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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  Wouldnt be without my Zoom Zoom - 2002 Mazda MPV
  By Dwadon - January 13 - 4:20 pm

  Awesome van. Owned a Chevy Montana prior to my MPV and have never looked back. Have 2 teens & 2 dogs and this van suits us just fine - gas mileage reasonable as well.

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  Love it! - 2006 Mazda MPV
  By rgattic - January 13 - 2:13 pm

  By far the best looking and most fun to drive minivan. Great for road trips too. Surprising amount of features and storage for small nimble size.

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  Vehicle is over 7yrs old, with 166600 - 2002 Mazda MPV
  By M. Kontny - January 9 - 5:10 pm

  I bought my Mazda MPV Mini Van in 2005 and now it has 166,000 miles on it. I have had no major problems with my van, the only draw back is that the vehicle is starting to show rust in certain areas. I live in Wisconsin and we had a pretty harsh winter last year so there was plenty of salt to do the damage it has done to my vehicle. Otherwise, it still runs like a charm, do regular maintenance on it, replace tires once now they need to be replaced again. Air conditioner isnt working, need to have that checked. Rear heat isnt functioning due to the fact that the piping that runs within the rear wheel well has rotted out. Will have to fix this also. But overall, I really like the Mini Van.

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  Recommended by a Van Enemy! - 2003 Mazda MPV
  By doctorrafido - December 23 - 9:06 pm

  We needed a bigger vehicle since our family became larger. It was either an SUV with a third row seat or a van. Couldnt go Odyssey, too expensive or GMC Suburban (bad gas mileage); MPV was the way to go. We bought it used with 32,000 miles on it. And it was great. Surprisingly i fell in love with it the first test drive. Usually i would not drive a van because it made me look like a soccer dad (hahahha) but when you feel the power as well as the comfort I couldnt resist.

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  MPV: Makes the Most Sense - 2002 Mazda MPV
  By BRANDON CHASE - December 20 - 10:50 am

  I purchased my MPV nearly a year ago and have not been disappointed in any way. Whenever I see shoppers at home improvement stores trying to stuff items into SUVS that would easily fit in my MPV, I load up a ROOM of furniture just for kicks. Whenever I am able to park in grass by climbing over curbs when others cant find a parking spot, I pat myself on the back. Whenever I switch on my theater-quality 10-speaker (including subwoofer) 6-CD sound system, I dance. Whenever I crank up the AC on a hot summer day or roll down the REAR windows for the kids, I sneer at the sad offspring in the backseats of other minivans who cant roll down theirs. In short, my MPV makes me feel very good.

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  Mazda MPV Unreliable - 2001 Mazda MPV
  By Dont buy one - December 7 - 2:00 am

  Engine knocking caused by rocker arm shaft design. Transmission shift is delayed. radio broke early. Dont buy one!

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  A Good Pal - 2002 Mazda MPV
  By joe4prez - December 6 - 2:00 am

  Bought our MPV new in 2002 and now have 82K miles. Weve had a good experience with the van with very few issues. The only problems were replacing 3 coil packs at 65K miles and the fan module at 72K miles. Cost us about $500 for both. After 8 years the car is still solidly built, no electrical or mechanical issues, and no rusting. So far so good.

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  Stay away from Multi Problem Vehicle - 2003 Mazda MPV
  By Sam Paul - November 18 - 10:30 am

  I bought this used car at 103k miles & drove it for another 5k & the engine gave way. A spark plug popped out while the car was still running, just to learn that it had damaged the cylinder. I had to replace the hard to find & fix the engine for $2500.00. Burned my pocket to that extent that I will never buy a Mazda MPV (multi problem vehicle) Not at all a reliable vehicle. Very labor consuming when it comes to repair.

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  Great minivan - 2006 Mazda MPV
  By Jeff - November 15 - 11:36 am

  The MPV is everything I had expected in a minivan and the price was also very good. The only thing I would change on the vehicle would be the leg room. When you have a baby carrier in it you have the keep the front seats up closer to the steering wheel and this is hard on tall people. So you are not comfortable when you drive, especially long distances.

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  MPV - 2002 Mazda MPV
  By jjdsng - November 8 - 7:16 am

  Good fun and dependable with lots of features and great family use, and lots of fun driving it