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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  Find a cliff - 2000 Mazda MPV
  By findacliff - December 18 - 8:16 am

  worst vehicle I have owned! would rather drive my 88 VW Jetta with 302,000Km than this minivan. Did my research before I bought it two years ago and have been disappointed ever since. Issues started a year after I bought it with the alternator going dead. Though it was an older battery and bought a new one. Turns out the alternator was not working and left my wife and family stranded. Towed to Pacific Mazda in Victoria who wanted to charge $700 for the alternator and tried to convince my wife that she needed a new battery. This is a blatant rip off as the battery was 2 days old! I sourced a reman alternator (Bosch) for less than $300 and sent it to the dealer.

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  Great price on a great van - 2005 Mazda MPV
  By nhorowitz1 - December 8 - 4:13 am

  Driving the van is very pleasant. The gear shifter gets in the way of the console, but the controls on the steering wheel make up for most of the inconvenience. Gas mileage better than in my previous minivans. Drives more car-like than many other vans I tested.

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  Should have bought the Honda... - 2003 Mazda MPV
  By nomoremazdas - November 27 - 6:13 pm

  I have owned the MPV for 40,000 miles now. Just had the rotors replaced because of all the hotspots, warping and bad quality. While the fit and finish are good, the transmission feels like it is about to fall out when the engine gets heated up, and thats WITH the tranny cooler! Of course Mazda cant figure out (or admit) anything, nor will they help. Im sure that the dealer will be able to figure it out 1 mile after the warranty runs out. The DVD is junk. We have it replaced annually because the screen burns out. No replacement foam earpieces for the IR headphones just insures that we will be buying another make next time. Looks good, but its in the shop far too often!

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  Very Surprised!!! - 2002 Mazda MPV
  By tgaines14 - November 24 - 10:00 am

  I must say that I am one of those guys who said that he would never own a minivan. Well, three kids later, and theres just not much that I could do about it. I researched the minivan market for quite some time, and ultimately chose this van. I have been very surprised with it. It has definitely exceeded all of my expectations. It is simply a great vehicle to drive.

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  Good Mazda - 2003 Mazda MPV
  By Budd Ditchendorf - November 21 - 3:53 pm

  We purchased this van with 62,000 miles on it in 2008 for a great price. Made me wonder if it was a lemon. We had to have a van and it was the right price especially compared to Toyotas and Hondas. This van has been a blessing! 25 ,000 miles later and it runs perfectly. Do all my own maintenance and the fluid levels are always spot on where they were before. Ours is decked out with all the modern options of 2003 and was way below the cost of comparable other vans. I would venture to say you must check this van out if you are in the market for a van. This seems to be a reliable used purchase flying below the radar thus a much more reasonable price.

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  Well designed compact minivan - 2003 Mazda MPV
  By madhatter - November 19 - 10:00 am

  Weve owned the MPV for just over two months and its been great. Very quiet on the inside, you can just about hear the horn. Love the third row seat and the sliding door roll down windows are especially popular with my kids. The well for the third row seat holds grocery bags excellently well. Fit and finish are excellent. The ride is relatively sporty - not in the league of my Ford Contour with its wide tires and stiff suspension - but there is noticable body roll in turns. The interior is quite ergonomic except for the fact that the column shifter partly hides the volume control and sometimes I have tried to "shift" the turn signal lever.

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  A True "Minivan" thats fun to drive - 2005 Mazda MPV
  By cope1 - November 16 - 6:50 pm

  We bought the MPV because of its smaller size and firm ride. It handles almost like our 2002 Camry and is just as easy to park. The build quality is the best I have had in many years; even better than our 2002 Camry. Fit & finish are excellent. I would always like more power; but remembering the old 4 cylinder. minivans, the MPV has plenty. The MPVs acceleration seems to be on a par with my heavier 1999 Explorer V8. Braking is very good. Admittedly its not as large as most of its competitors; but larger isnt always better.

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  Great Minivan - 2001 Mazda MPV
  By rstar - November 12 - 2:00 am

  Weve been having fun with our van since we got it. Perfect for a family of 4 and when you need to bring some frinds along just lift the third seat out of the floor.

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  Best minivan for small families! - 2004 Mazda MPV
  By slw1123 - November 8 - 1:36 pm

  My husband and I just purchased a used 2004 MPV with 18k miles on it. We have a 15 month old and are expecting another baby soon. The MPV has lots of space without being too boxy or too large. Its easy to get a toddler in/out of carseats in the 2nd row. It would be nice to have a tad more leg room/space between the front and 2nd row but its fine for kids. I love the cargo space and the "lay flat" 3 row seat. I also like the steering wheel radio controls and the center console that can be up or down. The handling of the MPV is awesome! Feels like youre driving a luxury car instead of a minivan. It turns smoothly and easily, accelerates beautifully (but Im a conservative Mommy).

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  Great van for the money - 2000 Mazda MPV
  By john u - November 7 - 11:00 am

  Bought the van almost 8 years ago and have had only a few issues. Alternator need replacement. Rear hatch struts failed and coolant lines to rear leaked but both were recall items (sure hurt when the hatch slammed onto my head and knocked me to the ground). Ive got 165,000 kms on it now and it is rusting like crazy...that is my only real complaint other than the not so great gas mileage and the fact that the van is so boring.