Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see the latest vehicles!

Mazda MPV

1140141143145146159

Comments

  • subearusubearu Member Posts: 3,613
    I changed the oil at 5k at the dealer with 5w-20 and then at 6.5k I started 5w-30 Mobil-1. I've been doing 6 month changes, as that seems to be about 5-6k for us. Most of our mileage is city, so we're averaging 19mpg overall, but when we do a good highway trip, we get 22-24mpg (have gotten 25mpg once).

    -Brian
  • bigdadi118bigdadi118 Member Posts: 1,207
    The manufacturer site has the answer on synthetic oil.

    Goto www.mazdausa.com > Talk to Us > FAQ >
    Does Mazda recommend the use of Synthetic Oil?
  • subearusubearu Member Posts: 3,613
    Sure, that's valid. It does NOT say you can't use it though.

    Mobil-1 has their own statement at http://www.mobil1.com/why/myths.jsp indicating it's fine (except for the Mazda rotary engines) and won't void your warranty since it "meets the oil requirements of all automobile manufacturers."

    -Brian
  • sarakaysarakay Member Posts: 19
    Hi folks, I went to the local Mazda dealer to see the MPV for myself and take a test drive. The sales guy told me that if the van is in a frontal crash, the engine is designed to go under the passenger compartment, instead of into it. I was unable to find any confirmation of this on the Mazda web site or in the brochure, and was wondering if anyone here knows if it is true.

    Thanks,
    Sara
  • crissmancrissman Member Posts: 145
    I imagine all manufacturers try to minimize the chances of engines entering the passenger area. I've not read anything specific about Mazda's designs, so I think it's just typical salesman talk.
  • audia8qaudia8q Member Posts: 3,138
    just because you never read anything does not mean its just salesman talk....all mazda's are designed to have the engine drop down under the safety cell so the engine is not in your lap during a severe frontal crash....mazda is not the only mfg who builds cars this way.
  • crissmancrissman Member Posts: 145
    I was certainly not trying to slight Mazda in my statement, but to merely imply that any salesman of any brand could probably say this and not be incorrect.
  • moonpie2moonpie2 Member Posts: 26
    My dealer is pushing significantly more "scheduled" service then the manual for my '03 MPV ES recommends.

    It is my belief that they are just trying to get more money out of me by guilting me into unnecessary services. After all, if the oil needed to be changed every 3000 miles, wouldn't Mazda recommend that in the manual?

     I plan to do as the manual recommends and blow off the dealer.

    What do ya'll think?
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    I follow my manual - oil gets done at 7,500 miles etc.

    Car nuts, like our editor, Karl Brauer, think differently (Oils Well That Ends Well). Actually I just think he likes to tinker with his cars.

    Follow the money?

    Steve, Host
  • audia8qaudia8q Member Posts: 3,138
    alot depends on your driving habits, your weather and the demands you put on your car. But an oil change is a very cheap way to keep an engine healthy for the long haul. I think this has been proven over and over. Some people want to debate it, but after working in the auto biz for over 20 years...it seems to be a pattern that has consistently shown to be successful.

    We are not talking alot of money, $50-100 per year extra maybe??? even less if you do it yourself. Seems like a cheap investment to me.
  • once_for_allonce_for_all Member Posts: 1,640
    at the dealer, since I needed to get the recall work on my '02 done. The service tech chastised me a bit when I insisted on using the Mobil 1 5w 30 I brought in for the job(that's for racing cars, and high rev high torque use and it is not the recommended grade for the MPV, etc.). Anyone know of any downside to using this grade/quality of oil? I believe it quiets the lifters down on startup vs 20W, and I also run it for 7,500 miles between changes so I don't have to get under the car too often.

    John
  • bottgersbottgers Member Posts: 2,030
    There seems to be a long standing debate going on in the bobistheoilguy.com forum about these two viscosities. From what I can tell it basically comes down to this; the 5W-30 guys prefer the 30 weight simply because its higher viscosity gives them some kind of a warm fuzzy, and they feel more comfortable using it because they've used it for years without experiencing any ill affects. The 5W-20 guys tend to prefer the 20 weight because generally speaking, they're showing better UOA numbers than the 30 weights and they contain better base stocks.
  • subearusubearu Member Posts: 3,613
    that states 5w-30 or 5w-20 is just fine for the -'02+ MPV 3.0L.

    Mobil-1 doesn't make a 5w-20, so 5w-30 it is for me as well.

    -Brian
  • catlady245catlady245 Member Posts: 19
    Hi all,

    Ever since last fall, I've been looking for a minivan. I test drove the Sienna-too large and drove like a marshmallow; the Quest-drove the best but way too big for my driving needs; the Dodge-drove ok but a little too big for my needs and afraid of the transmission problems and finally drove the MPV.

    Except for the Sienna, I drove all of them at dealers this early spring and still could not determine which van was to my liking.

    This past week my family took a vacation and rented a car through Hertz. When we arrived in the airport they gave us the wrong car and while my husband was sorting it out with Hertz, I saw some MPV's in the lot and convinced my husband to rent one.

    We drove the 2004 lx a week in Tampa Florida and boy was it an education on what van NOT TO BUY. First of all the shoulder harness in the passenger seat sliced my neck. I'm only 5 foot but the way the harness was designed it made it extremely uncomfortable to sit in the seat. The shifter lever was too long that was hard to operate the radio switch.

    The car rode like the Chevy Astro van, which had a stiff ride and it didn't handle well on I-4 from Tampa to Disneyworld. The ride was bumpy and stiff.

    When I arrived back home on Saturday and drove my Subaru OUtback from the airport home, the driving smoothness was like night and day compared to the MPV.

    One more thing, one buys a minivan because of the need to handle children in the rear seat. I found it my hard to get up and move to the rear from the front seat and I'm 5 foot and weight 130lbs.

    I would recommend anyone who isn't sure about a car to rent it for a week and I'll guarantee you will know the answer.
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    Long term test drives are always good - the usual problem is finding a test vehicle.

    btw, many shoulder harness seat belts are adjustable by several inches so you can roll the upper belt over your shoulder. That helps prevent the Van Gogh syndrome where the belt tries to cut your ear off.

    Maybe a MPV owner can confirm that they are height adjustable on the pillar?

    Steve, Host
  • catlady245catlady245 Member Posts: 19
    The shoulder harness is adjustable and I had it at the lowest position. Possibly an ES model with height adjustment on the seat would help since I only needed another half inch.
  • bigdadi118bigdadi118 Member Posts: 1,207
    I have a 2003 MPV LX that also has seat height adjustment (front and rear portion) knobs located left side of driver seat.
  • catlady245catlady245 Member Posts: 19
    bigdadi118- the shoulder harness that i was complaining about was the front passenger harness.

    when i drove, i was the passenger i had no seat height adjustment knob only a bar to move seat forward or backward.
  • owr084owr084 Member Posts: 46
    I'm betting that the ride was harsh due to the rental agency never checking the tire pressure. A lot of ride complaints about the MPV are simply due to the dealer never setting the correct tire pressure when they get them off the boat (it's something like 10+ pounds over spec).

    RBB
  • bigdadi118bigdadi118 Member Posts: 1,207
    is the most accurate. Just a few bucks more. There's wind noise (highway speed) but actually is the tire noise since the pressure is way high.

    My wife is 4'11.5" tall and I wonder why she didn't complain re seat belt problem on passenger side.
  • bottgersbottgers Member Posts: 2,030
    I'd guess the harsh ride is more due to the type tire than overpressure. Our '03 LX came with 16" "H" rated tires and they are very harsh riding. I thought the same thing that the pressure had to be too high, but it was right on. I've come to the conclusion that these "H" rated tires are very harsh riding because of their stiff sidewalls. When these tires need to be replaced, I'll be doing so with some smooth riding touring tires. No more of these performance tires for me.
  • kolt1kolt1 Member Posts: 25
    Consumer Reports classifies the MPV's ride as jittery, and I would have to agree with them. Bottgers, how soon till you buy new tires? I would be very interested in what type and if they "settle" the ride at all. Have you considered going to a '65' profile as well. I've done the calculations, and they wouldn't be any larger than the 17" they put on the ES.
  • tomj5tomj5 Member Posts: 209
    I run 35lbs and the ride is fine with the OEM tires (Dunlops). When the MPV is loaded the ride is better. Handling is excellent with these tires...

    Tj
  • bottgersbottgers Member Posts: 2,030
    Either you drive on some really smooth roads, or you're just used to a choppy riding vehicle because I certainly wouldn't describe the ride of our PeeVee as "fine." I would describe it more like bone jarring. The reason I believe it's the tires causing the choppy ride is because the suspension seems to handle the larger bumps, but it's the smaller ones, ones that don't get the suspension too involved that it seems to have trouble with. Bumps like the little seams between the pavement slabs. These types of bumps normally get soaked up by the tires......that is tires with sidewalls that aren't too stiff. I've noticed this type of a ride in any vehicle I've ever been in that's had "H" or higher speed rated tires. I'd be willing to bet a pay check that replacing the OEM "H" rated tires with a good set of all season touring tires would make a night and day difference in smoothing out the ride. Of course, you're going to give up a bit of the handling, but I don't spend much time canyon carving with ours. I'd rather have the smooth ride.
  • tomj5tomj5 Member Posts: 209
    Yeah, I have heard all of that. When the OEM tires need changing then Michelin will be my choice. Otherwise, the OEMs are fine. All vans ride a bit stiffer than a sloppy Buick. That is because they carry heaver loads. I was surprised how well the OEM tires (Dunlops) perform. We loaded the MPV last summer (only space for DW and I) for Wisconsin and return and it ran great with a great ride (4K miles). Wind and rain performance was very good for the tires. I rotate and balance tires every 10K miles... The MPV is the best car we have ever owned.
    If the price was right I would buy another set of Dunlops....
  • bottgersbottgers Member Posts: 2,030
    Heck, it doesn't even have to be a set of Michelins, I think any touring tire will ride better than these Dunlops. You might like them, but I hate them.
  • PF_FlyerPF_Flyer Member Posts: 9,372
    Mazda Mania

    Welcome to the Mazda Mania Weekly Chat!

    Liven up your evening and join your fellow enthusiasts every Tuesday from 6-7pm PT/9-10pm ET for our Mazda Mania Chat!
    The chat room opens 15 minutes before the scheduled chat time, so come early and get a good seat! Hope to see YOU there on Tuesday!

    Mazda Mania Chat Room

    PF Flyer
    Host
    Pickups & News & Views Message Boards
  • johnfromncjohnfromnc Member Posts: 10
    We are a car donation program in Raleigh, NC. We place cars with people in need. We recently received a donation of a nice '95 MPV with 73,000 miles. It looks like it could be a great placement for a family with kids. The car generally starts and runs fine; very pleasant to drive. BUT . . . it will sometimes go through this cycle where first the radio cuts out, then the headlights dim, then the engine starts to stumble . . . and then it dies. A "jump" gets the car started in half a second. But once this starts, the car will go three blocks and the radio, light and other electrical failures will reappear. Last night, it took me about 15 jumps to go one mile.

    Here's the kicker: the alternator was just replaced, right before we got the car.

    Any advice you can give will be greatly appreciated!

    John
    at www.wheels4hope.org
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    Check in Mazda MPV Owners: Problems & Solutions and maybe post over in Got a Quick, Technical Question? too.

    Steve, Host
  • bottgersbottgers Member Posts: 2,030
    Man, this place has been dead lately. Where has everyone been?
  • bob57bob57 Member Posts: 302
    Getting second jobs to pay for gas.....
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    You can always join other Mazda fans in the chat tonight and talk in real time.

    Starts in ~2 hours - link is on the left.

    Steve, Host
  • bottgersbottgers Member Posts: 2,030
    Man, you aren't kidding there! The last time I filled up the PeeVee it cost me $31! This is getting ridiculous! It's a good thing our other vehicle is a Toyota Tercel. We've been using it as much as possible to avoid having to fill the PeeVee. There's only one good thing that may come about because of these high gas prices.....they might help me convince my wife I need a motorcycle.

    On a sidenote, hopefully Goerge W. will release our oil reserves to give us consumers some relief at the pumps for the summer.
  • bigdadi118bigdadi118 Member Posts: 1,207
    I am glad you used the word "HOPEFULLY"

    It is actually a dream come true if the reserves will be touched. Sitting on a pile of oil company stocks and singing the oil songs, retiring nicely after November big day.
  • Kirstie_HKirstie_H Administrator Posts: 11,146
    Don't forget tonight's member-to-member chat - it's open mic night, so come and discuss whatever's on your mind.

    image

    http://www.edmunds.com/townhall/chat/townhallchat.html

    6-7pm PT/9-10pm ET. Drop by for live chat with other members. Hope you can join us!

    kirstie_h
    Roving Host & Future Vehicles Host

    MODERATOR /ADMINISTRATOR
    Need help navigating? kirstie_h@edmunds.com - or send a private message by clicking on my name.
    Share your vehicle reviews

  • epondepond Member Posts: 13
    Hello all,
      Mazda made me happy when they dropped the
    3.0 liter engine in for 2003. Is their any
    chance that we could see a split folding
    third row bench in 2005? What do you say
    Mazda? Please!!!

    epond
  • subearusubearu Member Posts: 3,613
    The 3.0 V6 was available (standard) in the '02 MPV as well.

    A split fold 3rd bench would be ideal, perhaps it would be easy enough to implement for the next MY. But, the '05 should be the last of the 'current' model, '06 should be new.

    You should go to MazdaUSA.com and contact Mazda via email, as they likely do not monitor this forum.

    -Brian
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    Don't forget to check out the Mazda MX-Flexa / Mazda4 discussion too.

    Steve, Host
  • tgozdalski1tgozdalski1 Member Posts: 34
    Hello James,
    I think buying a motorcycle is a great idea. I commute to my work, 25 miles one way, for 4th consecutive year. I ride year round, South Texas, and put on my bike about 1100 miles a month. My bike is 2001 Kawasaki ZR-7S 750cc 'naked' bike. It's a great commuter bike, top speed is 130, accelerates to 60 in just over 4 seconds. The engine is older technology air/oil cooled 2v per cylinder unit. You can get one of these used in good condition for about $3,000. Driving minivan to work by myself seem like a waste to me, but then I grew up in Europe, when cost of owning vehicle is so much higher. Commuting on the bike will also allow me to extend warranty coverage on MPV -lower mileage
    Tom
  • tccmn1tccmn1 Member Posts: 278
    Hello everyone: Trying to find a front bra for my MPV. I have the GFX package and can't seem to locate one that will work....any ideas?
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    There are some links in the Car front end protective bras & film discussion, but I think most of them are for film. No luck in the accessories board either eh? Try the consumer link at www.sema.org and go to Who Makes It.

    Steve, Host
  • PF_FlyerPF_Flyer Member Posts: 9,372
    It's Tuesday, so it's Mazda chat time again. Drag a friend along tonight!

    Mazda Mania

    Welcome to the Mazda Mania Weekly Chat!

    Liven up your evening and join your fellow enthusiasts every Tuesday from 6-7pm PT/9-10pm ET for our Mazda Mania Chat!
    The chat room opens 15 minutes before the scheduled chat time, so come early and get a good seat! Hope to see YOU there on Tuesday!

    Mazda Mania Chat Room

    PF Flyer
    Host
    Pickups & News & Views Message Boards
  • tccmn1tccmn1 Member Posts: 278
    Oh Boy! My turn for this to happen. Came on after a 700 mile trip and fill of gas at the end. Checked gas cap and it was tight. Going in to dealer on Friday. He did not seem too concerned....should I be? 27K miles on it now.
  • tomj5tomj5 Member Posts: 209
    I have driven several weeks with the light on. I take it in when I get the time. The rule of thumb for the MPV is that when the light is steady it is ok to drive. When it flashes then call service as soon as possible and don't drive it ( according to the Service dept)...

    The gas fume recirculation system generally is the cause of the steady light. I was told by the service manager that when the engine is shut off the computer checks the system. So you should wait 2-3 minutes before you open the gas cap. The manager had the computer updated so as to "desensitize" the check routine. Seem to have worked.. No problem so far....

    Tj
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    Wonder if this would help:

    "Refuel after 7 p.m. Ozone is formed when it is hot and sunny. Refueling when the sun is lower in the sky and the temperature has decreased will cause less evaporation of vapors from the fuel going into your tank, and the vapors that do get into the air will not be transformed into ozone."

    (Idaho Statesman - reg. req'd)

    So maybe refueling in the cool of the day would generate fewer fumes for the system to deal with.

    Thanks for the desensitize update.

    Steve, Host
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    Mazda chat starts in a couple of hours - link is on the left.

    Steve, Host
  • catlady245catlady245 Member Posts: 19
    i am torn between the Razor Blue and the cosmic sand plus whether to buy leather or cloth.

    Does anybody have any opinions on a more visible color? I live in W PA where the sun only shines completely approx 50 days a year.

    Also how durable is the light beige cloth seats? I currently have a darker beige in my Subaru and after five years it has taken a beating.

    Thanks for any input. I've noticed the Mazda lots are slowly emptying of 2004 MPVs and the only colors left in greater numbers are Nordic Green, Black, White Pearl and silver.
  • smoocholasmoochola Member Posts: 2
    Does anyone have an opinion on the sound of the stock 2000 ES 4 speaker stereo? I have an opportunity to buy a nice MPV ES that has everything I want(Including that huge moonroof) except the killer 6 CD, 9 Speaker stereo. Has anyone had any luck with aftermarket units? This MPV has 52K miles and looks to be in great condition. For $9500, it looks to be a pretty good deal.
  • mazcarfan1mazcarfan1 Member Posts: 10
    smoochola...Are you sure the MPV ES your looking at doesn't have the Super Sound system with 9 speakers? I thought it was standard on the ES models.. I have the 2000 MPV brochure and it says: AM/FM/CD stereo with four speakers and digital clock is standard on DX, LX and not available on ES and the AM/FM/CD Super Sound system with nine spearkers(including subwoofer) and digital clock is standard on ES and a Package Option on LX but not available on DX.

    I haven't heard what the stock 4 speaker sounds like but I know it's far from perfect. it's ok. $9,500 seems reasonble for the asking price.
Sign In or Register to comment.