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2008 Mazda Tribute - Comfort
Front Comfort
The cloth-covered front seats were supportive and comfortable. The driver’s seat is a six-way power model with manual lumbar while the passenger seat is a four-way manual. The vinyl covered tilt wheel isn’t as nice as one covered in leather, but it’s densely padded and serves its purpose well. Arm rests are padded. Door tops have no padding, but the sill is wide enough for resting your arm. While there are no assist handles, the Tribute doesn’t sit high enough to be a challenge when getting in or out.
Rear Comfort
The 60/40 rear bench seat is comfortable, though adults won’t find as much leg support as there is up front. However, head and leg room are good, and there’s plenty of space for your feat under the front seat. Even the center position is good, with a headrest that goes up high enough for an average adult. There are only arm rests on the doors; a pull-down center armrest would be an improvement. Just as with the front seats, there are no assist handles in the back, but again this doesn’t pose a problem.
Interior Noise
The Tribute is a little quieter than it’s Ford cousin, but there’s still quite a bit of wind and road noise, most of which is off the front end and side mirrors. Road noise comes mostly from the rear tires. Drive train noise is noticeably quieter. Considering the Ford version of this vehicle was one of the noisier that we’ve tested recently, any improvement is welcome. Other than the external sounds, there weren’t any noticeable squeaks or rattles inside the Tribute.
Visibility
Like its Ford sibling, the Mazda Tribute has good visibility to the sides and rear, thanks in part to large side mirrors. The view straight ahead is a bit limited by the tall front nose. While backing up, a sonar system beeps when you get close to an object. The closer you get, the faster it beeps. A back-up camera would let you see what you’re getting close to, but the sonar was a welcome addition. Door window sills are tall, but you can still see the ground to check parking stripes without opening the door.
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