Mazda Tribute

dniehus

Well, the news for potential Tribute buyers keeps getting worse. A week ago a dealer told me that Mazda had informed them that no new orders would be taken with ABS brakes for delivery before AT LEAST July. I finally decided I could live with that additional delay. Today I called to place my order. Now they've been told by Mazda that they can't place ANY LX or ES orders -- regardless of options!!! -- until at least April. (This all presumes that my sales person knows what he is talking about.) This was quite a shock. In our area any LX or ES in stock (especially those with ABS) are going for full MSRP. I might even breakdown and pay full list (yikes!) except I'm stuck in a lease for another four months. I was planning to order expecting delivery after my lease expired. No such luck. Sure hope Mazda straightens out this mess before they piss off a lot more potential customers. I'm looking elsewhere. Too bad because the Tribute was my top choice by far.

1jimv1

Ford took a big chance and contracted suppliers for lots of parts and even then had to push Quantity production at the assembly plant to try to satisfy the exceptional demand. Recently the bad recall publicity forced a return to Quality and less output.
Mazda couldn't initially afford to take Ford's risk of contracting for so many parts and since Tribute production was so high at the beginning, they simply ran out of key parts. Mazda engineering didn't realize how popular ABS would be. Their timid planning has created a fiasco just when there is a huge pileup of orders for spring delivery. To avoid embarrasment from overextended lead times for more key parts they have stopped accepting new orders while they try to catch up. Expect Tributes to continue in short supply and Escapes to be easier to buy in the next few months all because of planning early on.

lakecd

Dealers here in Missouri are telling me that ABS will not be available on Tributes until next year, and they are made in Kansas City! This situation has worsened because ABS is standard equipment on Ford Escape XLT models, and they have priority for ABS.

goldenrod

The fact that there were early quality issues is not an indicator of a bad product. As with any new product, there are sometimes design issues that arise and need changing. Mazda/Ford addressed the issues immediately and delayed the release of products so consumers like you and me would not receive problem vehicles. Years back I remember a quote on a Volvo dealer's wall that said something like this: "If cars were built to the Ivory soap standard of 99 44/100 percent pure, there would be over 200 defects in every automobile produced."

Five isn't bad and they were addressed immediately. Be thankful they didn't pull a "Firestone" and pretend the defects weren't there. I had to wait two months for my AS because of the quality-based delays. Our Tribute is one of the best built vehicles I have owned among the domestic and European cars in my history.

As for the poster that believes the American assembly plant is a problem in itself, keep in mind that Toyota, Mazda, Nissan, BMW, Honda, and Mercedes, all build cars in U.S. plants. I was in the F16 Plant in Fort Worth once. Guess what? When the break bell rings everyone drops what they are doing and takes their break. In the monotony of assembly line work the technicians need to take those breaks. Henry Ford new that when he built his Model T.

nwwoods

The cupboard is bare in the Northwest, at least for AWD Tributes. Dealers have not gotten vehicles from Mazda in weeks. Many of the Mazda dealers in the Northwest are now importing vehicles from Canada in order to get inventory. The vehicles I have seen, they replace the metric speedometer with an Escape unit.

So, if you see a Tribute with white-faced gauges, and no factory sticker, chances are it's gray market -- a Canadian vehicle that has been imported and had the instrument cluster swapped.

dniehus

Imports from Canada are appearing elsewhere as well. A salesperson at Don Rosen Mazda in Philadelphia mentioned to me that they had just received a "truckload" of Tributes. They were also switching out the speedometers. Not sure what else. Is it problematic to buy these vehicles? Don't know. Believe it or not, he was whining about "only" being able to sell for MSRP because of their extra costs for shipping and vehicle modifications. No, I didn't feel "sorry" for them and yes, I bought elsewhere. Still paid almost sticker, but no concern about a gray market vehicle.

opiesan

I've just recently started checking out the Tribute and from the posts here I'm getting Honda Odyssey flashbacks all over again. Short supply, high demand, dealers circling like vultures with extra digits aimed at the price tags.

It sounds like a great vehicle. We especially like the fact that it has a V6 versus just a 4 cylinder (Honday CR-V is 4 banger only). What I would like to know is if anyone has seen any crash test data on these vehicles yet. The NHTA site says they are coming in Feb. but no specific dates. I haven't checked on test results for the Ford Escape yet but could those be considered the same given the bloodline? We're not hurting for a new vehicle and certainly in sunny California (SF Bay area) the AWD/4WD is not a huge factor. We can wait if necessary but I'd like to avoid the feeding frenzy that the Odyssey cooked up. Any info would be appreciated.

opiesan

dimps

In response to your wait for ABS. It sounds if it will be many months before you will be able to obtain ABS. I live in Missouri where the Tributes are made and still settled for a fully loaded ES,desert mettalic, leather, moonroof,etc. minus the ABS. We have had a lot of snow and ice this winter and I have had absolutely no problem with the brakes. I have been getting great stoppage on ice or snow. In fact, I like these brakes better than the ABS brakes I had on my Mazda 626 that I traded in. The only reason I wanted the ABS was for the resale value. I also was told that with the ABS you received the side air bags and that it gave you less room in your seats and that they were dangerous for smaller people. I know some people said they would not settle if they couldn't get ABS. But my feeling is "go for it" the Trib has so many other great features. You will zoom zoom zoom so much, you won't even miss the ABS.

tribowner

I 've had my new ES 4WD fo 2 weeks now and love it so far. The specs in the Mazda brochure and the Edmunds review state that the Tribute has rear seat heat ducts. I have not had a chance to go back and look fro myself, but I have asked my kids if they feel any heat back there, and they have not found a source. Does anyone know if it really has rear heat?

dan1952

I ordered a new Tribute Es on 1-20-01.
I ordered the vehicle with ABS,Moonroof,Luxury
Package, even all weather floor mats. I live in
the greater Chicago area. The saleman told me
it could take anywhere from 2 to 3 months. After
reading posts here the last few days, I'm wondering if my wait may be longer. Oh, The whole
Chicago area are selling the trucks at sticker.
Some even more. There have been a few in the newpaper for under MSRP, but they have not been the ES, or model with a lot of options. I'm starting to wonder if I should maybe consider paying about $5000 more and consider a Nissan
Pathfinder LX?

jk61268

I have just taken my trib in the other day and was told by the head mechanic for mazda at my dealer that he heard that mazda or ford are redesigning part of the manifold he said the tank is being redesigned and should be available in the next 1 or 2 months so if you have the fuel smell problem i would hold off fixing it if you can.He stated that replacing the gaskets has worked and will fix the problem in almost all cases.This is what they have been doing for mine. I found out after they started mine that a redesigned part will be coming out.I do not know how accurate this info is it came from the mechanic so i am leaning to believing it.
The rear heat comes from under the seat .That is where i feel it and believe there are vents there.

yeoman18

I am just curious, when you ordered your tribute, did the dealer give you a VIN of the vehicle you will be getting? I ordered mine on Jan 9th and 4 days later, the dealer called me with a VIN for the vehicle that will be built for me. Does anyone know if the issuance of a VIN means that the vehicle has a definate production date? I am just unsure of when in the vehicle production process a VIN is created. Any input would be appreciated.

pauleul

I live in the Portland Oregon area and have been told by a dealer in the area that the factory will not take any orders (at least for a loaded ES) until sometime in March. I think from past posts here, many others have heard similar.

One dealer actually told me no orders for a year. I think that salesperson was an idiot who wanted me to pay $3000 over sticker for one on the lot.

The dealer who said orders will not be accepted until March has verbally agreed to take my offer of $500 over invoice on an ordered ES as soon as he can again place orders.

vocus

Get it in writing. Otherwise, it's no good. You can bet he will change his tune when you go back in March too.

pauleul

Thanks, but I'm not too worried. I have bought many new vehicles and have never paid more than $500 over invoice. I have found that patience and persistence (of which I have a lot) always wins out. The company that owns the Mazda dealership also owns the Acura dealership who I actually went through for my contact. They sold me an Acura 3.2TL 2 months ago... also @ $500 over invoice. If the Mazda dealer should back out, there is always another dealership who is a little more hungry - or - I continue to wait and my offer goes down. Isn't it fun buying new cars!

sjohn3

I have read so many postings from people who are frustrated because they are trying to order a Tribute. I have never ordered a car...what is the advantage to ordering? Better price? If the only reason is to get exactly what you want...do you have all your clothes made or do you buy off the rack? I don't understand why one would torture themselves waiting for something that could take 6 or more months??

I wanted ABS brakes, but did not get them. I live in Kentucky and we have had lots of snow and ice and the Tribute has done great!

BTW, I went by the Mazda dealership to have my first oil change..they were super nice, and I noticed 21 Tributes on the lot...granted some were DX, but some were LS. Maybe some of you who are waiting should call Paul Miller Ford/Mazda in Lexington, KY.

Love my Tribute!!! Why order, why wait???

twbauer

Has anyone else noticed that it seems like the gas guage goes down really fast in the first 1/4 to 1/3 of a tank (usually about 20-40 miles) and then levels out. I've run about 5 tanks of gas through this thing now, and it seems to happen every time. Gas mileage is still about 12-17 MPG but seems to be getting better. I'm not too woried about it yet. I have about 850 miles on it so far. I really like it a lot, except for the gas mileage. Just wondering if anyone else had noticed the rapid decline early in a tank of gas.... please post a response...

pauleul

Personally, I have no problem waiting. Getting exactly what I want (color and options) and what I consider a reasonable price is far more important to me that driving away today with whatever happens to be on the lot. To each his own, right?

Dealers like nothing better than dreamy eyed consumers who are so hooked on a vehicle that they will do anything to drive it away today.

No, I don't order my clothes, but by the same token I don't buy the wrong size - a color I don't like - or pay full price. Why when I don't need to? So far, tomorrow has always come.

ruteger

Judging from the size of the gas tank (sixteen gallons) and approximate gas mileage as fuel is used, it appears that the first quarter tank holds maybe two gallons of gas, then the second quarter holds another four.

Operating under that assumption, when the needle falls to 'half', you really have closer to a little under two-thirds (10 gallons) of gas left, rather than a true half tank of gas (8 gallons).

I can only surmise that the top half of the gas tank must be of a very restrictive, odd shape, maybe coming to a severe point, for the gauge needle to move in such a manner.

This may be the result of Ford using up every available bit of space for the gas tank to get a respectable enough capacity and, in doing so, having what appears to be an odd pattern of fuel consumption as indicated by the gas gauge.

It may even be directly related to the fact that the RPC is located directly in front of the the rear differential which could have cut into an area normally used for gas tank usage.

drew_

You may also want to check the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (or IIHS) for their much tougher (and more reflective of real-world conditions) 40mph offset crash test. Unfortunately, the Tribute or Escape have not yet been tested. However, since they are based on the Mazda 626 platform, you can sort of see the performance by looking at that car's result (click on the vehicle's name for a more much more detailed report + pictures): http://www.hwysafety.org/vehicle_ratings/ce/html/summary_midinexp.htm

Overall, it looks promising - though the safety cage and structure looks like it could use some more improvement -, but the actual IIHS crash test on the actual Tribute/Escape itself should be interesting.


Drew
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Vans and SUVs message boards

pdv1

Hi All-

The Tribute looks like a winner, but I'm wondering about how reliable Mazda vehicles are. I'm a Honda owner, and those cars keep chugging along over a decade after they're produced with very few problems. Can this be said of Mazda's, as well? Thanks.

dfgalletta

I got my Escape XLT auto 4wd leather privacy glass Mach stereo with combination CD and cassette. I've had it for a week plus a couple of days. I ordered it on Sept 27, and it came in on January 23 or so.

Had perhaps the best car purchasing experience ever, at Shults Ford in Allison Park, PA (suburb of Pittsburgh). They gave me what they promised with no bad surprises--only good ones. I was waiting for them to say "oh, because it took so long, we're cutting down your trade."

I dealt with Scott.

I traded in my great, 4-year old RAV 4, which for the first time when trading in a car, was in perfect condition. Someone's going to get a very reliable car! The manual windows/doors were starting to drive me out of my mind after 4 years. With 2 kids, someone's always leaving a door unlocked.

The Escape is just wonderful. No gas smell or poor gas mileage (I'm getting about 17 from the first 2 tanks). No other problems either.

And most of all...no regrets!

budman7

When pushing down on front driver's side seat, it buckles in and you hear a spring noise. Took to Mazda Dealer, he ordered a new track and it was installed, 2-2-01. The problem is still there,the Dealer checked all Tributes on the lot and the tributes with cloth interior had this problem, not on the leather seats. Can all Tribute owners check their driver side seat and advise. Thank you.
Will keep posted on outcome, returning to dealership on 2-5-01.

budman7

The deal I received from Eddie Accardi Dealership for the above model was $1200.00 inception, $695.00 Bank FEE, less $500.00 Mazda Loyalty. Total monthly Payments $279.00 per month plus 6% sales tax. This includes 12000 miles per year . ZZZZZOOOOOMMMMM . Love this little MULE

frog22

can somebody please explain what this s plan is that everyone is talking about? also, can anyone tell me if the doors in the tribute have steel beams running through them for safety? thanks.

pheng

I got my tribute January 14 and probably got gas about three times now. So far mileage range from 19-21.5 miles per gallon. In the beginning, I was driving short distances with some freeway. Now I use it mainly for freeway. Hopefully, it will get better. I have 900 miles on it.

Regarding driver seat track, I have an DX with cloth seats and I don't have any problems moving it.

1jimv1

(frog22) see http://townhall-talk2.edmunds.com/WebX?224@242.4nuEa5Bhb30^2@189b0@.ee950f7

also see Post 172 earlier in that same discussion. Note that you can get Mazda S PIN because Mazda is a joint partner with Ford. See also Post 394 on Yahoo fordescapeclub which indicates that the plan may end thru eaa in march.

Regarding safety beams, yes they are built into the doors. Also a recent post on Yahoo said that government side impact tests made this month gave 5 stars on side impact (highest rating)

luvmyestribute

So i'm told, I'm lucky to have found a person that "just" canceled their order from Sept 00'for a Sunburst Red Tribute S. Has no ABS/Sunroof/6diskCD but does have the tow package.
So far My wife and I both enjoy it. All 80 miles on it now. I am curious on the mpg since finding this board 2 hours ago, reading the posts. I payed sticker and Mazda 5 yr. financing @ 7.5%. Up here MN they have increased the price. 2nd time will be in this quarter ($400 increments).
I plan on staying tuned into the board..
Also looking for accessories sites.

1jimv1

(frog22) Sorry to find that the link will only get you to ESCAPE II discussion but not to Msg 210 there. Please read that message and then msg 172. Also 171 might help. 1jimv1

dniehus

In addition to speculation about whether the S plan will be extended beyond March, the more immediate problem is finding a Mazda dealer willing to accept S plan for purchases (which work out to be slightly less than invoice). There were a couple of dealers in the Philadelphia area which WERE accepting S plan until just a couple of weeks ago, now unfortunately none are (it's at the dealer's option). I understand the situation is similar around the country. So, not only will you likely have difficulty finding a Mazda dealer willing to accept S plan, you likely will also find it difficult to find a Mazda dealer willing to sell much below MSRP. (Edumunds info on True Market Value appears to be quite accurate in this respect.) Moreover, dealers are no longer even accepting new orders until at least March or April. Demand far exceeds supply; plus there have been several parts shortages (e.g., ABS, moonroofs). I ended up ordering a loaded ES at near list, must to my disappointment.

The situation is vastly different with respect to Ford Escapes. They seem to be much more available. Additionally, many dealers are quite willing to accept the X plan (Ford's version of the S plan which is Mazda only). You will likely find many Ford dealers willing to accept a few hundred over invoice even for a vehicle on the lot. The law of supply and demand in action. If you are indifferent between the Escape and the Tribute, you clearly can get a much better deal on an Escape. I happened to much prefer the Tribute. I had to really take a deep breath before signing the purchase contract, however, because it is costing my almost $2000 more than what I could have purchased the Escape for. I may regret that decision later. Who knows? Good luck!

jromeo2

Looking to place an order for an LX, but can't decide 2wd vs. 4wd. do the Long Island NY winters really warrant 4wd vs. better gas milage and lower maintenace costs? is anyone out there driving a 2wd in the snow, and if so-- how does it go? any input would be appreciated!!

ruteger

Check out www.caranddriver.com. There is currently a good article on this very topic. It would seem that in most instances, a 2WD vehicle with snow tires, especially a front-driver, is actually better than a 4WD with all-season tires in poor road conditions. Of course, you have to go to the trouble and expense of storing an extra set of four wheels and tires and changing them in the spring and fall.

Evidently, although 4WD is better for traction, 2WD with snow tires is better for slowing down because of the reduction in mass and the fact that only 2 wheels are being driven.

I think that this slowing down business is one of the major reasons that SUVs get involved in accidents. SUV drivers may tend to feel a false sense of security by the added traction 4WD affords when, in fact, when trying to stop, their 4WD capability actually becomes a hinderance.

bshap

better have it and not need it that need it and not have it

i have 4wd, and i havent found the need to use 4wd other than getting over the huge mound of snow the snowplow puts directly in front of my driveway

dude17

I'm from central Jersey and had no problems with the 2WD V6 LX Tribute I bought in October. The first heavy snow storm we tried it out. We had 16" of unplowed snow on our street. We drove around for 45 minutes in search of a store that was open. There were only a hand full of SUV's on the road that whole time. The Tribute handles better than any other vehicle I had driven. If you drive responsibly you should not have a problem.

1jimv1

Long Island and the Atlantic coast have many beach areas and many lake areas. Maybe you will find that the only available parking near where you want to be is on the sand where no one else would park. You might save yourself a long haul carrying your beach stuff. It's a kind of added freedom! Also it's easier to launch a boat from a trailer in some places if you have 4WD.

ruteger

The debate on this topic makes me tend to believe that another point in favor of buying a 2WD Tribute/Escape as opposed to the 4WD version is the ground clearance factor. While the vast majority of cars are front-wheel drive today, they all have very limited ground clearance which allows them to get hung up easily in deep snow. With a front-driver that has substantially more ground clearance (like the Tribute/Escape), this could very well be one of the reasons the 2WD versions do nearly as well as the 4WD versions under most adverse weather conditions.

If this is the case, then spending the extra money for a 4WD Tribute or Escape instead of the 2WD might be akin to filling up with premium or mid-grade gasoline when all that is needed is regular grade.

Does anyone know of any other front-drive vehicles with more ground clearance than the Tribute/Escape? The only other ones that might come close would be the Forester or Santa Fe and I think they both have less.

vsl888

luvmyestribute,

My ES 4WD with 3,964 miles is running at about 19 mpg. Mostly city driving. Stalled at 3,681 miles. In shop now after engine warning light lit. Enjoyed it up to now. Hope it doesn't sit in shop for six weeks.

pak6

I'm thinking of buying a Tribute I/ Tow Package. Anyone out there have experience towing a 1500lb trailer through the Rookies I/ this little darling? The rib is the only small SUB I/ this much power/ towing capacity as far as I can find. Comments, please

bbarrington

I received my Desert Metallic 4WD ES today. It has ABS w/side air bags. I thought I read that these options wouldn't be available for a few more months... So far everything is great, even though it only has 15 miles on it. I had put down $500 on it in mid-December and it arrived yesterday. Dealer (Al Smith Mazda in Raleigh, NC) would not deal as it was the only ES they got in. Still think it was worth it and everyone at the office loves it! Already noticing people checking it out while I'm driving around...

scname

the 2wd model still has that housing bracket for real axle. It is integrated into the rear suspension so you dont gain ground clearance there.

jfdro

I ordered a Mazda Tribute LX 4x4 ABS with Luxury Package on 09/09/00 and was just called by Ralph Thayer Auto in Monroe,MI. last week and was told I'd see my vehicle by the first week in March 2001. I hope it was worth the wait since I've never had to wait so long for any type of vehicle before in my life.

e2e

After deciding that the Mazda Tribute was our SUV of choice, the next challenge became trying to find one. Poking around on the Internet, I ran across a site www.vehix.com which has a search engine allowing you to locate vehicles by a number of different parameters -- make, distance to dealer, etc. Miraculously, I found an almost exact match for what I was looking for -- a Desert Beige ES AWD w/leather, Luxury Package, Premium Audio Package and Towing Package (no ABS, however) -- at a dealer about 100 miles from my house. I called them directly (I didn't submit a request through the site), gave them a $100 refundable credit card deposit over the phone, and picked it up the next day. The drive home gave me plenty of time to confirm that we had made the right choice -- I am really impressed with this vehicle, especially for the price.

This site isn't connected to all dealers by any means, but it might be worth checking -- it's the only one I found offering this kind of search capability. By entering bogus home zip code info, you can even check other areas around the country (for the right deal, I was prepared to fly out a reasonable distance and drive the car home). My observation was that the Tribute inventory is very unevenly allocated -- there seem to be hardly any of them in the Midwest, but many dealers in the Southeast and East Coast appear to have them in stock. One dealer in Boston showed 25 available!

stever

but I'm always a bit leery of sites that don't tell you who they are, or where they are, etc. A whois search says they're automallusa....

By calling the dealer, you probably took food off their table too.

Steve
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Vans, SUVs, and Aftermarket & Accessories message boards

anilpunjabi

I have no idea what you people are complaining bout. I got a fully loaded mazda as 4x4, with every option in it, at 26 I including taxes, 700 dollars off msrp, went to the dealership five days after release, got one off the lot and still at 700 below msrp. I am so happy with my tribute, except for tiny descrepencis, I love it, and now I found out that is has five start side crash test. Well I wish everyone good luck, and zoom zoom. QUESTION< WHERE CAN I GET AFTER -MARKET ACCESSORIES FOR MY TRIBUTE< LIKE DOUBLE FOG LIGHTS< HID REPLACEMENTS OR CONVERTERS ETC.

tanto

Order DX 4x4 in November. Dealer says I should see it end of March. Relieved to see others had similar wait.

Any further troubles with windshield wipers?

eagle30

Hi everyone new to the forum, love reading the info on the Tribute. Once again can someone tell me where I can find a place that tells me all the info about the (Mazda S Plan.) Where can I go to get this information. This may be the way for me to get into a ES. Thanks look forward to hearing from someone

ruteger

www.aplanheadquarters.com

Although the site is solely for Fords, Mazda's S-plan is the same as Ford X-plan so the info for the X-plan applies.

www.eaa.org

Good way to become eligible for the S-plan, but I wouldn't dally about joining. There have been rumors that EAA membership eligibility for X/S plan pricing will expire in March.

I wonder how the EAA has been doing the last few months. Anyone want to bet that they had a recent surge in membership...

eagle30

Thanks ruteger, I will go to the sites and see what is going on. Hope it works.

e2e

I hear you about the site identity, but since clicking on a search result takes you right to a page for the dealer with that particular car, I didn't feel too concerned in this particular case. The dealer page lists their phone/fax numbers, directions, even direct email contact. I'm surprised that vehix.com doesn't try to mask that info somehow in order to control the contacts. Regardless, once I spotted the exact car I had been looking for, I wasn't about to wait for some middleman to route an inquiry for me -- the next day, that ES was in my driveway.

e2e

Has anyone seen the new issue of Car and Driver? They reviewed 11 small SUVs, and the Tribute/Escape duo tied for first place.