Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see the latest vehicles!
Popular New Cars
Popular Used Sedans
Popular Used SUVs
Popular Used Pickup Trucks
Popular Used Hatchbacks
Popular Used Minivans
Popular Used Coupes
Popular Used Wagons
Comments
This is so the cup holder is still usable. Not saying you are incorrect, but Mazda didn't want your cokes to get squashed.
Pros.
-Very well constructed. No rattles or anything. Very solid feeling which I like.
-The second row seats are extremely comfortable. With 2 kids, I can leave the third row folded down and put it up when needed.
-Ample room for my 5'2" frame to get through to the back if necessary.
-Love the moon roof
-The auto rear sliders work great and have had no complaints on their operation.
-Tranny shifts like silk. No issues even on hilly back roads.
-handling is above par and nothing like a traditional minivan. More car like.
-acceleration is awesome. I'm bound to get a ticket if I'm not careful.
-tumble under third seat is a very nice feature.
-Tailgate feature with the third row seat is very handy when at a park etc.
-Second row seats remove easily and aren't that heavy.
-Didn't have one single warranty "fix it" at our first service check.
-I find the fabric on the LX seats to be adequate. I covered mine with seat covers and cut out the area (on the seat cover) for the side air bags and did a little sewing so the seat cover won't tear.
-love having the big gulp holders in the doors.
-10 cup holders a plus.
-Overall fit and finish is excellent on the MPV.
-Very easy to park in tight spaces.
Cons.
-The tires are somewhat lacking and will most likely change them at some point.
-would like 2 more speakers for the sound system.
-gear shifter is a bit long and hides the air conditioning button.
That's all I can think of. Gotta go get the kids from school.
Lsinc
A) Help keep the paint behind the tires from chipping
Reduces the rocks that get thrown at the car behind you.
Great point on Resale values, Rich.
/J
A side note: I took the car up to 100mph 4.5K on tach today. Engine ran great and very quite with power left over. I could have "pegged" it (120) easily. The suspension gets a little light in cross winds. No vibrations, cockpit was quite. Low wind noise. No rattles. Tranny smooth as butter. Power stops on brakes fantistic. Excellent Brakes. No skip or hop and no drift. Very smooth stop. Steering very positive and road "feel" was ok. The engine temp was stable (air temp 100). Passing power is great. The CD and radio controls on the wheel are great. Cruising at 100 and playing with the radio is easy.
Don't like the tires they have a bad "feel" to them. Checked with Discount tire. It seems that the MPV has an odd size and type tire. They had to order the Michelins. I got $35/tire trade in on the Dunlops. Discount said that the tire is very hard to sell.
Like my MPV more and more...
My salesman is going to do some checking with the Mazda folks to see if he can find out what's going on with our MPV. Hopefully it will get built here pretty soon.
I am rethinking the tires. I can find no reason after cruising over 100 for 5 miles to change the tires. Yes they have an odd feel to them but I can get used to it. I have never experienced any vibration with them. There was a slight "rumble" at 40 PSI. I lowered the pressure to 35 and it went away. Plus no sulfur smells.
The MPV is more of a ZOOM ZOOM machine than people think. If it is breakable, I want to break it before 12K miles. With tighter suspension this baby would out run anybody.. It is a great cross country machine. Look out 18 wheelers you will eat my dust..
Zoom-Zoom!
P.S. The 18 Wheeler comment had me laughing! All I could think of was a basketball court where all of the players are over 6' tall. Along comes the 5'11" guy/girl out maneuvering, out running and basically stealing the court! Bigger isn't always better! I'm 5'2", I should know!
Zoom-Zoom!
Lsinc
Mudguards - love them. Reduce mud, snow, rocks from hitting the car body. On my old car that didn't have them, in the winter I hated having to always kick the 10 pounds of snow that stuck all along the side of the car. I think all that snow contributed to that car rusting faster too.
Acceleration - I think this van has plenty of zoom, zoom. I was surprised how easily and casually I got up to 70 or 80. When cruising at 80, I felt like I was going 50.
Excellent brakes. Nuff said.
I'm surprised some people don't like the Dunlop tires. Mine are the SP40 and the Dunlop site says their best feature is a quiet ride. I find the ride quiet. Having said that, given a choice I would always take Michelins over anything else. 40 psi seems high, mine are recommended at 35.
Neat hitch installation. Added armor for rear enders.
ZOOOM and ZOOOOOOM
Mark.
I love it... When the word gets out these cars are going to be hard to get...
I have always believed that the cars built in the model year spring time are the best cars.. Problems have shown up by then and they are fixed at the time. Never buy the first models of the year... Those cars are for the guinea pigs....
Hang in there you will get it...
http://www.edmunds.com/reviews/list/top10/99280/article.html
MG
Another way to look at it is I lost $12,311 in value in 5 years. If I had bought a Ody LX for the TMV of $24212 (zip code 36106) its value would be $11842.44 (24212-12369.56) (24212 x .5067)) in 5 years. I would have lost $12369.56. So I saved $58.56 and got more options and a little less room.
I had no idea how this would work out when I started typing but now that I calculated it all out, I feel even happier with my MPV purchase.
The price of the MPV is also decent. I'm happy I bought one based on the numbers!
Lsinc
Lots of people are asking about the MPV. They want to know where we got it..
Hondas and Toys are ugly and the dealers are snotty. (my biased opinion). LOL
TJ
Tires: I have the original Dunlop SP40's on my 01 LX, 31k miles,need to replace (probably go with BF Goodrich Control T/A), and have always rotated and kept proper inflation. They were fair,expected more treadlife.
mileage: The MPV like many other vehicles should and could get better mileage if the Mfg's were put under more pressure. The technology exists today to increase the mileage dramatically but the auto/oil industry and the Bush administration stand to lose too much. Even so, I am disappointed with Mazda/Ford for not doing more to improve mileage on a van which is one of the smallest and has one of the 'weaker'engines. On our 01 you would think with the 2.5 engine would be better on gas; one reason it wasn't is because the hp/weight ratio was too low.
Lsinc, good points. AWD is becoming mainstream in vehicles as a bonafide safety feature (imo), and soon it'll be as common as side impact airbags as an option.
The size increase of 'mini'-vans leads to higher inertia in a crash, and that energy has to go somewhere... either to the occupants of one vehicle or another, and it would be selfish to hope it was 'the other guy' getting crunched in the crash w/ a heavy minivan/SUV wannabe... 4500lbs Odys, Siennas, Windstars, Voyagers, 5500lbs Sedonas... They *need* bigger motors to haul their heavy keisters around... but now I'm broaching over to an anti-SUV thread
As far as gas mileage goes, I'm not so sure that the MPV is getting a fair trial! What is good gas mileage for a 3.0 DOCH V6 on a vehicle weighing in at 3,794 lbs.? I'm not unhappy with my average of 20 mpg. around town and my 25 plus mpg on trips.
I'm going to go out on a limb here and please, correct me if I'm wrong. Is there not a difference between a DOHC V6, 24 Valve enigne and a push rod V6?
I'm confused, the '04 Sienna is also using a DOHC V6 except it's larger and the '04 Sienna is larger and weighs more. So how is it that it's claim is 19/27 mpg? The Sienna is totally new, so how do they know that 19/27 is accurate? Are they basing it off of the old model? What technology is the MPV missing? What is good gas mileage?
I guess I'm just sick of the MPV being bashed because it's not big and get's "bad" gas mileage. So again, what's good gas mileage?
Sheesh!
Lsinc
While I'm at it, back to the gas mileage. Let's pick on the H2 with it's 10 mpg average and leave the MPV alone. Even my sisters Suburban get's about 12 to 15 mpg. Nobody picks on her car! It must be because it's bigger and nobody wants to tangle with it??? ;o )
Lsinc
Basically, they roll the car up on these spinning drums, which allow the car's wheels to roll during the testing. The EPA does adjust for the vehicle's weight, cd and rolling resistance... numbers that the manufacturers supply, and they are not independently verified (read: it's in the mfgr's interest to give numbers that favor the vehicle). Highway speeds are simulated at 48mph (a number that they've used for almost 30yrs).
Here's the most important part: The EPA does not measure how much fuel has actually been liberated from the fuel tank in calculating their figures. They base the figure on a measurement of carbon released during the simulation, I mean test. This derives the EPA fuel rating. This is why they always write "Your Mileage May Vary" on the window sticker.
Now, since they don't measure direct fuel consumption, which is okay, they area more directly measuring how efficiently the engine is burning the fuel, which sounds like the same thing but isn't. If the Sienna motor has lower internal frictions and the camshafts are tailored more tamely, then it's going to burn less fuel, doing similar work than the MPV and its Duratec motor... but really only slightly. Myself, I think the difference is mainly found in the transmission's gearing, for a more relaxed engine speed during cruising, which will require less fuel... and since the Sienna's motor probably burns more efficiently than the MPV's, it'll release less carbon to be calculated in the EPA's fuel economy calculation.
A $573 advantage to the MPV (plus you get a CD player).
Lsinc
My MPV also was lost locally in the Twin Cities at the terminal where they come in. It took a week for the dah dealer to locate it! Dealer originally said the unit would be in around the early part of January...no-no-no!
Then, apologized and kept me posted until February. Threw in a bug shield and some other stuff for me because I was a little edgy.
I ordered because I wanted Silver, GFX, PWR ROOF, 6cd chnger, fogs, TCS, LX, ROOF RACK, ABS, Side air, PWR DOORS, trailer hitch FROM THE FACTORY.
Glad I got all this stuff!!... especially the pwr doors. Kids like it and people think they're cool...they are handy too!
Was worth the wait though.
I picked it up directly at the port in Charleston, SC instead of waiting another week or two for it to ship to Fort Gordon, GA.
FWIW,
TB
Wondering why I shipped back my Beretta GTZ instead of a Bavarian Built Machine???
Hey, my MPV is Silver too! I love the color! With the exception of fog lights and the FREE bug thingy (I'm jealous) I have all of the same options. My kids also love the auto sliders! My little one (she's 7) asked if the moon roof is called that because people "Moon" other people through it! I really don't know how she knows about "mooning". Oh wait, of course, she goes to school! }= o )
Lsinc
I wouldn't say the MPV fuel economy is stellar. My 87 LeSabre at 3300# empty, plus me and a rubbermaid tote full of tools averaged 23.1 in 75K miles of mostly urban driving with maybe 10K of that being cross country.
I think one advantage of the low revving pushrod engine is less internal friction. So ultimately a pushrod engine will get better fuel economy, since it can run at lower speeds and hopefully generate less heat and internal friction.
However, with a few exceptions, I find DOHC more fun.
TB
Hang in there...
TJ
Steve, Host
Fuel "liberated" from the tank. Too much!!!!
Mark. : )
-Brian