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Mazda MPV Owners: Meet the Members
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Villager [and you're gonna love the van enough to keep it at least that long], I don't think you need to worry about resale value. Any resale problems are likely to be felt in the first year or so. At the end of 7 or eight years, assuming you can bear to part with it, there isn't going to be a very big difference between the MPV and any other van.
Personal opinion? This thing is going to take on something of a cult status as years go by. You might even end up doing better in 2008 than you might have with an Ody or Sienna.
Relax and enjoy one of the best vans on the road.
RJ
Eusun
billmckinley,thanks for your thoughts.I probably will not keep this 7-8 years,more like 3-4 yrs.I probably should have leased it,and let the finance company assume the depreciation risk. Guess I wasn't thinking straight because it looks like my loan will be 'upside down for quite a while',something that would not have happened with the Sienna or Ody. My original thoughts were that people were somewhat crazy to wait so long and pay sticker for a Honda,but after my recent research on resale values,maybe they are the smart ones. In general,I do not like Honda dealers,but for $5000,maybe I should have waited too. Do I have just new car jitters? Maybe I made the wrong decision,at least financially. I most certainly need counseling.
Also,are the windshield wipers weird or what?
And for crying out loud Mazda,would it be too much trouble putting a power lock switch on the passenger door?
The simplest way I calculate mpg is get a receipt from the service station, then write down the miles you've driven on that fillup on the receipt (then I put the receipt in my logbook). Then, I reset the "TRIP A" setting (I use "TRIP B" for service intervals). Then, grab a calculator and divide miles driven by gallons put in:
276.5 miles
----------- = 17.50 mpg
15.80 gals
You can also calculated gallons-per-mile, which is interesting too:
15.80 gals
----------- = 0.06 gpm
276.5 gals
rutger3,
Great to have you aboard. I know you've been laboring over this decision for a while now. I think you are going to be happy with your choice, and like BillMcK wrote, you seem to keep your rigs for a while (since you just let go of a '94 van), so resale value of the older car may be negligible. Two year old MPV-vs-Ody values may be drastically different, but after 6-7 years, the differences are going to be much less, and the lower initial price of the MPV will be better, for my pocketbook at least. Enjoy the MPV, you'll not be sorry you purchased one.
To all the new members, welcome to the Club!
--javadoc
We picked our 2001 White LX with Sec, 4 Seasons, fog, dual AC, and roof rack last week. We love it. We originally wanted red but no dealers in NJ seem to had it. So we went for the white, though again seemed like only one dealer had it.
Great price (240 over invoice) plus the $1000 AND 4.9% for 60 months.
Now, I do want to get the zoom zoom song (not the original, but the Mazda commercial version) any ideas ?
Also, I heard there's supposed to be a 'welcome kit' Does Mazda ship that out or you need to get it from the dealer ?
TIA.
Rider69
Pastorgumby
J2kbarlow
su_a_ve
All new owners--
All in the last week or so--
Gang, I think the word is beginning to leak out.
Big hearty welcome aboard, newbies.
Happy miles!
BTW Rutger3, have you tried moving the passenger seat back? I'm 6-1 and I can stretch my feet out almost straight in the seat [just did it on a 2000m trip]. If you do this, you can also move the second row back a few inches for additional room there, too. And if by windshield wipers, you mean that looneytunes control stalk, I'm with you. I still haven't fully mastered it after almost 5 months.
RJ
Red is a tough color to find, I've only seen one red and one Sapphire
Blue in the past two years. Sand Mica, Rainforest green, and Silver seem to be the most popular color choices in my area.
I love the Zoom Zoom song also, some people would rather have root canal than listen to it. Call Mazda USA and ask them where you can obtain one. While you are on hold you can listen to it.
Glad to hear you love your MPV and welcome aboard.
PJD58
The dealer said they used to have some tapes for advertisement, but then again, once you sign all promises are gone... I did manage to get a hold of one of the original commercials but it's not the long version, and too much talking... I might edit it...
Little more info on me: 34, married with a 5 year old son and a daughter that turned a year old yesterday. I live in So. California, but grew up in Maine. I got turned on to the practicality of minivans 5 years ago, when we bought a 96 Dodge Grand Caravan. At that time it was the only van with the driver's side sliding door. Too bad it was so poorly built. I sort of detest SUV's and the whole SUV mindset. Particularly here in SoCAL where there's ABSOLUTELY NO NEED for such an impractical, gas-hogging vehicle. If I were back in Maine, I'd want a Subaru w/4WD like I used to have, or like my brother's Outback wagon.
Sorry for the small rant . . .
The MPV strikes me less like a minivan and more like a high-profile sporty wagon. More nimble and flexible than traditional sized minis. The size is no mistake, since they market the same vehicle in Japan and Europe, where everything is smaller and more compact.
And, as I said in my long post -- got the best deal from Carsdirect.com, and the the entire experience was pleasant -- a big surprise! The rep was extremely helpful, knowedgeable, prompt, and flexible. He really went out of his way to accommodate us, answer our questions, and explore alternatives. We paid about $2000 below invoice, and I'm still scratching my head about where they made money on our deal. I think they split the 2% holdback with the dealer(Irvine Mazda) where we picked up our vehicle. The dealer rep told us that in order to get their 2% from Mazda, we need to complete the customer survey that Mazda will mail to us, and rate the dealer all 10's down the page. Otherwise, the dealer loses money on the deal. Interesting . . .
Well, I look forward to swapping stories about our MPV with all of you -- glad to be here!
Dr. Gary Williams
Gardena, CA
Again, welcome aboard and enjoy!
Pjd58
And pjd58, the engine & tranny problems is what scared me enough to get rid of the Caravan. My mechanic estimated that between 40-50% of the caravan he'd see with that body type had transmission problems. Luckily not mine, but I did have problems with electrical system, braking system, and it was hemorrhaging oil at the rate of about 1.5 quarts per month by the time I sold it. From the looks of things, the oil leak was coming from the head gasket, which is an expensive problem to fix. I got a relatively good price selling it privately, enough for a decent down payment on the MPV. One of the more annoying problems was the driver's side power window suddenly dropped into the door while my wife was driving in a rainstorm. The new bracket and guide assembly (flimsy plastic) cost almost $300 to replace. Glad to be rid of that vehicle!!
Look forward to hearing new and excited stories from you new owners.
again, welcome.
--javadoc
I tend to see the gas meter as half empty, not half full, so I always fill it up.
Thanks for the pointers.
Pastorgumby
I hope I didn't make it more confusing.
To add to Maltb's wise comments on your mileage calculations, you're only calculating on fuel spent for the miles driven, and the "half empty" thinking is just dandy ;-) ...if that clears it up any.
--javadoc
My wife did the first fill-up on the MPV, and it was quite a challenge explaining to her how to reset ODO-A while she was at the pump on her cell phone. (She's Japanese, so English is her second language)
But I was pretty happy with the initial result -- 21 MPG, with mixed driving (freeway, commuting, and running errands, moderate A/C use). When possible, I prefer cranking down the windows and turning the A/C off.
BTW Javadoc -- love your website -- lots of interesting info, and I liked the piece you wrote about the Caravan you rented for your trip to SoCal recently. It looks like you live in a beautiful part of the world.
We're still thinking of a name for ours. So far, my son calls it the "Natto-van" -- Natto is the name for fermented soybeans in Japan -- it's usually eaten over rice at breakfast (and very healthy), but lots of Japanese don't like it because it smells bad. The color of our van (Sand mica) reminds him of a certain variety of natto --but I think we might come up with a better name than "smelly soybeans!!" LOL
--java
The MPV is our first minivan. We never liked minivans until we saw the new generation MPV. I have always loved Mazda products and knew the MPV was right for us.
For the life of me, I never thought I would be sooooooo excited about a minivan.
We are so lucky to have the greatest group of owners on this forum.
Happy and safe miles to all!
Pjd58
KarenS
Host
Owner's Clubs
--java
Question to all...
Did everyone receive a welcome package?
i.e., w/ touch up paint, and info?
I never did...
If so, i will call my dealer- your responses will be appreciated.
PastorGumby
Just got my Welcome kit today -- it came in a gold/yellowish box and contained the following:
Welcome form letter from Mazda North America/Irvine Mazda (where I got my MPV)
The MPV Accessories Brochure (which I have already)
A neat file folder welcoming me to "Mazdatown" with Zoom-zoom written all over it.
A copy of "Zoom-Zoom" Magazine "exclusively for Mazda owners" as the title page declares (aren't you all jealous yet?)
And the little bottle (0.44 oz.) of touch-up paint, although mine came in the wrong color -- I got silver, when my van is Sand mica. I told them that in the little survey that came in the box, and hopefully they'll send me the right color.
And, I got my dealer survey in the mail today too. I need to check all 10's or else the sales rep doesn't get his 2% holdback from Mazda.
And strange, but for some reason I have difficulty posting to this list from my home PC, but no problems posting from the office. Perhaps it's an issue with the firewall I have installed. Hopefully this gets through.
Gary
http://www.sfdt.com/flash/movies/pics/296-kungfu.swf
--java
MPV's KICK [non-permissible content removed]!!!
LOL
http://www.sfdt.com/flash/movies/pics/296-kungfu.swf
PastorGumby
01 MPV LX- silver
-light under the hood, come on Mazda
-flip open rear hatch window, this was handy on my last van
-more room under the middle seats
-how about a split 3rd seat
-power rear windows for the 3rd seat even if only to flip open.
-seatback pockets for the middle buckets
-rear a/c control switch for the middle seats
Don't worry,if I think of anymore,I'll let you know.
-styling,the best of all minivans
-dependability-the 2nd best of all minivans
-handling
-overall design
-3rd row stow away seat
-heated outside mirrors
-nice sound system
-sliding middle bucket seat
-roll down middle windows
-not like everyone elses minivan
As I find more,I will let you know.See,I'm not always negative.
But, I wanted to give a quick update. My van rolled over the 50,000 mile mark yesterday. No major problems as of yet, and only a couple of small ones. My cup holder/ashtray drawer rattles when it is pushed in (annoying). If I put a piece of cardboard or something in it as a tightener the noise is gone. I think there is another small problem, but the fact that I can't think of it right now makes me think it isn't too important, right?
All is well here, and I hope all my friends are doing fine also. Talk to you soon! Linda
Oh well, many happy more!
RJ
Good luck at the Nationals!
DrBlake