Mazda MPV

kawazar1

I read on another web site that the 2000 MPV is rated at 2000 pounds without the 4 seasons package and 3000 with. Is this true? Also anyone towed with their 2000 MPV and what is your opinion?

maltb

I have a factory hitch on my 2001(no 4 seasons package). I have only pulled a utility trailer with motorcycles and camping gear. My guess is that the loaded trailer was about 1200 pounds. The MPV did great and even in the 100 degree heat of Twentynine Palms we(me, wife & 4 young kids) were very comfy with the A/C running front and rear. Up some of the more steep grades, the van slows up, but it made it just fine.

So far, 11k on the MPV and haven't had a single problem.

mazda_guy

I have to report that ES 2002 bought in February has now 2700 miles and running fine. Changed oil once at 1000 miles and replaced front passenger window after MPV was broken in by thieves. The only problem so far MPV developed some slight rattles placed in the rear left door and second row seats. I didn't have time to actually figure out the exact location of noises. I can probably attribute those noises to the car alarm installation. I have installed aftermarket car alarm and most likely technicians didn't put everything together right as supposed to be.

In front of us an extended vacation and 4000 miles trip from Florida to Canada (maybe I should stop at Alex's house for a barbeque :-)) I will report how MPV behaved on this trip and statistics for fuel usage on a highway and in the mountains. If you all are staying at home I wish you all the best luck with your MPVs, happy 4th of July and I talk to you soon maybe even from the road (I am taking my laptop with me).

MB

javadoc

Watch out for the Mounties MB!!! They'll even pull o'er an unassuming MPV van .

/J

audia8q

yes, the 4 seasons pkg increases the towing capacity... the auto oil cooler and larger radiator makes this possible..

mazda_guy

You are safe up there in North West :-). I have only 3 weeks vacation so I won't make it there this year but next year who knows... my wife would love to see Alaska.

MB

javadoc

I was hiding the chickens. Let me know, I'll take you to go slay some fish. You're not missing anything up here so far... rain, rain rain. You hear that Mother Nature? My lawn's wet enough now! Can I work on my tan again?

/java-absolutely no content-doc

mazda_guy

Here another problem... Sun, sun, sun... I am sick of the Sun. Please send some this rain down here...

prlamz

We'll crossing path since we'll be going CA to MA in a few days. We installed a TV system in order to make it a little less boring for the kids. We plan 4 12 hours days, with a day break in Kansas. Have a nice trip!

rponseti

I am considering a 2002 MPV but I'm concerned about the engine. Can someone tell me if the new engine is the same Ford engine that's in the Escape and Tribute? Looks like the same to me. If it is, I may steer clear of the MPV. If it's a Mazda engine, that's different! Thanks in advance!

maltb

The MPV has used a Ford engine since the 2000MY. So far, it appears to be pretty solid. Even though the 3.0 engine is the twin of the TriScape, I don't see this as a week spot. Many Taurus owners have had trouble free years with the proven Duratech engine.

danandkat

Hi--I think you are OK with the Duratec. This topic comes up periodically on the discussion boards. See this link (and the half dozen or so posts that follow on the thread)

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mpv2000/message/3194

where the MPV Duratec engine was discussed recently. The engine has earned a reputation for reliability since it was introduced. Hope this helps.--danandkat

rponseti

Hi all. I have been reading all the posts here and decided I want an MPV. One of my local dealers has offered me a deal and I want some opinions. He said I could have any MPV he has on the lot for $800 below invoice. He even gave me an example and it was right on! Is this good enough or should I ask for more? Sounds pretty good to me. This was all done through emails. I just told him that I didn't want other crazy fees added once I get there! What do ya'll think?

fredsw

I just picked up my '02 MPV ES(Mature People Vehicle)yesterday, and was wondering about the tires. I have read some negatives about the Dunlops, and if there was some real world experience with this product.
To the person that was able to do an $800 deal under invoice, I would say go for it, I did $400 under, and thought that was great. I found trying to find a fully loaded ES to be a problem. I have every option except the GFX pkg, and that was hard to do.
I went to Keith Kennedy@Jake Sweeney Mazda,here in Cincinnati, and he was honest and excellent to work with. After some hard searching, he found exactly what I wanted and the price was fair.
The tires are my only concern, so far.
The dynamics of this vehicle are super for us seniors. It's a shame Mazda doesn't target that segment.
Fred

bean3422

Fred,
I have only owned my 02 a month, so I cannot help you with the SP4000, except to say that they seem to be pretty quiet. We have driven through a couple major thunderstorms here in Virginia and they seemed very stable.

I can comment on the Dunlop SP5000 tires I have on my Mazda Protege. I cannot praise them enough, they are quiet, superb in the rain, and stick to the corners like glue. One thing I don't count on is getting much more than 35,000 miles out of either tire. They both have a 360 treadwear rating, so 35,000 should be about right. The 80,000 mile Michelin x-one tires have almost 800 treadwear rating.

The only problem I see is finding a tire in the right size. I personally will probably be buying 225/55 R17 tires, but even then there is only a few choices. I would love to get Michelin Pilot Sport A/S tires, but at $200.00+ a pop, that seems a bit extreme for a minivan. So I will probably go with Dunlop SP Sport A2 tires in 235/55 R17 size.

Anyway, I really wish Mazda had just left the computer alone, and made the 16" and 17" tire diameters the same size. Then a 225/50 R17 inch tire size would work, and there is a lot more choices in that. Unfortunately, what Mazda has done is put a "minivan" size tire on a 17" wheel (which is usually reserved for sports cars.) They should have just went ahead and put a sports car tire on it. No other vehicle with 17" wheels has a 60 series tire with such a high profile. This is why we will always have problems finding tires, unless Mazda gets some tire manufacturers to build tires just for the MPV. I know they want to give the MPV a nicer ride, but dang it, why not give the "soul of a sports car" sports car tires!!

luke15

Hello
I am about to take the plunge and purchase our first minivan. As most people, we are under a pretty tight budget. We are hoping to be able to swing a new MPV rather than having to get a used minivan. Though it looks like the LX comes pretty well-equipped we are wondering what priorities to give the option packages and would like to ask about your opinions on the MPV packages.

More specifically, is the rear air option important or will my kids be fine in the hot summer without it? How about traction control? Will my wife have a hard time driving the MPV in the Connecticut winter without it? The luxury package sounds nice but will probably be the first to fall. Lastly, I've heard grumbling about some sort of sulfer smell. How widespread is that problem?

Thanks for any advice you can offer.

pjd58

We purchased a 01 LX 14 months ago and it's still going strong with 17,000 miles and zero problems. I definitely recommend rear air, the humidity in Conneticut gets pretty nasty in the summer. You can probably find a 02 LX with rear air for around $22,000. If you want to add the security pkg and 4 seasons prepare to cough up another $1500. Our MPV handles Ohio snow very well. Check post #3520, Audia8q(Rich) is a manager of a Mazda dealership in CT. Maybe you could E-mail him and he could answer alot of your questions and concerns.
Sulfur smell was caused by the user's choice of fuel.
Good luck,
Pjd58(Pete)

billmckinley

The rear air, if not an absolute must, is an absolute blessing. The AC in the MPV is pretty strong and I don't doubt that it would eventually cool down the whole car. But the rear AC provides virtually instant relief to those in the rear two seats. Now really, do you really want to listen to a bunch of munchkins whining "Daddy, it's still hot back here!" for the ten minutes or so it would otherwise take them to cool down? The peace of mind alone is worth the $400.

As for the sulfur smell, it does seem to be popping up a little more frequently than it did last year when I noticed it on "The MPV President McKinley." It does seem to fade with time [ at least on mine, with 11k miles on it, the smell has abated to the occasional mild whiff] and choice of gas--a hit or miss proposition--seems to affect it. I suspect that it would be more of a problem for those who suffer from it if it got into the cabin, but it doesn't usually. Mine used to stink up the surroundings while I drove on blissfully oblivious to what was causing birds to drop out of the sky all around me. All in all, I wouldn't let it keep me from buying the van. Knowing what I know, I'd still buy it again.

Good luck on your hunt.

RJ

beachnut

...if they'd put on the Pilots, you prolly would've lost your $1K incentive ;-)

tgaines14

I'm just wondering what type of mileage I can expect with the MPV. I am on a tight budget, and I have found a 2000 MPV LX with 82,000 miles on it for $11,500. First off, do you think that this is a good deal, or would it be worth buying a newer van that might strap me a little more financially. Secondly, how much farther will the MPV go with 82,000 miles already on it. I know that this depends a lot on the upkeep of the vehicle, but I'm just looking for averages. Any information would be much appreciated. Thanks...

bean3422

gosh...it does sound like I am complaining a lot, doesn't it!! For those of you still attempting to buy a 02 or who wanted an ES but did the proper economical thing, I apologize.

Pilots as factory tires...there ain't no way. At least not until Porsche comes out with a minivan!

I think the 17" wheels look great, and I have received many comments on them. I am just not looking forward to when they wear out...then I have to make some hard decisions.

Has anyone else out there thought about when you have to replace your 17" tires? Or are you just going to put the OEM SP 4000 back on? Just curious, I know that I am ahead of myself by about 3-4 years, but I'm obsessed, and have to plan ahead!!

bean3422

Sorry, your potential 82,000 mile van has to be the highest mileage example of the 2000+ that I have heard of. Maybe someone else has an idea...

Personally, I have always bought new cars. There is a whole list of Pros and Cons arguments here, but my main reason is that I know what has been done to my vehicle from the time it left the showroom floor. Of course, this is why I carted kids around in a Mazda Protege for several years. It was worth the wait though!!

(I may also be foolish...if you really need a van, and don't have the dough, then used may be the way to go. I was just willing to forgo the convenience for a few years so I could buy new. Call it beano-nomics!! (double meaning, Ha, Ha)!)

danandkat

Hi--Depending on condition etc., I would generally consider a vehicle with 82,000 miles on it to be about half used up. Some cars will never make it to 164,000 miles and others will go way beyond that. But as you said, you are looking for averages and in my opinion halfway between 100K and 200K is a reasonable and average target. You should obviously expect to pay more for maintenance/repairs during the second 82,000 miles of this vehicle's life than someone else paid during the first 82,000 miles. Hopefully nothing major will break putting you in a replace vs. repair the vehicle dilemna. Another way of looking at things is that it will keep going as long as you are willing to put money into it. ;<) If buying from a dealer, is there any way you can contact previous owner for vehicle history? Including MPG. (On our mostly highway driven '01 LX we get in the low twenties. YMMV.)

As far as price is concerned, it is hard to tell. Vehicle condition plays such an important role. Check online for other sales prices and see how much the mileage comes down for extra money spent for other MPVs. It will at least give you an idea of whether this is reasonable or not. Hope this helps--danandkat

mazda_guy

tgaines14, 82,000 miles on 2000 model? If this van wasn't a taxi cab then it might be a good deal because only other way to make 82,000 miles in that short period is having long highway trips. Long drives are best for the car and easiest for the engine. Engine is warmed up to the ideal temperature and lubrication is optimal. Brakes are not warned out and transmission should be fine. AC is still new and should work fine. Make sure your mechanic checks the van. You can even hire a mechanic for a nominal fee and make him to run some tests on a van. As long as this van wasn't a taxi it might be a good deal.

MB

tboner1965

I know this is anecdotal, but we have Duratec Contours over at www.contour.org at over 125K miles. Probably some at over 150K as well. Some are driven very hard on open track events, AutoX and such. I do believe you can go a long while on the engine, if properly cared for.

To be fair, I have to say that there are also examples of engine failure. Oil starvation seems to be the issue. At first we thought, not enough oil in the pan, so we would over fill, then we thought that right hand sweepers were a problem, so some used baffled oil pans.

It seems we've discovered, with a little help from our resident Contour project engineer and some of his contacts in Ford Europe that there is a better crankshaft damper for the Duratec. It is nick-named the dual mode damper and it attaches at the crankshaft where your accessory belt attaches. This new damper does a better job of preventing crankshaft whip. The original damper would protect against a single frequency. The dual mode damper actually protects against more occassions when crank whip occurs.

What is crank whip, basically those little squeezes and bangs (the 4 cycle combustion cycle is suck, squeeze, bang and blow, you'll never forget it when learned this way 8^) ) tend to "bend" the crank a bit as the engine runs. This in turn tends to damage the bearings, causing the oil holes in the bearings to become closed. Instant oil starvation.

The dual mode damper supposedly does a better job of protecting crank whip.

I really doubt it is a problem for most MPV drivers, as I doubt you run your vans to 7K RPMs, but the way I drive my SVT Contour, it is a concern for me.

I'm looking into it, and it is relatively easy to change, so I know I'm going to do the SVT, and probably do the MPV as well.

OBTW, those light weight, undersized crank pulley set ups are really bad for your engine, if they don't also have a built in damper. Even those that have you use the existing damper outside the new pulley can make the damper ineffective. From what I hear, they are fine on a I4 engine because the forces are better balanced, but on a V6, the damper is critical.

Let's not get into another wide tire hydroplane discussion. My physicist pal (PhD in Physics, BTW) says a wider tire hydroplanes easier. The information about dampers and such is just what I've read.

I don't think Mazda uses the dual mode damper on the 2.5L or 3L Duratecs.

TB

danandkat

Another way to look at it is that this 82K van could be a real steal. The question is, however, for whom? You, or the seller? LOL! Figuring that out is the tricky part. danandkat

javadoc

Ahhhh, I was waiting to respond to the high mileage question till Tboner had chimed in. I knew he'd have a great answer on longevity.

FWIW, 82,000 on a 2-3yo car is a ton. Mazda_guy's right... was this a Taxicab? I'd pull a carfax on it b4 I deal on the van, and pull the service records from a dealer (give them the van's vin) to see what's been fixed and who/what company has owned the van.

OTOH, I've had some very rewarding high-mileage rides. I bought an '86 Saab 9000T that had over 200k on it after 4yrs, and I put another 250k on it, so high-mileage isn't always a bad deal.

I'd imagine you could get it for less than 11.5k, TMV is $13k (dealer) and change for a 'clean' example, with only $10k trade-in. What kind of condition and options does it have? What does the hood look like? Glass or Beruit on a bad day? That'll tell you if it's city or hwy miles. Above all, if you're halfway serious about buying it, pay a good mechanic (not their's) $100 to go over the van w/a fine tooth comb.

/javadoc

tgaines14

Thanks for all of your input on the high mileage MPV. Because of your responses, I'm going to check it out and test drive it today. I kind of had the same thought about the mileage. If they are just highway miles, then this could be a good buy. I'll just have to dig further into the history of the vehicle. If I'm still interested in it after today, I'll pursue the car fax and then hire a mechanic to check it out before making an offer. Again, thanks to all of you for the info. It is really appreciated.

tbcreative

I'm wondering if anyone has any information on the 2003 MPVs yet. I'm specifically wondering about additional color choices. My wife and I are reluctantly considering a minivan for the first time because we are becoming foster parents and plan on having our own kids soon as well. We have driven and looked at just about everthing out there, and are actually excited about the MPV, but wish Mazda would offer a few better color choices, especially a nice cherry metallic red. Otherwise, black is the only color we like, and we live in Arizona. My truck is black, but this will be her car, and she prefers a dark cherry red.

So, if anyone has any preliminary info, I'd really appreciate it. If Mazda gets smart, and adds that color, we'll wait until the fall. More color choices would really make the best minivan out there, even better.

Thanks! -TB

beachnut

Hi tbcreative, you pose a good question.... unfortunately, I don't have an answer beyond what I've seen in the scuttlebutt forums for the Mazda 6 and the RX-8, which are due to be released in '03. There are some new colors for those cars, but no red afaik. The red you're looking for is something like what's on the Odyssey. I have the same color on my Accord and I love it! The MPV had a red color in '00, but I'm pretty sure it was a non-metallic paint (correct me if I'm wrong Bob).

As an interesting sidebar, there's a lot of discussion on Edmund's regarding oil-based vs. water-based paint. Since the MPV is built in Japan, I think I'm safe to assume that the paint is oil-based. In the U.S., enviromental laws mandate a water-based paint. Since many Japanese auto-makers now build their cars here, they're getting water-based paint.