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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  Transmission Failed - 2000 Mazda MPV
  By MPV Owner - June 7 - 11:06 pm

  I have been driving this car since the start of 2001. Overall it has been solid and has required only basic or required minimal repairs... until now. At only 80,000 miles the transmission has completely failed. This will cost over $3,000 to repair, more than 1/2 the value of the car. Mechanics seem surprised, but say it is a closed system, and if it goes... well it just goes. This is a real bummer and has really turned me off on this car.

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  Expect the worst and it will happen - 2000 Mazda MPV
  By lowinpro - June 5 - 1:53 pm

  Weve owned this MPV for a few years, got it for less than blue book from a private party. Recently (at about 80k miles) some things started going wrong - both manifolds, water pump, oil pump, timing chain, pcv, and many electrical problems. Both the passenger front door and one sliding door have electrical/mechanical malfunctions (one only opens from the inside, the other only from the outside). In short, a wide variety of mechanical, electrical, and engine problems that are very expensive to repair - about double the actual value of the vehicle at this point. None of them fall under "routine maintenance." Advice: steer clear of Mazda vans of this vintage.

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  Great Ride - 2004 Mazda MPV
  By jwgprogolf - May 26 - 10:00 am

  MPV has a great feel when on the highway. Excellant pick-up when proceeding from a stop position.

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  Mazda MPV has the soul of a sporty sedan - 2004 Mazda MPV
  By Formose Pereira - May 26 - 10:00 am

  Its the best compact Minivan that I have driven and for a growing family of upto 8-10 year olds ,this vehicle is ideal.You may need to upgrade the quality of the Music system.

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  I want to love this van, BUT - 2003 Mazda MPV
  By donP - May 17 - 2:00 am

  I did alot of research before purchasing this van. Initially,I loved the van-this was our first van purchase and we loved the flexibility in seating, comfort, space, styling, etc. I waited until we drove 5,000 miles before writing this review. There are two strange noises when I apply the brakes-one is an occasional popping sound from the front and another noise from the rear. The dealer thought it might be the tires making that sound (yea-right). I will be taking it in next week. I wouldnt feel comfortable recommending this van until I see how it performs over an extended period of time e.g. after three years.

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  Perfect Van - 2003 Mazda MPV
  By MPVSport - May 12 - 10:00 am

  This is a great van, excellent options and pricing. Dealer was great to work with, pricing done via the internet. Service department has been outstanding. The dvd player is awesome and worth the money if you have kids. Didnt even look at other vans, loved the size and sporty look. Owned Dodge Caravan, nice but not the image for the sporty van we were looking for, switched to Mazda, known longterm quality and longevity.

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  Easiest choice I ever made - 2004 Mazda MPV
  By blackMPV - May 9 - 10:13 am

  Nice van to replace our 04 trailblazer (nightmare car!). Great handling, peppy drivetrain, compact package, quality looking and feeling interior bits. Reliability has been great despite warnings to contrary-drove rental MPV for 3500 miles with no probs and liked it well enough to buy an 04 which now has 2000 mi on it. Stable, surefooted handling and silky smooth tranny make for a fun drive (in a minivan?!) Kids like roll down windows in side doors. People complain about shift lever in way of radio-no problems if you use controls on steering wheel (actually, no real problem anyway). We enjoy this van as much as our first Honda Ody but without the transmission problems of the Ody.

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  Dont buy a Mazda. Buy American. - 2000 Mazda MPV
  By TinaJones - May 7 - 5:43 am

  When we bought the Mazda, we thought it was like a Toyota. Will keep running and running. Wrong, wrong, wrong! We have had it towed to a local garage because it just would not start. The garage tried to just get a design for the motor so they could make sure everything was where it was supposed to be. Mazda would send them a design if they would pay $169.00. Had it towed to a dealership, thought it was fixed. Ran hot on us when we went out of town for my sons state track meet. It was 100 degrees and when the mazdas run hot, the air does not work. It is not recommended for the south. We did not even make it home, our other son had to come and get us 30 miles away from our home.

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  A good reliable van! - 2003 Mazda MPV
  By Doug - May 7 - 4:23 am

  Bought this van used in 2004 with 34k miles. Has been a great van. Two problems worth mentioning: The transmission has a rough shift from time to time. And I had some engine work done 2 years ago. Now I have 116k on it and no other complaints. Thinking of selling it due to my plan to take a long road trip this summer. Not sure. I would highly recommend this van. Handles like a car-better then any others I have driven. Has held its value rather well.

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  MPV out-STANDS other minivans - 2003 Mazda MPV
  By AlbertC - May 6 - 10:00 am

  Looking for a car with a decent amount of room, cargo space, ground clearance at an unbeatable value, we landed on a 2003 Mazda MPV LX. This SUV look-a-like has great handling, space with a decent amount of power. taking long road trips can be a bit of a hassle with the seats;riding for more than an hour, you get a numb feeling in your rear. The rotten egg smell of the sulfur was there for a while but quickly vanished. Great minivan for a small family and an optional rear-air conditioning is a must!