We don't just talk cars ... we teach how to buy them.

"Used Mazda Tribute Overview And How
To Buy At The Best Price!"

The Mazda Tribute is a compact SUV with with impressive sporty handling. With it's surprising V6 performance and attractive design, we've found the Tribute to have rewarding value for the money.

In addition to its fun-to-drive factor, the Tribute also earns solid points for interior roominess and comfort as well as its stylish yet practical design. That said, for those considering to buy a used Mazda Tribute, we'd probably recommend sticking to the V6 models, as most will likely find the four-cylinder fairly weak in many driving circumstances. This is particularly true in models prior to 2005 when the engines were given a power boost.

For used Tribute shoppers, here's some background information on the models you'll come across in the market.

There's been two generations of Mazda Tribute production. The current generation was introduced in the 2008 model year, consisting of four-cylinder "i" or V6 "s" choices, with three trims: Sport, Touring and Grand Touring. And used models can be found with either two-wheel or all-wheel drive.

Powering the 2008 Tribute are a choice of engines that were upgraded in 2005 (see below). Engines in the 2009 Tribute were again upgraded to include a choice of a fairly robust 2.5-liter four-cylinder that's good for 171 horsepower and a 3.0-liter 240 horsepower V6. Both engines are paired with a 6-speed automatic transmission, except in the 2WD i Sport which has a 5-speed manual. The overall result was an improvement in both acceleration and gas mileage performance.

Compared to the earlier generation, the interiors of the 2008 and newer models were significantly improved with higher quality materials.

In addition, a hybrid model, the Tribute HEV, is also available and is a virtual twin of the Ford Escape Hybrid. Gas mileage for the HEV is in the high 20s.

The first generation Tribute was produced for the 2001 through 2007 model years. Initially, the Mazda Tribute was offered in DX, DX V6, LX V6 and ES V6 models until 2005, when the current i and s models replaced them. There were very few changes during this production run until the significant redesign in 2008.

However, in 2005, there was a minor exterior face-lift, a revised suspension and the introduction of a more powerful 153 horsepower 2.3-liter four-cylinder engine. Prior to that, the four-cylinder was 2.0-liters and only produced a fairly enemic 130 horsepower. The larger engine during this run was always a 3.0-liter V6 that generated 200 horsepower.

Overall, we're fans of the Tribute and believe it's a solid choice and a good value for those looking for a carlike performance in an SUV package. And we can make a number of suggestions to help you save when buying one.

How To Buy A Pre-Owned Mazda Tribute
At The Best Price:

There are actually several different ways to buy a used Tribute at the lowest price, even at wholesale.

ONE - Car Auctions:

You can go to Public Car Auctions yourself in your area to often get even a below wholesale price. While this will take some additional time and effort on your part, the savings are typically outstanding for those who shop these events.

Here's some additional information on locating these auctions and the key issues in using them to your advantage: Find Mazda Tributes At Public Auto Auctions In Your Area.


TWO - Spot Wholesale Opportunities On Dealer Lots:

The technique explained here is incredibly effective and involves learning how to identify high quality but "price-distressed" used Tributes for sale right on dealer lots, ones they are extemely desperate to sell and potentially ready to unload.


THREE - Set Up A Dealer Competition:

Another excellent method involves getting several used car dealers to compete for your business. See the details in this Used Car Buying Guide. It's just amazing what happens to prices when you force dealers to fight among each other for your sale.


Also ...

If You're Interested In A "Brand New" Tribute, there are some great deals to be had right now if you know how.

People swear by this interesting method for getting The Best Prices On New Vehicles.