long trips. Even with my bony behind, I have not had any problems like this with my other cars. All in all though I like the car a lot, and recommend it because of its value.

audia8q · September 2002

One of the new options for 2003 is a factory installed DVD player....

I am not sure if this is something I want to stock for inventory...I would like to hear from any current or future Tribute owners about this option.

Rich

whiskers_99 · September 2002

What's new with the 2003 Tribute LX? I hear brushed aluminum on the console (stereo, etc) and heated side mirrors.
Has anyone seen the 2003?
BW

normkol · September 2002

I've had my 2002 Tribute ES-V6 AWD since early July. Gas mileage is not great, was averaging 17, now about 18. I have 2800 miles so far. Best mpg was 20, that was with quite a bit of highway mileage. I have found on my other cars it took until 5000 miles to get best mpg, so I am being patient.

The car stalled once, about a month ago.

All in all, I am satisfied. I agree with rph74 about the seats, I've had better. I wonder if the cloth seats are more comfortable than the leather?

Norm

nippononly · September 2002

what is the V-6 AWD rated at in terms of EPA numbers?

maltb · September 2002

18/23

nippononly · September 2002

so, I guess if you are getting 18, while it does not seem that great, at least it is what you are led to expect from the window sticker?

I will tell my friend - his is 2WD V-6, and he has been averaging 18-19. He is a bit of a leadfoot too! :-)

maltb · September 2002

In a vehicle like the tribute with 200hp and a heavy throttle tip-in, it's easy and fun to partake in stoplight drags. If you have the AWD it's even more fun to do this turning out of a driveway. The times I have driven them, my mileage was much less then stellar.

tdevane · September 2002

I've seen several '03s and don't particularly care for the changes. The inside paneling around the stereo is silver and there are silver accents on the inside door panels where the window controls are. I've also noticed a difference in the two tone dash. The exterior colors have changed as well. There are some new colors and the desert sand metallic is no longer available. I love that color so I'm glad I got mine when I did. 15,000 miles and not one complaint!

hfdad · September 2002

I've read previous posts of owners having problems with their factory floormats tearing. Well, mine finally started to tear after 16 mo. Will Mazda replace these or am I out of luck?

tribute2003 · October 2002

Hello!!

I have been following this discussion board for the past three months while I was researching for a Mazda Tribute. Some of the comments were extremely useful in arriving at our decision. We just signed up to get a 2003 ES-V6 model. I was wondering whether anybody has signed up for extended warranty and if so what are the deals out there. I am looking for 7-10yrs/ 100,000 miles. I will certainly pass along my comments about the vehicle to this forum. This will be our first Mazda. I am excited.

stever · October 2002

Editors' Most Wanted Vehicles for 2003

Steve, Host

audia8q · November 2002

Effective today.....

All 2003 Mazda's get a 4 year / 50K bumper to bumper warranty!!!!

If you already purchased a 2003 you will get the warranty also

zoom~zoom
Rich

tribute2003 · November 2002

Could you please tell me where you got this info.

audia8q · November 2002

Mazda

stever · November 2002

Tribute2003, check his profile (click on the name). I suppose Mazda could lie to their dealers ....

Steve, Host

nippononly · November 2002

Or was it 3 years/50K miles?

audia8q · November 2002

It was 3yr/50K and they just bumped it to 4yr/50K like most high-line products....It's nice to see they are willing to back their procucts more than most others.

lavoie1 · November 2002

I am looking at a vehicle to tow my tent trailer. Its base weight is around 2000lbs, but with cargo and passengers, you can assume 2800 lbs.

I know Mazda can tow 3500 lbs, but anyone out there towing with the tribute?

gizmo84 · November 2002

I really loved my tribute but I now have a new bmw x5 that is soooo much better but it costs much more. you do however, get what you pay for.I don't miss the fuel smell every time I start it (that the dealer couldnt fix) or the 2 or 3 turns needed to start it...the uncomfortable seats, cheap materials in and out or the so so mileage...however I will miss it but as I begin to drive my x5 more and more...I wont miss it for long. By the way, I got a pretty good trade amount for it.

maltb · November 2002

Why did you bother looking at Tributes if you were in X5 territory from the start? There is simply no comparison. Congrats on your purchase!

tribute2003 · November 2002

Hello:

Steve. Thanks for the advice. The main support for us to go with this SUV came from Edmund's site as you guys keep this one in your long-term drive plan. We have already 800 miles on it in 2 weeks and getting gas mileage of around 19.5 (mostly freeway driving). I checked with the dealership whereI got my vehicle from and they said there has been rumor floating around regarding the 48months/ 50000 miles warranty but they don't have any papers yet. The dealership told me that they will call me if they receive anything in writing!!

audia8q: I would appreciate if you could confirm it. I went to the Mazda site and there is no mention of it either in their profile or in their news.

If it happens I'll feel good about the purchase.

audia8q · November 2002

yes the rumors are true. 4yr/50K

maltb · November 2002

look here (if you dare)

Second paragraph: At the same time, MNAO announced that it was extending its bumper-to-bumper warranty to 4 years/50,000 miles on all 2003 models, including those already sold.

stever · November 2002

No offense to Rich, but it's nice to see more confimation. Good for Mazda!

Steve, Host

turksteritis · November 2002

I tow a 2,500 pound pontoon boat in summer & a enclosed snowmobile trailer with 2 sleds in the winter very easily. The pontoon boat is like pulling a giant parachute but the tribe pulls well!

stever · November 2002

A nice alternative to the larger SUVs.

Steve, Host

18466 · November 2002

As a employee of a company that participates in the Ford X plan (Mazda S plan), I was assuming that I could get a better deal on the Tribute than with other vehicles such as the Honda CRV. I was shocked by the amount of money that the Mazda and Ford dealers were willing to accept for my trade (98 Jeep Cherokee Sport with many extras ($5100). $5200 at a Ford dealer). We left both dealers with no plans to purchase an Escape/Tribute. We liked the way the Tribute/ Escape handled with the exception of how the transmission upshifted and seemed never to be satified with the gear it was in. This morning we got a price on a 2003 Honda CRV 4wd LX ($20000) and $7100 trade for our Cherokee with 77k. We drove the CRV and really enjoyed the way it handled, The transmission shifted much smoother than the Tribute and overall the CRV seemed more pleasant to drive. If we would have purchased the Tribute LX 4wd (no extras) we would have paid over $2500 over the deal we got on the CRV. I guess you can tell which vehicle we purchased.

djlarson77 · November 2002

I posted the following on another related message board, but thought I could get more readers here:

I'm buying a 2003 Tribute in the next couple of weeks. Anyone have any comments on hauling things on the factory roof rack on the Tribute? Or maybe a suitable after market rack system? In particular I want to be able to tie a 16' canoe to the top. I currently have the Yakima track/Locking Railrider Tower system on my 2001 Ford Ranger (with fib topper). Originally, when I was in the market for an Escape, my existing towers would fit perfectly into the Escape factory tracks. With the Tribute, if I want to use the Yakima system, I'll have to buy either LowRider towers, Q-Towers, or a combination of the two. Or possibly install tracks on the roof of the Tribute, if they fit with the existing rack system.

I know some of this Yakima jargon should be reserved for Yakima technical support employees, but I thought maybe someone out there has been down this road.

stever · December 2002

Last month of our long term road test.

Steve, Host

maltb · December 2002

How can the Best Fuel Economy be lower than the Average Fuel Economy?

Best Fuel Economy: 17.7 mpg
Worst Fuel Economy: 13.5 mpg
Average Fuel Economy (over the life of the vehicle): 18.1 mpg

stever · December 2002

That always confuses me too - the best and worst are just for that month. The average is over the life of the vehicle - almost 2 years in this case.

Freeway traffic must have been really bad last month, LOL.

Steve, Host

maltb · December 2002

Why they'd report those together makes little sense other than you can tell that some months they have lead feet and others they don't.

nippononly · December 2002

that Ford HVAC too - I want that separate recirc switch!

zmeenow · December 2002

now with 8300 miles on it,,,no rattles,squeaks,etc..fun to drive... power when I needed it and comfortable.yes,some minor annoyances(key slot hard to find)... but.. I have a mercedes c240..the light bulbs are constantly needing replacement and they cant find out why!!.... so..... remember... perfection is an ideal... not a reality.
zmeenow

zapcat · December 2002

Anybody (hosts) know why edmunds has no incentives listed for mazda? They changed on Dec. 3rd. I called the 800 number and got the info. Why can't edmunds?

tidester · December 2002

I have no idea. I'll see what I can find out.

tidester, host

audia8q · December 2002

zapcat....where are you?? If your in the northeast the Tribute has finance rates of 4.9% for 60 mo and 5.9% for 72 months. If you pay cash there is a dealer cash incentive of $500 that the dealer may or may not share with you. That depends on your haggling skills and the dealers need to sell cars in stock. Rich

saturnfreak01 · December 2002

hello all, I am considering a 2003 Tribute DX with 4WD which I saw listed for $ 20,595.00 MSRP on www.mazda.com. A few questions..

How well does the 130hp 4 perform in the Tribute considering its curb weight? Is the 4 cylinder engine a Mazda engine or closer to its Ford counterpart?

While the Tribute and Escape had some reliability woes during the first year, how reliable are they now?

Last but not least, what is the availability of the Tribute DX 5 speed 4? Any info is appreciated...

jeffwingo · January 2003

There are more important things in this life to worry about...I know. But....

Good News and Bad News:
Good News: You may not have discovered this, but in the center console, there is a bracket designed to hold Kleenex Little Traveler boxes.
Bad News: Kimberly-Clark has discontinued producing them. (I have not checked to see if the "Juniors" fit.)

You can call Kimberly-Clark (1-800-553-3639) and tell them you own a Tribute and that you'd like them to bring back the "Little Traveler". Maybe the guys in Marketing will re-introduce them.

mdaffron · January 2003

are going tissueless? Seriously, that's a lot of Kleenex customers! If Kleenex made the only box of tissues that will fit in that slot (as Jeff just told me; he works in the office next to mine!), one of you should call Kimberly-Clark after getting the sales numbers to date for both vehicles and tell them how many customers they're losing! Maybe that'll change their tune!

I guess for now it's back to the ol' roll of toilet paper in the trunk ...

Meade

jeffwingo · January 2003

I am convinced that most people have no idea that the bracket is there...or, like me, stuffed other stuff in it for a year (with the box of tissues in the glove box) before figuring it out.

mdaffron · January 2003

I'm lurking here from the Mazda Protege discussion -- there's a little holder in the lid to the center console of the Protege that kept us scratching our heads for months until someone found out that his car registration fits there really well ...

Meade

stever · January 2003

Shouldn't you be lurking in the Cat Bulldozer conference? Nice profile :-)

Steve, Host

zaimon · January 2003

That braket is also perfect for 3 or 4 CD jewel cases. Not as practical a solution, but if you're looking to fill it, there you go!

rotarykid · January 2003

ford used to(maybe they still do)supply a box of tissues in the center console when the vehicles were new. I noticed it in the merc mountaniers while working at a mazda/lincoln dealer. I think they were there for the customers who thought they were buying a luxury sport ute and later found out its only a rebadged exploder! (wahh!wahh!)

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