I truly believe that Mazda's pricing of this van needs to be rethought. Since it is priced so closely to the entry level Dodge, Toyota, and Honda vans one has to wonder if the added niftiness of the Mazda is worth it. One thing for sure is that if I bought one the first thing I would do is get larger tires with more offset rims to take advantage of the handling possibilities. As it is now, Mazda has placed tires on the MPV that don't work well with chassis.
On the road the MPV does not respond well to strong sidewinds that makes steering corrections more complicated than one would initially think. The Mazda sports wagon would be a better choice for most people who don't need the extra seating. I also felt that the view to the front was strangely limited by the position of the A pillars. All in all I would advise that you seriously consider the MPV if the dealer provides you with the payment you are after, but don't misjudge this Mazda as a zoom-zoom.
Young businesswoman's view: The most endearing feature of the MPV is the fact that you can easily lean in to remove a child's seat or to pull out groceries or other items. It is extremely handy and I would recommend it highly to any woman under 5'5''. A real extra bonus is the fact that the windows for the second row passengers automatically roll down making it an easy way to quickly cool the van.
Driving the MPV is a mixed bag as it is difficult to adjust the stereo controls and locate the air conditioning buttons because of the intrusive gearshift and the fact that the V6 needs constant prodding to make significant progress when fully loaded or when driving in hilly terrain. It took regular gas, and with our 22-mpg average, made it as inexpensive as it gets for a van in mixed driving. The ride is well-behaved over most bumps and the chassis does not feel overwhelmed by changing road surfaces, but it never feels as solidly connected as the Honda Odyssey van.
There are a lot of questionable features on the MPV. For example, you need to make sure you know where the spare tire is before driving home in this Mazda because it is located under the middle of the MPV. It takes a while to figure out how to lower it, too. I also noted that there wasn't a lot of creative family friendly thinking in the MPV as in the Dodge and Chrysler vans. For example, although the rear seats folds readily into the floor there is no hooks for plastic grocery bags on it and the woven pull handles are quite thin and make your hands sore. The second row buckets are easy to remove, but they weigh about 40 pounds. They do slide from side to side as well as forward if you wish, but the base unit stays in place resulting in a cramped third row. I also did not like the fact that all the seat tracks collected dirt and odds in ends almost magnetically. You need to have a vacuum with a thin nozzle to do the job on this van. The collapsible tray between the front seats is handy, but it is nearly flat so items fly off during sudden braking or cornering. The cupholders are adequate.
Working in the business world has proven many times that to have an attractive product you need to be different, but not too different. To this end the Mazda succeeds. Unfortunately, the MSRP of a loaded MPV is such that it places itself in the direct path of competitors who have given more thought to their product. The bottom line is that the MPV is only a good business decision if it fits your budget and height.
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| 2005 Mazda MPV (photo : The Car Family) |
Young businesswoman's view: The most endearing feature of the MPV is the fact that you can easily lean in to remove a child's seat or to pull out groceries or other items. It is extremely handy and I would recommend it highly to any woman under 5'5''. A real extra bonus is the fact that the windows for the second row passengers automatically roll down making it an easy way to quickly cool the van.
Driving the MPV is a mixed bag as it is difficult to adjust the stereo controls and locate the air conditioning buttons because of the intrusive gearshift and the fact that the V6 needs constant prodding to make significant progress when fully loaded or when driving in hilly terrain. It took regular gas, and with our 22-mpg average, made it as inexpensive as it gets for a van in mixed driving. The ride is well-behaved over most bumps and the chassis does not feel overwhelmed by changing road surfaces, but it never feels as solidly connected as the Honda Odyssey van.
 |
| 2005 Mazda MPV (photo : The Car Family) |
Working in the business world has proven many times that to have an attractive product you need to be different, but not too different. To this end the Mazda succeeds. Unfortunately, the MSRP of a loaded MPV is such that it places itself in the direct path of competitors who have given more thought to their product. The bottom line is that the MPV is only a good business decision if it fits your budget and height.