My Tribute ES at 29,000 miles

When the first Ford Escape came out, I wanted it. When I saw the Mazda version, I wanted it more. In shopping for a smaller SUV, I looked at the Honda CRV, and the Toyota Rav4 cute-ute. The Tribute beat them both out in terms looking more elegant than cute, powertrain, and especially price. I was able to pick the Tribute up for 25k fully loaded, although I could've done without the leather - I like fabric better, and the leather seems of average quality. The Tribute is big enough to look like an SUV, but small enough to fit in most parking spaces. Trust me, if you live in a major city where parking is hard to come by, this is going to fit the bill.

Build quality. I didn't expect too much, although I feel it was pretty good, given the price of this car. Nothing rattles even after almost 30k miles, but the interior has a decidedly cheapish plastic quality to it. I've taken this SUV to snow trips often the last two seasons, and take it (semi) off-road whenever possible. With mild abuse, it has held up well. Overall, I'd give it a B grade.

Zoom, Zoom? At 200hp, this SUV is pretty zippy. It has great power in the low end, although it is a bit less than enthusiastic in mid range torque. On the freeway, it takes a bit more effort to speed up. With all this zooming, average fuel economy was around 18mpg in a mix of highway, and city. With all the speeding around, I'm thankful for the stopping power. Top of its class, with 60-0mph braking at 125feet. I love the handling, although some may say its a bit choppy on the ride. I like it that way - stiff. With a stiffer sport suspension, I'm able to feel more confident wrapping around a corner at higher speeds. With this suspension, I get very good 'twitch' response, when avoiding something on the freeway. I give it an A- grade.

Haul around people, haul around stuff. At five passengers, rear passengers should be fond of each other, as they're going to rub elbows. Not uncomfortable, but I'd recommend more stops on a long road trip. With four passengers, it is plenty comfortable. Even with my driver's chair moved all the way back, rear passenger still has leg room. Fold down the 60/40 split seats, and I've carried Ikea boxes to bags of yard trimmings. The capability to haul as much as it has, has more than paid for itself. I give in an A in this area.

Despite a lack of interior features, and interior build quality, this SUV more than makes up in value, power, functionality. I would recommend, and have recommended this SUV to anyone in the market. If you do pick one up, I recommend you spring for the rear spoiler - it just finishes the back of the vehicle. It looks a little strange to me without it. When they come out with the eventual hybrid version of the Tribute, I'll be there to trade mine in. Until then, I'll continue to Zoom, Zoom in this Tribute.