Overview & Reviews

After last year's exterior and interior overhaul, the 2009 Mazda Tribute gets significant mechanical upgrades. The four- and six-cylinder engines now make more power, and a new six-speed automatic improves fuel economy. The front and rear seats have been redesigned, a new capless fuel system has been introduced and more standard equipment shows up on each trim level.

• Comfortable interior, engines offer good balance of power and fuel economy, smart interior controls, strong safety scores.

User Reviews:

Showing 1 through 10 of 12.00

• 

  First SUV - 2009 Mazda Tribute
  By Zoner - December 7 - 5:43 am

  Test drove 5 other brands and liked the Tribute right away.The contrasting interior color was a plus and the "classy" touch is nice.It handles great and feels positive.I drove a 04 Duramax for 5 yrs. so this feels much better but similar.If you want a softer ride then buy something else.SUV says it all. The performance is outstanding with the new v6 and the fuel mileage is great.I tow a pop-up camper and a small 14 aluminum boat with it and with the 3500 lb rating its perfect and tows great. I read the early year reviews but this engine and tranny should upgrade them considerably.Overall Im very happy with it.

• 

  Does the job - 2009 Mazda Tribute
  By Hugo Chalifour - August 6 - 9:56 pm

  I have this SUV for more than a year now and i am very happy with it. Very reliable in any conditions. Roomy enough to go around and do some winter and summer activities out in the woods. Original tires are Michelin and they are great.I choose this one over fords only due to looks. Did not want the fake Bling bling shiny look. Front end is sportier looking.

• 

  Tribute on tough road - 2009 Mazda Tribute
  By nehemiah1 - January 24 - 4:15 pm

  I bought my Tribute in June 2009 at Puerto Rico where drive conditions are rude and rush. So far my Tribute have 47000 miles and I just had to change the CV shaft, both of them. I drive an average of 50 miles daily and fuel usage is good, a fuel tank last almost 6 days. Music system is great and interiors are really cool. Safety systems on the Tribute are reliable.

• 

  Function and style - 2009 Mazda Tribute
  By Lots of Utility - August 29 - 10:10 pm

  Bought the Tribute for me and my wife, it has been great, lots of cargo space, fuel economy is exceptional from the 4 cylinder; and it has lots of power considering the other models we looked at with comparable engines. We typically see 29-30 mpg on road trips in West Texas it is primarily flat so cannot speak much of hills but out here it is a great combination of function, fuel economy and style

• 

  Good overall - 2009 Mazda Tribute
  By Dave Malone - July 3 - 7:56 am

  I had a 2001 Tribute with a V6 that was a gem. The new 2009 has all the goodies and is a fun ride. It performed very well on a 200 mile trip getting 25 mpg.The only fault I have,so far,is the use on black plastic trim used ont the center console and the placement of the center storage compartment. Compartment is very difficult to reach into because it is too far back from the driver. I only have 1,950 miles on the vehicle.

• 

  Satisfied - 2009 Mazda Tribute
  By Tim Beaver - August 29 - 12:06 pm

  Ive had the Tribute for about a week now. So far Ive noticed a few things that werent right upon delivery. The drivers seat has a hole in the cloth, the grab bar on the passenger side has screw plugs that dont quite fit, and the paint job isnt perfect with globs and runs and bad orange peel on the rear hatch. None of this is a deal breaker though as this was purchased as a winter beater/cargo hauler to save my G35 Coupe and C300 from unnecessary wear and tear. Looked at Ford Escape, Honda, Toyota, Hyundai and Kia offerings. This vehicle was the best combination of features/value/fuel efficiency I could find. I look forward to many winters of pleasant AWD commutes with this vehicle.

• 

  fun while it lasted. - 2009 Mazda Tribute
  By black_widow - November 28 - 8:27 pm

  I bought my Tribute with 7300 miles on it and I loved it. I traded it in with 35500 miles on it because the transmission had gotten really sluggish over the last 15000 and I was having problems with the breakes. It had been in the shop 5 times within the last 6 months and they still squeaked loudly. As far as the transmission Ive read numorous reviews on the tribute/escape/mariner regarding the transmission issue and consumers needing new ones so i traded mine before it could give me problems. I loved the layout and the look of the vehicle. the 12v outlet in the back came out of its compartment and the one up front was loose. I got about 22-25 mpg city and 26-28 hwy.

• 

  Competent Performer - 2009 Mazda Tribute
  By Fun to Drive - November 22 - 10:30 pm

  This vehicle is fun to drive. A lot of vehicle for the money. A lot of extras are standard like fog lamps, tire pressure monitor, rear window wiper,washer, defroster. Great AC!

• 

  Brake Failure for No Reason at 28K Miles - 2009 Mazda Tribute
  By electricstar - November 27 - 1:20 pm

  We own a 2009 Tribute, and thought it was a really good car, until yesterday, 3.5 years after we bought it. I was out with my kids, the car went "ping--." A red light indicates "brake." I thought my parking brake was on, but it wasnt. The display says "check brake system." I tried to brake, there was no traction. The car kept going. I stepped on the brake all the way, still no traction. I managed to roll the car back to our house. I called Madzda and Mazda refuses to take responsilities and wants me to pay for checkup just because the car is "out of warranty." If we got killed yesterday, whod pay for the checkup? Mazda refused to allow us to speak with management.

• 

  Mazda Tribute Works For Me! - 2009 Mazda Tribute
  By Steve Reynolds - December 11 - 12:40 pm

  My wife and I were drawn to the Tribute because it is the perfect size for our needs. Also, it does not look like all the other boring, round tubby things that pass for small SUVs. Most SUVs look alike and are hard to tell apart, but not the Tribute. The seats are comfy on my large rear end, the 7 speaker radio blasts Sirius satellite radio loud and clear, and the truck (not car-derivative) goes where I point it. The only negative is that the attractive front end is made of plastic. A bug strike can mar the finish of the chrome-plated plastic grill. Unfortunately, Mazda is changing the Tribute for 2010 so itll look more Japanese. Bummer. There ya go.