Mazda Tribute

A twin to the Ford Escape, the Tribute has a roomy interior, spacious rear seat, and good cargo space. Fit and finish is unimpressive and the car is noisy. Tweaks for 2009 include more powerful engines: the V6 provides strong acceleration and 19 mpg overall. The four-cylinder provides adequate acceleration and 21 mpg overall. Both engines are loud. Braking performance is improved. The hybrid drivetrain works well but the ride is unsettled and handling is imprecise. It gets 26 mpg overall, the best fuel economy of any SUV we've tested, but is only available in California. ESC is standard.