Style! convenience, seats, rolldown sliding door windows, CD with Casette... It just look elegant with metallic silver color!

needs more power when accelerating, but can live with it...not a race car!

Just purchased 2001 MPV DX with convenience package and all sport package including roof rack, hood deflector, tinted windows. 15" Al alloy wheels... My wife and 2 kids just loved it!

Similar Products Used:

Test driven a Dodge Caravan....no comparison...MPV rocks!

Reliability, comfortable seats for long trips, keeping its style for years,
good stero system, drives comfortably- like a car.

Not a lot of storage in back, side windows fog up in rain, check engine light came on around 85,000 miles and stayed on.

I loved my 1990 Maza MPV. We drove it for 10 years without any major problems. It seemed we had to replace the right front brake pads more than usual, but other than that and a few other minor problems we could have not asked for better service from a vehicle. I even had several small accidents in it which were repaired and it still went on to drive well. We basically raised 5 kids for 10 years in that van and it was still going strong. We traded it for a 1996 Ford Windstar and within 3 months had to have a new transmission put in and now it has another emissions problem which I am told would cost about 400 dollars to fix so we are just driving with the problem. If I could find an older MPV in excellent condition I would trade it for this Windstar in a heartbeat. One thing that that was irritating about it was the check engine light came on about 85,000 and stayed on the rest of the time we had it. I was told that it was suppose to have a dealer check up and they would turn it off, but we never did. Don't like to use dealers.

Similar Products Used:

Ford Windstar- nice looking van, but mechanically not as good as MPV.

beautifully styled, great bang for the buck, excellent fit and finish inside out, super accurate steering feel comparable to a Honda Prelude.

occational rattles coming from the second role seats, dealers cannot solve the problem. This engine is not underpowered, transmission needs to be reprogrammed to bring out engine's DOHC charaterics. Allow later shifts so engine can be in "happy-land" at its upper RPM ranges.

This is THE best minivan ever produced, I believe. If Lexus made a minivan, it will be the Mazda MPV. It is not a small minivan, it is the RIGHT SIZED minivan. All others are not so mini anymore. Power delivery is smooth, however, shifts are a bit confused at times. Ford Duratec engine is a high-tech DOHC engine, it needs to be revved high for its power to shine. When the engine is revved high, it produces a high quality mechanical sound, almost Honda/BMW like. Quality can be seen everywhere, every design of this van is thoughtfully planned and excuted. Exterior panel fits are tight, gaps are very uniformed, paint job is first class. Interior is beautifully crafted, first time I stepped in the leather covered interior, first thought that came across my mind was, this is a Lexus. Quality can be seen everywhere. Steering wheel is covered by the nicest leather and plastic I've EVER seen in any automobile. Stereo and climate controls are HUGE. The view outside the car is paramanic. Ride is quiet, bumps are obsorbed with a gentle "thump" noise only to be heard inside the cabin. This is a poor man's Lexus (with lots more space of course), I would highly recommend it to anyone.

Similar Products Used:

Pontiac Transport, good power delivery, however, quality is not acceptable, it was in the shop every other week.
Honda Oddessy, good power and high tech powerful engine, way over priced for way less car.

Right size, looks good, drives well

Lack of power for going through hills in NJ and PA.
Lack of safety lock for sliding doors to prevent accidental closing.
Weak bumpers.

After researching and test driving many minivans, the MPV is the only one that met most of my requirements. It is not too big. It has a decent stopping distance (60-0 in 128ft vs. 141ft on the Oddysey). It has windows that roll down on the sliding doors, and it has leather and an entertaintment system for the kids. The only problem I have found is that the sliding doors do not lock in the open position. This can be a safety hazard if you park facing a downward slope and the doors accidentally close on you or your kid(s). All the other minivans I have checked out (Oddysey, Caravan, Siena, etc) have sliding doors that lock in place and can only close when the handle is pulled or when the remote is activated (for those with power doors). I was surprised that no-one noticed this in past reviews.

Similar Products Used:

None

Variety of seating configurations - especially the second row seats, power rear windows, strong rear a/c unit, handling, visibility, simplicity of radio/ac/heater controls and gauges, exterior design. We have two boys (8 and 4), and it's the perfect fit for us (or we for it).

The armrests are too low on the front seats. I am over 6' and think the seats could be deeper and more comfortable. My wife is 5'3" and likes the front seats. The gear shifter could use a design change. Handling and response are nice, but would benefit from 16 inch wheels and wider tires (I know 16" wheels/tires are an option.) The description above says 155 hp 3.0 liter engine. Actually, I think it's 170 hp. Like one review said, it's enough for average users. It could be a bit stronger though.

I paid slightly under $23,000 for my MPV four months ago. Overall, I'm very pleased with it and my wife simply loves it. We replaced a 1998 4wd Durango with this van and, especially by comparison to that, it's an excellent value.

Similar Products Used:

1995 Nissan Quest minivan. I was very pleased with the Quest, but advances in design since then enhance the pleasure of ownership of my Mazda.

The MPV handles like a touring sedan. It has minimal body lean on tight turns and highway ramps. Lots of space and very distinctive styling.

The 170 hp engine is a bit on the light side. The automatic transmision shifts too much at low speeds.

This is a terrific Van. It has great styling, drives like a car, and parks like a compact. For the price it was the best van that we drove.

Similar Products Used:

Ford Windstar, Dodge Caravan

Nice compact style, Easy handling, very nice interior, Good value for money, Quite ride.

Less power and less trunk space

I just love it.

Paid about 28K for the ES model (out the door) compared to 34000 - 35000 being asked for Odyssey and Sienna for similar models. The feel of driving was similar to Odyssey and better that Sienna (2000 model).

Drives almost like a big car. Roll down mirrors for back seats and hidden back seats are very useful.

Similar Products Used:

None

Drives like a sedan. No major problems except for the required brake jobs etc.

Wish there was just a little more room in the trunk. The 2WD is rear drive and can sometimes be difficult to drive in snow. Has a very high revv when initially started.

My wife loves this van since it drives and can park like a sedan. The dual heat and air is great feature for an older minivan. 4th door would have been great. Putting on snow tires helps in the winter. Roomy interior even though it looks small from the outside.

Similar Products Used:

None

This is the only minivan on the market that truly drives like a car. (With the exception of the WAY overpriced Honda Minivan). The rear bench that disappears into the floor is excellent. Also the middle seats slide into a bench OR quad seating. Nobody else offers both of these options. The sliding rear doors with power windows...again nobody offers this option as of yet.

At this moment none. Some have complained about the underpowered engine / cheezy transmission...but they are insane. I mean, how fast do you really need to go in a darn minivan?? Come on soccer moms??

I have driven and researched the heck out of all these vans over the last several months. The MPV had the sporty look, slightly smaller frame, truly unique seating options, very affordable, love the rolldown rear windows, middle seats are light and come out very easily, the list goes on. I was also pleasantly surprised by the power of the V6 in this van. After hearing all the negatives about it, I find that it accelerates well, loves to ride on the interstate at about 75-80, and merging is not a problem as some people suggest. The transmission seems to shift down a bit early for the corresponding gear, but it shifts with authority and without skipping a beat. Overall this is a really tight, very safe, affordable van that is loaded with unique options. I highly recommend that you drive one before you make up your mind on a van. This is also the last of the minivans that is built in Japan. Better get one while it lasts. I had a horrible time with the local Mazda dealer...real high pressure jerks. I lucked into one on the back of a lot that was just traded in. It never hit the lot and I took it as is. Luckily bought it on the last day of the month. It was traded on a Saturday, found it on a Sunday (lot closed), bought it Monday. How lucky am I?? Got a loaded 2000 DX model with power windows/locks, rear air, alloy wheels, luggage rack, 13k miles and only paid $17500 for it. There aren't many used ones around, but be patient and you just might find what your looking for.

Similar Products Used:

Toyota Sienna (safest but smallish, the oil sludge phenomena scared me, overpriced, a bit uncomfortable, not a lot of options)
Honda "Odd"essey (the supply and demand for this vehicle makes it the only "status symbol" minivan in the class. My local dealer can't even keep ONE on the lot...that's "odd" to me. They sell for 28-34K as soon as they get them. Probably the most comparable in the class to the MPV but priced about 12k more. I just can't afford to pay for the best in the class.)
Ford Windstar (sure it the biggest powerplant in it's class, but that's because the sled weighs over 4100 lbs., also it felt like it was gliding/floating down the road. Very unresponsive steering. I also didn't want to be mistaken for driving the space shuttle)
Dodge/Chrysler/Plymouth vans (overpriced, ugly, boring, have known several people with several early problems with their vans)
Nissan Quest/Mercury Villager (deathtraps in their own right, all together a crappy van)
Olds/Chevy/Pontiac vans (all got absolute POOR crash test ratings, didn't even drive one of these coffins on wheels)

easy to drive & park. roll down side windows. 3rd row seat.

very expensive to repair. have had to do major repair on timing belt which broke 3x within 1 1-2 yrs. also transmission was replaced 2x in a year..gas mileage is poor.pain is thin and has chipped all over.

i am disappointed in this vehicle. i need a new vehicle. i no longer trust my 1990 for any long distance driving. i like the way the new mpv looks and the impovements on the interior design of the 3rd row seat. i test drove one and liked it. i hesitate to buy one because i don't want to go through the breakdowns and expensive repairs i've had to make on my current mpv, inspite of keeping up with the maintenance schedules by both the previous owner and myself.

Similar Products Used:

1986 toyota van. held up much better.only problems were with water pump and alternator.gas mileage better.