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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  no zoom zoom - 2001 Mazda MPV
  By Golfbum - February 25 - 2:00 am

  I bought my van used and have had it for about 1 yr now. van is ok but my wife would like it to have the power slide doors and little stonger engine. My advice buy a Honda if you got the money and can find one, if not make the mazda your second choice

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  Easy to Drive and fits in my garage - 2005 Mazda MPV
  By jkons - February 21 - 10:26 pm

  This car handles beautifully (drives like a car), very smooth ride, has very comfortable seating, good view of the road, has a nice look and fits in our garage. We cant wait to take it on a long trip.

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  Loved this Van - 2004 Mazda MPV
  By rose74 - February 18 - 3:59 am

  I never had much wrong with my mazda mpv. I drove it for almost 8 yrs. It only had alittle over 100,000 miles on it. I replaced all my coil packs, vacum hose, and brakes. it ran as smoothe as it did the day I bought it. I was in an accident and they totaled it. I looked for another one but none close to me. I like my other van now but miss my Mazda Alot.

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  My New MPV - 2002 Mazda MPV
  By lphillips - February 17 - 10:00 am

  I went from an Audi A4 to a loaded MPV. So far Im happy. Vehicle handles great and has a very versatile interior. So far, the dealer has been great.Since IOve only had the MPV about a month, I will report again in 6 months to see if I am still happy.Looked at the Odyssey. It was too big and the dealers too greedy.

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  From M3 to Minivan - 2002 Mazda MPV
  By typhoon - February 17 - 10:00 am

  Sold the M3 for a Forester for a minivan. Test drove the Honda, and it was 2nd best - the handling wasnt as good. The extra size of the Honda wasnt appealing to a family of 3. Regarding the 3yr/30K warranty, "Honda doesnt need a good warranty to sell it" was the dealer response. Laughable. Heres our take so far on the MPV. Handling is excellent. AC is excellent. The stereo is also very good. There is NO rotten egg smell (they must have fixed that. You can feel the bumps (reminds me of the M3), but more so in the back (where I never am!). Liked the 3rd row conversion options. The engine power is OK (we tow a sailboat).

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  door lock actuators fail a lot NO Recall - 2000 Mazda MPV
  By mpvfixer - February 16 - 2:13 pm

  Good overall van, BUT be ready to spend $150 plus for the door lock actuators when they fail about every two years. This is the price for the PART ONLY for each door. This van we have has both front door actuators that have failed within weeks of each other in 2003. Should be a recall item as MANY others have this same problem, but Mazda does NOTHING. Be warned! Oh if you have the dealer do the work, you are looking at $350 P&L and up per door!

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  Great small minivan - 2004 Mazda MPV
  By Chris - February 16 - 11:40 am

  My wife and I did a lot of research before buying this minivan. We narrowed it down to the Toyota Sienna and the Mazda MPV. The size of the vehicle was the primary concern because we have a small two car garage attached to our Cape style house. I drove both the Sienna and the MPV into the garage when test-driving. The MPV is smaller, and therefore was a more comfortable fit. When we test drove both vehicles, the Sienna had a smoother ride, but the braking was more laborious. The MPV felt more sporty, and the braking was much easier. The Sienna had slightly better gas mileage (1 mpg better). However, the MPV just had so many more features for less money - and all of that with a government 5 star crash rating.

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  great van, great price - 2004 Mazda MPV
  By eureka001 - February 8 - 10:00 am

  I pondered a while about which minivan to purchase and test drove Odyssey, Sienna and MPV. In the end I decided on MPV because of its size and its cost. MPVs size is just right - can fit a lot of stuff, but handling and parking is like that of a sedan. We had this van for a few weeks and its been great. It really is fun to drive. My wife, who was very worried about driving a minivan is perfectly comfortable with it now. So far I didnt notice any problems with the car (like mentioned missed gear shifts). Finally, it is 3-4 K cheaper to comparably equipped Odyssey!

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  A great little minivan - 2004 Mazda MPV
  By SydKenMom - February 8 - 10:00 am

  This minivan is a great vehicle for small families--we have 2 kids and it fits us and all of our stuff very nicely! Its not too big & drives like a car!! Its priced well for our tight budget!

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  Good buy - 2004 Mazda MPV
  By AverageTim - January 27 - 6:56 pm

  We have only had this MPV for 7 months but we love it. It was a great value with rebates at the time. It is right sized, has good performance, comfortable ride, and looks good. The transmission is the weak point as it does not shift smoothly. The 200 hp engine is good for its size and weight.