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Mazda MPV

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Comments

  • akashsakashs Member Posts: 2
    I recently purchased a 2001 MPV LX from North Toronto Mazda on the North East corner of Yonge and Steeles. Our salesman, Vick, was great. They have a large number of MPV vans in stock in their lot so they are eager to get them off the lot as soon as possible. If you end up going then tell Vick that Mr. Sood sent you. The sale of our car was smooth and we encountered no problems. Anyways, hope that helps!

    Akash
  • familydriverfamilydriver Member Posts: 1
    In response to colleenr1, there is a dealer incentive/rebate of $1,000. You have choice of rebate or special financing. I was able to get my 2000 MPV for under invoice at Open Road Mazda in Edison, NJ. There are still several LX models left. It's better to choose the rebate over the financing.
  • jktaxjktax Member Posts: 7
    getting ready to take delivery on a 2001 es and just wondering if anybody had any need for or experience with Mazda extended warranty (cost, etc.)

    BTW - Drew how about opening a MPV 2001 forum.
  • drew_drew_ Member Posts: 3,382
    How about I just rename this topic? That way, people's subscriptions won't be affected. I'm switching it to "2000-current Mazda MPV" for now. Let me know how you like it, or if you prefer it to be "2000/2001 Mazda MPV".

    Thanks!

    Drew
    Host
    Vans and Aftermarket & Accessories message boards
  • alexv1nalexv1n Member Posts: 248
    To me 2000/2001 Mazda MPV is less confusing... I'd prefer that.
  • kosinskikosinski Member Posts: 6
    We have (and are very happy with) a 2000 MPV. In two months, we are expecting a third child.

    There are about a million things we have to do between now and when the baby is born, and purchasing/returning car seats that do not fit properly does not fit in.

    Can anyone please recommend a brand-name infant car seat that fits properly and is rated well? Ideally, we would like to purchase a seat that would have a base that stays in the MPV.

    Thanks for the help.
  • javadocjavadoc Member Posts: 1,167
    or maybe "2000+ Mazda MPV"? Dunno...it's all good Drew, it's all good.

    --java
  • drew_drew_ Member Posts: 3,382
    I like "2000+" since MY2002 comes around in several months time :-) I'm adding the "MY" (model year) in front of 2000 so that it doesn't seem like 2000 plus MPV. I'll update the MPV problems topic title as well.


    Drew
    Host
    Vans and Aftermarket & Accessories message boards
  • andreapdx3andreapdx3 Member Posts: 5
    I just purchased a 2000 ES...but have found that the LX may be the way to go. I wanted leather, which can be purchased in the aftermarket. You can get a 2000 ES for about 23,999...or you can get an LX with the touring package, moon roof, 6 cd for about 21,500. Leather should be about 1500. The only diff is that the wheels will be 15 inch instead of 16, but the leather just may be nicer than the factory. All in all...I love mine, esp the stereo system and the biggest gosh darn moon roof I have ever seen!
  • cinka1cinka1 Member Posts: 30
    Tell us about your new van!! Did you get a good deal? Where did you purchase? What options did you get? What color... we love to hear the details.
  • zzoom1zzoom1 Member Posts: 31
    Just took the ES on a trip to the Blue Ridge Mountains. With family and assorted junk, it did great. Learned a few things; MPV's prefer highway to city driving, as mpg, loaded down in mountains was still better than stop and go in town. Also, A/C really affect my van's mpg. Other than that, fold away 3rd seat really came in handy on the trip back, as we accumulated more stuff. Going on 10k miles, with no trouble at all except 2 dealer recalls, bumper and PCM.
  • javadocjavadoc Member Posts: 1,167
    Yeah, dish on us. Let's here all about your new van. We all thrive on this stuff (I do at least, wink). And, welcome!!!

    As an aside, the LX with the Touring package comes with the same 16" rims that the ES has, so the main difference is to have leather or not to have leather.

    --java
  • hloadhload Member Posts: 27
    I thought you were getting the Toyota?
    Happy driving! Look out for the emerald mica speeding down I-5 with WA plates

    Scott
  • hloadhload Member Posts: 27
    I found a clutter catcher at Wallyworld, it almost matches the interior color and fits snuggly between the front seats and the brake handle.
  • jktaxjktax Member Posts: 7
    have been shopping around for an ES and wife really wanted the Classic Red. Was told by dealer in NY metro area that there will be no Classic Red MPV ES's shipped into the US within the next few months to qualify for the free RSES promotion. Can anybody confirm this?
  • kaminjohnsonkaminjohnson Member Posts: 1
    I've been looking for an 2000LX for about a week and been getting mixed signals as to the dealer incentive available right now. At one dealer, the incentive was given as $1750 with a security package and $2250 with a touring package. At a second dealer, the incentive was $2250 regardless of the options. At a third dealer, the incentive was $2750, but the price offered was $3400 less than invoice (touring package, gfx, 6CD, rear air). All this makes me believe the actual incentive to the dealer must be at least $3500. Does anybody know the real story here???
  • toddmodemtoddmodem Member Posts: 19
    Hi,

    Just wondering if anyone has the Dealer Invoice for the 2001 LX, or if you can tell me what you paid for yours? I'm thinking of buying a Mazda after a very un-inspiring Sienna test drive. I have the carcostcanada price for the DX but I think the LX might be the better way to go. Any idea what the $850.00 "Trading Dollars" are? My dealer here in St. Catharines, said the MPV's are on sale right now, so maybe this is what the 850.00 is for. Thanks for your help.

    Cheers
    Todd
  • svl1svl1 Member Posts: 3
    The seat belt buckle in the 2nd row seats can't move to a completely upright position, causing major movement/insecure belting of our child booster seat. We've had our van at the dealer for a week and they are still "investigating" whether the seat belt buckles can be replaced, etc... (This after Mazda's first answer to us: you cannot install child seats int he 2nd row of the 2000 MPV -- all child seats can be installed only in the rear!)

    I saw a similar posting about this issue from July on the Mazda MPV Problem forum & was wondering how the issue was resolved. Has anyone else had this problem? Has anyone else gotten the seat belt buckles replaced to ensure a better booster seat fit?

    Apparently, the seat belt buckles have been redesigned for 2001 (probably because of customer complaints). I think this seat belt issue in the 2000 MPVs needs to be a recall on Mazda's part.

    Any help or insight that anyone can provide about resolving this issue would be greatly appreciated!
  • mpv_you_and_mempv_you_and_me Member Posts: 7
    Does anyone have the Mazda part number for the tether anchor? We saw this # in a previous message post but can't seem to find it anywhere. Our dealer also has no idea what the part number is.
  • mpv_you_and_mempv_you_and_me Member Posts: 7
    Here's a thought - if Mazda says that all child seats can only be istalled in the rear, why are there tether anchors behind the second row, to be used for child seats in the second row?

    We have a Cosco Alpha Omega convertable rear facing car seat in the second row and it seems to fit fine. Our MPV was made in June 2000 and the seat buckles seem to work ok.
  • carrlaycarrlay Member Posts: 1
    The dealer invoice is 25850, freight is 705, and most dealers will try to tack on 235 for PDI, 105 for metallic paint, something for administration, and any number of other surprising charges, including a loyalty fee and a dealer association fee. I dealt with four different dealerships in the TO area, and the best price I could get was about 27300, net.

    The 850 is a price rebate you will get if you buy your van with cash.

    My best guess is that we may see some rebates later on in the spring, as Mazda gets ready to bring in the 2002 with a new 3.0 l engine.

    Good luck.
  • svl1svl1 Member Posts: 3
    Call Mazda at 800-222-5500. Our dealer didn't know about the retrofit tether anchor kits to go behind the second row. When we called the 800#, they told us about them and called our dealer for us to let the dealer know what parts to order.
  • toddmodemtoddmodem Member Posts: 19
    Dear Carrlay,

    Thanks for the invoice price on the CDN. LX. Appreciate it very much!! My thinking is that the dealers will want to clear out the existing 2.5l 2001's before the spring, hence a good deal, before the 3.0l engine arrives. What do you think?

    I'm not too concerned about the lack of performance with the 2.5l engine. Heck that's why I bought a Kawasaki Ninja last year. No car or van can compare to a motorcycle in terms of perormance and handling. I'm looking for a minivan to get me and my stuff around town. That's it!!

    Cheers
    Todd
  • mpv_you_and_mempv_you_and_me Member Posts: 7
    Here's the tether part number from Mazda:

    Beige: LCY2-57-77XB-80
    Gray: LCY2-57-77XB-05
  • otishotish Member Posts: 59
    I posted a longer reply on the MPV problems forum but wanted to ask you some questions: What booster seat are you using? Have you taken it to a child safety seat inspection and see what a tech has to say? They may be able to install it for you ( they helped me greatly when I was having problems getting our rear-facing seat tight enough for my liking). A child seat can definitely be installed in the second row because as someome previously pointed out that is where the tether anchors are! There are some booster seats that have the slot for the seat belt very high and it makes it nearly impossible to install tight in many cars ( I had one - the Century Breverra classic). I also posted some that I found the following boosters were reported to fit very good in our vans: Graco Cherished Cargo and the Cosco high back boosters (this is from ParentsPlace.com car seat compatibility database).

    I hope that you can get your problem resolved - I know how frustrating it can be!
  • badgermommabadgermomma Member Posts: 23
    Yes you can get a good fit with a booster type seat in the second row. I have a Century Next Step DX and while I have not had it checked by an inspector, I have it in there as tight as possible. I beleive that it is as good as you can get and feel very comfortable with it. The most important thing is movement at the top of the seat. If you can get that to near zero a little pull from the bottom is acceptable.

    Some things that help. Using a seatsaver mat on the leather it a huge improvement. drop the seat back and then install the car seat, then bring the seat back up again. Kneel in the car seat and really crank down on it while tightening the belt, the vehilce seats are very firm and you really have to work it to get it down, it helps to have 2 people. The tether will also help with the top movement, but I got it nearly as good without it when I spent some time working on it. I am planning to get the install checked asap. I will post what I find, but in corresponding with techs on the car seat board, I really feel that the fit of this seat is good.

    Keep in mind that if you can't get an good fit then you will need to replace the seat, there are some new ones on the market one by evenflo, and one by fisher price. I haven't tried them, but maybe they will fit better.

    Jane
  • ckmccoy5ckmccoy5 Member Posts: 24
    Just bought a 2000 LX at auction - 10,000 miles - Silver with 3/1 stereo and rear air. I don't think it has the 4 seasons since there is no hemp control for the rear - true? Question: Is the 3/1 the top sound system? I paid $15500 - decent deal? Any feedback welcome, especially on things to watch out for...
  • brmudabrmuda Member Posts: 50
    Not sure what you mean by top-of-the-line. Priciest factory audio unit is in-dash 6 disc CD with AM/FM. Yes, 4-seasons pkg has temp controls positioned by 3rd row seats (pass side). Good luck w/your recent purchase.
  • ckmccoy5ckmccoy5 Member Posts: 24
    What are the Touring Package and the Security Package and how would I know if I have them? Also, has anyone had any luck with after-market moon roof installation? As to my previous inquiry re stereo, I was wondering if The 3/1 pakage had the top speaker and amp package offered. And, I was wondering if anyone had feedback on the price I paid: 15500 for a 2000 LX with 10000 miles. Thanks
  • ckmccoy5ckmccoy5 Member Posts: 24
    I've seen mention here of after-market leather...where can I get info on this. With a two year old and one on the way in July, this may be the way to go. Thanks...
  • maltbmaltb Member Posts: 3,572
    No, 3 in one is not the top of the line audio. I have the 3/1 in a base LX.

    To determine what packages you have:
    Security package would have remote keyless entry.
    Touring package has 16" alloys and the 9 speaker sound system.

    As far as the color...you couldn't have done any better :)
  • jacksonianjacksonian Member Posts: 7
    Hi
    I've been reading posts from this site since I found it, shortly after wife and I started thinking about a new van.
    I've got a lot of questions and I hope someone out there can help me with all my questions.

    Here goes
    1) Never owned foreign car, is Mazda reliable brand
    2) Our Local Mazda Dealer Just Quit Selling Mazda, nearest Dealer 45 Miles Away,Should this worry me to Much ?
    3) Have any of you out there racked up enough miles on you MPG yet To tell about potential problems,gas Mileage can really expect,etc, would really like to hear from you.
    4) Do any of you think waiting for 3.0 engine will get any better gas mileage.
    5) Any other info from you out there is more than appreciated

    Thanks jacksonian
  • blondemom1blondemom1 Member Posts: 90
    I have owned my MPV for 14 months, and have over 34,000 miles on it, so I may be able to help you.

    1) I have owned a Honda and Toyota, along with numerous domestics. I may have just been lucky, but I've never had a real problem vehicle, although things like starters, brakes, belts, etc. seem to go out earlier in the domestics. My MPV has been absoulutely problem free. There is a new Consumer Reports magazine out which rates over 100 vehicles, including the MPV. It gave wonderful scores on reliability and in general. Take a look at that. I think you'll like what you read.

    2) 45 miles? If you take your vehicles back to the dealer instead of a service center, this may be a problem. Only you can answer this, but if the reliability is good, then....

    3) I think I have enough miles to tackle this one. The gas mileage, at least for me, started out a little low, about 18 mpg. We seem to consider this low, even though the sticker says this is what we should get. However, as the miles increased, so did my gas mileage. Since about 10,000 miles (if I remember right), I've been consistently getting 20 mpg around town. It gradually increased to that point, then steadied. I am happy with this. I get only about 22-23 on the highway, but when you do 80 mph, you can't expect too big of a jump from town driving. :) In a previous un-scientific scientific study done here a long while back, it seemed that gas additives brought down the gas mileage. Keep this in mind.

    4) I don't think the bigger engine will necessarily bring better mileage. Any possibility of this may be hampered by the ability to accelerate "better", IYKWIM.

    I really researched all the vans before I settled on my MPV, and after the honeymoon period was over, I still feel buying my van was the right choice. I love my van, and I believe 9.9 out of 10 of us owners do too. You just can't beat the conveniences of the handling, manuverability, rear windows that go down, the awesome stereo, and the happy feeling you get when you drive it. That may sound corny, but it's true. When driving, I get the feeling that I know this really great secret that only other MPV owners know.

    You didn't mention if you have any kids. If you have 3 or more, or plan to, then we need to talk about the third seat. If not, then don't worry about it.
  • javadocjavadoc Member Posts: 1,167
    ...post. My sentiments exactly.

    I would anticipate better reliability from the import vans than the domestic vans, with similar overall results between the three big players (Mazda, Honda & Toyota). You'd just have to look at the overall track records of the DC, Ford and GM vans to see this, or visit the domestic vans' forums. I know there are many satisfied customers of the domestic vans (DC van is best selling...yada yada), but everyone buys what they like, right?

    As to the gas mileage, I've been observing 16.5-17.5 this winter, but I can directly attribute that (a 2-3mpg decrease) to the combination of 10% fool (sic) additives and aggressive tread studded snow tires on the van. Summer mileage is easily 18-20 intown...13,800 miles now on MochaVan.

    As to you're having to drive 45 miles to a dealer. Hmmmmm...MochaVan has only been to the dealer for scheduled stops (oil changes) in the past 14k miles of blissful service. Any recalls were performed at those times, and it hasn't so much as hicupped on us in that time.

    The 3.0 motor might sound cool (200hp), but really, I wouldn't expect better mileage from it. Of course, the motor doesn't work as hard, possibly lower those ever important 0-60 times, and lays better rubber at the stoplight, no wait... Actually, the power question is more a marketing tool IMHO than anything else.

    I have to mirror blonde's "feeling" for the van. It just feels good to drive. As a testiment, the wife never relinquishes the keys to me w/o negotiations. ;-)

    best of luck!

    --java
  • javadocjavadoc Member Posts: 1,167
    I drove all the other (available...no Honda's to drive) vans before purchasing the MPV and have to say that the MPV was by far the best handling of the bunch. The Ford and GM vans handle like big front-heavy pigs, wallowing with every change of direction. The DC Van, well, that suffers from an out-of-date leafspring rear suspension (still). The Sienna handled pretty well, rides alot like a Camry, but still wallowed. The MPV feels spunky, dare I use the word when you drive it. I do think the rear springs are too softly rated, but not bad. This, coming from a guy who loves his sedans and club races on the weekend. Don't know if that's at all important to your decision, but it sure makes the van easy to drive in all situations.

    --java
  • abbanatabbanat Member Posts: 57
    Hi everyone,

    I have been lurking on the MPV forum for the past 8-9 months ever since my wife received an MPV as a rental car while her company car was being serviced. I have even posted a couple messages complaining about the transmission and "lack of power (as if that hasn't been debated enough already, right?)." Within the next 9 months, my wife and I may be doing one of two things:

    1.) Buy a new MPV with the 3.0 liter V6, depending on the incremental cost of that feature
    2.) Buy a used MPV with the 2.5 liter V6 (to save some money)
    3.) Buy a new MPV with the 2.5 liter V6
    4.) Buy a different brand minivan.

    Here is why I am posting this message:

    We own a tent trailer (2215 lb GVW) that we are currently towing with our 1996 Dodge Intrepid with the 3.5 liter V6. We are pleased with it as a tow vehicle (plenty of power) but as we plan on starting a family within the year and also have a dog that travels in a fairly large dog kennel, we don't feel the Intrepid will have enough storage space to meet our needs considering baby stroller, camping gear, etc. especially on longer trips.

    So the question I am asking is whether anyone in this group tows a tent trailer or anything similar with their MPV? I realize nobody here, including me, intends to drag race with the MPV and it's power generally was....acceptable, but I am concerned about its towing capability. Also, someone here mentioned that the rear suspension was a little too softly sprung and I was wondering how much suspension sag I could expect with the trailer hitched up and cargo in the back? Has anyone installed air shocks on their MPV to compensate for this? We live in the West where we will be towing over some mountain ranges and hilly terrain so real-world towing experience with an MPV is of great value to us. I know it has a 3000 lb towing capacity (which our trailer is well within), but I just can't seem to get past the 160hp and high rpm torque characteristics of the 2.5. Other than this issue, we would buy the MPV in a heartbeat.

    Your advice is much appreciated.

    -Brian
  • jacksonianjacksonian Member Posts: 7
    First Of all THANKS Everyone ****
    I'm sorry I didn't mention that we have 2 Kids,
    8 and 11. But we also car pool another 3 Kids
    to school and back, plus feild trips ect.
    So it is important that van seat six
    comfortably(on a test drive it seemed to me
    that it should).

    Other than the car pooling the van will be
    my wifes baby(My wife fell in love with van
    from first time she saw it on lot. That has
    never happened before, not even with our current DC van).

    Hope You don't mind a couple more questions

    1) I've been told by friends that newer engines are designed to rev higher than older engines(example our DC Van will rev at 2200 rpm at 70 but on a test drive of MPV I noticed that it reved at 3200 rpm at same 70 mph)will this higher rev wear engine out quicker ? or should I not worry (we need this van to last as long as possible )

    2) Is there some place i can go to on web and find info on duratec engine, reliabiity problems ect. ect.

    Thanks For all Your Help

    PS. I really have enjoyed this Town hall. You Seem to all have a enthusiasm about the MPV that I havn't found from other Town hall posters
  • Karen_SKaren_S Member Posts: 5,092
    ...but I would like to invite you to the new Mazda MPV Club, which is on the Owner's Clubs Board. When you have an opportunity, stop by, introduce yourself, and let me know what discussions you would like to see in your Club's folder.


    For your convenience, this discussion will also reside in the Club folder.


    Hope to see you there soon!


    KarenS

    Owner's Club Host



    PS to the MPV Cruisers> See, you can't get rid of me that easily. :-)

  • blondemom1blondemom1 Member Posts: 90
    Haven't talked to you lately. How's things? You should drop by the Roadside Cafe when you get a chance. Some of the old gang is over there, but for now at least, we're being good. ;)
  • Karen_SKaren_S Member Posts: 5,092
    I didn't make this very clear before....this particular discussion will always reside on the Vans board. You will not be taken away from here! One of the cool features of this software is that a discussion can "live" in more than one place.

    Hope that clears up any questions!

    KarenS
    Owner's Club Host


    PS> Hi blondemom1! I've been so busy with the Clubs haven't had time to stop by the Cafe. :-(
  • blondemom1blondemom1 Member Posts: 90
    You have only 2 kids, huh? The reason I asked is because of the tumble under seat. If you had, or are planning on having soon, 3 kiddies, there is something to think about regarding the third seat. While it seems perfectly acceptable for the little tykes' little butts, the cargo space with 3 kids would be limited. Since the tumble seat is in one piece, when you tumble it, the van only seats 4. You could fit 5 if you take out the center seats and leave the rear seat up. But to take advantage of the tumble seat, you would have to leave someone home. If we had 3 kids, I couldn't have bought my MPV, since we do alot of softball equipment hauling, especially in the summer. I'd undoubtedly be driving a Sienna right now, which was my second choice van.
  • blondemom1blondemom1 Member Posts: 90
    I was just over at the owners club. Seems like it will be fun. I lurked into some of the other owners forums. It would give us the opportunity to have a little more detailed discussions. Maybe a topic on pricing, one for problems (Karen could add the existing problem topic there, too), etc.

    Right now Karen has a topic going for us to stop in and introduce ourselves. I jumped in, and I for one, would like to know a little about all of you, too. Stop over and say Hi.
  • javadocjavadoc Member Posts: 1,167
    Personally haven't towed with the mkII MPV, but there was someone that has and said it did fine with a small (+/- 2000#) trailer. I'll have to go back to the archives and check who that was...

    I towed extensively with my mkI MPV (a 1990), and it weighed 4,200# w/150hp (165ft/lb tq) versus the new van that has 170 (160)hp and weighs in around 3,600#. I'd estimate that the new vans would tow a small trailer just fine. Aren't they rated at 3,500# towing? We towed a 23ft travel trailer (4,600#), race car (3,000# with trailer) and a 22ft boat (2,400#) with no problems with the older van.

    I'd recommend that you have the 4-Seasons package to anyone planning on towing though. You get a great transmission cooler with that package, as well as a larger radiator. Two must haves for towing.

    my 2cents,

    --java
  • snowyowlsnowyowl Member Posts: 3
    I have been told about a 1991 Mazda Minivan for sale, don't know the specs on that year but am concerned re:bad points. Present owner has a GMC around same age so why choose the Mazda to get rid of? Thanks for any help.
  • jktaxjktax Member Posts: 7
    Edmunds is showing a $1000 factory to dealer incentive on the 01 MPV's lowering the TMV considerably. Is this incentive the free RSES that is available or will I be able to negotiate the Free RSES along with the $1000 F to D incentive? The Free RSES does not show up anywhere in the edmunds pricing structure.
  • travelingmantravelingman Member Posts: 1
    Hi all. I've had my MPV for 10 months and have the standard in dash cd. Does anyone know if I can trade up for the 3/1 stereo? This has probably already been covered in an earlier posts but I have not had the time to go back and read them (I've been catching up slowly but surely). Would appreciate any info.

    jo
  • kosinskikosinski Member Posts: 6
    I recently purchased a Century Avanta SE infant seat for our 2000 MPV. I had intended to purchase a Century Smart Fit Plus (based upon comments on this forum that indicated if fit well) but we were told that the Smart Fit Plus is no longer manufactured and has been replaced by the Avanta SE. The Smart Fit Plus was given a good rating on ParentsPlace. ParentsPlace.com did not have any information on the Avanta (in fact, i found minimal info that was specific to the MPV). The following are observations i made this afternoon when trying to get the seat installed properly:

    The Avanta is one of the models that has a base. I was able to get the base extremely tight, but had difficulty getting the seat's leveling ball perfectly (and consistently) positioned. It seemed to me that the leveling gauge did not work particularly well and that minimal variation caused the ball to swing to the opposite side. In fact, it is difficult to get the leveling ball oriented properly even when the base is not installed in the van. Other than some uncertainty regarding the leveling ball, I feel that the seat fits well into the van's 2nd row.

    The second thing I noticed is that the seat limits the movement of the front seats. Ideally, we wanted to put the carseat in the 2nd row seat immediately behind the driver. With this carseat, this is absolutely impossible. I am 6'-2" and the drivers seat must be pushed back as far as possible. This will not allow for installation of the Century Avanta. Even if the Avanta is installed in the 2nd row behind the front passenger's seat, the angle of the front seat needed to be adjusted slightly from what my wife finds optimal. If this is typical of all infant car seats, i'm probably going to end up regreting my decision not to purchase one of the larger vans (in addition to an infant, i also have a 4 and 6-year old).

    My questions are: Have others using this carseat or similar seats found that the leveling gauge feature does not seem to work well? Do other infant seats (with or without base) allow for greater adjustement of the van's first row seats?

    I appreciate any comments and/or suggestions
  • blondemom1blondemom1 Member Posts: 90
    snowy: I don't really know if any of us here would be of much help, but there is a topic for MPV's of the previous generation (pre-2000). These long time MPV owners may be able to help you out.

    travelingman: It seems to me I remember a string of talk about your question maybe 4-5 months back right after they came out with the 3 in 1. If I remember right, the units are not transferable.
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    Here's the link to the older MPV's discussion that blondemom1 is talking about:
    Mazda MPV (models before 2000)
    and there's this discussion in the archives:
    mazda mpv

    Steve_
    Host
    Vans and Aftermarket & Accessories Message Boards
  • otishotish Member Posts: 59
    I think I can help you with this and the silly leveling ball problem. I was one who recommended the Century Smart Fit which also had the leveling ball but found that even though the ball was in the so called green zone it was not at a safe angle for the baby to ride (her head was bobbing down onto her chest). I found a tip on the Parentsplace.com site that the techs use a piece of a pool noodle (cut to fit under the base) to help raise it up to the right level. (You can use a rolled up towel too but the pool noodle stays firmer and in place better). First of all I used some shelf liner to give more grip to the bottom of the seat (ours are leather) and then positioned the part of the noodle under the base (near the seat belt path). It raised the base up perfectly and my daughter was at the correct 45 degree angle (or so) and her head wasn't flopping forward. The ball was actually still in the green zone too. The techs say that those balls are not too accurate so don't worry too much about them. I found that fitting this infant seat/base in the van was very easy and it was in there rock solid.

    You are right that the board doesn't have too many entries for our MPV but it is growing. If you would like to add your entry they would appreciate it.

    Now about the front seat positions being affected: I didn't personally have trouble with this with the infant seat but sure did when we switched to a convertible infant seat rear-facing. They are usually even bigger (I have not seen the Avanta so can't compare to the Smart Fit). We had just a couple inches though but my husband is 'only' 5' 10". We did position it behind the driver. When we used the rear-facing seat I had to move it to the passenger side and that seat had to be pushed forward and nearly upright. I was willing to live with it like that as I knew it wouldn't be forever and it would be only me in that seat occasionally. This is a common complaint with rear-facing seats but we endured for the 6 months or so that we had the convertible in that way.

    If you can get the base up a little on that one end it may give more room to the front seat (by changing the angle). Another thing to do is the recline the back of the captain's chair while installing the base so that you can get the base even more towards that direction. Once you get the belt fastened then bring the seat back to upright.

    I hope that I helped you some!
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