Mazda MPV

wpenner · February 2001

Finally, I'm a proud MPV owner. We drove out to Boston with the kids to get it and drove it home. It felt great and I'm exhausted. Just want to express my appreciation for this list and all the help we got from it.

2000 sand mica LX with lots of goodies for way under invoice. I think the big dealerships are more eager to get rid of 2000s now. Smaller ones don't seem to mind hanging on to them. All that seems to be left is LX or DXs with lots of options. Basically, we got all the options for no cost.

By the way, I think $1,000 under invoice on a 2001 sounds pretty good. Try calling carsdirect (check their web site for their 800 number) and they will give you a good price to compare it to. They give you the price immediately that they would offer it to you for if they got it for you. (I got that suggestion from a previous post and thought it was helpful).

jb03 · February 2001

Hi folks,

Haven't posted in awhile, but I do keep up with the boards on a regular basis. It's good to see all of the activity being generated in the MPV related topics.

rjr425: I too had very minor, almost imperceptible shaking when my LX w/Touring van was new. I originally thought that it might be related to the front end alignment; however, I did not experience any pulling to one side or the other. Now, the slight vibration only appears at speeds above 80 mph, so I believe that the problem is related to the Dunlop tires. The problem seems to become less noticeable as the tires wear. Hope this helps.

vikki26: With the LX touring package order the 3-in-1 package to get the cassette player with the CD player. I would also recommend getting the four-seasons package with rear air. The reason is that the four seasons package adds temperature control for the rear air in addition to providing heat. Without the temperature control, the rear seat passengers will have to live with turning the fan speed up, down or off to regulate temperature.

Regards,
JB

philbeau · February 2001

Been Negotiating and think i'm nearing the end. Cars Direct/Internet sites generally get 2 to 3.5% over invoice. Have a 2% over invoice deal secured with autovantage.com through my credit union. Current Dealer (through a Wholesale Club membership) willing to give 2001LX w/Security, 4 seasons and roof rack for $21,957 (includes $1K incentive). Includes destination and a $50 Assessment for Long Island (call it what you want it's still padding the dealers wallet)....Welcome to NY! Cheaper to take the $1K and finance @ 7.5% than the $500 and 2.9% for 36 months...DO YOUR MATH
So long as we can get a fair trade in for my '98 Chevy Malibu (3 brake jobs <21K miles...under warranty thank god) will do the deal.
Oh, any car mats/nets etc...have to pay retail prices at this dealer...whatever!
Maybe it's because of NY but, i've found achieveing the Edmunds TMV prices to be extremely difficult....Trade in $'s at 3 dealers so far >$1K less than TMV. I understand the saga about the dealer "not making a profit" (what a crock) by selling $1K under invoice but, trade in not even close. Oh, I have found out painfully that one should never bring up "holdback" during negotiations....seems to really piss these people off.

msgjvh · February 2001

Now what can be more fun than pissing the Dealer off? I say turn about is fair play! You will understand if you ever encounter the dealer that throws the keys to your trade on the roof and says they lost em! Believe it or not we have had some dealers here that have actually done that.

brmuda · February 2001

Vicki:

3-in-1 stereo = am/fm, single CD & cassette

6-CD in-dash changer = am/fm, 6 CD changer & NO cassette

I would highly recommend 4-seasons pkg unless you normally don't have rear passengers. Besides larger radiator, larger w-washer bottle, beefier rear defogger, you get rear (pass side by 3rd row seat) thermostat & fan controls. Fan speed can also be controlled by switch on dash.

Good luck.

maltb · February 2001

Living in Southern California we have 2 seasons: warm and hot.

I don't have the 4 seasons package and frankly I don't want the child sitting closest to the temp controls wreaking havoc for the others. With rear air only, I control the temp for them with the fan speed on the dash. If I get a consensus that the temp needs adjustment, they can ask.

To clear up some confusion, the super sound system comes with the 3 in 1 audio.

javadoc · February 2001

I went down to my local Mazda dealer yesterday to go find a Trib to test out, and there was a 2000 MPV, Emerald Green LX with Touring, 4-Seasons packs, rear a/c, roof rack, and fogs...only 11k miles...price on window was only $18,995. Why am I not down there right now making a deal on the MPV? Oh, that's right, I was looking for a Trib, not another MPV. heh heh.

philbeau:

I thought the entire goal when you go to a car dealership was to tick them off, no? My tactic is usually to keep the sales person and "manager" just upset enough that they become completely annoyed with me...and usually they make concessions to have me out of their faces. I was rude enough when we were dealing on our old Contour that I was calling the competing dealership from my cellphone, while I was negotiating with the first dealer. "Hey, he has it in a better color for a better price, right?" Oh, I normally bring a set of overalls to inspect cars...which REALLY gets salespeople antsy. Okay okay, I have way too much fun watching them squirm. ;-)

Really, [most] dealers aren't comfortable with the consumer having anywhere near the level of information that they do during the deal, and holdbacks are the "third rail" for them; if the customer touches that, bad things could happen...not. Also, some haven't discovered that consumers can obtain a copy of the dealer's actual invoice, right off the internet.

--java

vquero · February 2001

I've had my 00LX for a week now and I just love it. I don't think the power is a problem. I did worry a little about the ford engine, but after reading some of the post I feel better. Ahhhh...

rjr425 · February 2001

Many thanks for the advice on the shaking problem. The way you describe your problem is virtually the same as mine. The only difference is that I have the Yokahamas. I did take it and check the air pressure, both at home and at a nearby gas station. In both cases the pressure read 48psi in all four tires! Reset to about 33psi and took it out on the Interstate. Vibration all but gone-- still there, but so minor that I wouldn't have noticed it if I hadn't known to look for it. And it may have been due to the road surface, because even the Interstates in PA have the consistency of Ripples Potato Chips. I'll give it a few hundred more miles and check the ride again before I take it in for a rebalance. Sounds as though it ought to wear itself out in time, though.
Thanks again.
RJ

wpenner · February 2001

First day out with the new van. I've never owned a mini-van before. Previously believed car floors were meant to get dirty with muddy shoes, etc, and cleaned when necessary. Now I feel like I'm driving around a carpeted living room.

I took the kids to the playground and they had a great time playing in the puddles, but I cringed thinking about them getting into the new van. I put paper mats left over from the dealer under their feet, but come on folks,what do you all do to keep the interior feeling and looking clean (I realize it won't actually stay clean on the floor with feet on it-- but hopefully the carpet won't get all muddy and matted.)

Any suggestions?

Thanks,

Wendy

javadoc · February 2001

Wendy:

I recently found some great floor mats at Costco. They're the kind with tall sides and channels for water and [non-permissible content removed] to get trapped in. They're only $20 for a set of 4, and they come in grey and tan, for that matching look. Mrs. Javadoc loves them so far, and me weekend cleanup of the MochaVan is much easier.

--java

wpenner · February 2001

Thanks, Javadoc for the reply! No Costco around her in my neck of the woods,but I will look for the mats around here and on the internet. I'm imagining rubber mats? Do you think I could get my husband to clean the van on the weekends?

Thanks,

Wendy

offham · February 2001

Go to www.costco.com and order on line, if you do not have a store near you.

badgermomma · February 2001

So I am up to 2000 miles on my new van, we purchased on Dec 30th. Does that seem like a lot of miles in nearly 2 months? Our old cars both had over 150K miles and it wasn't something I paid attention to at all. Now watching them roll by on the new odometer it makes me paranoid. Anyone know what the average Mom puts on a vehicle a year? I don't commute to work so that isn't where it is coming from.

Also seems like out mileage is all over the map. I got around 20 with the first tank of gas and the last one I checked and got about 18, does the mileage settle in, when?

Otherwise love the van, it is very easy to drive and park and comfortable. I have 2 kids in car seats, bench seat configuration, and we have all gotton in and out of the same door several times. My DD loves it and points out other minivans now.

Jane

john1726 · February 2001

Do you know that you could have gotten a copy of dealer invoice 10 years ago by asking your insurance company? I wonder, do you do the same thing with the overalls and the cell phone when you are getting a loan at your bank, or looking at a house, or at the Wiz buying a TV or when you purchased your computer?Having been in car sales for almost 13 years, I know that there is a stigma attatched because of some very scummy people that came before me. Just like we should not judge every customer and think they all have bad credit, no money, and a recent repo, you should not judge ALL car salespeople and think that we are all ignorant, carelss, clueless, and fraudulant. (Although I am not stupid and know some of them exist). Most of us are very knowledgeable, hard working and take pride in what we do and how we do it. And in my case, I may make less money when selling to a knowledgeable customer, it makes the sale go a lot quicker with less friction. Were you actually tying to buy a car or waste the salesman's time?
Just curious.

maltb · February 2001

John, I agree that there are many honest sales people, but lets face it, buying a car rates down there with going to the dentist. I know plenty of people in sales and finance and they have told me about there tactics. I have been to car sales training and watched respectable people be turned into scum. Sure, you may get a respectable sales person, but the closer or the I & I guy ends up playing games with you.

I would say on average, Javadoc is correct more times than not. The problem is that there are too many variables and dealers don't have the time or desire to explain the whole process(price, options, financing, and trade-in), so the customer feels ripped off after they review the deal.

abbanat · February 2001

John,

Most of you are NOT very knowledgeable. There's nothing more irritating than going to a dealership and knowing more about the vehicle I am interested in than the salesperson. Just two weeks ago, a dealership didn't even know how to fold the magic seat in an "unnamed" minivan. So please explain to me why salesmen are always standing around waiting for a customer instead of studying the brochures of their vehicles? And it's not just the scummy people that came before you that's the problem. It's the scummy people that came in with you and will continue to come in after you that give salesmen a bad name. It will never change.

You cite examples of other industries where it is not appropriate to negotiate on price by invoice, however, purchasing an automobile is a different scenario altogether and for most people, the 1st or 2nd most expensive purchase they will ever make. I take offense to a salesman that tries to separate me from a thousand bucks. I too, work too damn hard for my money to simply let a dealership take what I consider to be an excessive profit.

Based on your previous argument, you probably don't feel it is appropriate to negotiate on the price of a house either, but that is another expensive purchase where the industry standard is to negotiate. If consumers did not have access to invoice information, dealers could charge whatever they wanted and the public would never know. So don't criticize savvy customers for negotiating with this method.

javadoc · February 2001

First, I'll refrain from a public attack on an individual, which is against Edmunds policy. I will say, that the automobile market is one that encourages haggling, and discourages customer knowledge. The more knowledge the consumer has, the less profit the dealership (usually) makes. When buying a house, there's haggling also, make no mistake. There's offers, counter-offers, counter-counter-offers, until there's terms that can be agreeed upon. Even when financing a car or home loan, there's haggling, and tons of competition... the more the consumer knows the better for them.

Second, I've been participating in MPV threads for a long time now, and my humor (if you can call it that) is very dry, and I'd hope most posters could see my wit (or lack of) for what it is. So, re: the coveralls remark, yes, I do bring them w/me when I'm looking at a used car. You never know the history of a car, and you should look it over very carefully, as well as have your mechanic look it over to make sure there's no hidden collision damage, or internal problems.

Third, IMHO, most salepersons do not know much at all about the vehicles they sell, with distinct exception to my experiences with Mercedes, Volvo, Lexus, Rover and Audi salespeople, who can actually tell you the history of the company, let alone know if the car has an inline6 or V6 under the bonnet. If you're a car salesperson and you know the intricate details of the iron you sell, then that's great, and more should be like that. I can relate to abbanat's "magic seat" story as all to typical, and better product training could fix that stigma very easily.

Fourth, I won't illustrate the gorey details of our previous Contour purchase, except to say that we were dealing with a well known West Coast dealership, owned by a swindling cowboy (and his dog Spot!) who'd stand on his head/eat a bug to make you a deal. Any tactic I used on them, they darn well deserved it. I should post that story on my website...

As to buying my TV at the Wiz, or a loan from the bank, I make my electronics (and most other) purchases over the net, and my banking online. It just plain saves time, and that's a precious commodity.

--Cheers!

java

sportmom · February 2001

offham,
Could you please tell me where on Costco.com you found the floor mats...
thanks,
Kim

masshoosier · February 2001

If there is a Home depot in your area or Lowes, you can go there and get some carpet runner. Not the stuff you put under it to avoid slippage but the stuff on the big rolls in the back of the store. It's basically thin carpet. Just walk to the area where they have carpet remnents and along the back wall there will be this stuff on rolls you can buy. I think its 3 ft. across and then however long a strip of it you want. a 3x6 should be sufficient for say your front floor mat. Lay your nice mats on top of these sections and cut out the same pattern. For $25-30 you can cover your entire van floor and even have a little section you can tuck under the third seat that will unfurl and lay on top of it when you have it tumbled under. It's cheap stuff but the only section that will see any type of wear after a while will be the front section for the driver and passenger. Have had this down in my van for 1 1/2 years. I might have to replace the front section come next winter but thats it. $10 bucks will cover that no problem.....Good luck in whatever you find. My .02

javadoc · February 2001

Good pointer. I was searching sites, but the best thing I was coming up with was http://www.weathertech.com, and their mats are $80/set of 4..very good mats, but you really pay for them. I tried Wallyworld (walmart.com), but didn't find anything except black mats. Also wrenchhead.com and carparts.com didn't pan out. I'd bet you could find some carpet that matches very well with the factory carpet at a home improvement store.

--java

philbeau · February 2001

Hey JavaDoc...
Thanks for your input. Knowing as much or more than the salesman was good (because I could talk circles around them) and a bad thing (because I could talk circles around them). I had a sales manager try to tell me stuff that was outright lies...the problem is how to you convince someone who supposedly knows all about this product that they're wrong. Needless to say I didn't make the deal there.
Well, anyhow, after getting worn down I settled for the best deal out of 5 dealers. Could I have gone to "the end of the earth" to continue this quest...of course. Maybe I would have saved $200 or $500 or nothing. The deal fit my profile (albeit at the high end).
Anyhow...sorry to go on...
2001LX Security Pkg, 4 seasons, Roof Rack $21,957 (incl.dest and incentive) $50 over Invoice (that's that damn $50 Long Island Assessment Charge). Feeling pretty good about the deal. Of course the problem lies with the trad in. I didn't get close to "fair value" for the car. About $800 less than Edmunds TMV for the trade in. If I heard one more time they weren't making profit on the deal I was gonna strangle someone...YOU'RE RIPPIN' ME OFF ON THE TRADE IN AND GONNA TURN IT OVER @ $4K PROFIT !!! They look at you like you're crazy.
Now i'm reliving it all and getting pissed off...
Anyhow, done deal.

msgjvh · February 2001

Take my previous advise. Get your favorite CD get in the MPV and crank up the sound, take a nice drive in the country. You will feel better and wash all those bad memories away. I still suggest Queen's Greatest hits the Red and the Blue CD's. One round of "We are the Champions" or "We rock you" and everything bad disappears! Come to think of it "Another one bites the dust" maybe more appropriate.

philbeau · February 2001

Not to worry.. it's behind me (except for the payment part).
A indeed, Queens Greatest Hits... part of the collection. I guess I better do this when I pick it up.. once I get it home I get the enviable task of handing the key over to my wife.
She'd probably prefer pre-1975 Genesis or Peter Gab riel.

offham · February 2001

Kim:

It was that I read your message and had purchased via their website another product. I went in and you can search for mats etc.but I did not find anything. I would suggest you call them or email.

Whoever posted it should let you have the make of the mats they bought.

Costco is a warehouse, like Sams Club and you have to be a member, but not sure if applies to email purchases.

Although I do not have an MPV, there are number of ads in the auto mags check www.weathertech.com who make custom fit mats for a wide range in black, tan and gray.

Rgds

cinka1 · February 2001

I purchased the Kraco car mat set at Costco. I also purchased the Kraco bed liner (for SUVs) at the same time from Costco. They come in Tan or black rubber. They aren't weathertech, but work really well and are very affordable. The liner is a bit small (for when the 3rd seat is folded) but my dog carrier fits perfect on it. Then I went to Sears and purchased matching Kraco bench seat mats (go the entire width of van. I got one for the middle and one for the back. Then you can use the small mat that came with the car mat set in between the middle seats. When I take a middle seat out, I use the second small mat where the seat was. Looks funny but carpet is protected well. I haul dogs often to dog shows and obedience/agility classes and now I don't worry that they will 'mess up' the carpet. Hope this helps.

javadoc · February 2001

Congrats on joining the MPV owners. Everyone seems to be getting these great deals now. When we bought (8/99) I thought $23,700 for our LX w/ rear a/c, 4-seasons, Touring pack and cd changer was a good price. Funny, we didn't dicker at all on that price. The broker we went through said, "I make $500 per deal, and this is the price," which beat or matched any price I found. And, you have to decide for yourself what kind of deal you're wanting to have.

KRACO, that's the brand I got at Costco, that's right. They work great, and I agree, a good substitute to the Weathertech mats. Thank you Cinka1, you always come through with great info.

I think the majority vote is that Queens "Greatest Hits" CD does wonders to cleans one's conscience after a buy. It's great to belt it out over the stereo in your MPV. I like Tom Petty's "Full Moon Fever" also as a second choice. Also, "Low Rider" sounds excellent. Ah, takes me back to those care-free college days, driving my Miata, top down, wind in the face, girlfriend (now wife) by my side...oh, wait, I'm supposed to be coding...

--java

philbeau · February 2001

So, you own a '99. Apparently still pleased with it?
Have you noticed any of the annoyances others have posted (i.e. Vibration in steering column at Hwy. speeds). Only got it up to 60 on a test drive (Saturday midday traffic)

deanc3 · February 2001

My wife and I are new owners of a 2000 LX with 4 seasons pkg, security pkg, 3in1 radio, roof rack, and rear air. We bought on Jan 31, 2001. I think we got a good deal. $21,51l with no haggling at all. The best part of the deal was that they gave me a fair trade-in for my 94
Ford Explorer. Only $200 less then what Edmunds trade-in value was listed at. We love the way it drives.

I do have a couple of questions. Is there a way to turn on all the interior lights at the same time while you are driving? And does anyone know what size speakers are used in the front doors and rear cargo area?

javadoc · February 2001

We bought a very early 2000 model, mfg date of 05/99. Mrs. Javadoc loves the van to death, keeps bugging me to buy another one. To date, as of 14,250 miles, we have only had the van in for scheduled services (oil changes) and any recall/service bulletins have been performed at those times. The only annoyances we've had was that we have to keep tightening the spare tire's carriage nut (lock-tight'd it this time, heh heh heh) and that the locking lug nuts seem to be fragile, as I've broken three of them (all replaced happily by the dealership), and no I don't posess Hurculean strength, lol. I've also switched to synthetic oils (tranny and crankcase) and noticed smoother shifts for that effort.

We've not noticed any of the general issues some others have seen, thankfully, and the van runs great. Some folks are concerned with fuel mileage, but ours has been on par with the EPA's ratings as 19city/25+hwy. Right now tho, from using the remote starter and studded tires, mileage has been down in the 16mpg range (all city) during the winter, but that's to be expected.

Yup, we truly enjoy the MPV, and try our best to convert our DC van-driving friends. Come on Drew, join the club, but don't trade your ML320. ;-)

--java

philbeau · February 2001

Wow...hope I have the same luck. Will probably switch to synthetics based on all the posts.
Thanks for your input.

Deanc3
Great deal and good for you. Enjoy

drew_ · February 2001

My neighbour owns a black '00 Mazda MPV ES (she traded in her '94 MPV AWD), so does that count? :-) She actually leased it when the new MPV's first came out in '99. Her husband now drives a '99 ML320 with the 7 passenger seating option, and had a '97 Dodge Grand Caravan ES before that. Yep, they had two minivans at one point! Before that, it was an '87 Dodge Caravan, and the '94 MPV AWD.

FWIW, there are actually 3 MPVs on my street alone. The '00, a '99 white MPV AWD, and a '99 blue MPV AWD All-sport. I should try to snap a picture with all three of them one of these days. In order for the MPV to make it on my personal list (I don't need a van now though ), it will need AWD (already available in Japan), and a bigger engine. I'd also like to see an improvement on the offset crash test results.

Drew
Host
Vans, SUVs, and Aftermarket and Accessories message boards

javadoc · February 2001

I agree. AWD is numero uno on my MPV wish list, although it goes very well in the fwd format. Most already know, but the awd platform on the Trib/Escape is (reported to be) pulled right from Mazda's Japanese MPV line...a multi-plate system. Up here in snow country, about every DC van you see on the road is an AWD version...pity the MPV isn't available that way. I'll not even ponder the idea of having a Japanese-market van shipped over, ugh the costs of that!

Our neighborhood's looking like yours...no wait, maybe you live on my street! ;-) We've got our Emerald LX, then two houses down there's it's identical twin, and then two more houses down there's a pair of '93 4x4s...Accross the cul de sac there's two families with ML320s, one black, the other silver (I like the silver one, nice). Ah, suburban life, ain't it quaint?

--java

maltb · February 2001

If Mazda receives enough requests, we could see an AWD MPV here. There had been talk about bringing it over when the 3.0L was available, but they want to be sure that the demand will be there.

So Drew, if we ever do see the AWD on this continent, can we hold you to a test drive?

javadoc · February 2001

A fully loaded VS level MPV-AWD in Japan costs 3,038,000 yen. That's only $25,993.31 American. VS is fairly equal to our ES version. Now I wonder what kind of shipping and federalization fees there would be...

Maltb, I've also heard rumblings of the AWD unit shipping with the 3.0, but not gotten anyone to fess up to that. I'll keep my fingers crossed.

--java

waltb2 · February 2001

I'm calling around Texas to check pricing and hearing something different from every dealer.
We're looking for a LX with rear air, touring package and 3 in 1. List is $25,730.

One told me even at invoice $23,655 dealer cash is 1K not considering holdbacks. Edmunds true value shows $22,597 but I can't get close.

What is realistic? We have 5K to put down on a purchase and others are suggesting Smart Buy to keep the payments down. Any thoughts?

Also telling me that to get me 6.9 financing will have to charge me more? I thought price and financing were two different things?

Would appreciate some unbiased help.

lhaygood1 · February 2001

Now that we've covered the topic of floor mats, what about seat covers? With kids (not to mention husband) I'd like to cover the seats with something that will provide good protection and a bit of style (the gray interior is awfully monochromatic). Any suggestions?

livindoll · February 2001

I just received my clutter catcher...ordered from walmart.com...it doesn't fit! Did anyone else have this problem? It seems to be too wide for the space and I hate to jam it in...any suggestions? other consoles?

Michelle

esprocket · February 2001

I tried the WM Clutter Catcher for ~10 min. Took it back. I agree it was too tight. Either direction.

I am thinking of trying Plug 'n Go. Supposed to be 8.75" Wide, but it just may be narrower at the bottom. I think the short style will fit under the armrests, while the tall may interfere.

I saw it at www.autoenhance.com at $40 (plus shipping). Other sites were $55, $60, $70.

good luck

krayz1 · February 2001

Hey,
I picked up a 2000 mpv lx $20,000. Pretty happy with it but,after signing papers that say the vehicle was tru the dealers 57 point inspection and after asking the dealer if that work had been done(asked about 3 times) he swore it had been done.It was nightime when picked it up (DON'T PICK UP A VEHICLE AT NIGHT) anyway the next day I happened to look under the hood and the resovoir for the coolant was empty,winshield fluid,empty,oil 1 quart low and oil was dirty.This van was only 1 year old,why would the coolant be low? I am going to keep An eye out for leaks but,I am told the coolant can be leaking into the engine.The dealer said the coolant evaporated..I've owned alot of cars and never had the coolant evaporate in 3 years. Also driving beside the van I have noticed the dr.rear wheel looked like it was hopping.Inside the van when sitting in back seat there is vibration on that side Has anyone experienced these same problems? Also in the daylight noticed scratches and dings.Probably should have went with new.The van only has 15,000 miles.1 year old.Is there anything else I should be on the lookout for? Any advice would be appreciated.

krayz1 · February 2001

This is the first time I been to this site the more I look the more I like. I really haven't seen anyone having any problems with their mpv.I hope I didn't get a lemon. I am trying to find the recalls. I've be seeing people talking about them but not saying what they are or how to find them. Can anyone give suggestions? Thanks in advance.

waltb2 · February 2001

Here are some sites for recalls and bulletins about problems. http://www.alldata.com/

http://www.nhtsa.gov/

and http://www.autosafety.org/

Lots of good info.

kkcymru · February 2001

JAVADOC, I don't doubt the race car you saw had a stock 2.5L Duratech similar to the one in your MPV, but I wonder if there might be more of a difference than the rev limiter being removed.

I know someone who races his Contour in SCCA events from time to time. It has a 2.5L Duratech in, but it's the SVT variety (I think that's Ford's Special Vehicle Team). It's been modified enough to give it an extra 30 HP in the Contour SVT, and it also gets slightly better mileage. This is still a stock engine, standard equipment on the Contour SVT sold to consumers at their Ford dealership .

If someone is going to the expense of getting a race car and putting an new engine in it, you'd think they'd want to spend a little more to get the one best suited for racing.

This doesn't detract from what you said about durability . Any changes made to increase performance of the SVT engine probably didn't improve durability, so if this engine survived this extreme racing test, the standard one probably would have to. It just wouldn't have been as powerful.

Of course, this is just a conjecture since I wasn't there.

meera · February 2001

I haven't posted in so long. It's got 20,200 miles now and depending on the tire pressure, still has a slight vibration at highway speeds.

Anyhow, I remember mention of the 'cabin air filter' some time ago. Do all the MPV's have this? Do you know the part number? The parts guy couldn't find one except for the Tribute.

The Mazda mechanic said the air filter didn't need to be changed. It's never been changed and we live in the desert. 20,000 miles seems a long time for it to go without changing. Have others had this experience. I'm going to look at it myself when I have time.

About tire pressure. The other day the gas station mechanic insisted that I should go with the side wall and not the door sticker. He put 50lbs in the tires! It drives totally different now. It doesn't shake as much at high speeds, but you can feel every bump in the road. Could some of you experts out there explain about tire pressure. I know the wrong pressure can be dangerous. Mazda says 36, the mechanic says 50. I tried to call Dunlop, but they were closed.

meera · February 2001

It is a tight fit, but it does fit. You have to put it on the floor behind the front and then slide or shove it along the ground between the front seats. I think it works best with the cupholder/changeholder side towards the front, but I think some have it the other way too. I've been really happy with it. You don't have to anchor it to the floor because it's in so tight between the seats. The tan matches really well also.

westanizer · February 2001

As an owner of several front wheel drive vehicles I pretty much gave up on the vibration issue. Every FWD car I have had has done this until now. Thanks to my good friends on the Nissan SE-R list I have finally figured out why I have always had so many problems with vibrations and pulsating brakes. The most important thing to do is to torque the wheels to spec. I have yet to see any tire shop or mechanic do this right. They put on the wheel and hit it with an impact wrench, drop it down, and then go over it with a torque wrench which is usually set at 120 pounds for safety and liability reasons. The proper way to do it is to hand torque the wheels while they are still off of the ground to factory specs which is 80 pounds for my Nissan. I don't know for the MPV. Have someone step on the brakes if the wheels turn. Doing this and insisting that they only use hand tools at your tire shop will keep your wheels and brakes vibration free. As soon as I got my MPV home I retorqued the wheels properly. As for tire pressure I would always run what the factory reccommends. 50 pounds is way too much air and is not necessary. Torque and tire pressures are part of the engineering of the vehicle for proper handling, ride, tire wear etc. and you should always stick to the manufacturer reccommendations. -Wes

maltb · February 2001

EEEKK!! DON'T put 50lbs of air in your tires unless you are looking to replace them soon. Doing this will wear the center of the tread faster than the outsides. I bet the steering requires much less effort but your traction will also be worse. Go back down to the relatively high recommended pressures.

Cabin filter: Part number LC74-61-P11 and your dealer should have it in stock for about $33.

maltb · February 2001

I agree, lug nut torque is important, but just because they are using an air gun doesn't mean that the torque is incorrect.

Some shops have adjustable torque air guns or special torque limiting sockets. However, it is always a good idea to check one nut on each wheel after any shop services your vehicle as you don't want to be stuck on the side of the road with frozen lugs.

mjmets · February 2001

Hi everyone,

I have a 2000 ES (silver for those that care) with about 8K miles and love the car, but the gas mileage does not seem to match the estimated mileage (20/23). On a full tank of gas, I've been averaging about 250-280 miles when the empty light comes on - mostly highway driving. Edmunds says the total miles should be 360/410. I've tried varying grades of gas and varying stations (Exxon, Mobil, etc.) 2 questions I have are: (1) does anyone know how many gallons are remaining when the light comes on? The dealer told me 2-2.5, but if that's the case, then add the 14 gallons at fill-up and it totals to 16-16.5 gallon tank (when everything says the MPV has an 18 gallon tank). (2) Have others had the same problem with mileage and has it improved?

I appreciate any responses

philbeau · February 2001

All I can say from my experience is that Edmunds invoice prices are on target. Dealers are willing to deal @ invoice. Re: incentive, it was expalined to me either $1K OR $500 plus financing OR "Free" Entertainment System (which really isn't free...your MPV comes with one you get charged invoice and they take off the $1K incentive = about $350 cost to you). My argument about getting more than 1 of these package didn't go over to well.
I didn't price your exact package but, am confident that if I can get a deal with the schister dealers in metro NY you can do the same...or better!
Good luck

Mazda MPV

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