Overview & Reviews

Mazda wasn't the first to arrive at the modern minivan soiree in the 1980s -- that honor belongs to Chrysler. However, Mazda did shine (albeit briefly) as the guest that brought the most unusual gift to the party.

Introduced in 1989, the Mazda MPV did more than simply ape the competition. It was the first true minivan that was rough-weather-friendly, thanks to available all-wheel drive -- Mazda's marketing at the time played this up by calling the MPV the only "go anywhere" minivan on the market. It was also fairly compact and distinguished itself from the burgeoning minivan field with its right-side traditionally hinged rear door (as opposed to a sliding door). In addition, rear-wheel drive was standard. Powered by a four-cylinder or optional V6 engine, the MPV met with a warm response in its early years from both buyers and journalists. Its moment of glory was short-lived, however; by the mid-'90s, other minivans had sailed past the MPV in terms of handling, versatility and engine power.

A much-improved second generation of the Mazda MPV came in 2000. This van maintained its predecessor's bantam dimensions, but in almost every other respect, it was a new animal. Gone was the country-cousin awkwardness of the early MPV, replaced with a look that was more coiffed and urbane. The new minivan had a front-wheel-drive layout and more convenience features -- it also offered unique touches like roll-down windows in its sliding doors. These qualities won this Mazda a few new fans, but at the end of the day, the MPV still came up short in two areas that were of prime importance to most minivan buyers: power and interior room.

Waning sales made 2006 the end of the line for the Mazda MPV, but its "compact minivan" philosophy lives on (with better execution) in a recent addition to the Mazda fleet, the Mazda 5.

Most Recent Mazda MPV

By the time the turn of the century rolled around, the MPV needed help. Other vans like the Honda Odyssey had raised the bar in areas like feature content and performance, and Mazda's seven-passenger hauler was left lagging in the distance. The second-generation MPV was Mazda's effort to close the gap, and it went a long way toward making the minivan more competitive.

With this all-new, more attractive front wheel-drive MPV, Mazda discontinued the van's four-wheel-drive availability, and traded its hinged rear doors for sliding-door convenience. Its size remained constant, though, and the MPV continued to be the runt of the minivan litter; as a result, cargo capacity wasn't as generous as that of others in its class. However, the redesigned minivan made up for it with a wealth of unique features. Second-row captain's chairs were multiconfigurable, easily sliding fore and aft; they could also be positioned together for instant bench seating. The third-row bench seat could be readily folded into the floor. It could also be turned to face the tail end of the vehicle when the tailgate was up, in case its owner was ever invited to a soccer-mom tailgate party. It's worth noting, too, that the MPV's compact size had a silver lining -- it was one of the most maneuverable choices on the market.

Those who wanted the most affordable Mazda MPV could opt for the base DX trim, which offered 15-inch wheels, dual manual-sliding doors and a CD player. The next step up was the LX, which added full power accessories and cruise control, as well as center and overhead consoles. Keyless entry was yours to enjoy with the ES trim, along with leather upholstery, 16-inch wheels and heated mirrors. Options included rear air-conditioning, a power moonroof and a CD changer. Power sliding doors were not available, however.

Mazda took steps to address the first-generation MPV's lack of power by installing a standard 2.5-liter V6 good for 170 horsepower and 165 pound-feet of torque; this V6 was wedded to a four-speed transmission. This engine was an improvement, but Mazda hadn't gone far enough -- the MPV still felt underpowered relative to its rivals.

Mazda did its part to keep the van current, lavishing it with updates over the years. The MPV got a power upgrade in 2002 via a 3.0-liter 200-hp V6 and a five-speed automatic transmission. That year, MPV buyers could also enjoy the blissful convenience of the van's new power sliding doors; other 2002 upgrades included available 17-inch alloys, traction control, a refined braking system and revised suspension tuning. In addition, the DX trim was dropped that year, leaving just the LX and ES.

In 2003, a new base-model trim joined the lineup -- the LX-SV -- and a rear DVD entertainment system appeared on the options list. (A VHS-based system was offered in 2001 alone.) The LX-SV model disappeared (temporarily) in 2004. Also that year, the Mazda MPV also got revised front-end styling, a rear air-conditioner and four-wheel disc brakes.

In reviews, our editors agreed that the Mazda MPV was a stylish-looking vehicle and a respectable choice for small families who desired a vehicle that was bigger than most station wagons, yet still more maneuverable than larger competing minivans. Plus, the MPV had a coolness to it that other family haulers were hard-pressed to match: Get this youthful van side by side with its sedate competitors, and the contrast is what you'd see if a twentysomething crashed a party at a retirement home. And in more practical moments, the MPV's multiconfigurable seats lent it a great deal of versatility.

However, the van was stymied by its lack of power relative to the competition; our editors noted that minivans by Honda and Toyota easily managed freeway maneuvers that the MPV struggled to accomplish. Acceleration wasn't helped by the MPV's five-speed transmission, which had a tendency to upshift too quickly in certain situations. And though the MPV scored top marks in government crash tests, safety was an issue, since the van didn't offer common minivan features like stability control or side curtain airbags.

Past Mazda MPVs

The first-generation MPV lived from 1989-'98 and distinguished itself from its rivals with features like available all-wheel drive and slight dimensions. The model's traditionally hinged passenger-side rear door opened wide and helped give the vehicle a clean look, but it lacked the functionality of other minivans' sliding rear doors. Originally, Mazda offered a 2.6-liter, 121-hp four-cylinder engine with either a five-speed manual transmission or a four-speed automatic. Optional was a 150-hp 3.0-liter V6. The van had seating for up to seven passengers.

Mazda made a few upgrades over the years. In 1992, eight-passenger seating became available and the manual transmission was dropped. In 1993, a driver-side airbag was added; for '95, the V6 engine became standard. Versatility was enhanced for 1996 when Mazda added a driver-side rear door; the MPV was, in fact, one of the first minivans to have four doors.

Though always distinctive, this generation of the Mazda MPV was outclassed by the early '90s. Many shoppers at the time found the vans from Chrysler or Dodge more appealing due to their more useful interior designs and extra power and convenience features.

User Reviews:

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  Not Bad - 2000 Mazda MPV
  By cdv - February 25 - 2:00 am

  Good Van. It has provided a lot of comfort over long hauls (weve done roughly 15K miles per year). The MPG has worked out to be in the low 20s and requires nothing outside of regular maint. All-in-all, it has proved to be a good van.

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  Wheeeeee!!! - 2003 Mazda MPV
  By jim and jenni - February 25 - 2:00 am

  Spent 12 months minivan shopping (literally). Started with the MPV, drove every van on the market, finished with MPV. When you include the $2k rebate, I cant imagine how you can do better. 200HP, 3000# towing capacity, magic 3rd row seat, awesome crash test ratings, beautiful interior and exterior, 6CD changer, DVD player, double power sliding doors, roof rack, traction control, side airbags, spoiler, rear air cond, 4 year bmp-bmp wnty etc for $24k. Drives great, much more fun to drive around town than the big minivans.

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  Best Buy out There for a Minivan - 2000 Mazda MPV
  By zoom zoom - February 13 - 1:00 pm

  I love my MPV. It has 115K miles on it, and Ive had NO major trouble with it at all. Oil change, rotate, and balance are the only things Ive ever done, and it runs like new. The only repairs to this vehicle have been a new lock actuator for the drivers door, and a new cable assembly for the power window in the drivers door. I still have the original brakes on it! My next vehicle will be another MPV!

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  Perfect van - 2005 Mazda MPV
  By Loren Hanson - February 11 - 2:06 am

  The perfect vehicle for us. We are retired and play a lot of golf. We also plan to travel quite a bit. We have ample room for anything we might take with us. The van is very comfortable on long trips. The seats are great. The turning radius is also a plus for the vehicle. The engine is spunky and not noisy as assessed by the "experts" Fuel mileage is relatively good. Its better looking by far than any other minivan in our opinion. Wouldnt trade with any friends who drive Chryslers, Toyotas, Chevrolets and Hondas. They also like the clean lines of our minivan better than theirs.

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  Good for Us - 2002 Mazda MPV
  By Paul E Oakes - February 8 - 2:00 am

  This is the right size for us. We appreciate the roominess and versatility of this size vehicle. We enjoyed 95 and 98 Honda Odyssey but Odysseys got too large. Glad Mazda was there with this size van.

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  BEST BANG FOR THE BUCK. - 2003 Mazda MPV
  By JMTRANSAMSD455 - February 2 - 2:00 am

  Wife loves her 2003ES.Smaller size gives better carlike handling and agility,superb ride,comfort along with quiet but powerful 3.0 DOHC 24 Valve V6.Quik acceleration.Price was right.Easy tumble down third row bench seat.Easy to read instrument panel.Quality leather hides,padded leather steering wheel, brake handle.Roll-down power windows in the dual sliding doors.ABS, Traction Control.Triple H frame for safety yielding a 5-star crash rating for both front and side impacts,Front and Side Air Bags.Folding side mirrors,Plenty of cup holders.

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  Bought new in 2004, now has 170,000 and going strong - 2004 Mazda MPV
  By kaiserdr - January 29 - 8:53 am

  I rarely give anything five stars but the service I have had on this vehicle deserves it. I bought my MPV brand new from the dealer and only had routine problems. My vehicle is approaching 170,000 miles and runs perfectly. We have maintained the exterior and interior of this vehicle. If the engine fails, I will buy a rebuilt engine, install it, and hope it lasts as long as the one now. I was recently at the dealer to have the air-bag replaced and a mechanic there said several owners bring their MPVs in for maintenance and have more than 250,000 miles on them. The only unexpected failure I had on this vehicle was last year when the sunroof leaked and I had to replace the seal.

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  Great Minivan - 2001 Mazda MPV
  By trigman - January 26 - 10:00 am

  I think that Mazda has made an excellent minivan. My only problems with it were minor sample defects that the dealer fixed satisfactorily. I think that it has appropriate power, but I wish it would get better mileage. (It is a trade-off!)

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  Perfect for us - 2004 Mazda MPV
  By fonorow - January 23 - 10:00 am

  Excellent car like ride vs. bus like Odyssey test drive.

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  2004 Mazda MPV LX - 2004 Mazda MPV
  By tomballmusic - January 23 - 10:00 am

  This is our second MPV and this one is great. I like the electric doors, rearview mirror that darkens, DVD, and this one gets better gas mileage than our 2001 did. Weve been getting 22 mpg in town driving. Its quiet and rides nicely.