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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  powertrain dies at 59K/6yrs - 2006 Mazda MPV
  By aknight - March 9 - 1:45 am

  Auto-transmission broke down at 59K, 6 yrs: back and forth between gear 1 and 2. Had to get a tow. Am the first owner. Was having hard-shift right after the purchase. Mazdas attitude: hard-shift not reproducible, cannot fix. Seeing so many other MPV owners complaints on transmission problems, hard to believe Mazda not facing MPV transmission issue honestly. Transmission breaking down is estimated to cost $4K to fix/replace.

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  satisfied!! - 2003 Mazda MPV
  By revenuer1 - February 28 - 2:00 am

  We just bought an MPV and are quite pleased with it. We traded in our Windstar for it and think that the handling on the road is as good if not better. Instruments/controls are not difficult to use or see. For some reason remote is not always working on front passenger door but should be easily fixed by the dealer. Salepeople/finance people were very helpful and informative.

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  28.9 mpg on first tank of gas - 2005 Mazda MPV
  By jat - February 24 - 9:46 pm

  First tank was 28.9 mpg highway miles from Ohio to West Virginia. Going from a SUV to a van I thought I would be disappointed. The van was great and handled well.

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  Mazda MPV - 2003 Mazda MPV
  By CS - February 9 - 3:23 pm

  Other than wind noise when driving, this is a very nice family van.

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  Horror! - 2002 Mazda MPV
  By zpg - February 7 - 12:26 pm

  Premature and/or repeated problems: coils, pcv valve, fan control module, transmission, radiator, motor mounts, window motor, rust

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  Hello shop - 2003 Mazda MPV
  By mom3anddog - February 6 - 6:36 am

  Bought my MVP new, tired of going to the shop with my old car. 3 kids wanted a new vehicle so I would only go in for regular maintenance. Sliding doors would not stay shut first few months, started shifting hard (been in 3 or 4 times in the last three years), Brake pads 1st year, brake pads-rotate rotors 2nd year, end of stabilizing bar replaced, doesnt want to come out of park sometimes (actually told I needed to put my foot on the brake to take out of gear - automatic - been driving for 20 years). Been in the shop now 3 times in 5 days to fix the lack of power, missing, was vacuum hose.

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  We should not have waited so long. . . . - 2003 Mazda MPV
  By mclane - February 5 - 2:00 am

  After searching for about six months and researching all of the minivans, we finally decided on the Mazda MPV. Although its a bit smaller than the rest, it is still very comfortable. It has all the features we wanted at an affordable price, with a reliability record of above average. So far we love our van and so do our children!

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  Stands out from the crowd - 2006 Mazda MPV
  By slickdealer - February 1 - 11:43 am

  Ive only owned this vehicle for 4 months but so far, its been great. I love the size. Its not a tank (aka Odyssey/Sienna). I also like having a vehicle that isnt on every corner. The MPV really stands out from the crowd. Took it on a long trip this summer and it performed flawlessly. The interior doesnt have that cheap quality feel that some cars have. It feels solid.

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  Lovely but not trouble-free - 2004 Mazda MPV
  By val222 - January 31 - 10:00 am

  We have 2003 ES model. Fun to drive and perfectly capable of hauling a family of 5 with all the cargo. Best handling and extremely goof-looking interior. Reliability is questionable - we had tranny replaced on a long trip when the car stalled on a highway at 7pm in December. Had to spend 3 days in upstate NY on our way to Florida while waiting for the replacement (at Mazdas expense). Electric doors frequently malfunction.

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  Great value and fun to drive - 2002 Mazda MPV
  By Jeff Linihan - January 30 - 4:13 pm

  When we finally decided that we needed a minivan we decided to purchase a MPV. We had a positive rental experience with the Mazda on a trip to DC. My wife loves the size. I like the way it drives. Not to mention that we paid less than $21k for a LX with rear air, 6 disc changer and roof rack. We have put 70k miles on the van and we bought it new 4/02. The only trips to the dealer was for the check engine light (wife left the gas cap off). No transmission problems here. We have taken the MPV on several 8 to 11 hour trips to the beach with all of our gear with no complaints about comfort. We are currently kicking around the idea of buying another MPV from the same dealer this spring.