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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  a few years in - 2005 Mazda MPV
  By tbg - July 3 - 10:32 pm

  Bought our MPV ES in Oct 2008 with 46,000 on it. It currently has about 114,000 on it and doesnt seem to be much different from when we bought it. To date, it has required relatively infrequent and minor fixes: a minor ($300) fuel thing (forgotten what precisely) at 90k, a small water pump leak at 108k.

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  decent van - 2001 Mazda MPV
  By jim224 - June 21 - 3:50 pm

  Original owner.93k miles. Has been fairly dependable except for lately. Check engine light was on for 4 items, two cylinder misfires,cooling fan relay,and gas cap. Cost to fix at dealer $590 for new plugs and starter coil. Use lightly now as second car. Rides&handles nice, mileage just okay for a van should be better. This is an underpowered vehicle with the smallest V6 in existence, a leftover from Fords engine inventory. For its size should get better mileage, but engine is forced to work too hard. Other items replaced were the rear hatch struts and battery, Transmission is okay but not the smoothest around. Good for hauling things. Would sell but minivans are very difficult to sell.

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  Great Mid size pass van - 2001 Mazda MPV
  By ML - June 21 - 10:00 am

  Loaded, great features like fold away third row seats, lowering rear windows, great sound system, and all with great fuel efficiency and impeccable styling.

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  Best Minvan Value Ever - 2003 Mazda MPV
  By Fab4inDC - June 18 - 7:16 pm

  After 5 years and 75,000 miles, our MPV is holding up great. We only had one problem, an electrical switch in the steering column that tells the computer that car is in park, failed at around 60K and cost about $380 to fix. Other than that, just routine maintenance has kept this nearly indestructible van going down the road.

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  Minivan mom - 2000 Mazda MPV
  By dcr - June 16 - 10:00 am

  I had driven several mimivans and hated the way they all drove. I decided to stay with a station wagon until I drove the MPV. I love it! Its roomy, fun to drive and has to be sturdy with my three children. Although it is not a performance vehicle, I didnt need one, I needed a reliable form of transportation that would stand up to the test of rowdy children and thats what I got.

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  Zoom zoom mpv mom - 2003 Mazda MPV
  By vanmommie - June 16 - 10:00 am

  The van really is easy to drive. Love the Moonroof, the windows that go down in the back. The tumble under seat for getting your stuff back there. Perfect height to side in and out. Not to big. Not a big brick in the wind.

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  You Can Get Em Cheap - 2006 Mazda MPV
  By tabbss - June 6 - 7:36 am

  My wife needed a minivan and didnt want the minivan looks. We rented a MPV and liked it. We test drove the Quest and Sedona. Both of those had interior parts fall off during our test drives. Saw a new MPV in an ad at a local dealer for $15,488. Heavy rebates and dealer took off another $1K for Mazda financing. Cant beat the price and runs great. The dealers want to get rid of these so you can get them for a steal if you can find them.

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  Connie of Long Island, NY - 2005 Mazda MPV
  By concrabby - June 5 - 7:06 am

  AT FIRST I WAS VERY DISAPPOINTED WITH THE PERFORMANCE OF MY MPV. IT STALLED ALOT AND FELT LIKE I WAS ON A BUCKING HORSE EVERY TIME IT CHANGED GEARS. SADLY, I LATER RECEIVED TWO RECALLS ON IT. TOOK IT TO THE DEALER AND ITS BEEN GREAT SINCE.

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  Great Handling - 2003 Mazda MPV
  By DuPont - May 29 - 10:00 am

  For a family of four this is the best minivan. The handling is more nimble than the other minivans we tested, including the Odyssey and (old) Sienna and accelerates very well. The interior is very well laid out and more spacious than the compact dimensions of the van would suggest. The price to feature ratio is great. It has features that other minivans dont have such as moonroof, slide down rear windows, and an excellent sound system.

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  Excellent Choice for Family - 2003 Mazda MPV
  By tw - May 29 - 2:33 am

  We bought our MPV LX brand new in late 2002. 3 1/2 years and 80,000 miles later, we are still very happy with the van. It is smaller than Honda and Toyota minivans, and is just the perfect size for a family of 4. Originally my wife insisted on buying a minivan after our first child was born. I hesitated to be seen in a minivan. But we rented an MPV during a vacation and felt in love with the size and handling. We have only had one mechanical problem with a radiator hose during the 80,000 miles weve had the van. The problem occurred around 30,000 miles, and was fixed by the dealer (there was a bulletin on the issue). Other than that, it has been very reliable.