For some reason Japanese manufactured vehicles seem to be some of the better made cars, truck and SUVs on the face of the Earth. We have from this small island country Toyotas and Hondas, and jumping into the SUV fray we now have the Mazda. Mazda Motor Corporation has had marginal success on the international market and they are seriously trying to get into the game. In the 1970s Ford Motor Company secured a controlling stake in the Mazda Corporation and in its own way, the vehicles that were produced by this venture were more interesting and durable.

With Mazda being a Ford subsidiary, Ford is making sure they don't left in the dust in the hippest market in the world: the hybrid SUV. The Ford Escape and Mercury Mariner have had overwhelming success and both companies are now looking to the Mazda Tribute to follow suit. It was built on the same hybrid platform as its predecessors and so far it seems to be living up to its name: a Tribute to the excellence in manufacturing the two companies share.

If you confuse the Tribute and the Escape, however, don't be surprised. The Mazda looks like a revamped Escape but with few tweaks that gives it its own panache. Yes, the exterior and interior and performance features are slightly less than spectacular with the initial product release, falling short of the Escape, but that doesn't make it any less desirable to consumers looking for a sturdy SUV hybrid.

The Mazda Tribute Hybrid's design was based of the regular gasoline version of the vehicle. It has all the basic features of the standard SUV with the same size of the regular Tribute and all the same amenities. The big difference obviously is the engine and power train which runs on electric batteries and gasoline. This makes the SUV environmentally sound and in its own way better than its regular product sibling.

Okay, so the Mercury Mariner, the Ford Escape and the Mazda Tribute side by side look like twins. The should The Escape was the first of the line to be 'born' and the Mariner and Tribute were built off the same design platform with the same single power train structure and interior pieces. There are subtle differences, but you simply say that you are also looking at three of Ford Motor Companies best hybrids, even though the Mariner and Tribute carry the Mercury and Mazda names respectively.

As a hybrid SUV, the Mazda Tribute Hybrid is a very practical and capable sports utility vehicle. When you consider the style, you will find that it is boxier without the newer rounded lines and planes that the other hybrid's in Ford's stable seem to have. The Tribute is a classier and style that has veered away from the sleek and sporty look. The Mazda is the one that looks like it can get down and dirty and hang with the toughest of trucks. Plus, it's a pretty low-key vehicle. Remember, Mazda is just getting into the hybrid business. The drive train makes its fuel-efficient. Mazda made it appealing to everyone in every class.