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Did read yesterday on forum about quite a few people having some service problems with Tribute so now I'm a bit concerned, before that I was ready to buy the Tribute. Can you help? Thanks
Here's the TMV link:
Used Car Appraiser
Any more owners care to comment on the suitability of the Trib for Got2go's situation?
Steve, Host
I did not test drive the Escape, but I did drive a Mariner(same thing) and it did not handle as well as the Tribute it felt like a looser suspension and also, only the Tribute has 4 wheel disc brakes and a longer warranty...
I have never put a link in here so I don't know if it will work, but right here on Edmunds you can find out if the price is right with the trim level and options:
http://www.edmunds.com/tmv/used/2004/mazda/tribute/index.html?tid- =edmunds.u.tmvmmindex.content.num8.0.mazda*
Good luck.
Scott
That's entirely your call; but my humble suggestions, and observations follow:
They know they have you hooked and it sounds that they are working on you with mind games. If you can hold off and want to play their game, find another dealer and maybe a better deal. One way to be sure of a good price is to be willing to walk away. They are playing tough and now it's you turn to play tough back. It may fail but if it works you will be even happier with your purchase. There are lots of Tributes out there and from these forums it seems that there are some great dealers too.
Nova Scotia is being snowed under right now -- how are the Tributes in the snow?
Good luck ...
Mike
The 4'x8' sheet of plywood will definitely fit, but from what I can tell the back window will need to be opened.
http://www.nctd.com/review-intro.cfm?Vehicle=2005_Mazda_Tribute&a- mp;ReviewID=1715
I thought the author captured many of the positives that I did about the Tribute, and he offers many comparisons to other SUV's in the same class as the Tribute. We defintitely agreed on the following:
- Handling. The Tribute is simply the best handling SUV that I drove, period. The electronic steering of the Equinox and VUE are at a severe disadvantage over the Tribute.
- Power/performance. While the Tribute's V6 is not the most advanced on the market, it is a solid, proven engine and gets the job done and then some. The engine packs plenty of power and torque and has an advantage to the many 4cyl competitors.
- Interior/exterior design. I have heard quite a few people complain about the Tribute's interior, but they made some changes in 05, and too be honest what do you expect for a car that is priced in the low 20's? Overall, it is not as cheap feeling as the Equinox/VUE/Sante Fe, and the seats are more than comfortable. My Tribute came completely loaded, and the only feature that I really want is the audio contols on the steering wheel. Overall, the exterior is wonderful, and I think the Escape/Tribute is one of the better looking (if not best looking) small SUV on the market.
Thanks for your reply on the plywood fit.
The friend with the X-Trail has to leave his rear window open and I think the sheet would rest on top of the wheel well "humps".
The review link is exactly the type of thing that is helpful to the likes of me. Thanks.
Mike
Your welcome. As much as people do not want to admit (myself included several months ago), Ford always made me think of poorly engineered, boring, unreliable vehicles. I can tell you that after researching and buying the Tribute this is just not the case. The Ford 500 is getting rave reviews, as is the Freestyle, and new Mustang GT. So far, my car has been reliable and is well engineered and certainly is fun to drive. If I do not have any major issues with this vehicle, I could definitely see myself buying a Ford or a joint developed Ford product in the future. This is coming from a strict Nissan family (right now there are five Altimas between me and my immediate family!) If the Tribute has major mechanical issues over the next few years, I will most likely get rid of it (before the warranty expires!) and buy another Nissan....
It was about 10 degrees when I drove into work this morning, and needless to say, the heated leather seats in my Tribute definitely seem like a good investment now
Now I can understand why Subaru makes heated seats standard equipment in their cars
As far as wind I find it is not bad below 65 but I got spoiled with the Millenia, and most of my driving is by myself so I just turn up that great stereo. I have never had a sub in a car and now I can't see myself being without one, it really makes a difference.
Like you, I was very careful when I made my decision and drove many vehicles before deciding on the the Tribute. Take your time and drive all the vehicles you are considering at least twice. The only other vehicle that I liked more than the Tribute was an 05 Subaru Outback XT, but it cost nearly 10K more... You cannot beat the value and warranty of the Tribute.. Good luck, and keep us posted on what you buy!
You will find that each SUV in this class has its positives and negatives, but the Tribute has many strengths (and as the last poster mentioned, that killer radio really makes up for the tire/engine noise!) Personally, I thought from a handling and ride perspective, the Tribute blew the competition away...
- Hated the awkward placement of the shifter. I think Honda did this to free up some space, but it is very awkward, and I thought it was in the way when trying to reach the other controls on the dashboard.
- I found the CRV to be "peppy" at starting and low speeds, but lacking that extra punch that the V6 Tribute had when trying to merge into traffic, or at higher speeds.
- Definitely liked the handling of the Tribute better, it felt more sporty, but the CRV handled second best out of all the SUV's that I drove.
- Hate the placement of the spare tire (mounted in the back of the vehicle). This configuration causes excessive damage during low speed accidents. Also did not like the way the rear door swung open vs the lift up method of the Tribute.
- Also, (and this is my opinion), I really like the more sporty, muscular look of the Tribute vs the CRV's boring boxy shape.
- My decked out Tribute (comparable to the CRV SE) was several thousand dollars less.
- And most of all, the arrogance of the three local Honda dealers was the biggest turnoff. They made me wait, treated me with arrogance the whole time (until I told them that I was going to put more than half down), and would not budge on price. This worried me the most, and I wondered how the dealer would treat me if there were any issues (customer service). Not so with Mazda, they wanted my business and treated me wonderfully.
- Warranty. Tribute has a much better warranty (4yr/50K vs. 3yr/36k).
So far I do not regret the Tribute at all, and am very happy. I think the CRV is a very practical, reliable automobile, but was just a little too boring for my taste...
i don't care for the dashboard gear shift and don't care for the tray between the front seats instead of a full console. and the exterior styling is bland.
as for honda's attitude towards potential customers, i have not been to a dealer yet.
did you get fwd or awd? this would be my wife's daily driver and her route to and from work is all highway. they are pretty good about getting the snow plowed. i just can't justify the added expense of awd when we don't need it. we have 98 olds intrigue and my wife gets around fine with it, but she wants the higher seating position and more ground clearance. thanks for your input. it's nic to get info from someone that drives one.
Overall, I think the Honda is a great SUV, but it just was not for me. (Same reason I choose a Nissan Altima in 2002 vs a Honda Accord).
I picked AWD because of my job (pretty much have to be there no matter what the weather is doing), and also because of resale in the region (much easier to sell an SUV with AWD vs. FWD). But if your wife has no problems now, then the Tribute will be even easier to drive in inclement weather (better tires, more ground clearance). I have to tell you after several recent snow storms, I am so happy I got the AWD. There were tons of stranded motorists this weekend, and the Tribute had no problems at all negotiating through the snowy/slick roads. You cannot even tell when AWD kicks in, it is awesome! Another advantage for FWD (aside from price) is better mpg...
has answered more concerns of mine and, I expect, others. The latest is how well you found your Tribute handled in the recent snow storm. We (NS) had the storm yesterday - 18". The lovely Cirrus of mine handles well in the snow with decent snow tires. Had some Michelin Alpins a couple of years back and they were unbelievably great. My questions: What tires are you running on the Tribute this winter? Do you get a lot of ice or packed snow? Are the tires sold with the Tribute considered all season or did you have a choice?
And as rhouser2 said it is great having the input from people that actually drive the Tributes and are willing to offer first hand experience. From your input you seem to report things as you find them which is a great help to the "un-sure".
Thanks, Mike
I am glad to hear that my experiences have helped you. I bought the Tribute in mid November (04) and am running the stock tires which are all-season Continentals. As far as performance goes, these tires are great in the snow, rain, and dry pavement, and are all-season. In DC, the ice and sleet are much more of a factor than the snow (we rarely get more than 6-10 inches within a 24 hour period). But the roads here get very slick (snow melts then freezes). Where I live, there is a large hill that I must climb to get to our condo, and while my other car (Altima with all-season tires) and numerous other vehicles in the neighborhood have serious issues negotiating this hill in icy conditions, the Tribute has not had any wheel slippage to date (and I think the AWD system really helps here).
From what other Escape/Tribute owners have said on other message boards the stock tires are just fine in the Winter, but some of the other users in Canada did replace them with better rated all-season tires. The one thing I have noticed about the stock tires are that they are a little more noisy on the highway than I would like and many Tribute owners have rectified this issue by updating to new tires (Michelin seems to be the preferred all-season tire) when the originals are ready to be replaced. My co-workers did this and noticed a definite improvement in road noise. This should not factor in your purchasing decision (although some owners mentioned that they were able to convince the dealer to upgrade to Michelin's at time of purchase) since the stock tires are more than adequate for 30K + miles.
The funny thing is that my wife had to drive the Tribute to a meeting during the worst part of the storm on Saturday, and she mentioned that two larger SUV's in front of her slid right off the road, and the Tribute drove right past them (Although I think the driver is just as important as the vehicle, and my wife is from Utah and is used to driving in snow). I still thought this was funny
One more thing (sorry to rant) I am on several other Escape/Tribute message boards, and the one common theme about this SUV is how wonderful it handles snow (one of the reasons I bought it). I have never seen one complaint about the AWD system, and how it handles the snow. From what I understand, the AWD system in the Tribute is more advanced than the system in the CRV, and Rav4 (although these vehicles are more than adequate for light to moderate snow conditions).
Fact is people are finding out you don't have to pay the premium price for the silver "H" to get a great vehicle.. whether it be Nissan, Mazda, Ford or Chevrolet...
As I said before, my favorite feature is the heated seats We have numerous days in the 10 degree and below territiry and the leather heated seats are awesome!
idahodoug, "Toyota Land Cruiser" #2373, 10 Feb 2003 8:24 pm
Steve, Host
I'm glad to hear the Tribute has helped take the sting out of winter for you. Taking up skiing a few years back has done this for me. Every time that I'm shovelling the driveway I see it as part of the means to get to the hill - and I almost enjoy the exercise!
And it is this need to get to the hill in bad weather that is fueling the desire for a Tribute. Your comments just keep helping this desire along.
The Alpin tires on the Cirrus gave me lots of confidence on icy roads. While driving to MSA in Quebec a while back I found myself on ice and didn't realize it until I was passing a salt truck.
Have you put any studs in your stock all season tires or do they just grab that well without them? We all can slide on ice. Be careful!
Mike
Go to the Ford Escape/Tribute Owners: Problems & Solutions forum message # 2803. dc_driver recently posted the instructions on how to replace the cabin air filter. Ignore the message title, it was a reply to another message and it gives no clue that the cabin filter replacement instructions are in the message, but the instructions are very clearly detailed.
I found the filter for 20.50 at mazdastuff.com does anyone know of a cheaper source?
I really need to put one in because we are entering pollen season in Florida and everything is turning yellow...
I would really appreciate this.
Thanks
I'm no car expert but I'm pretty sure cars are not supposed to make that noise when braking. I even told him my brother bought a Mazda in that same dealership and it doesn't make that noise and he stayed quiet. He just said the car is fine again. I feel I'm getting cheated since I'm not paying for the car repair since free repair for 30,000 miles or 2 yrs, whichever comes first, was included when I bought the car. I'm taking it back again and my dad is coming with me as well but I am pretty sure they will say the same thing.
What do you suggest I do? Is this a common problem? Why did I not hear this noise in another Tribute I test drove before buying my Tribute?
Anything else do i need to check? Please advice.
Thanks
My personal opinion is this....if most of your driving is around town without a full load the 2.3 will be fine. save the $$$.
Love it so far, my snowblower fits in there and it doesn't fit in my brothers xterra!
Do you guys think awd is a necessity....I won't be doing any offroading and I've always driven in the snow the past 10 years fine without an awd.
I got by 20 winters in Anchorage with FWD, so it's not necessarily a necessity (maybe if you are regularly plowing through ten inches of snow or have to navigate a steep driveway, it's needed).
Good tires and a bit of clearance will go a long way - or just stay home on the snow dump days.
And welcome to Edmunds!
Steve, Host