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My MPV has been great since I've bought it in August 2000. There are only a couple of things I wish be available on the van. Here they are:
1. Open door warning (beeping) should sound only when the key is in ON position (ready to drive). It should not beep when the key is in ACC position otherwise it is impossible to listen to music when enjoying view from rear-facing 3rd row seat and open tailgate.
2. Also it would be good to show actually which door is not closed properly when the alarm goes ON.
3. Door should lock when van gains some speed.
4. I'd love having remote engine starter. Now when it's freezing outside it's very hard to warm up the engine. You should be near the van all the time because you cannot leave the engine running without a key in ignition and you cannot leave a van unattanded with engine running and a key in ignition, right? :-)
5. Inside/outside temperature gauge.
6. Power doors/tailgate could be a useful option to choose from.
7. Tire pressure sensors
8. Traction control
9. "In-dash tissue dispenser". Some way to store and easily get facial tissue/paper towelettes. Many drivers just put boxes on dashboard and they constantly fall off from there. Mine is in glove compartment but it takes almost all space in there...
10. Gas consumption/distance to empty tank gauge...
Does anyone else feel that considering the large interior space, there is a real lack of stowage space for odds & ends? Where are you supposed to keep tissue? Where do you put you cell phone while driving?
A center console between the front seats would be nice - can anyone recommend one in particular? Don't most minivans come with a center console as standard equipment?
Also, I'm new to minivans, and have no idea where to stow my jumper cables, flash light, flares, window scraper, all all that other junk you normally toss in the trunk of your car. I would be curious how other people handle this.
Other than this issue, I really like this car. I think the engine complaints are valid, but I can live with it because of all the other virtues of the MPV. Besides, if I want to drive fast, I will drive my Legend.
Alex, to stop the beeping when the door is open, take your key and force it sideways through the door latch simulating the striker. This will open the switch and make the think that the door is closed. Don't forget before you go to shut the door to pull on the door handle so that the latch returns to it's normal open position.
Many of the posts praise the MPV's ride & handling. On the straight, it rides fine. And it's fairly quiet.
I just bought a used ES with 20,000 miles on it. From all appearances it is in excellent condition. (2000 MPV ES + moonroof, 6CD, roofrack, GFX pkg, foglights.) Has 16" rims, Dunlop 4000 tires.
I think I want to stiffen the suspension. At 30-40 mph say, moving the steering wheel back and forth a bit (say from 11 o'clock position to 1 o'clock ) results in significant sway. Seems to feel mainly in the front-end. Can't tell what the reaction is in back-end. At 60 mph, I haven't 'shaken' it to the same extent, but again notice quick sway for just a little jostling of the steering wheel.
I assume this is just characteristic of the MPV, and that the shocks (struts) would not have wornout already. So I am looking for solutions: stiffer shocks, anti-sway bar kits, etc.
Interestingly, cornering in city-driving handles great... no excessive lean.
Any observations or similar concerns? Found any 'fixes'? - Thanks
BTW, I just got it, so not much feedback to offer yet. Certainly looks like a good package.
I know this trick and used it many times. But it's kind of ugly to do such things... I just wish the alarm were smart enough not to annoy with its "obsession for safety"...
alexv1n, many of these things are regulated by Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards. I'm no expert on FMVSS so I don't know for sure if this one falls in that area, but the first time I had to reference it, I was shocked at the restrictions.
Did you know that the Code of Federal Regulations devotes 100 pages to the specifications of crash dummies?
Stowage space: What's an ice scraper? The jack compartment(left rear by the power port) on the MPV has quite a bit of extra room for smaller accessories(jumper cables, flares, water and trash bags).
As far as cell phone goes, mine flops around as I'm too cheap to buy a holder for it. Tissue box: drivers door pocket.
The console of choice for MPV'ers is the clutter catcher from Walmart. It cost less than $25 bucks and matches the interior quite well. Install it so the coin well is to the rear and you will have all the storage space you will ever need. It also adds four cup holders and is lockable. Be careful, though, the Ebrake handle makes it a very tight fit.
I don't know what kind of phone you have, but I have a smaller Nokia, and it fits perfectly in the tray that is directly in front of the cup holders in the dash. It's close by if needed, and it doesn't fall out or slide around.
Autoweek recently did an update on their long-term test of the MPV (they have one just like mine! Red ES with GFX) Here is some of the nice things they said: Few people fess up to liking minivans, including most of the editors here at AutoWeek HQ. But come any long weekend, sure as heck a few'll come a-runnin' for our long-term Mazda MPV. Says a lot about a vehicle fulfilling its purpose. How many sport coupes live up to their advertising as well as minivans do? A couple of baby boomers, more inclined to beg for the Boxster S, have come to appreciate, even enjoy, the MPV. After a two-month hiatus, even our oft-phlegmatic motorsports editor said: "I scare me: I'm actually liking this thing". It carried us to and from the office with a nary a complaint, to amusement parks and family gatherings etc... Fortunately, the complaints are niggling ones. The MPV will continue to be a house favorite, anytime someone needs to move furniture, take out friends, ,etc..
They say that they are averaging 20.1 mpg and have driven it for some 15,000 miles total.
Just ask your dealer for a weekend demo. Tell them you are serious about the MPV and want to spend a weekend with one before you comitt to the purchase. If they have a demo unit, they should be able to arrange this.
Otherwise, call Hertz or others. I've seen Mazda 626's there, so they may have MPV's as well.
First off I'd like to thank all of you Canadians and Americans who helped sway me to Mazda's MPV, rather than the (expensive, inadequate) Honda or Toyota offerings!!
I just bought a 2001 LX from St. Catharines Mazda today and I have to say it was a painless experience due to the valuable information I've gained from each and everyone of you here! I'm happy to report that I was able to purchase the vehicle at 3% over invoice (25580 + 3%). The best part is that I was able to get over $1,000 more from my trade-in than I thought was possible!! Overall an excellent deal and one very friendly dealership experience!! For those of you in the Niagara/Toronto area, please see Terry at St. Catharines Mazda for an excellent deal..tell him Todd from 97.7 HTZ-FM sent you.
I took delivery on my Sand Mica 2001 LX yesterday[see #778 for the deal I got essentially just for the asking]. I put about 75 miles on it, much of them hauling three adults up and down most of mini-mountains in the South Hills area of Pittsburgh. So far, here's what I think:
1. The power issue is a myth. My last two cars were a quick and lively 94 Voyager and a startlingly quick 98 Cherokee. On a scale of 0-10, the Jeep would be a 10 and the Voyager would be about a 9.6 (Frame of reference: My 74 AMC Gremlin was about a 3). On that scale, the MPV is about a 9.5. Even with three adults in it, it was spritely and and comfortably quick off the mark. I had no hesitation about darting across traffic from a dead stop when I had to. The van responded more than adequately. Going up the many step hills in our area was simply not a challenge for it. Even loaded, it took them in stride.
2. The "herky-jerky" transmission is a myth. Yes, trying to floor it up a steep hill would cause it to hunt for the gear and shift harshly. But in normal driving circumstances, the only term for the transmission is "silky smooth." I barely felt its shifts, and it found and kept its gear smoothly and predictably. I was impressed.
3. The ride is everything it's supposed to be. After spending three years being tossed around like dice in a Yatzee cup in my Jeep, it was a blessed relief not to be annoyed by pebbles and pieces of paper on the road. Sheer pleasure.
4. Handling is a revelation. The Voyager handled sloppily, the Jeep excellently; this car outperformed the Jeep. Case in point: While I was coming homelast night, a car came out of a side street and butted its nose half way into my lane right in front of me. I had no chance to brake, so I swerved. The van flicked around the other car and centered itself back in its lane without a trace of lean and with a quickness and surefootedness I haven't seen on a car since I was driving MG's back in the 60's. Very impressive.
4. The interior--and especially the dashboard--is the most driver friendly I've ever seen. Everything is laid out intelligently and with an eye toward allowing the driver to keep his eye on the road as much as possible.
5. The stalks around the steering wheel are too many and too complicated. Especially odd is the stalk-mounted cruise control. I thought that went out with the nineties.
6. If you're tall like me and like to be close to the wheel while driving, you have to compromise. You can have leg room or closeness--not both. I can get comfortable with the wheel if I tilt it down and drive in the 4 and 8 position, though. This, by the way, also obviates the "hidden radio" problem, at least for a tall person.
7. I haven't yet found the right combination of height, back-tilt, and depth to get a totally comfortable driving position. I'm not overly worried about that, though; it took nearly a year with the Jeep.
All in all, I'm deeply pleased by my first experience with the car. Some adjustments will have to be made before I can be truly comfortable in it, as with any change of car, but I think I'll be able to make them easily, especially if my first impressions hold up.
Apologies for the length of the post, but I know there are others out there who are thinking about the MPV and have some concerns. I had the same concerns and they've turned out to be largely baseless as far as I'm concerned. As of right now, I'm a VERY happy camper. And I'll be back, on a periodic basis, with (hopefully shorter) updates.
After much research, we finally bought a year-old MPV just before the holidays. At $17,850 and 15,000 miles, it couldn't be beat (silver LX with rear AC and touring package). There's lots to like about the van (see preceding post). What really stands out for me is that it looks relatively small on the outside, but feels so spacious inside. I think it's the great visibility. My four-year-old daughter has even remarked how much she likes the van because she can see out so well. She also likes to be able to roll her window down. And as we all know, a comfortable, contented child is a good traveler. Everyone also loves the Swiss Army knife aspects of the interior. And the power is fine. My only complaint is the kind of cheesy carpets and impractical interior colors. Minivans appeal to families and we need medium colors with a pattern -- hides spills and stains.
There are pros and cons to buying used. We missed the pristine aspect of a new vehicle -- but how long does that last? The salesman also said that the van had been pulling, so they aligned it and replaced the tires. So in some ways it was better than new! Anyone looking for a friendly used van should consider the MPV.
We keep our cell phone in the compartment to the lower left of the steering wheel. As far as I can tell, that's what that compartment is for, providing you don't REQUIRE it be connected to a accessory (aka cigarette) outlet. If your phone is digital, your cell phone battery life should be more than adequate to run without the cord. True, you will need to charge it up once in a while in the house. The big problem is remembering to turn it off. We keep an extra battery in the glove compartment to cover that. Reception in the compartment seems fine, and it has yet to fall out, even though you'd think it would looking at the shallow depth of the compartment.
I was just in my local Wal-Mart (Niagara Falls, Ontario) trying to find the "Clutter Catcher", (which seems to be highly regarded by the participants of this board). Lo and behold I found it!! for 85.00 CAN. Plus GST and PST. I decided to forgo buying it for now.
While searching Wal-Mart's U.S. web site I came across what I think is the same thing for $25.00 US (no tax). Is this correct, If so I'll have one shipped to my in-laws in Detroit and pick it up the next time I'm down.
Thanks msgjvh. It's exactly as you described. I can't believe the price difference though. 24.96 at a 1.50 exchange = 37.44 CDN!! That's about a 60.00 saving over buying it at the local CDN. Wal-Mart.
Because Canadian customs will tack on another extra 14-18% (depending where you live in Canada) sales tax + handling fees. Not to mention the fact that the couriers will also tack on their exhorbitant brokerage charges to the amount. It is often not worth buying things from the US because of these reasons, that is, unless there is a significant discount that will make up the price differences. A pity really...but I'm not bitter ;-p
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I basically agree with rjr425 in #816. We purchased our '01ES a week ago & took a trip from San Jose to Mariposa via Hwy 152 over Pacheco Pass this weekend. The pass is not that high (about 2000 ft), but did give me a chance to check out the power. On the way over, I set it on cruise control for 70. Several times it had to hunt a bit for gears to maintain that speed, but not too bad & the shifting wasn't all that noticeable. I mainly saw it by watching the tach jump from 3000 to 4500 rpms. On the way back, I deliberately made sure it didn't shift. The speed dropped to 58 mph on the steepest part, but usually maintained about 65 as the pass is not that steep in most parts. I can definitely live with the power. The handling & ride are great. For reference, we are coming from a 91 Grand Caravan & I'd say the power is about equal (even though the GC's engine is a 3.3 I believe). My car (the ES is my wife's) is a 97 Infiniti J30. The J30 obviously handles better 7 has more power, but I'm really trying to compare to the GC.
We also really like the layout of the ES. My wife keeps commenting on how big the interior of the ES is (& she is comparing it to the GC). It seems wider to her & we both feel there is no comparison in comfort to the GC. Love the fold-down rear seat & roll-down windows in the doors. The trip was 150 miles each way & I didn't feel tired or stiff after the ride. Also had a chance to try it in about 2 inches of snow sticking to the road in Mariposa--handled great in that including on the turns. This was with just the standard tires.
Test Drove MPV LX. Concerned about the 2.5L engine. See a lot of posts that say "could use more power" and many that say "jump in the water's fine". Does anyone know of any reliability "issues" with the 2.5L engine. Checked Ford Contour/Mystique posts and really didn't see any "engine" related gripes. Also, considering getting the 4 seasons package and looking for info./opinions? What does "larger" radiator mean? How about what's the auxiliary transmission cooler?? How are these different from LX without package? So far looking at LX w/Touring Pkg + roof rack for $22.5K (includes des.t and incentive). Seems in line with others. Is Edmunds TMV price achievable??? Haven't seen anyone coming close yet.
Engine: Haven't heard about many problems with these. The ones I have heard seem to happen around the time of an oil change which leads me to believe it's more of a technician/bad part issue.
Larger Radiator: Gives the engine the ability to stay cool under heavier loads.
Auxiliary Trans Cooler: On the standard models, the transmissions heat is cooled by running the transmission fluid through the radiator. With the aux. cooler, the fluid is run through it's own mini-radiator giving it increased cooling ability, and not adding extra heat to the engine radiator.
Background: The transmission generates heat from the torque converter(fluid clutch) and the temp increases when the vehicle is under increased load(i.e. loading the van full of stuff, towing, or lots of mountain driving).
Thanks for info. I understand larger radiator but, how much larger?....What capacity vs. what capacity for All season pkg. Don't intend on towing and live in hilly not mountainous region. Mostly for wife + kids and occasional hauling. What engine problems have you heard about re: oil changes???
There seems to be an issue with with using aftermarket oil filters. Check the MPV Problems Board(should be re-named MPV praises board).
Cooling system capacity: 10.8 quarts vs. 12.7 with the 4 seasons pkg. It's difficult to say what the radiator size difference is as the number above includes the rear heater. However, any time you increase capacity, the cooling capacity goes up.
I bought a white 2000 lx with moon roof and gfx package last february from Great Neck Mazda. Best price was reason. I tried Wantagh Mazda because of some ads they ran on customer satisfaction and at that time they wanted $500 over invoice with 0% or $1,000 off ($500 under). I told I wanted $200 over. They told me no. I told them I'm walking out and buying a car at Great Neck that afternoon. They let me walk and that was it.
I've only had oil changes done at the dealer and they were fine. I thought I had a leak in the roof but no problems since my initial problem and dealer work.
If you go out and find a Viper 150/350 or 550 Remote Starter system, you will satisfy both your need for a remote starter and doors that lock for you. Actually, the doors will lock for you as soon as you turn the ignition key on, which I like, but others don't.
Remote starters are a "must have" for those living in northern climates (no, not northern L.A., maltb, lol). Know though, that the keys for the MPV contain a small microchip, and you'll lose one of your keys to any remote start system, in order for it to work. Replacements come in sets of 2 from the dealer, at around $80 a set. Once you have one though, you'll never go without a remote starter again.
What do you mean by loosing one key? Also, I have remote lock/unlock on my MPV. Will it interfere with the remote starter? How does this live with the power door locks already installed on the van?
You'd have to sacrifice one of your keys to the remote starter system. Basically (the good shops do it this way...), the shop will put the donor key (or just it's microchip) into a module for the remote starter, probably up under the dash. This key will act like it's in the ignition when you activate the remote starter. Otherwise, the factory anti-theft system will say, "Wait a minute here. No key in the ignition, I'm not starting, go suck eggs." This microchip-in-the-key idea is becoming more and more common in cars now.
The cool part is that the factory theft-deterrant system remains intact. I had a regular key made w/o the microchip, and it won't start the van, only the keyfob or the other original key, nothing else (I'm sure a determined thief could steal any car tho).
Most remote starters come with keyfobs that will control (or interface with) your factory keyless entry systems. That's what mine does, and it still works great after 18 months. The only problem I've had was one of the remote' batteries went dead and I had to replace it.
Oh, and if I had my dithers (and I don't) I'd wish my MPV to go out and bring home, in this order, Chinese take out, two movies and ice cream from Cold Stone. ;-)
The Buick that sits outside has one of those Quartz heaters, (about an 8x8x8 inch cube).
I've got a really heavy duty extension cord (20 Amp rated I believe) and a timer to match.
I just put the heater in the drivers floorboard. (Clean up all of your papers etc), and run the cord out the drivers door. The weatherstripping keeps it from getting mangled.
Plug the heatercord into the extension cord.
Set the timer for about 2 hours before you plan to leave.
My car is a baumy 90+ degrees, and I don't need to scrape windows. Just unplug the heater and go.
Of Course PG&E would love your idea also! They could sell you all kinds of additional energy! Well thats if they survive the current electrical shortage. BTW, if you put the heater in the Buick while your driving is that a new definition of a "Rolling Brownout"?
Thanks java for explanation about the remote starter...
Once tboner started a topic on heating, I have one question about block heaters. Does anyone here have one installed? I know that most of you US guys even don't know what's the white stuff that falls from the skies but anyway...
I tried mine several times this winter and I can't say I could tell any difference. The van stays in an underground garage overnight but during the day when I'm at work it is parked outside... Usually when it is really cold (-20°C or below) it takes about 5 minutes or so to warm up the engine. When I used the block heater I didn't see any difference. Is that how it is supposed to work. What actually is heated (I guess the engine block)? But the temp gauge still lies outside the scale until it actually warms up. And cold air comes from vents for several minutes... Well, just as if the block heater is not turned on... I'm just curious if you have any better experience with BH on your van (a friend of mine owns Pontiac TransSport and complains about the same block heater issue). Maybe I'm missing something here... Any insight?
Several of us on the board have had the tether anchors installed by the dealer and it works great. (I assume that is what you are asking about as the tether straps come with the child safety seat). The tether anchor points are for the second row captains chairs (you can find where they will go if you look behind the seats in the carpet). The floor mats for the 3rd row bench also have some spots that will accomodate the tethers. The tether anchors provided by Mazda are great - they match the interior very nicely and have a snap on cover for when they are not in use. My dealer charged me about $7 or $8 and nothing for labor. It didn't take them long to install (maybe 30 minutes). They really help to keep the seat even more secure (I have a Fisher Price Safe Embrace installed rock solid).
The primary purpose of a block heater is to keep oil warm so that it can slide around the delicate parts of the engine as soon as it's started. Oil can get really thick when it's cold, and that keeps it from flowing quickly and protecting the engine. Thus, the block heater can greatly prolong the life of the engine, especially if you take a lot of short trips in cold weather while the engine is cold.
You won't really notice much difference in how quickly the engine warms up or the heat starts coming out of the vents; those things are controlled by the temperature of the antifreeze flowing through the engine and radiator. BTW, I'm very pleased with how quickly the MPV warms up. In chilly weather (~30 degrees F), it only takes about 2 minutes before the temp gauge starts rising. In my Sentra, it takes 6-7 minutes, which is a drag considering that my commute is only 10 minutes! My old Protege was quick to warm up, too, so I guess Mazda has made that something of a priority (yes, I know the MPV has a Ford engine.).
One note on the trend toward microchips in the keys: while it has greatly reduced autotheft (it really is virtually impossible to defeat these things, even for an experienced thief), it has increased the likelihood of carjacking. The thieves figure the only way they can get your car is by getting the key from you. Personally, I'd much rather have someone hotwire the car when I'm not around than taking it from me while I'm in it. I have insurance, so I'd get reimbursed if the car were swiped, but who knows what bodily harm would come from a carjacking? I have the alarm in my MPV, but not really by choice; it was the only way to get the side airbags and moonroof.
Yes, that is a very unfortunate by-product of the keys, carjacking. I'd much rather have Mrs. Javadoc leave the mall/gym/office to find the van gone than have her be in danger of a carjacking, not to mention the kids!!!
alex, I don't ever use engine block heaters up here, but I really like oil pan heaters. They're basically a 6"x8" pad that you glue (silicon adhesive) to the oil pan and plug into house current. They put out enough heat to keep your pan oil literally warm in the insanely cold temps we see here sometimes. It's nice to know that you wouldn't have frozen glop trying to lubricate the expensive parts of the engine. They don't speed warm up of the coolant tho, which would warm the car's interior faster, just as elvis_hoo said.
Hope I'm not violating any Town Hall regs....but I'm faced with a situation wherein I'm forced to sell my 2000 Silver LX with 11000 miles on it. It has key less, 3/1 and rear air. If anyone knows someone looking for such a van, please respond. And again, if this is out of line, I hope someone will let me know (nicely). Thanks.
It's a 1200W (read really small) heater, and I guess the duty cycle will be about 50% since I have it set to the middle temperature setting.
The cabin of a car is much smaller than a 10'x10'x8' room, so there is much less volume to heat.
So if electricity is $0.25/KW hour (not sure if that is my rate, probably lower here in the midwest), then I might be using $1.50 - $2.00 electricity/week.
Let your car idle for 5-10 minutes/morning for a week and you might use nearly a gallon of fuel, at $1.50/gallon here, it is nearly a wash AFAIC.
Plus, there is absolutely NO SCRAPING of windows, the stuff just melts off the car
Hi, My local dealer is holding for me a 2000 ES, with all the goodies...MSRP of $29.030. Has anyone bought this model in the last few weeks and if so what kind of deal did you get? I saw posted that there is a $1,000 back to dealer incentive, if this is true has anyone been able to get part of it in your deal and keep the 0% for 48 months. Please let me know sap...
DO NOT PAY $29K!!! You can get that same vehicle for the $23-$25 range easily!!! I doubt that you will get both the rebate and financing unless of course you do pay the $29k. You should be at invoice minus $500 to $1000k.
I've seen several pre-owned 2000 ES models with less than 20,000 miles for under $20k. I think my wife and I will end up going this route when we are prepared to buy. You might want to consider it among your options, too.
You ought to be able to get it for a touch under $24k without the 0%. When we bought our 2000LX about a month ago I was given to understand that there was a (get this) $2500 difference if we took the 0% (which would have been smart but would have stretched our budget with the payments!). When we closed, I signed one of those forms that gives the dealer back the rebate and the number thereon was $2750. So, in short, if your dealer's at $26k with 0%, you probably should be able to do in the region of $23.5k without it. Then it's a matter of managing the payments. If you can do it, of course it's a better deal to take the 0%. It would save you a couple of grand over the life of the loan, even though the initial cost with the incentive would be less. Depends, as they say, on your situation. I doubt you'd do much better than 26k with the 0%; you might offer 25,250 and see what happens! Good luck.
Comments
1. Open door warning (beeping) should sound only when the key is in ON position (ready to drive). It should not beep when the key is in ACC position otherwise it is impossible to listen to music when enjoying view from rear-facing 3rd row seat and open tailgate.
2. Also it would be good to show actually which door is not closed properly when the alarm goes ON.
3. Door should lock when van gains some speed.
4. I'd love having remote engine starter. Now when it's freezing outside it's very hard to warm up the engine. You should be near the van all the time because you cannot leave the engine running without a key in ignition and you cannot leave a van unattanded with engine running and a key in ignition, right? :-)
5. Inside/outside temperature gauge.
6. Power doors/tailgate could be a useful option to choose from.
7. Tire pressure sensors
8. Traction control
9. "In-dash tissue dispenser". Some way to store and easily get facial tissue/paper towelettes. Many drivers just put boxes on dashboard and they constantly fall off from there. Mine is in glove compartment but it takes almost all space in there...
10. Gas consumption/distance to empty tank gauge...
I think that's it what I would want...
A center console between the front seats would be nice - can anyone recommend one in particular? Don't most minivans come with a center console as standard equipment?
Also, I'm new to minivans, and have no idea where to stow my jumper cables, flash light, flares, window scraper, all all that other junk you normally toss in the trunk of your car. I would be curious how other people handle this.
Other than this issue, I really like this car. I think the engine complaints are valid, but I can live with it because of all the other virtues of the MPV. Besides, if I want to drive fast, I will drive my Legend.
William
I do a lot of camping and use this every time.
Ahhh...Music with no beeps.
I just bought a used ES with 20,000 miles on it. From all appearances it is in excellent condition. (2000 MPV ES + moonroof, 6CD, roofrack, GFX pkg, foglights.) Has 16" rims, Dunlop 4000 tires.
I think I want to stiffen the suspension. At 30-40 mph say, moving the steering wheel back and forth a bit (say from 11 o'clock position to 1 o'clock ) results in significant sway. Seems to feel mainly in the front-end. Can't tell what the reaction is in back-end. At 60 mph, I haven't 'shaken' it to the same extent, but again notice quick sway for just a little jostling of the steering wheel.
I assume this is just characteristic of the MPV, and that the shocks (struts) would not have wornout already. So I am looking for solutions: stiffer shocks, anti-sway bar kits, etc.
Interestingly, cornering in city-driving handles great... no excessive lean.
Any observations or similar concerns? Found any 'fixes'? - Thanks
BTW, I just got it, so not much feedback to offer yet. Certainly looks like a good package.
Did you know that the Code of Federal Regulations devotes 100 pages to the specifications of crash dummies?
Stowage space:
What's an ice scraper?
The jack compartment(left rear by the power port) on the MPV has quite a bit of extra room for smaller accessories(jumper cables, flares, water and trash bags).
As far as cell phone goes, mine flops around as I'm too cheap to buy a holder for it.
Tissue box: drivers door pocket.
Few people fess up to liking minivans, including most of the editors here at AutoWeek HQ. But come any long weekend, sure as heck a few'll come a-runnin' for our long-term Mazda MPV. Says a lot about a vehicle fulfilling its purpose. How many sport coupes live up to their advertising as well as minivans do?
A couple of baby boomers, more inclined to beg for the Boxster S, have come to appreciate, even enjoy, the MPV. After a two-month hiatus, even our oft-phlegmatic motorsports editor said: "I scare me: I'm actually liking this thing".
It carried us to and from the office with a nary a complaint, to amusement parks and family gatherings etc...
Fortunately, the complaints are niggling ones. The MPV will continue to be a house favorite, anytime someone needs to move furniture, take out friends, ,etc..
They say that they are averaging 20.1 mpg and have driven it for some 15,000 miles total.
Otherwise, call Hertz or others. I've seen Mazda 626's there, so they may have MPV's as well.
TB
First off I'd like to thank all of you Canadians and Americans who helped sway me to Mazda's MPV, rather than the (expensive, inadequate) Honda or Toyota offerings!!
I just bought a 2001 LX from St. Catharines Mazda today and I have to say it was a painless experience due to the valuable information I've gained from each and everyone of you here! I'm happy to report that I was able to purchase the vehicle at 3% over invoice (25580 + 3%). The best part is that I was able to get over $1,000 more from my trade-in than I thought was possible!! Overall an excellent deal and one very friendly dealership experience!! For those of you in the Niagara/Toronto area, please see Terry at St. Catharines Mazda for an excellent deal..tell him Todd from 97.7 HTZ-FM sent you.
Cheers
1. The power issue is a myth. My last two cars were a quick and lively 94 Voyager and a startlingly quick 98 Cherokee. On a scale of 0-10, the Jeep would be a 10 and the Voyager would be about a 9.6 (Frame of reference: My 74 AMC Gremlin was about a 3). On that scale, the MPV is about a 9.5. Even with three adults in it, it was spritely and and comfortably quick off the mark. I had no hesitation about darting across traffic from a dead stop when I had to. The van responded more than adequately. Going up the many step hills in our area was simply not a challenge for it. Even loaded, it took them in stride.
2. The "herky-jerky" transmission is a myth. Yes, trying to floor it up a steep hill would cause it to hunt for the gear and shift harshly. But in normal driving circumstances, the only term for the transmission is "silky smooth." I barely felt its shifts, and it found and kept its gear smoothly and predictably. I was impressed.
3. The ride is everything it's supposed to be. After spending three years being tossed around like dice in a Yatzee cup in my Jeep, it was a blessed relief not to be annoyed by pebbles and pieces of paper on the road. Sheer pleasure.
4. Handling is a revelation. The Voyager handled sloppily, the Jeep excellently; this car outperformed the Jeep. Case in point: While I was coming homelast night, a car came out of a side street and butted its nose half way into my lane right in front of me. I had no chance to brake, so I swerved. The van flicked around the other car and centered itself back in its lane without a trace of lean and with a quickness and surefootedness I haven't seen on a car since I was driving MG's back in the 60's. Very impressive.
4. The interior--and especially the dashboard--is the most driver friendly I've ever seen. Everything is laid out intelligently and with an eye toward allowing the driver to keep his eye on the road as much as possible.
5. The stalks around the steering wheel are too many and too complicated. Especially odd is the stalk-mounted cruise control. I thought that went out with the nineties.
6. If you're tall like me and like to be close to the wheel while driving, you have to compromise. You can have leg room or closeness--not both. I can get comfortable with the wheel if I tilt it down and drive in the 4 and 8 position, though. This, by the way, also obviates the "hidden radio" problem, at least for a tall person.
7. I haven't yet found the right combination of height, back-tilt, and depth to get a totally comfortable driving position. I'm not overly worried about that, though; it took nearly a year with the Jeep.
All in all, I'm deeply pleased by my first experience with the car. Some adjustments will have to be made before I can be truly comfortable in it, as with any change of car, but I think I'll be able to make them easily, especially if my first impressions hold up.
Apologies for the length of the post, but I know there are others out there who are thinking about the MPV and have some concerns. I had the same concerns and they've turned out to be largely baseless as far as I'm concerned. As of right now, I'm a VERY happy camper. And I'll be back, on a periodic basis, with (hopefully shorter) updates.
rjr425
There are pros and cons to buying used. We missed the pristine aspect of a new vehicle -- but how long does that last? The salesman also said that the van had been pulling, so they aligned it and replaced the tires. So in some ways it was better than new! Anyone looking for a friendly used van should consider the MPV.
Vanmeister
While searching Wal-Mart's U.S. web site I came across what I think is the same thing for $25.00 US (no tax). Is this correct, If so I'll have one shipped to my in-laws in Detroit and pick it up the next time I'm down.
Thanks for your help!
Here's the details on it.
UP
0073921454215
Product Measurement in inches
8.75 I 27.5 I 12.5
Shipping weight in pounds
9.0
Assembled Country of Origin
US
Cheers
Drew
Host
Vans, SUVs, and Aftermarket and Accessories message boards
We also really like the layout of the ES. My wife keeps commenting on how big the interior of the ES is (& she is comparing it to the GC). It seems wider to her & we both feel there is no comparison in comfort to the GC. Love the fold-down rear seat & roll-down windows in the doors. The trip was 150 miles each way & I didn't feel tired or stiff after the ride. Also had a chance to try it in about 2 inches of snow sticking to the road in Mariposa--handled great in that including on the turns. This was with just the standard tires.
Also, considering getting the 4 seasons package and looking for info./opinions? What does "larger" radiator mean? How about what's the auxiliary transmission cooler?? How are these different from LX without package?
So far looking at LX w/Touring Pkg + roof rack for $22.5K (includes des.t and incentive). Seems in line with others. Is Edmunds TMV price achievable??? Haven't seen anyone coming close yet.
Larger Radiator: Gives the engine the ability to stay cool under heavier loads.
Auxiliary Trans Cooler: On the standard models, the transmissions heat is cooled by running the transmission fluid through the radiator. With the aux. cooler, the fluid is run through it's own mini-radiator giving it increased cooling ability, and not adding extra heat to the engine radiator.
Background: The transmission generates heat from the torque converter(fluid clutch) and the temp increases when the vehicle is under increased load(i.e. loading the van full of stuff, towing, or lots of mountain driving).
If you plan on towing, this is a 'must have'.
What engine problems have you heard about re: oil changes???
Cooling system capacity: 10.8 quarts vs. 12.7 with the 4 seasons pkg. It's difficult to say what the radiator size difference is as the number above includes the rear heater. However, any time you increase capacity, the cooling capacity goes up.
I've only had oil changes done at the dealer and they were fine. I thought I had a leak in the roof but no problems since my initial problem and dealer work.
Good luck. Let me know where you go.
Remote starters are a "must have" for those living in northern climates (no, not northern L.A., maltb, lol). Know though, that the keys for the MPV contain a small microchip, and you'll lose one of your keys to any remote start system, in order for it to work. Replacements come in sets of 2 from the dealer, at around $80 a set. Once you have one though, you'll never go without a remote starter again.
cheers,
--java
The cool part is that the factory theft-deterrant system remains intact. I had a regular key made w/o the microchip, and it won't start the van, only the keyfob or the other original key, nothing else (I'm sure a determined thief could steal any car tho).
Most remote starters come with keyfobs that will control (or interface with) your factory keyless entry systems. That's what mine does, and it still works great after 18 months. The only problem I've had was one of the remote' batteries went dead and I had to replace it.
Oh, and if I had my dithers (and I don't) I'd wish my MPV to go out and bring home, in this order, Chinese take out, two movies and ice cream from Cold Stone. ;-)
--java
I've got a really heavy duty extension cord (20 Amp rated I believe) and a timer to match.
I just put the heater in the drivers floorboard. (Clean up all of your papers etc), and run the cord out the drivers door. The weatherstripping keeps it from getting mangled.
Plug the heatercord into the extension cord.
Set the timer for about 2 hours before you plan to leave.
My car is a baumy 90+ degrees, and I don't need to scrape windows. Just unplug the heater and go.
TB
Once tboner started a topic on heating, I have one question about block heaters. Does anyone here have one installed? I know that most of you US guys even don't know what's the white stuff that falls from the skies but anyway...
I tried mine several times this winter and I can't say I could tell any difference. The van stays in an underground garage overnight but during the day when I'm at work it is parked outside... Usually when it is really cold (-20°C or below) it takes about 5 minutes or so to warm up the engine. When I used the block heater I didn't see any difference. Is that how it is supposed to work. What actually is heated (I guess the engine block)? But the temp gauge still lies outside the scale until it actually warms up. And cold air comes from vents for several minutes... Well, just as if the block heater is not turned on... I'm just curious if you have any better experience with BH on your van (a friend of mine owns Pontiac TransSport and complains about the same block heater issue). Maybe I'm missing something here... Any insight?
You won't really notice much difference in how quickly the engine warms up or the heat starts coming out of the vents; those things are controlled by the temperature of the antifreeze flowing through the engine and radiator. BTW, I'm very pleased with how quickly the MPV warms up. In chilly weather (~30 degrees F), it only takes about 2 minutes before the temp gauge starts rising. In my Sentra, it takes 6-7 minutes, which is a drag considering that my commute is only 10 minutes! My old Protege was quick to warm up, too, so I guess Mazda has made that something of a priority (yes, I know the MPV has a Ford engine.).
One note on the trend toward microchips in the keys: while it has greatly reduced autotheft (it really is virtually impossible to defeat these things, even for an experienced thief), it has increased the likelihood of carjacking. The thieves figure the only way they can get your car is by getting the key from you. Personally, I'd much rather have someone hotwire the car when I'm not around than taking it from me while I'm in it. I have insurance, so I'd get reimbursed if the car were swiped, but who knows what bodily harm would come from a carjacking? I have the alarm in my MPV, but not really by choice; it was the only way to get the side airbags and moonroof.
alex, I don't ever use engine block heaters up here, but I really like oil pan heaters. They're basically a 6"x8" pad that you glue (silicon adhesive) to the oil pan and plug into house current. They put out enough heat to keep your pan oil literally warm in the insanely cold temps we see here sometimes. It's nice to know that you wouldn't have frozen glop trying to lubricate the expensive parts of the engine. They don't speed warm up of the coolant tho, which would warm the car's interior faster, just as elvis_hoo said.
--java
--java
It's a 1200W (read really small) heater, and I guess the duty cycle will be about 50% since I have it set to the middle temperature setting.
The cabin of a car is much smaller than a 10'x10'x8' room, so there is much less volume to heat.
So if electricity is $0.25/KW hour (not sure if that is my rate, probably lower here in the midwest), then I might be using $1.50 - $2.00 electricity/week.
Let your car idle for 5-10 minutes/morning for a week and you might use nearly a gallon of fuel, at $1.50/gallon here, it is nearly a wash AFAIC.
Plus, there is absolutely NO SCRAPING of windows, the stuff just melts off the car
TB
My local dealer is holding for me a 2000 ES, with all the goodies...MSRP of $29.030. Has anyone bought this model in the last few weeks and if so what kind of deal did you get? I saw posted that there is a $1,000 back to dealer incentive, if this is true has anyone been able to get part of it in your deal and keep the 0% for 48 months. Please let me know sap...
I've seen several pre-owned 2000 ES models with less than 20,000 miles for under $20k. I think my wife and I will end up going this route when we are prepared to buy. You might want to consider it among your options, too.
-Brian