Tribute to Tribute

This section is dead! Anyway, how would you say Mazda/Tribute in terms of reliability? And what is the towing and payload capacity of it with the 3500 lbs towing package? Thanks.

My wife's Tribute (3.0 EX) is 3 years old, there is 29k miles and I have to say it has been basically trouble free.
A check engine light came on once, the dealer fixed it the same day free, it was recalled for the ECM, the dealer fixed it same day free. Other than that there was a rattle in the lift gate I fixed and NOTHING else has gone wrong.
It gets 18-24 mpg, goes like crazy in the snow, it has plenty of room for me (6'5' 280 lbs). It can hold 75 mph up to the Eisenhauer Tunnel on I70 in Colorado.
Haven't done any towing, though we have the towing package which gives a hitch and oil cooler.

Just got the '05 S model today, FWD with black leather interior. Loved the first drive, and for a SUV, it handles just like a car. Suspensions are great, improved ride, and bumps are hardly noticeable compared to my other 2 cars (see: profile). There's a been a few refinement and changes for the '05 model, which weren't available for '01-'04 I believe. The gearbox has been transferred to (conventional) middle (instead of steering). Immaculate interior for its level, great car thus far! Wind deflection is great until ~85 and above, after that, outside noise may penetrate a little, depending on passing vehicles. Other than that, the inside is a noise-free environment. The engine is smooth and quiet, even when depressing the gas and revving for torque and power. Passing muscle is plenty for a non-V8 FWD. The torque is a bit underpowered, but this is most likely due to the break-in period. With overdrive-off, the torque increases significantly and often available. It's sufficient for a vehicle of this size and mass. Hopefully Mazda reliability will shine through when needed in the long run. The other vehicle I was seriously considering was the '04 Nissan Murano. But this overall is a terrific buy! Highly recommended :thumbsup:.

Dohc V6 200BHP @ 6000
Torque: 193 @ 4850
Curb weight: 3400lbs (Increased for the '05).

You should have considered the AWD. I drove a FWD Escape in NY and was impressed with the acceleration it had.
Being at sea level and not having the all wheel drive components probably made it a lot faster.
The driver side mirror creates the wind noise. If you pull it back you will notice the wind noise goes away.
The road noise is one of the complaints I have with ours

Wanted to save on gas, :D. Uhhh, there wasn't much of a reason to consider AWD, since these are not AWD all the time. The FWD was fully-loaded with most of the premium packages, and the price seemed right. Besides, we're actually below sea level at South Florida.

I guess there isn't much need for AWD in Fla.(beaches?). But the AWD does work well in the snow here. We had 30in of snow in one storm in 2003 and it got around real well.

I guess there isn't much need for AWD in Fla.(beaches?). But the AWD does work well in the snow here. We had 30in of snow in one storm in 2003 and it got around real well.

Mine is AWD....You can lock it in 4x4 with a switch on wet pavement and snow. You loose 1-2 mpg or so but who cares.
I had a seal leak on the tail shaft to the rear wheels on the transfer case though. Cost $200 to fix....but what the hey...if you need the 4x4.

2001 model ES...V6-auto....4wd...had 3 check engine issues....recall on seal belts....trans ECM

Driver's door handle broke...had to repair with custom repair.
Cruise control cable end wore out...also custom repaired.
64K ---two sets of front pads...one set of rotors....one set of 4 tires.

Not a high torque car...you need to REV it...Noise....what is that? I had Jeep Cherokees.....now that is a noisy car. But it had torque. On the Nissan....you get what you pay for.

Had to replace the front brakes and rotors at 32k. The rears were okay. I suspect the fronts must be doing most of the braking. Otherwise, no other problems.

Driver's door handle broke...had to repair with custom repair.

Can you tell me more about the custom repair on the door handle? That is what I'm facing now.

Can you tell me more about the custom repair on the door handle? That is what I'm facing now.

Since I am a retired auto technician, I was able to fix it my self by re-engineering it. The part is plastic, so I drilled a 1/4 in hole for access from below the handle part and then drilled a smaller hole in the flipper part for a small screw that I ground the head down on (1/4 on the dia. of the head) so it will travel through the 1/4 in. hole and then "lock-tite" the small screw in place. I was able to do this in the driveway without pulling the handle and cable unit out of the car. Saved a trip to the dealer (and money apparently) although the procedure was kind of elaborate.

You will need to remove the upper and lower door panels with a door panel tool...be careful not to break the clips...they are plastic and you can buy some more at parts store.

183K on my wife's '06. Except for normal wear/tear items, no major issues at all. Have an oil seepage problem presently at the oil cooler but am told this is easily fixed. Fixed that now. It was fairly easy. Also, just replaced both tie-rod ends. Easy job!