[JohnCT]

I just bought a 2011 Tribute from my wife's friend sight unseen (long story), and was wondering what options are available for the Tribute. From what I've read, the Tribute was de-contented in this generation and never had the advanced radio and nav options that the Escape came with.

My understanding though is that the Tribute and Escape are closer than they were in the first gen, and the radio/dash bezel are interchangeable, which begs the question: will a Ford Escape nav radio plug right into the Tribute if I grab the bezel. Further, will the sub also plug in (I'm assuming the one I'm buying has no sub as it seems stripped even for a Mazda).

If anyone has upgraded this gen Tribble with a better radio, I'd be interested in hearing what's involved. Thanks.

John

 

[bluto]

The factory nav radio would plug in but will not have sound unless the separate factory nav amplifier is also installed. A factory sub will not work unless all of the wiring is added. Also the radio would most likely need to be swapped since typically these vehicles without the factory sub have a radio that lacks the smaller third plug for the sub connection.

 

[JohnCT]

The factory nav radio would plug in but will not have sound unless the separate factory nav amplifier is also installed. A factory sub will not work unless all of the wiring is added. Also the radio would most likely need to be swapped since typically these vehicles without the factory sub have a radio that lacks the smaller third plug for the sub connection.

Thanks for the reply. At this point, I'm thinking about putting in a double din nav kit, but regarding the sub, are you saying the cars not originally equipped with the sub option will have a different wiring harness? My 05 Tribute has the factory sub and it's a really good sounding factory setup. If the 11 had the same sound system, I'd leave it as is. I picked up the car yesterday and the audio is mediocre at best. I'll investigate the rear speakers and see if just those could be upgraded instead of adding a sub (I'm not a kid listening to hip hop ).

Thanks again.

John

 

[bluto]

Yes on the 2nd gen Escapes/Tributes they did a good job of eliminating any extra wiring for options that are not present. You could add the factory sub and connect it to an aftermarket radio but you would need to get the sub/amp, wiring harness and matching rear trim panel (with sound holes for the sub) from a wrecker.

 

[JohnCT]

Yes on the 2nd gen Escapes/Tributes they did a good job of eliminating any extra wiring for options that are not present. You could add the factory sub and connect it to an aftermarket radio but you would need to get the sub/amp, wiring harness and matching rear trim panel (with sound holes for the sub) from a wrecker.

Thanks. Going in a different direction, would upgrading just the speakers and not adding a sub improve the sound enough to make it worth the trouble? Of course, I am aware that this is very subjective but I'm interested in your opinion.

I'm not looking to set off car alarms, but just to more or less duplicate or at least come close to the sound quality that my 05 had with just the factory radio and speakers.

Also, are the Tributes and Escapes interchangeable with regard to things like speakers, wiring, and actual radio hardware installed if I try web searching for speakers and such? I'm sure the web will return more hits for the Escape. My 05 had a totally different radio and interior than the Escapes did. This 2011 Tribute looks exactly like the 11 Escape inside.

John

 

[bluto]

I am 99% sure that any aftermarket Escape audio upgrades would work fine in the same year Tribute for 2008-2012. As you noted, the 2nd gen Escape/Tribute differences essentially come down to badge engineering when compared to the differences in the first gen. What I would do is go to Crutchfield and use their 'what fits my car' tool to confirm that the options offered are the same for Escape and Tribute. On the 2011, you could get a little better sound by upgrading the speakers only. If you do that and are happy, you might be better off keeping the stock HU. If you remove it you, loose the clock and most other info on the FDIM display. IMHO, I also feel like the loacation of the HU being lower down on the dash makes the placement less than ideal for an touchscreen HU (which bascally all double-din aftermarket radios are now).

I know what you mean about the previous Tributes.... They had a Mazda radio and it was wacky! On my '02 it drove me nuts and I had to replace the dang thing with an aftermarket HU. Normally I like to keep things stock, but in that case it was a necessity. I kept the factory speakers and factory sub in place and immediately upon swapping the HU I could perceive the sound being noticeably fuller at normal volumes.

 

[JohnCT]

I am 99% sure that any aftermarket Escape audio upgrades would work fine in the same year Tribute for 2008-2012. As you noted, the 2nd gen Escape/Tribute differences essentially come down to badge engineering when compared to the differences in the first gen. What I would do is go to Crutchfield and use their 'what fits my car' tool to confirm that the options offered are the same for Escape and Tribute. On the 2011, you could get a little better sound by upgrading the speakers only. If you do that and are happy, you might be better off keeping the stock HU. If you remove it you, loose the clock and most other info on the FDIM display. IMHO, I also feel like the loacation of the HU being lower down on the dash makes the placement less than ideal for an touchscreen HU (which bascally all double-din aftermarket radios are now).

I know what you mean about the previous Tributes.... They had a Mazda radio and it was wacky! On my '02 it drove me nuts and I had to replace the dang thing with an aftermarket HU. Normally I like to keep things stock, but in that case it was a necessity. I kept the factory speakers and factory sub in place and immediately upon swapping the HU I could perceive the sound being noticeably fuller at normal volumes.

I checked Crutchfield, and they're showing 5X7, 6X8, and 5.25 round.. [ ? ] Is this a database error or will any of those mount? If so, will a round speaker sound better than an oval. For reference, the last car audio work I did on was in the '70s when a pair of U.S made Utah speakers in the doors of my work van impressed the crap out of everyone. Thanks again for the advice.

John

BTW, I won't have much access to pull the door panels until I get the plates. My DMV appointment is in three weeks.

 

[dwightbresemann]

2011 Escape 3.0L with Nav.

 

[bluto]

I think the stock speaker is 6x8.. The other two options require a mounting plate to use a smaller speaker in the 6x8 opening. I don't have any opinon on round vs. oval.