A Mouse Among Mammoths

When my international friends visit the United States, they are amazed by the large sizes of everything here. The huge retail stores devoted to home improvement and pets leave them speechless, and they are blown away by the Mustard and Ketchup jars at Costco. When I have travelled around the world, I have been equally shocked by the small meals, dixie cup sized soda servings, and tiny cars that would appear to be childrens toys.

SUV's can put into categories similar to this, as they range from unbelievably little to Nimitz sized extra large. While there are negatives and positives to this arrangement, it does give the consumer a lot of choices. This could depend on a variety of factors, including family size, hauling requirements, cargo room for moving items, and gas mileage levels. SUV sales are declining due to high gas prices, but hybrids are hot sellers. Even the Mazda Tribute that I've been driving, which has the normal engine, has a fair amount to offer with its gas mileage. The EPA states that it will get 22 mpg in the city, and 26 mpg on the highway. The Tribute gets close to that, as I've been average around 20-25 mpg in city and highway conditions.

For the last three days I've been driving a 2006 Tribute, to and from my workplace. It has been a mixed bag, but an interesting vehicle to spend some time in. The edition I've been sitting in traffic in, is the 2.3 liter 4 cylinder model. I've been having fun with its five speed manual transmission, which is always a treat while in bottlenecks, and I didn't get a chance to try out the four wheel drive. Hopefully someday my boss will let me try some off-roading, but I probably have a better chance of selling the Brooklyn Bridge or the Ocean Front property as described by George Strait.

You can upgrade to a 3.0 liter 200 horsepower engine, if you so desire. I've had a few minutes with that powerplant, and its quite a peppy vehicle. The 4 banger model has performed adequately, and will work for most families looking for general purpose power. Its off the line accleration is a bit on the slow side, but it moves quick enough to insure safe merging and passing on the highway. The shifting is quite smooth, and the manual in the Tribute is much easier to use than a lot of other vehicles. Its actually almost error proof, and it would be a great car for a new driver to learn on. The engine is quiet, and doesn't make any whining noises up hills or when pushed.

If only the steering could be so easy. I found it a bit hard to maneuver this car, as it required some exertion around sharp curves. In addition, the turning radius is much larger than it should be. I would expect an Excursion to not have the flexibility of a Corolla, but a smaller SUV should be able to handle a U Turn with ease. The Tribute fails here, and I would be nervous about trying quick U-Turns in a urban environment. Consumers looking for a easy steering vehicle would be wise to consider other sedans and SUVs on the market.

This hurt the handling on the windy and hill roads I enjoy testing cars out on. However, to its credit, I didn't feel like stability was an issue. Unlike some other SUV's, which I have worried about tipping, I don't feel that this is a problem with the Tribute. The tires clung to the road. While I would not recommend taking it around a curvy exit ramp fast, it shouldn't have any tipping issues in normal driving conditions. Road noise was a bit pronounced at high speeds(55-70 mph), but acceptable otherwise. Braking is above average, as the Tribute has ABS.

The visibility in this SUV is outstanding. A lot of other similiar sized vehicles have problems in this area, but I felt secure driving without too much worrying. The power mirrors are easy to adjust, and worked just fine. I'll admit that I'm a "Over the Shoulder" driver, and you can see perfectly at every angle. I love being able to see out the front window, and see everything at just the right level. Although the hood doesn't slope at any angle, its not obstructing of views in any way. There are the standard airbags, as well as side curtain ones on the Tribute.

The drivers seat is awesome, and my personal kudos to the engineering team. It is so comfortable, and allows for sitting in a variety of positions. It is "just right," in its level of firmness. As I mentioned, I had some trips lengthened greatly by some terrible traffic jams. I never felt like I wanted to get out of the vehicle, and my back never acted up. The legroom up front is above average, and the pedals are perfectly placed. This is a good vehicle for tall drivers, but the back seats need some more room.

The rear seats fold easily, which is great for moving large items around. Unfortunately, there's not a lot of room for human occupants. While this is not a large sized SUV, I'm a bit disappointed in this area. I'll admit that I'm taller than average,(6"2)and have learned to accept somewhat cramped rear seating areas. The Tribute needs a little more room, as my knees hit the back of the front seats while there. Average sized adults might fare better, and younger children will be fine. That is why I think this car is best suited to a young family. The back storage space is awesome. There's plenty of room for a whole bunch of supplies, and the family dog will be quite happy.(As long as there's a few biscuits with him.)

I like most of the features in the Tribute, but I'm not fond of the stereo or reading light. The stereo is easy to reach while driving, but the stereo CD player needs to have more power. While you can pay extra for the premium system, the base stereo reminds me of cars from the past.(The 1980's model GMs with stereos that were based on those "build your own radio kits", that were sold in hobby stores.) The A/C and heating control knobs are easy to reach and turn, and this car gets cold fast. I don't know how they did it, as this does have the CFC free environmentally friendly stuff. The reading light needs more power though, as my eyes strained to read my newspaper while driving on the highway. This would be a headache for someone reading a map, so as to avoid asking directions at a gas station. The dash is conservative, and the gauges are easy to see at night. Ithas a very attractive interior, and its a good looking car overall.

The Tribute I've been spending time in is priced at $19,800. The prices of Tributes range from $16-$28,000, depending on what options and engine you want. As they are based on the Escape and Mariner, you can compare prices and options with the Ford and Mercury editions.(Hybrids too) As most of you are aware, Mazda is owned by the Ford Motor Corporation. The Tribute comes with a 4 year/50,000 mile bumper to bumper warranty, and roadside assistance is included. Be sure to check around between the different versions, to insure you are getting the pricing and options that you want in a vehicle.

As I noted, I think this is a good vehicle for a younger family. Two kids will be just fine in the back, and seating is comfortable all around for short trips or for those long family vacations. While this will not prevent little Billy or Suzie from asking "Are we there yet?," it will make for a more pleasant traveling experience. My only main concern is the steering, as some people will find it a bit disconcerting. It could potentially lead to some problems during defensive driving techniques, or cause quite a workout for someone with lower muscle tone on curvy roads.