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.
See also:
Dynamic Stability Control (DSC)
The Dynamic Stability Control (DSC)
automatically controls braking and engine
torque in conjunction with systems such
as ABS and TCS to help control side slip
when driving on slippery surfaces, or ...
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safer in the rear seat. The front passenger's
seat is clearly the worst choice for any
child under 12, and with rear-facing childrestraint
systems it is ...
Vehicle Overview
Introduced for the 2007 model year, the CX-9 crossover has a number of
standard safety features and can seat up to seven people in its three rows of
seats. It's powered by a standard 3.7-liter V-6 ...