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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  First-time buyer - 2003 Mazda MPV
  By TJohn2 - November 4 - 2:00 am

  After driving a Dodge Caravan for 10 years, this car was a revelation! I test-drove a Honda (too bulky), a Pontiac Montana (poor reliability record, noisy), a Dodge Caravan (bulky,and reliability in question) a Subaru Forester (not enough storage space). Everyone at the dealership a gem to deal with. The extended warranty was fairly priced and covered pretty well everything for 7 years! I love the car & the Company!

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  No problems so far - 2004 Mazda MPV
  By JMS - October 27 - 7:30 pm

  The MPV is a great van overall. Handles well and looks sporty. We get about 17-19 mpg in the city with the AC on. We added fog lights and rear view mirror that dims automatically at night. The mirror has a compass which is very helpful.

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  A Match For a Family - 2003 Mazda MPV
  By pickels - October 24 - 10:00 am

  I need to upgrade our family to a larger vehicle, we where drive a Toyota Tacoma Double cab Truck and that was our base for the quality we wanted in the new car/van. We found the Mazda to be a Great Match, it had the style the wife wanted and the features I wanted for the family. The fit and finish seem to be very good, and the engineering seems to be well thought out, great engine power really makes it move on the high way and the handling is almost sports car like.

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  Good Fun to Drive Mini Van (Sports Car) - 2003 Mazda MPV
  By churchgm - October 24 - 10:00 am

  When my wife and I were looking to trade our prized Civic Si for a MiniVan we looked at several different models and manufacturers. Honda was obvious and so was Toyota (2004 Sienna) but the real show stopper for us was the MPV LX with the Tow package. It just handled more like our Si then the others. It wasnt so large that parking would be an issue and I thought it was every bit as sharp looking as the other two vehicles already mentioned. The deciding factor however was the price. 0% financing, no payments for 90 days, the best value for our trade in and free maintenance for 3 years sealed the deal for us.

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  Just Love my New MPV!! - 2004 Mazda MPV
  By George F - October 18 - 2:00 am

  An excellent value, the added Sports Package lends to a less "Soccer- Mommish" appearance. Great handling, the smoothest ride, seven passengers very comfortably. Removable second row bucket seats and fold down third row seat are fantastic, makes for an easy transition. Plenty of cargo room, not notably less roomier than competitors which I have rented in the past. Sleek interior with great sound system and 6 CD player. Overall a real delight so far, and the dealership bent over backwards for me. Great price and a great value, someone actually asked me the other day, "Would you mind moving your silver Mercedes??", and I answered, that "M" stands for Mazda!!

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  Love it! - 2002 Mazda MPV
  By newtomazda - October 16 - 10:00 am

  This is my first minivan and first Mazda. So far, I am very impressed on both accounts. It is so easy to drive and priced in my market. I was interested in moving up to a family car but this minivan had so much more to offer. Way better than the Honda that everyone rates so highly. I think Mazda needs to promote this van more!

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  I will never buy another Mazda - 2000 Mazda MPV
  By Chris - October 14 - 6:33 am

  I have taken my Mazda to the dealer 3 times because it will not keep running when it is cold.Gave the dealer $300.00 to fix it and it is still broken - now they want another $250.00 to replace a part that they think may be bad. And the AC has died ever summer. And it cost about $200.00 every summer to get it fixed. I custom ordered it from the dealer new in 2000.

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  Wouldnt recommend to my worst enemy! - 2003 Mazda MPV
  By tanderson - October 1 - 10:00 am

  Loved this van when we first bought it. It was our very first new vehicle purchase and has been a nightmare ever since about 18,000 miles. Wouldnt recommend it to my worst enemy. Mazda has not been very cooperative and were currently taking futher actions.

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  Be careful!! - 2002 Mazda MPV
  By Ian - September 30 - 5:46 am

  Many, many problems! A lot of what Ive already read - Ignition coils (all 6), sliding door - sticks and doesnt operate properly, and now the tranny - its in the shop right now. I actually have filled almost 10 pages of a notebook because our experience has been so surreal. I even bought the extended Mazda Canada warranty, only to find out time and time again that nothing was covered.

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  Zoom Zoom (Not!) - 2001 Mazda MPV
  By rdw - September 26 - 11:33 am

  I knew when we bought the MPV that it was not going to be a high performance vehicle. It does just fine on the coastal plains of NC but the mountains of VA and WV are a challenge for its little Ford-build 2.5 litre engine. Otherwise the MPV is a quality car and is reliable. It is very comfortable - you can drive 500 miles without tiring. It is a nice car but it doesnt compare to the Honda or Toyota in value (its a lot smaller). I think the MPVs MSRP is about $2,500 too high. Mazdas end-of-year rebates on the MPV make it competitive and Im thinking about buying a 2004 model.