Vehicle Overview
Ford owns a controlling interest in Mazda, so there's a close kinship between the popular Ford Escape sport utility vehicle and the related Mazda Tribute. Both SUVs were introduced for the 2001 model year and upgraded for 2005. When comparing the two, you'll find subtle styling differences, unique interior features in each and different suspension tuning.
Serving as the sportier member of the pair, the car-based Tribute attracts considerable interest even if its sales totals lag well behind the Escape's. Both models compete against the Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4.
New Tribute i and s trim levels replaced the previous DX, LX and ES for 2005. A new 2.3-liter four-cylinder in i models produced 153 horsepower, versus 130 hp in the prior version. For the first time, four-cylinder models could be equipped with an automatic transmission. Little has changed for the 2006 model year.
Front-wheel drive and four-wheel drive are available, but the Tribute and Escape aren't considered true offroad machines. Mazda says its intelligent full-time Active Torque Control Coupling four-wheel-drive system reacts faster than a hydraulic unit.
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Under the Hood
Tribute buyers get the choice of two engines, both of which have been
upgraded. A manual transmission is standard on the base model, and other models
come with a standard six-speed automatic trans ...
Interior
The CX-7 seats up to five. The dashboard features double-decker construction,
with a large information display at the base of the windshield.
Folding down the rear seats provides a nearly flat loa ...
Safety
Standard safety features include side-impact airbags for the front seats and
side curtain airbags for all three rows of seats. Second-row seats have Latch
child-safety seat anchors and top tethers ...