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BTW, hello Steve, I'm back. ;-)
Steve
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SUVs, Vans and Aftermarket & Accessories Message Boards
Thanks in advance for information.
Is the Luxury Package (power seat, 16" wheels, 6 disc changer, side seat table, floor mats) worth it? Is the power seat more adjustable than the manual seat?
Does the rear spoiler actually keep dust off the back hatch?
The internet sales person at the dealer said my cost would be 1% over invoice with no haggling involved. Does this sound reasonable?
What's the deal with this 0% financing, are those fees in the fine print added to the cost?
Any other comments/opinions on tire pressure for the MPV?
-4 seasons package for towing, rear heat, etc.
-rear ac
Chances are you won't be able to find the 4 seasons without either the lux or the security package. They each are nifty, I ended up getting both but if I had my choice of one or the other I would have opted for the power seat/16" wheels and skipped the security.
1% over invoice: You should be able to find the MPV for $2,000 below invoice, plus whatever you decide to pay for dealer profit (typically $100 to $400 bucks gets it done).
No experience with rear spoiler. My guess is that it is like the "bug" guards---maybe some psychological advantage.
Pjd58
thanks I always went by the actual max pressure on the tire itself (usually ran about 10 psi below max).
I just dropped all the tires to 34 though...was running them about 40.
- If you are getting cars in the Southern US with very high tire pressure, it's probably because they were put on the boat at max. inflation in cool weather.
- Towing a 1500 lb load short distances in cool weather will be no problem - anything more, you should get the 4 seasons package and be careful you don't exceed the total weight rating - the vehicle can't tow 3,000 if loaded to the gills with gear and people. If you have to launch from steep ramps, you might run into problems pulling out, with this or any FWD vehicle. A rule of thumb for towing is that you can tow 1/2 the rated capacity w/o shortening the life of the vehicle significantly. Also, accept the fact of lower resale value once you put a tow hitch on, whether you tow or not.
- There is a TREMENDOUS amount of misinformation about tires out there - that's one reason why Click & Clack always make fun of fatherly advice. You can run tires at max. inflation forever with no problems. The ride will be more harsh, but the handling will be more responsive and your load capacity will be greater. Most consumers don't check their tire pressure often enough - it changes 4-5 psi just from seasonal temp changes. It is estimated that if consumers all ran at manufacturers recommended pressure (most are low) more fuel would be saved than the 55 mph limit ever purported to save.
Heat is the enemy of tires - and overinflation is much less of a problem that underinflation. I raced stock FWD sedans for several years, and adjusted tire pressures based on handling and use of a pyrometer to check the surface temp. of the tread across the face. Handling was maximized and temp minimized at 42-44 psi on the front wheels. This is at the extreme limits of adhesion, so 35 or so, COLD, is fine if you can live with the small compromise in ride quality.
Low tire pressure in the back of a minivan is extremely dangerous. With a load, the tires will run very hot - hot enough to cause 2nd degree burns if you touched them. Without a load, the adhesion limit is lower so that you could create transient oversteer in an emergency or hard turning manuever - the rear end will actually slide. Racers use this to their advantage with FWD cars (which always understeer) but you don't want an oversteering vehicle for street use. Buy a tire guage, check the pressures before you leave the house a couple of times a season, and if they're low, go to a service station, check them again, then add what you need. Lets say they're 32 cold. Drive to service station, they show 35. Inflate to 38, tomorrow morning they'll be close to 35. If you're in extremely hot areas, check the pressures after driving a while, and if they exceeed the manufacturers maximum by a significant amount, deflate them a little. You'll be one of those people with nice even treadwear and 40+ K tire life, instead of changing them every 30K.
From what it seems from reading previous posts when the folks here did have the problem with their leaking filters, it seemed like the problem was related to the faulty oil pressure relief valve, regardless of whether the oil filter was an OEM one or not, or how tightly it was installed.
I hate to go to the dealer to have the oil changed because of the wait time and everything (like some of the folks here). I hope nothing will happen to my MPV at least until the next oil change, as I guess it'd be properly safer to let the dealer do the job (for insurance against potential problem) given the kind of problematic history of the oil filter issue.
Also remember that tire gauges can be innacurate. Accu-gauge make good, precise gauges for not alot of money, fwiw.
mazda has added a special hunter brand wheel balancer to the list of r special tools to help balance the wheels of the MPV...My mechanical abilities are lame at best but it was explained to me that this balancer applies a certain amount of substantial weight to the wheel as its being balanced....this does not mean that the MPV can not be balanced without this specific machine...it just makes it alot easier....
This said...don't let this concern you. Consumer often don't realize that we are required to buy expensive and speclailized machines to properly service the vehicles we sell. These are the machines not usually available to the local garages and if they are its out of their financial abilities.
Austin, Texas.
There aren't any available locally in stock.
Dealer here charges 100 to 250 $ to get it from
other Mazda dealers in Texas (depending on distance)
Have you guys heard about this charge ?
Another charge/fee I found out was
"Austin Assessment" 237 $.
Dealer says that Mazda charges it for some kind
of advertizement fee and it varies from city
to city.
Is this correct or dealer is just trying to
swindle me ?
BTW the deal I was able to get is 1% over invoice
minus 2000 $ cash back from Mazda.
(i.e. invoice + 250 to 300$ - 2000$)
What do you guys think.
p.s.: Darn, I wish carsdirect service was
available here.
Appearently its not legal to buy cars on
internet in Texas.
Thank god ! They haven't made buying books
on internet illegal and banned amazon.
"Advertising Charges:
Most vehicle invoices include a legitimate advertising fee levied by either the manufacturer or regional dealer groups. Ad fees can range from less than 1% of the vehicle's MSRP to more than 3%, depending on region. Metropolitan-area dealers are more likely to charge higher advertising fees than rural dealers. When you comparison shop for a car, be sure to ask the dealers how much the advertising charge is on the vehicle."
Steve
Host
SUVs, Vans and Aftermarket & Accessories Message Boards
The regional ad fees is ok (I know Toyota charges
it routinely) but still want to confirm it with
fellow texasns/austinites here on edmunds.
What about fee to get a vehicle from another
dealer ? This one definitely bugs me.
I am trying to give the business to the local
dealership. Why am I getting punished for that.
(especially its very routine to swap vehicles
among different dealers)
Has anybody paid this fee before ? I had not heard
about it.
35 cold?
or close to max hot?
I would definitely be interested in what your reccomendations are. I'm running at 34 cold right now.
While waiting for some neighbors to help you out, check out the Is this a new scam? discussion for comments about that "transport" fee.
Steve
Host
SUVs, Vans and Aftermarket & Accessories Message Boards
on strange setup fees...they are wrong about purchasing a car over the internet in Texas...I have done it. In fact, I purchased our Xterra over the internet...carsdirect.com (this was 2.5 years ago)
There may be reasons that they don't do it in Texas but it is not because you can't buy cars over the internet in Texas...I know too many people who have done it in addition to myself.
Whew, one last link and that's enough from me!
Steve
Host
SUVs, Vans and Aftermarket & Accessories Message Boards
When I type in austin area zipcodes on carsdirect,
I get a popup saying that the service is not
available in your region.
(I also typed in a few more random texas zipcodes)
Please let me know where in texas did you buy the
car on carsdirect.
http://www.checkbook.org/auto/cb-texas.cfm
Where the normal process is to pay CarBargains, and have them solicit bids from five dealers and give them to you, this is not allowed in Texas. There you have to buy a "membership" for six months. As part of that membership, they will solicit bids on a particular car for you once in that year. The result is pretty much the same but they circumvent Texas laws that prohibit them from selling the bids.
The companies that sell on the internet might be finding some similar way to get around Texas laws.
The Ford Explorers that had problems had a recommendation for 26psi, while Firestone engineers apparently wanted at least 28. So, for people traveling at speed in warm areas, that one anecdotal reference to say that mid-20's is too low.
Most people find the max. inflation pressure (35 psi cold for most tires) to result in a "lumpy" ride, although handling response is improved. So, a general recommenation might be in the 30-max. range.
It is also important to preserve the "bias" between front and rear pressures, if that is indicated by the manufacturer's recommendations. Often, vans will have a loaded rating for the rears that is higher - I don't know if this is true for the MPV, so RTFM. There is no downside, other than a slight loss in ride quality.
It appears that anything over 30 cold will give you good performance, handling and ride.
It's true that some of the cheapest gages don't work very well. However, some do - I have an expensive racing gage, and some cheap slide-outs, and they all give the same readings within a psi. I ALWAYS use them at a service station, as I've found those to be unreliable, if there is even one in place. As a rule of thumb, your pressure will be 3-5 psi higher when warm. So if you have to fill them, simply overinflate about 5 psi, then check them the next morning and let a little out.
Originally when the new MPVs were released, the recommended tire pressure was 32 psi. Then Mazda issued a recall and updated the labels now calling for 35 psi. And that's what should be used. If you are interested, here is the full details of the recall: http://www.mpvclub.com/info/Recalls/90006.htm
I hope this helps.
Tire manufacturers take into account the maximum speed and load rating to establish the max. cold pressure.
I don't see any problem with running at the max pressure other than the wear and traction may not be ideal.
The short of it is this:
1. The pressure recommendation on the door of a vehicle (35 psi on the MPV) is the MINIMUM COLD pressure recommended by the car manufacturer. In NO circumstances should you ever have your tire inflated LESS than this amount. It is dangerous.
2. The amount listed on the tire from the tire manufacturer is the MAXIMUM HOT pressure that the tire can handle. The Dunlop SP 4000 on the MPV has a maximum pressure of 51 psi. In NO circumstances should you ever have your tire inflated MORE than this amount. It is also dangerous. Like someone said before, heat will cause the pressure to increase, so take this into account. If your tire is cold, I would subtract at least 5 psi and never inflate it over that.
3. So the perfect balance, at least for the Mpv tire, is somewhere between 35 psi and 45 psi COLD. Above or below these amounts could be dangerous. I have mine set to 40 psi.
Of course, this present a conundrum when purchasing tires... some touring tires or all season tires, like the Michelin X-one, have 35 psi as the maximum pressure. This is fine if the recommended pressure is 28 or 30 on a vehicle. Unfortunately for those of you who have purchased these tires, they really should not be used on the MPV. The reason is that if you set them to 35 psi cold, then when they warm up then they exceed the recommended pressure by the tire manufacturer. BUT, if you set them to 32 psi cold, so that hopefully they do not exceed 35 psi when warm, then they are below Mazda's recommended pressure. Which one is more dangerous, I have no idea. It's a bad Catch-22. The best bet is not to purchase a tire unless it exceeds the minimum pressure recommended by the car manufacturer.
I hope this clears the mud, not just adding to it. I have done a lot of research on this topic, and once you understand the minimum and maximum pressure thing, it really clears up tire shopping.
When I checked for Washington DC area there were lots and lots of "shimmering sand". Midnight blue and black mica were less common, and I think there were more midnight blue than black.
One of my top choices, coastal blue seems to be rare, especially in ES version.
And of course RED is unavailable.
On a 300 mile trip last weekend with 5 adults and luggage I inflated to 38 rear and kept the front at 36. Cruised at 70mph w/AC (hey, it's Texas...) and ended up with 22.4mpg. Steady as a rock.
I love this van!
Thanks for the correction...
Never saw the snow you threaten but this is getting a little deep here...
Send wood for ark instead.
)
rain in Sounth and Central Texas.
(Last week it rained 14 inches in 2 days in some
places. There was some pause, but here it goes
again)
I am winding down to final decision in terms of
buying MPV. I need to decide between 2 Sand ES's.
(Moonroof, CD changer etc.). One with 4 seasons
and the one without.
The one with has 250 miles on it (could it
be all those test drives ?). The other one has
a lot less (30 or so)
Also when I test drove (the one with 4 seasons),
brakes made slight noise. Is it a big concern ?
BTW, the deal is similar for both. 1% over invoice
minus 2K rebate. (There is 237 $ ad fee)
What do you guys think about the deal ?
Also which MPV should I prefer, one with 4 seasons
and 250 miles or one without.
250 miles kind of concern me. Am I right ?
I agree 250 miles is alot on a new van, our MPV had only 14 miles after our test drive. Maybe it was used in a dealer trade, check the sticker and see if its from your dealer. I would ask for some compensation for 250 miles.......Free installed rear step plate(must have IMO), a few free oil changes etc.
Your deal sounds great. In my region, I would rather take the $1000 back and 0% for 60.
Good luck,
Pjd58
Pjd58
Sd1228 - My "new" van had 400 miles on it. They did not compensate me didly. ~280 of that was the drive from the dealer it was at to get it to my dealer. Which still leaves quite a bit of miles on it I assume test driving since it was on their lot since 3/2002. So far so good though it is a great van.
I beg to differ. The tire #'s are always cold, for the simple reason that it's impossible to define hot. I'd probably have to rejoin SAE again to find a paper on the topic, but there is undoubtedly an industry specification that defines cold - probably 68 degrees F. You can verify this on every tire manufacturer's website. They understand that the tires will run hot, and base their recommendations on maximum load and operating conditions. I did email Michelin to ask for the "official" cold temp, since that's what I have on my cars.
Has anyone heard of this? Is this a special addition, or will there be more arriving like this?
-Brian
BTW, 6 cd changer works great. We use it because it is there. Loaded it up with Odyssey tapes for the weekend trip to bay area. Really like the steering wheel controls for volume adjustment.
Happy zooming!
My biggest surprise, besides a glimpse at a herd of camel, was the number of minivans on the road. They really rule. Amongst those, the GM triplets, a rarity here, seemed quite common elsewhere.
The van performed flawlessly, clearing the Eisenhower tunnel (11,500') with ease. My only real pet peeves were the lack of visibility of the A/C button (because of the shifter and also when sunlight hits it) and the phony random mode of the CD changer. The kids were really helped by the freshly installed DVD system, and so were we.
My wife told me after the trip that she's completely in love with the van. :-)
We had, at times, seven people in it, without any complaint, although nobody was near 6'.
Congratulations to all the new purchasers.
Very nice. Enjoy!
Bob: I'll send you some drift wood. :-)
Beach: Congrats! Those rims are schweeet, glad you got them!
Subearu: Awesome! Glad you pulled the trigger!
/java
1. My concern is - if I had a transmission cooler, would that affect the warranty ?
I don't do serious hauling but I just want some peace of mind on the transmission as some Mazdas in the past have some lousy transmissions (i.e. Protege 1995 - 1998, Mazda 626 1992 - 1997).
I don't plan on doing any hauling ... just my regular travel with 3 kids plus wife and our stuff. Still, I want to be on the safe side.
Thanks.