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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  Nice mini - 2004 Mazda MPV
  By GRW - July 28 - 10:00 am

  Has the fold down 3rd row seat, that the at the time we bought, was only offered by Honda. It was the only minivan where the windows in the sliding doors go down. Smaller size make it more car like to drive.

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  MPV - 2002 Mazda MPV
  By Toomach - July 22 - 10:00 am

  The MPV is a fun car with reasonable performance, acceptable gas mileage, plenty of stowage space, handles better than many cars and has good safety. Most of the benefits of an SUV without most of the drawbacks. We bought it to travel in. The car comfort with plenty of room makes it ideal for us.

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  Lovein it. Zoom-Zoom - 2004 Mazda MPV
  By marieann - July 22 - 10:00 am

  I love my MPV. I will buy another one.

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  The Best Choice - 2002 Mazda MPV
  By Zoom -Zoom in NJ - July 19 - 2:00 am

  This is our first minivan...and we are completely satisfied. Honda wasnt willing to negotiate an inch- and Sienna was too big with DULL exterior styling. We have an infant and a toddler so we werent ready for the huge mom-mobiles! We got an excellent dealer incentive- and great treatment. Drives and handles like a car. My son loves his "new big car"! We take turns driving. By far this was the best choice. GFX, Luxury, Entertainment, Security packages.

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  loved this van - 2003 Mazda MPV
  By jd - July 17 - 5:20 pm

  We bought our MPV used with 50000 miles on it. We have not had any major problems other than a sensor on the gear shift went bad and the auto sliding doors quit working, cost 500 to fix. It was really nice on long trips and had plenty of power. In the winters we lost 4 mls per gallon and the check engine lite would come on, then in spring all would be fine. We had planned on keeping it for a long time till a kid ran a stop sign and hit the back fender of the van at 60 mph. We spun around a few times and hit a telephone pole. The van was a loss but my 6 yr old and i walked away with a few bumps. I hate to see it go and now my wife wants a volvo.....

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  2003 MPV LX - Bought New - 2003 Mazda MPV
  By Tommy C. - July 16 - 5:03 am

  My MPV was bought new and now has 143K miles on it. It has had all the issues that others stated here. Check Engine light is a regular happening! Catalytic Converter issue that I will ignore until the end! Replaced the two common coils in front - water issue/design - stupid! Leaking rear AC antifreeze tubes - under warranty at 130K - thanks Mazda! Tubes were rusted gone! transmission issues - reprogrammed in 2004 and seems to be ok since. Rust around rear wheel wells AND bottom seals of front doors! Happened at 35K miles in beginning! Worst design - no power lock button on pass.side door! No dimmer over-ride to switch on inside lights after 10 Minutes! Ugh! AC is weak! Heater is weak.

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  very good! - 2003 Mazda MPV
  By animato - July 14 - 10:00 am

  Much more fun to drive than my 98 caravan, still fits the 2 kids and dog just fine. horizontal sliding mid-seats a clever idea. es model w/ gfx pkg gets a lot of looks, which i am not used to in a mini- van. i think ill keep this one for a while.

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  I Like This Van - 2002 Mazda MPV
  By Mkranbuhl - July 13 - 2:00 am

  Good ride. Good gas mileage. A comfortable ride and easy to drive. This is a smaller minivan and handles very well. The only downside to this van is that it does not hold its value very well.

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  Easy Choice - 2003 Mazda MPV
  By zoomervan - July 13 - 2:00 am

  I spent 3 months evaluating my next car purchase. I considered the KIA Sedona and Sorento, Honda CRV and Odessy, and more. KIA was eliminated for their horrible gas mileage (who needs that in this day and age?), Honda for their sub-par warranties and their inflated prices, and Toyota for lack of space. After test driving the Tribute and the MPV, the only choice left was - which one?The MPV was so much more fun to drive than the Tribute. (Maybe my husband will trade in his Tahoe?) I just cant wait to take it on a long trip! I opted for an after market moonroof and in-the-headrest DVD system for the kids. Still kept the price below 22K!!

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  Great & Sporty - 2002 Mazda MPV
  By ms_pink - July 8 - 10:00 am

  I love my van, what can I say others havnt. Just got back from a trip cross country, great gas mileage, 391.7 was the farthest I ever took it. Very satisifed Customer, want to upgrade to sunroof and fog lights. I will be a repeat buyer.