Mazda MPV

subearu · May 2006

2002-2004 MPV's had an issue with the transmisssion programming which gave some jolty shifts. A reflash came out that seems to address it. IIRC, the '05 and '06 aren't affected by it as they've changed software and some internals.

Programming of electronic transmissions has affected other makes as well.

-Brian

jipster · May 2006

I don't believe all 2004's had the transmission issue requiring reflash. Just the one's with Janurary - March manufacture dates. My 2004 has an April manufacture date, and hasn't had any problems(knock on wood).

subearu · May 2006

That's correct, thanks for the clarification. My slip on not remembering that.

For that matter, our '02 really hasn't exhibited the shift jolt either and hasn't had a reflash. YMMV. I did get the tranny fluid changed at 30k though.

-Brian

once_for_all · May 2006

actually very few of the 2002 Japco 5 speeds had issues. It wasn't until they tried to tune it for better mileage in 2003 that the issues came up.

We have 43k trouble free miles on a 2002 LX. Battery went out on remote, had to reprogram it. We just put in a new 7 year battery in also, wifey was worried that it might die and leave her stranded.

John

PF_Flyer · May 2006

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subearu · May 2006

The TSB for the shift jolt includes 2002 models, fwiw.

-Brian

dtownfb · May 2006

carsx3: I'm not an owner but considerend the MPV a couple of years ago. It's a nice vehicle. The only thing "wrong" with the vehicle was the size. It has it's issues as do every other minivan out there. If the size fits your needs, go for it! you'll be happy with the purchase.

garandman · June 2006

Our Caravan is starting to show wear (95,000 miles, city driving) and the MPV seems like a good choice (we need a smaller minivan than the giants). We live in Boston so will talk to some of the MA dealers.

Are the big incentives still in place for the 05's?

What is the difference between the ES and LX-SV trim levels?

backy · June 2006

I'd be surprised if you could find a new '05. But incentives seem to be pretty good for the '06s. I saw a new '06 MPV advertised yesterday for $17,995. I assume it was a LX with no/few options.

A couple of other options to consider if you don't need a new van this instant: Kia is supposed to be coming out with a short wheelbase version of the all-new Sedona, and DC will offer a redesigned Caravan for '08 (in '07) and I read it will have a drop-in-the-floor rear seat, if not Stow-n-Go.

jipster · June 2006

What is the difference between the ES and the LX-SV trim levels.

About $5,000.

The ES adds to the LX-SV: traction control, front side airbags, rear a/c, leather upholstery, 8 way power driver seat, leather wrapped steering wheel., 6 disc CD changer, power sliding rear doors,alloy wheels, floormats, rear privacy glass, fog lights and 17 " tires.

jipster · July 2006

Our '04 MPV turned 2years old the first of this month. Thus, far the family and I have been extremely satisfied with the performance and reliability(knock on wood) of our MPV, and are glad we chose it over the Honday Odyssey and Toyota Sienna.

Currrently it has 19,100 miles. We just got back from a trip to Panama City Beach and was pleased with it's overall performance.(some slight hesitation with trans though when full throttle given at lower speeds) and mpg was near 23.5
with a fully loaded van, a/c on entire time, and an average speed of around 78mph. The slide by side second row chairs came in handy by seperating the kids they got into the little squabbles kids get into.

What I would change about the MPV: a more responsive trans., split folding 3rd row seats and better OEM tires than the Dunlops SP4000 that came with it.

What I like: sporty attractive styling... interior and exterior, safty/good visibility, comfort, quality materials, reliability, price, slide by side second row seats, rear a/c, handling, fold flat third row seat,warranty and its size. :shades:

shirohniichan · July 2006

My wife's 04 LX turned 2 years old last month.

I agree with you on the Dunlop SP4000's-- our wore out quickly.

I was actually happy with the tranny while driving CA-1 down the coast from Fort Ross to San Francisco and from Monterey down to San Luis Obispo. It held the gear through the twisties instead of upshifting, so I was able to get out of a turn at a decent clip.

sschriber · July 2006

Looking at a 2006 LX-SV with Roof rack, and rear air for $15,995 before tax and tags. Good price?

backy · July 2006

For a new one that is pretty good, yes. Lowest adv. price I've seen was $15,495 down in Texas a month ago, and not sure that had rear A/C or roof rack.

sschriber · July 2006

Thanks Backy.

tj4 · July 2006

:shades: I looked at the new Japanese MPV on the web. Beautiful!!
I hope they sell it here in the USA.

once_for_all · August 2006

Hi all,

I have an '02 with rear heat. The owner's manual says to bring it in for replacing the antifreeze, while vans without rear heat have a DIY rating.

Anyone know what this advanced procedure involves?

John

garandman · August 2006

We just bought a 2003 LX with a few options and 40,000 miles. We like smaller vans because we park on the street in Boston. It has almost identically the same amount of room as our 99 Caravan, despite being nearly 6" nnarrower. And quite a bit more responsive to drive....

garandman · August 2006

Interesting they say not big enough for US market. The Caravan (not Grand) and new Kia SWB are both 189.5" long.

The new MPV is 4.87m = 191.8" existing 189.5
Width 1.85m = 71.7" existing 72.1
Height 1.745 = 68.8" existing 68.7

Guess they assume gas prices are going down again....

garandman · August 2006

Any reason to go to 17" other than style?

zzquickfoot · September 2006

03 Lx with 47000, The only money spent was on a new set of tires. Had the pcv hose replaced and the Pcm reprogramed under warranty, No big Deal! I have driven Ford and Chrysler minivans at work and Mazda, by far is a better built vehicle.The Freestar and the Town&Country constantly find their way to the Repair shop. I think Mazda made a

mistake by Pulling the MPV out of the US market especially when the market is now driven by smaller , fuel efficient vehicles. I guess the move was decided years ago when gas was under $2.

once_for_all · September 2006

I think the deal killer was coming in at $23k+ in a crowded market.

If the 2002 redesign had come in at $19 to $20k, it would still be a hit.

John

jipster · September 2006

The MPV is a smaller minivan with a smaller engine than the Honda Odyssey, DGC and Toyota Sienna, yet it doesn't get as good mpg as those minivans do.

The market trend has been towards bigger and more spacious minivans, which has hurt MPV sales. The lack of the latest in modern features and safety equipment (i.e navigation, rear back-up sensors, side curtain airbags, power liftgate, tri zone auto climate control etc)has also hurt sales.

Agree that it came in overpriced, as it seems there has always been between a 2k and 3k rebate going on. Though price alone wouldn't have saved the MPV.

If Mazda had given some attention(features, price, more fuel efficient engine) to the MPV it could have been a sales winner. It has the short wheel based Dodge Caravan beat hands down in just about every category IMO(i.e quality, value, style, reliability)...which would have been it's only competition in that size category. The 2007 MPV , not available in the U.S, looks like a winner. Hopefully someday Mazda will bring it to the U.S

backy · September 2006

In my town, the LX starts at under $17k after rebates and discounts. And it's still not a hit. I guess most minivan buyers prefer the big vans. It will be interesting to see how Kia fares when they bring out their short-wheelbase Sedona next year.

once_for_all · September 2006

it's too late, the cow is out of the barn. People know that the MPV era is over, so who would want one at any price?

backy · September 2006

Someone who wants a V6, short-wheelbase, 7-seat minivan with a foldaway rear seat. I think the MPV is the only one available right now, correct?

once_for_all · September 2006

well the 2006 is the last year in the US. I agree it is in its own niche.

John

sebr0d1e · September 2006

My wife and I have a 2002 MPV we've had for a few yrs now. I've been in the competition (Ford, Chrysler, Honda, Toyota, Kia...). I'm not impressed. That's not to say they aren't good mind you, but they are NOT head/shoulders above the MPV in any area, except maybe features offered, girth and weight; but that's to be expected since the MPV has soldiered on with the knowledge and intent it wouldn't last too much longer here in the US, hence not too many updates made to it in recent years (at least not too many competitive updates).

I would venture to say, however, that if Mazda/Ford had any brains and brought this over here (see below), the MPV, regardless of its not-as-big-as-the-main-minivan-players size, would jump to the head of the class in sales/desirability...especially with its smaller size (assuming they could get more frugality out of its MPGs).

http://www.mpv.mazda.co.jp/swf/main.html

once_for_all · September 2006

21.3 mpg 70/30 hwy/city with a couple passengers. I can't complain, and have even heard mid-teens from the Sienna/Ody crowd.

John

garandman · September 2006

Someone who wants a V6, short-wheelbase, 7-seat minivan with a foldaway rear seat. I think the MPV is the only one available right now, correct?
Yes. And now that the MPV is off the market, the only one will be the soon-to-be-released short wheelbase Kia Sedona.

We had a 1999 Dodge Caravan and now have a 2003 MPV as we live and park in a city. In the 'burbs the "Big minivans" rule.

If Mazda had set their sights at 40-50,000 units a year they would have been all set. Personally I think they offered too many trim levels - they should have had one basic model and one with everything.

backy · September 2006

Also the 2008 Caravan is rumored to be coming with Stow 'N Go--just how they will do that on a short wheelbase model, I'd like to know.

Personally I think they offered too many trim levels - they should have had one basic model and one with everything.

Isn't that what Mazda did? The relatively basic LX and the ES with everything including leather?

garandman · September 2006

Isn't that what Mazda did? The relatively basic LX and the ES with everything including leather?

Theoretically. But the dealers offered LX's optioned with Four Seasons, LX-Plus, Leather, etc. Then they offered a third trim level, the LX-SV. And side airbags were optional.

d5a · December 2006

Been looking for the past two months at getting a larger car. Keep coming back to the Mazda brand. Have a dealer offering me a new 2006 MPV LX-SV with a MSRP of 23,710 out the door for 17,500. The MPV has a few options like rear air, Cargo net and roof rack and floor mates but i would have to add privacy tint to the rear glass. Also have another Mazda Dealer offering me a 2007 Mazda 5 touring with a sticker of 20,695 on the road for 20,880. The 5 has a sunroof and automatic air, rear bumper guard and floor mates also. I cant decided which car will be the best one over the long haul. Should I save the money and go with the MPV and hope its a good van, but fear taking a loss on the resale value due to it being an older model, or should I pay more and get a newer style Mazda 5. Each car has its pros and cons just trying to figure out which one will be best for the next 5 or so years. I'm worry the MPV may not be as reliable due to having a ford engine but not sure if the 5 is any better with it being a new model. Any words of wisdom would greatly be apprecaited. Also please tell me your thought on the prices I have been offered. Thanks everyone for your help!

subearu · December 2006

The MPV price is already $6k off sticker, reflecting its lower demand and real world price. In 5 years, both are probably going to be worth about $10k or so, roughly.

The Duratec engine is pretty reliable, though there have been issues with the coilpacks in the earlier 3.0L V6's. The 5 is nice as well. Which one are you more comfortable driving?

-Brian

d5a · December 2006

When i'm sitting inside the Mazda 5 it seems to have a better fit as far as arm placement however the weird thing to me is there is no arm rest for the passenger or arm rest for the rear passagers on the rear doors. The MPV give much more room which I prefer for trips plus I'm tall and I like that it sits higher for ease of getting in and out. I also like that it has more leg room up front but as far as rear leg room they both seem to be the same. The downfall to me is the MPV looks old, basic style wise. The MPV looks like a base model car on the exterior and looks like a minivan. The interior is nice looking more upscale to me then the 5, but the exterior is lacking. The Mazda 5 interior seems cheaper but durable then the MPV's but and exterior seems 100% nicer. Newer styling, fog lights, sunroof. Just seems more updated. Have a small family and have decided to go to one income I.E. now one car. So the next car will have to fit all our needs. Want room but want reliability not sure about either of them in that case. I also fear the resale value on both especially the MPV since this is its last year. After looking at the honda and toyota vans they are just to expensive for us. I keep thinking what other car can i get with as much room as the MPV for 16,400 plus tax and tags so does that make it worth it? Do i go with the cheapest thing I can find and live with it for many years or spend more money to make me feel like i have a newer car but have a larger car payment that may get in the way of our expenses but make me feel less like a soccer dad.

once_for_all · December 2006

it essentially gets down to function vs style for you. Since you are on a budget, get the MPV, you won't regret it.

Now, I will seriously consider swapping my MPV for the 5 once the 6spd MT and diesel engine make it to the US. The economy and longevity of that package will make it one of the best multipurpose choices, IMO.

John

d5a · December 2006

Thanks for your reply. I'm leaning towards the MPV due to the room and price. I cant think of anything else i can get for the room for 16,400. I did find a 06 toyota sennia CE model for $22,000 plus tax and tags but that seems to be to much money for a van with nothing on it. Only reason to really consider it was for the resale value. Any thoughts on if its a smarter move to try for the toyota over the Mazda and hope its worth more down the road when i have to trade it in?

once_for_all · December 2006

if you are concerned about resale value, you might do some checking around. My guess is that the Toyota will drop down a few thousand the first year, whereas the MPV will not drop much at that price. Not sure where they will be several years from now. In any case, the MPV is NOT a Kia or a Hyundai, it is one solid, well built and engineered unit that will go many miles.

48 k on our 2002. Only non-routine maintenance issue was a mass-air flow sensor that needed cleaning. $7 can of Napa cleaner took care of it.

John

d5a · December 2006

Wow that is great to hear about you not having any problems. I'm really leaning towards the MPV myself. It seems to be a great van from what I've seen. Looked at most of them and kept coming back to it for the size and the driving experience. The honda and toyota seem to big and handling was not as crisp. The interior of the MPV also impresses me even on the base model. It seemed much better made then the Toyota. We test drove a new sienna and a used one and both seemed not as well made as the Mazda. The used sienna 05 model with only 19,000 miles seemed like it was falling apart. I was really shocked at the build on the toyota.

Only have one MPV left in my area (the one we are looking at) so i'm really thinking i need to make a move and just buy the MPV.

Thanks again for telling me about how great your MPV has been.

Dave

zoompv · January 2007

Just thought I'd pop back in and give a longer-term update:

3 1/2 years ago I bought a 2003 MPV new. Right off the bat I had to have the dealer reposition the external temperature sensor for the dealer-installed temp-displaying mirror.

Since then, no problems at all. Zero. Routine maintenance, a new set of tires, and that's it.

Odometer currently reads about 58,000 miles.

jipster · January 2007

Thanks for the update zoompv. Pop back in in 2011 and let us know how the peevee is doing.

P.S How would you describe routine maintenance? What mileage you do trans. flush, brake flush, oil changes etc? If you don't get this post for another 3 1/2 years, well...I guess I'll just have to wait.

d5a · January 2007

Thanks zoompv for updating us. I know as a new MPV owner I love hearing about how great the older vans are holding up. I bought a 2006 after everyones help on the board here. I read what everyone had to say about how much they loved there vans so I went for it and bought one of the last 2006 in the state. Turned 1,000 miles today and I have to say I love the van. It has surpassed my exceptions so far. I hope it holds up as well as everyone has said and in a few years I hope to be giving updates as good as zoompv.

Thanks Again everyone for a place to come and talk about how great these vans are.

D5A

once_for_all · January 2007

I can confirm a generally trial free 50k, although I just had to replace a coil pack on cylinder #2. It required removing the intake manifold to get to the back cylinder bank.

I am leaning towards selling it around 90k, about 15k before the required spark plug change on the back bank. It is looking like that is going to be a $500 maintenance item, at least.

John

jipster · January 2007

We've got 2 1/2 years and 25k miles on our 2004 LX. So, far everything is going smoothly(knock on wood). Looking to do a tranny flush at around 30k, as well as new tires to replace the OEM Dunlops.

zoompv · January 2007

My version of "routine maintenance" is just what's required to keep the warranty intact, and no more. Now that it's off warranty, I'll keep changing oil at 5-6,000 miles and look to the recommended maintenance schedule for other items.

I guess I've been spoiled by my 1989(!) Pathfinder that I'm just now deciding to park after 193,000 miles with almost little maintenance beyond oil changes. Given that experience, perhaps you'll laugh to imagine me in the car I hope to replace the Pathfinder with: a Jaguar :surprise: !

Honest - they're a lot more reliable than they used to be - honest! I just need to keep telling myself that.

tango_28 · January 2007

We have 170,000 miles on our 2000 MPV, the only thing that was not maintence item that I had to replace was a coilpack. I only paid $62.00 and installed myself. I wish Mazda would continue to make the MPV, since we are starting to look to replace our 2000 MPV.

backy · January 2007

Look fast--there's still a few new '06s out there!

d5a · January 2007

Purchases mine a month ago and it was the last 06 in Maryland. Before I bought it there where many out there all the sudden when I would look at one it be sold the next day. They have been marked down so low how can you not buy one. Thats what happened to me. I got $8,5000 off the sticker. Base model but its doing what i need it for. Running kids back and forth and it drives just as nice as other cars I have had., Very Quite inside. So far love it. ITs been great and could not have purchased anything on this level for the same price.

Love that everyone on the board has nothing but good things to say about them. It was not my first choice at first in vans but it has turned out to be the choice I should have made no matter what the price. ITs as good as the Honda and toyota that we looked at many times. A shame Mazda stopped making it. The Mazda 5 is way to small compared to the MPV so they need a bigger van to take on bigger families and cargo room. Maybe in a few years they will bring a new MPV back to market just in time for me to trade this one in.

backy · January 2007

I've read Mazda is bringing the MPV back to the market, but in a bigger form to better compete with all the other minivans out there. Even DC is dropping their small-wheelbase vans for 2008.

d5a · January 2007

Wow I didn't know that. Do you know what year? Any spy photo's out there? Wish they didn't make it any bigger. Thats one reason I like it. IT handles so much better then other long wheel base vans. It just the right size. Has just the right amount or rear leg room and as far as cargo area its just as big as the other vans. There's a nice size well in the back to store stuff. Kia this year came out with a short wheel base van because the market was looking for one. Maybe Mazda should think about offering two wheel bases. Just base it off a Mazda design and not a ford.

I have to say I've been hearing a lot of great things about the 3.0 ford engine thats in the MPV. They seem to run for ever. Have a friend with a ford explore with 250,000 miles on it and it has the same engine as the mpv and has never had any real problems. I'm hoping the same goes for me and my MPV. I've got 1,200 miles on it and it just turned a month old. So far so good. To new to really tell. I did notice inside the door were it list the tire pressure and other information on the van that it was built back in November of 2005. Mean it has been sitting for well over a year since i bought it. Wow these vans where really not selling. Hey it paid off for me. Gave me the right size car for my needs at a great price. As far as resale goes I plan on running it until it stops to either way it wouldn't be worth much at the end of the day. Just goes to show there is a need or a want for most things. No one wanted the MPV that i bought so it sat for a long time until I came along and wanted it.

Mazda MPV

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