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Mazda MPV

tboner1965tboner1965 Member Posts: 647
And I get the first "real" post.

Thanks KarenS,


TB
«134567159

Comments

  • lhaygood1lhaygood1 Member Posts: 7
    The 2000 MPVs have been out long enough now that there are a scattering of used ones appearing. I've been thinking about getting one new or used. There's a used ES with about 18,000 miles advertised at $21,999. Supposed to be "loaded" -- not sure what all the options are but I know it has a moonroof. Any thought on buying new v. used? Also, what price would make this a good deal (assuming it's in good condition, mostly highway miles, etc.)?
  • tboner1965tboner1965 Member Posts: 647
    Since the new ones for sale are pretty well discounted you should be able to get a good price.

    Ask the dealer the question, why should I pay $22K for a new one when your invoice price on a new one comparably equipped is about $24-25K before any rebates are considered.

    My gut tells me that with about 20K miles the price of the van should be around $20K plus tax tags and title.

    I'd make a strong case the following way.

    Get the option list on the used van, figure the invoice price of a new one with those features, then offer not more than 82% of invoice, minus any current rebates since that generally reduces the trade values of all vehicles. Figure a lifecycle of 100K miles, it has 18K miles so it's 18% used up.

    Let's figure that if the van is truly loaded then invoice might be around $25K, if there is a $1K rebate, then a new one "costs" the dealer about $24K, so 82% of 24K is about $19.7K, so I wouldn't go much higher than $20.5K just on the van. If you can wait, then tell them your offer is good for so many days (say the 30th of June) and maybe they will sell it to you.

    I'm not a car professional, so there are probably many ways to figure it. That is what I figure the van is worth to me, if it is a perfect vehicle. What it is actualy worth to you depends on the condition, color, and the state of your current transportation.

    None of that considers a trade. If you can, just buy the van without trading.

    My $0.02

    Cheers,

    TB
  • tboner1965tboner1965 Member Posts: 647
    Didn't complete the thought.

    If I liked the vehicle, I'd open at $19.7K if there was a $1K rebate on the new ones (assuming the new invoice of $25K) If there were no rebate the numbers may go up about $800, but this gives you one way to (in a purely mechanical way) determine A value for the used vehicle.

    Not necessarily THE value, but a reasonable starting point. This is what a used vehicle is worth to you, 82% of the wholesale cost of a new one today.

    Cheers,

    TB
  • bugabooxbugaboox Member Posts: 23
    kondo: thanks for the tip! I will try that next test drive.

    elvis_hoo: I agree with you. I want the brakes to work, effectively and consistently. Rear drum or rear disc deep down are not that important. I've noticed a lot of the car reviewers and car magazines are interested, and comment positively, only on the latest and greatest technological advances that are going into cars today. I rarely see comments about reliability and affordability (except maybe in Consumers Digest and the like), two things I think their readers would be very interested in. The greatest disc brakes in the world aren't any good to me if they're part of a defective batch from the brake manufacturer!

    A couple of other comments about my first test drive: the saleslady, who was very nice but very new, said to put a 3/1 stereo in the MPV would cost about $300 (all they had on the lot were CD's and CD changers). That still doesn't sound right to me given the MSRP on the 3/1 stereo is $150 from several sources, including Edmunds. Also, driving on a hot day at noon in Houston, the A/C did a good, but not great job. But I think she should have rolled down the middle windows to let some more of that heat out. I did like the rear A/C blowing on my neck when I sat in the middle row, and my wife could feel it all the way up in the driver's seat. I just don't see now how you can live without it in hot climates (and I don't see any MPV's on the lots here without it!).

    She also said she would have no problem getting us an MPV in sapphire blue or sand mica, but that the teal would be difficult, that it was not a popular color. What's the latest you're hearing on color availability?

    We're also looking at the Montana short wheelbase and the Subaru Forester (just in case 4'11" wife can't park big minivan in garage). We looked at Saturn LW2 but the tilt wheel in its most upright position still impeded my big knee when trying to hit the brake. That could be a problem, you know?

    In the next couple of weeks, I will rent wife a Venture or Montana short wheelbase (almost identical size to an MPV) to let her practice putting in and pulling out of garage. Anyone know of anyplace to rent an MPV, esp. in Houston area? Also, any comments about the other cars we're looking at would be appreciated. Thanks!
  • bugabooxbugaboox Member Posts: 23
    With the article I posted before, I was trying to make the point that as early as September 99, Mazda was saying that a 3.0 liter was in the works for model year 2001. I hope they stay true to that comment, because I think it will benefit all potential MPV buyers, even those who don't want the bigger engine!
  • dcoldcol Member Posts: 6
    I'm 5'2" and have no trouble parking the MPV-- I did have to learn to trust the front end since I can't see where the front of the van ends. We considered similarly-priced large sedans as well as the MPV, and it has a smaller footprint than anything else we considered. It also takes up less room in the garage than my husband's 1988 Taurus we traded-in. I also think it's about 3-4 inches narrower than the short Venture (but the same length).

    Our dual-air MPV "sleeps" in the garage and has no trouble keeping us cool out here in 100+ degree West Texas, but our humidity is nothing like Houston.
  • sammysmithssammysmiths Member Posts: 3
    Er, make that three...

    1) Thanks TBoner for all the excellent posts..

    2) Anyone know more about the 3.0 litre in 2001?? We'll have 3 kids & 2 adults on trips. In the test drive, the van seemed a bit to eager to shift.

    3) The only other thing I can see needing would be a split back seat. Don't know if that's possible with the tumble under

    uh.. make that four..

    4) How `bout power controls to vent the rear window. Does anyone else find they need the feature on the MPV??

    The wife and I keep coming back to this van, and think it'll be the one for us. My biggest concern was/is the engine. But then she drives a `87 Tercel wagon, so any more power is great, but how `bout durability..
  • scrapplescrapple Member Posts: 3
    Am trying to buy MPV LX but only one available doesn't have the 3 in 1 audio that I really want.
    Salesman doesn't know if it can be added, service guy isn't in.... Anybody have info? Many thanks, this forum is great.
  • msgjvhmsgjvh Member Posts: 196
    I noticed that Hertz was starting to rent the MPV.

    If you want a picture of the teal send me an email I will forward you a pic of mine. I like it but then again Im weird.
  • steeplejacksteeplejack Member Posts: 16
    The three in one audio can be swapped in NP! They can't locate one nearby? Good luck with the deal!
  • kondokondo Member Posts: 9
    scrapple: I waited for the 3 in 1, IMO it was worth the wait!

    bugaboox: it cost us 129 to uprade to the 3 in 1 (our dealer matched the cars direct site price)
  • bugabooxbugaboox Member Posts: 23
    msgjvh: I'll call Hertz again here. The rental people are almost as bad as the new car dealers, you know more about their cars than they do! Thanks for the offer, there's a great picture of the teal in the MPV brochure.

    kondo: Thanks for the info. Since I live in Texas, where you cannot buy from anyone but a licensed dealer BY LAW (no CarsDirect, etc.) Probably will have to dicker on every little detail or just use AutoByTel or DealerNet or Carpoint.
  • scrapplescrapple Member Posts: 3
    Steeplejack...What does NP mean? Sorry to be so dense!
  • cimccabecimccabe Member Posts: 9
    We are about to purchase a MPV LX (Rainforest Green) with the Security Package and the 4-Seasons Package, plus fog lights, roof rack, cargo net, and 3-in-1 radio. I was quoted $21,125 for this car.

    I can't decide whether the rear a/c is worth getting. I live in Phila. Do the rear vents work with the regular a/c? Is the regular a/c adequate given my location and climate?

    Also, what are the current rebates/incentives on the MPV. I know about the low financing. Autopedia also lists a "dealer incentive" of $1000 per car, as does Edmunds. But Kelley Blue Book lists a customer incentive of $500 to $1300 depending upon certain conditions being met.

    I have been told by various dealers that I can get low financing or $1000, but not both. But the prices I've been quoted seem to be below the dealer's cost (factoring in only one $1000 incentive and the holdback of 2% of base MSRP) which leads me to believe that the there is currently both a dealer incentive and a customer incentive. Can someone help me out here?

    Thanks.
  • marcbmarcb Member Posts: 152
    Hi bugaboox, read your post with interest. there used to be a topic on this but it got frozen.

    My wife is an inch shorter than yours (4'10"), so i just though to share with you on this.

    Of all the vans we've tested my wife also finds the MPV's driving best for her. We both like it very much and is our current top choice. We think it has the best visibilty, maneuverability / parkability, and driving position for shorties. But it could be better.

    Watching her closely I could see that she is still unable to rest the heel of her foot on the floor while stepping on the pedals. If you really think of it, she should be booster seat fodder (ha ha).... just check those booster seat requirements and anyone below 4'11 is.

    So we are still waiting to see how the extendable pedals of the coming 2001 DC vans will suit her (and the DC power rear lift gates will probably be good for her).

    The only other van with the extendable pedals would be the Windstar. But it would be too big for her and has even worse reliability record.

    Personally we dont care too much about the DC vans so we are keeping as last option adding fixed pedal extenders on the mpv if the DC van overall doesnt cut it.

    Heres some links I've found just in case you are interested:

    US: http://www.pedalextenders.com
    Canada: http://www.handcontrolscorp.com

    Good luck and I sincerely hope you have better luck with the mpv than we do.

    marc
  • todd48todd48 Member Posts: 22
    cimccabe- Wow! That's an amazing price they're quoting you. Here's the comparison to our MPV LX, which we bought in March. Ours is an LX with Security package and rear air...nothing else. And we paid around $21,250. That price was invoice + $150 minus the $1000 incentive (essentially $850 below invoice) Considering yours with 4 seasons is about $100 less than mine, BUT factoring in the cargo net, roof rack, fogs and 3-in-one radio ($700-$800 in accessories) that is an unbelievable price--way, way below invoice. I say jump on it!

    marcb- My wife is also 4'10" and she loves the MPV...she has no problems driving it or reaching the pedals. BTW: I'm 5'10 and I can't see the front of the van either. One thing I've noticed though is that when I'm in the passenger seat with out baby in her infant seat behind me, even with the seat all the way back, my knees seem to nearly hit the dashboard. Because the placement of the dashboard is so low, if I have the seat close, my knees always hit it. Has anyone else noticed this?
  • waters4waters4 Member Posts: 1
    My current old van (Dodge Caravan) has the automatic rear windows and I love this feature. I'm in Northern Calif, so don't need to use the AC much, but I love being able to open or close the rear windows at will from the drivers seat.
  • blondemom1blondemom1 Member Posts: 90
    Yep, having rear windows that open with power is a great feature. Maybe a future MPV will also have FAR rear windows that have power too. :)

    I just love having the second row windows that open. One of the main reasons I never liked mini-vans, other than they weren't "cool" enough, was that the second and third rows seemed too closed in and stuffy. I love the fresh air, and only use the AC when it is very hot. I love opening up the moonroof, putting down the windows a couple of inches each, cranking up a CD, and taking off.

    About the stereo: I got the new Matchbox 20 CD a week or so ago, and it sounds great on this stereo. I played it in my husband's F250 crew cab and the CD absolutely didn't sound the same. The sound just sort of blended together, and you couldn't hear the individual instruments like in the MPV. Life is good!
  • agncommagncomm Member Posts: 1
    We took the plunge and got our MPV a week ago. We orded a Silver ES 4 weeks earlier (the model we wanted was already in port in Tacoma) from Elmer at Libertyville Mazda (IL). A great experience. When it came down to signing the papers, Elmer actually informed me that the final price worked out to be less(by about $75)than he quoted me 4 weeks earlier! The fantastic customer service and no BS attitude at this dealer is worth a long drive for all you Chicago area peaple.

    We simply found the best prices by surfing the web, then called the local dealers in our area to see if they could meet our web price. Many said "your crazy" and they lost our business. Elmer said "sure" and we settled on price and ordered over the phone. Painless.

    We paid Invoice price, minus the $1000 incentive plus $100 ("profit"),ie. $900 under invoice price.

    We immediately took our new baby on the road to Minneapolis (a 1000mi round trip). The car performed very nicely and is exteremely comfy. Slightly sluggish in city driving with the a/c cranked (I was trying to keep up with my uncle's Jaguar) but after all, it IS a minivan! Our gas milage on the first 3 tanks was 22 mpg, 19mpg and 22 mpg, much of it highway, most of it with ac on (it was hot that weekend), however we could not use cruise control and were advised to constantly vary the speed for the first 1000mi due to the transmission breakin period. We enjoyed the huge windows and sunroof, great visibility, smooth ride and great 3/1 sound system (flippin from CD to cassette and back again is NICE). The wife and kids LOVE the van.

    Good luck to you all and drive safely.
  • drubin1drubin1 Member Posts: 2
    Hi everyone,
    Picked up my rainforest green fully loaded LX on Saturday! I love it! My thanks to everyone in the Town Hall for the great advice and helpful information. The day we picked up the car, I asked the salesperson about the 3.0 engine. He informed me that it would not be available until 2002, for what it's worth. We talked about Mazda's new Tribute, and he said that was a "honey" of an SUV and very powerful! He said he was going to buy one for his wife. That's the information I received on the larger engine. Hope it helps!
  • steeplejacksteeplejack Member Posts: 16
    NP=No Problem. Didn't mean to be so cryptic.
  • steeplejacksteeplejack Member Posts: 16
    Why could you NOT use cruise during your first 1000 miles trip?
  • offhamoffham Member Posts: 344
    Most engines require varied driving during first 500 miles rather than a constant speed such as being in cruise. I understand that it helps seal the rings on the pistons
  • cak4cak4 Member Posts: 1
    After months of information overload, we finally bought a Mazda MPV. Here's what we discovered along the way:

    According to Mazda, the Tribute has been backed off to a late August to early September arrival. The 2001 MPV should arrive shortly thereafter. On paper, the 200hp V6 Tribute engine gets better gas mileage than the MVP. Mazda said they don't know if it's the same engine that will find its way to the MPV.

    We haven't had any power complaints, though we also haven't loaded the van down with six people.

    With the popularity of the Odyssey, the MPV should continue to sell around invoice. You will still have to shop around. Some dealers in our area wouldn't dip to our prce.

    We thought about the entertainment system, but discovered that for $100 more than the Mazda price, we could get one aftermarket that includes wireless headsets and TV receprion.

    We found that straight ES models were hard to come by in the St. Louis area. Many were loaded with ad-ons.

    We paid $23,024 for a White ES with 3-in-1 stereo/CD/cassette as the lone option. The deal was actually $23,213, but I refused to pay the $189 "Customer Services Fee", so they backed the sell price off $189 and included the fee on the paperwork. After dealer incentives, we figure we paid $125 over base invoice. Three other dealers in the area wouldn't accept our price.

    We really like the van and feel that its fit and finish are nicer than that of the Odyssey, if you can accept a slightly smaller interior.
  • crvelacrvela Member Posts: 2
    Has anyone purchased their MPV in the DFW Texas area? I was wondering where I could get the best deal and the most cooperation from a dealership. If you have had a good (or terrible) experience in this area, please let me know. Also, what should I expect to pay for the LX model? I just now started looking at MPVs, so I'm new at this. Any help would be appreciated.
  • zmurphyzmurphy Member Posts: 2
    I'm only about a week into this but here's what I have a quote on:
    2000 ES w/4 Seasons/Moonroof/foglights/roofrack/
    $24,914 (net of $1,000 rebate) tax not included.

    Previous posts indicate a sluggish engine which
    has me a bit nervous...I'm coming out of a
    Trooper (roomy) and those backseats look small.

    Comments?
  • msgjvhmsgjvh Member Posts: 196
    Given the $1000 rebate I believe you can go to Roseville Mazda and beat that price by no less than $500 bucks. See Dave Barnes. Yes its a bit of a drive but well worth it. I wouldnt worry about the size of the back seats. I have had five kids back there they love it. Five adults in the back will have trouble in any van. BTW Troops are nice I want one for myself in about two years when I trade cars. I think they are better than the popular Rodeo and don't they get better mileage than the Rodeo?
  • bugabooxbugaboox Member Posts: 23
    Has anyone given any thought to this possibility: if Ford owns 1/3 of Mazda, and GM and DC sell short wheelbase minivans, would Ford consider taking the MPV, rebadging it with its own brand name, and selling it as a short wheelbase alternative to the Windstar to have two sizes of minivans in its stable? Just a thought...
  • msgjvhmsgjvh Member Posts: 196
    Ford has a short wheel base van. Its called the Mercury Villager and its made my Nissan under the badge of the Quest. If it wasnt for the poor safety results I would have bought one two years ago. Plus they are are kinda small inside lots smaller than the MPV.
  • salsa2salsa2 Member Posts: 1
    crvela, the invoice price for the lx model is 20,210 and 22,115 msrp. be aware that sometimes is difficult to get an lx model without some kind of package. good luck.
  • bugabooxbugaboox Member Posts: 23
    Oops I forgot to mention my premise for writing that (knew I was forgetting something)...Ford has announced plans to cease production of the Quest/Villager minivans after next model year. This is 2 years earlier than scheduled, due to poor sales. Though I think bigger minivans sell better than smaller ones, and they seem intent on phasing out the Mercury make over the next few years, I just wondered out loud if they might consider selling a smaller minivan (MPV) under the Ford label if it was already available through a subsidiary and only needed very minor changes.

    What's sad is the Quest/Villager is significantly bigger on the outside than the MPV. It's not saying much if you think they're smaller on the inside!
  • cyclerklmcyclerklm Member Posts: 26
    Here's a new article by Walter A. Woron, former editor of Motor Trend magazine.

    http://www.motortrend.com/june00/waltworon/waltworon_f.html
  • mls64mls64 Member Posts: 9
    To crvela:

    We purchased our ES at Town North Mazda in Richardson. They were great! I did my homework here and other sites on the web, came up with invoice prices, went in with what I wanted to pay, and they met the deal. Really a hassle-free transaction. Talk to Tracy - he was very reasonable and we were able to take the van out for a drive without him. Also none of this "let me take this to my manager" negotiating.

    Mike
  • skorolskorol Member Posts: 11
    I like all Mazda products, and it looks like new MPV is another good one from Mazda. I have several questions about MPV though. I know that new 2000 MPV did horrible in the low speed collision tests: http://www.highwaysafety.org/vehicle_ratings/low_speed_vans.htm
    I also know that based on that test Mazda issued a recall on bumpers. My question is: if I were to go to a dealership and get MPV right now, would I get original bumpers or a new ones? Basically, if a company makes a recall, do they fix all the cars on the dealer lots or not? Another question I have is if anyone has a data on 2000 MPV's high speed crash test results. I appreciate your help.
  • marcbmarcb Member Posts: 152
    after putting off for so long, i just signed for a sapphire blue dx. had to settle on a dx with convenience package as this one was the only special lease advertised by mazda in our papers (not a local dealer ad). will be swapping my old one for the mpv this wednesday.

    cyclerklm - thanks for that trip down memory lane. i spent a lot of happy childhood trips with my parents and 3 siblings in one of those volks in the 70's. those experience may be why even in high school i dreamed of vans and multicab pickup trucks instead of sports cars. could be also the same reason this article gives is why i also choose the mpv?

    todd48 - eowww, im just an inch shorter than you (5'9") and i have a daughter age 4. but for me, i seemed to fit into the mpv well in our test drive to be ok.

    one thing ive observed from looking at my dad (only an inch taller) who never seem to fit into cars i buy is that height is not the only factor. had always been extra thin (135 lbs today at my heaviest) with a dire shortage in natural body pads specially in the seat area. my dad is twice my thickness all around. those extra diameter on his buttocks and torso pushes his thick knee into the dash of my nissan axxess and bumps his head on the monroof cover. he has to push the seat all the way out, tilt the seat back and the steering up to fit.

    thickness may explain the different feedback weve been getting from same height persons on the mpv.
  • jay_beejay_bee Member Posts: 3
    Well, thanks to the info and input on this site we took the plunge. Picked up our Rainforest Green DX with a convienence package and stuff. Only things missing basically from LX is ABS and keyless. Neither matter, don't like ABS, prefer my old school brake pumping and keyless wasn't worth the extra cost. Anyway, pretty much drove off the lot and headed straight to British Columbia and the Rocky Mountains. First note, power problems.....NOT. With two adults, two kids and a bunch of stuff loaded in the back, power was not even a remote issue. Some hills it went into a little bit of gear finding, but it did it SO smoothly, you really had to pay attention to feel it. Total trip was about 700Kms, haven't figured out mileage yet but only ended up costing about 40CDN in gas. No one in town had seen the MPV, I think I went through the "demo" about 15 times, 'cause I'd show one person and they would tell a friend, the friend would come over etc... Everyone loved it, might get a few refferals outta the deal ;-) The ride is so comfortable, and with all the big windshield my wife and I felt like we were driving a different road, 'cause the view was so increased from what we were used to. Anyway, so far so very good, couldn't be happier (hopefully it stays that way :) I'll update more as we go. Happy driving!
  • bugabooxbugaboox Member Posts: 23
    I called Mazda this morning and asked about the bigger engine for 2001. He said definitely not, and that it might (operative word) come for the following year.

    This is in contradiction to what they said a couple of months ago! Anybody want to guess as to what Mazda may be thinking?
  • blondemom1blondemom1 Member Posts: 90
    To try to answer your question, the bumper recall has been announced, but no recall letters have yet been received by present owners. Some owners have asked their dealers about it, and some didn't know about it, and the ones who did said the parts weren't available yet. They also don't do recall work until the recall is officially started. So, with this in mind, if you went to a dealer today, the bumpers would in all certainty not be done yet.

    Also, from what I understand, the bumpers are not going to be replaced. They are planning on adding a bolstering device inside the bumper, to add strength.
  • javadocjavadoc Member Posts: 1,167
    Here is a site that shows you frontal and side impact crash tests on various models. In particular I am impressed with the MPV's side impact protection. The frontal protection is great too. Here's the link:

    http://www.crashtest.com

    Click on "Mazda," then scroll down to the "MPV 00-01" cell and click on it. This will send you to the page that shows front and side impact photos, as well as the data extracted from the dummies. The most important thing to note about the photos is that the van still holds its form; the roof is not bent, the door is in place, and the front wheel has not intruded into the driver's area. This means that the structure has protected the occupants. The data extracts show loads recorded.

    I'd imagine that most minivans perform fairly well in protecting their occupants in a crash, as safety is so important to comsumers.

    In defense of Mazda though, the rumored bumper recall (my dealer hasn't been informed of it "officially" yet either), the poor low speed impact rating is really not a safety issue, it is a cost issue. The MPV had more damage than was expected in a low speed frontal collision in dollars damage to the hardware, not to the occupants. It's safe to say that the van would be totalled in a 40mph frontal, but it's passengers would be fine, as the crash tests show.

    Worry not, you'll be safe.
  • javadocjavadoc Member Posts: 1,167
    I wonder if the 3.0 engine might show up on the MPV along with an AWD version, as they already have happy unions in the Escape and the Tribute. I would be the first in line to order one of those gems (the MPV, not the others)! AWD is a real bonus up here in the Great White North. Hopefully these changes won't lower the resale value of our current 2000 models though.

    200hp in a 3600# MPV would give it an almost unfair advantage over the 4300# Oddity (intentional mis-spelling).

    Happy motoring!
  • cimccabecimccabe Member Posts: 9
    Well, we're set to take the plunge this weekend. We're taking delivery on a Silver MPV LX, with 4-seasons and security packages, plus fog lights, roof rack, 3-in-1 radio, and rear a/c. The rear a/c was a toss-up at first, but we test drove two cars last weekend, one with rear a/c and one without, and I could definitely feel the difference (though, maybe after an hour or so with the front a/c on at full blast, the difference might have been slighter).

    In any event, for price comparisons, we are getting all of this at "dealer cost" of $22,137 (including the $1,000 dealer incentive, with the dealer keeping the "holdback" of $442.50). All in all, an extremely fair deal, except if there are two incentives in place, one a dealer incentive and the other a customer rebate, in which case the deal is not so good. (But from what I can determine there is only one incentive in place, a dealer incentive of $1,000).

    We are paying an extra $38 for cargo net (from parts) and are also having two child car seat tether anchors installed at $8 a piece, plus labor (undefined at the moment though perhaps as much as $195 which seems awfully steep).

    Our dealer is Don Rosen Mazda in Bala Cynwyd, for those in the Phila. area who are looking for great service and a great deal. Ask for Adam Glazer in sales.

    Thanks for all of the advice on this site. Couldn't have done it without it.
  • msgjvhmsgjvh Member Posts: 196
    Great job finding that website. I feel totally safe in the MPV regardless of the bumber. If it got 5 stars without the side airbag option, it must be off the scale with it!

    Thanks for the reference.
  • todd48todd48 Member Posts: 22
    Fantastic deal on your MPV! Regarding the tethor anchors, scroll through the previous posts in this topic or try the Cruiser's Club topic. I've posted the directions for installing them yourself several times. It takes all of 5 minutes each and a metric socket wrench.
  • bugabooxbugaboox Member Posts: 23
    Thanks for your response. Sorry to get back so late (you did only post last Friday), but I wanted to let my wife look at your post and put in her $.02 in her own words.

    If you were still swaying between the MPV and the new DC's, we were going to send you a list of strategies we use to test these cars out, especially in regard to seat position and airbags.

    However, from your subsequent post, it appears you have made up your mind. Did your wife get comfortable with the MPV despite not quite reaching the floor with her heel? Anyway, if you still want to hear our strategies, post back and I'll send them to you (they may still make her ride more satisfying).

    Otherwise, enjoy your MPV and let us know how it does when you get it.

    P.S. You're the first person I can remember on this thread that bought it in our first choice color, the sapphire blue!
  • cimccabecimccabe Member Posts: 9
    todd48 - Thanks for the tip on the tether anchors. I called the dealer and told the salesman that I would pay no more than $20 for installation of two tether anchors. I told him that, if his service people did not want to accept that amount, I would install them myself. After reading your posts elsewhere, a potential charge of $195 for 3 hours labor to install two tether anchors in pre-drilled holes would be highway robbery! Thanks again.
  • dnamarteldnamartel Member Posts: 16
    That was a real eye opener! Chilling in fact. Sounds like those in favor of the 3.0 included Mazda engineers and they lost. I emailed the author of the article to asking for insight on the engine for 2001. I 'll post the reply, if any. Ford has really stuck it to Mazda, IMHO.
  • skorolskorol Member Posts: 11
    I appreciate the crash test data you gave me as well as the bumper information. Looks like the car is safe, but I would really like that bumper to get recalled as the results of low speed collision are horrible.

    I just read the link above and was horrified: the transmission used in MPV is not Mazda, but Ford!!! I've heard quite a few stories in Mazda 626 forum about bad trannies in 4 cyl auto 626s, since 4 cyl auto is the only combination on 626 that uses tranny by Ford. Is MPV using that tranny on its V6 engine? That really sucks.
  • rjrerjre Member Posts: 3
    The tansmission in the MPV is not made in the US as the engine is. It is made in Japan (I have my MPV sticker right in front of me), so that article is probably incorrect in saying that it is a Ford transmission. All of the material I have read indicates that it is a Mazda transmission. If it had a Ford transmission, my wife would never have let me buy it!
  • bugabooxbugaboox Member Posts: 23
    I saw that article too and it's been quoted here before. But isn't the 3.0 liter made here too? Why couldn't THAT engine have been the "currency hedge"?
  • tboner1965tboner1965 Member Posts: 647
    A couple of "guesses" as why not the 3.0L Duratec

    1. Probably more 2.5L parts around since the Contour/Mystique and Cougar are not as popular as Ford would like. So Ford had excess engine capacity, and Mazda needed the engine/currency hedge.

    2. Perhaps Mazda engineers were not comfortable with 200HP, 200ft/lb torque through transmission.(unlikely)

    Just some pseudo-random thoughts.

    Cheers,

    TB
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