 ROAD
TEST 1999
MAZDA MPV
In marketing speak these are some of the things that help make the 2000
MPV a "smarter" minivan:
* The windows in each of the two sliding rear doors roll all the way
down.
* The third row back seat flips back 90 degrees to form something of a
picnic bench out the rear hatch. It also folds into the floor when
additional space is needed-just like the third bench in Honda's Odyssey
minivan.
* Everybody riding in back gets a better view forward thanks to tiered
theatre-style seating.
* And if the kids aren't getting along, the second row
"side-by-slide" seats move both fore and aft and completely
apart to make for captain's chairs in place of a second-row bench.
Taken together, such innovative features certainly offset the fact that
the re-invented MPV is a bit smaller and less powerful than its main
rivals, and there's no longer an all-wheel-drive version available,
either. This new MPV also lacks the independent front/rear listening
systems available in vans from Honda, Ford and Chrysler. But taken as a
whole, the MPV is a welcome alternative in a minivan marketplace that
seems obsessed with the notion that bigger is always better. Add into
that mix MPV pricing ($24,555-$33,080) and Mazda now can offer families
a handsome, seven-passenger people hauler that's both affordable and
easier to park than all its competitors save the Nissan Quest.
Let me add it's about time. Mazda has been without a minivan since the
end of the '98 model year and even that van had been given only minor
revisions and upgrades since it was introduced in the mid-'80s as a
rear-driver with swing-out rear passenger doors. Blame the delay on the
huge financial problems Mazda has endured for most of this decade. Mazda
is profitable again, Ford Motor Co. has a controlling interest in
Japan's number three automaker and Ford executives are running the show.
So now we have a new MPV. Global as the car business is, it's no
surprise that the front-wheel-drive MPV was designed to appeal to buyers
in Japan, North America and Europe. Mazda's design centres in Yokohama,
Irvine and Frankfurt all had a say in the final product. But inventing
one minivan for so many markets-not to mention one that would be
profitable-meant some compromises had to be made.
The 2.5-V6 engine, for instance, is borrowed from the Ford
Contour/Mercury Mystique/Ford Mondeo. In the 2000 MPV it develops 170
horsepower, which is the same as the 3.0-litre V6 in the Quest, but 40
hp less than the 3.5-litre V6 in the Odyssey. The MPV's four-speed
automatic, meanwhile, is made in Japan. This is a good engine, with low
emissions, decent fuel economy and adequate power for daily commuting.
Load the MPV up with a full seven people, however, and the lack of grunt
is noticeable until you reach freeway speeds. A 3.0-litre V6 is
scheduled to arrive in about two
year's time.
As for the rest of the ride dynamics, the steering is relatively quick,
the brakes with available anti-lock more than strong enough and body
roll in cornering is well controlled. By no means does the MPV ride like
a little milk truck. On the contrary, it's much more like a traditional
station wagon, with slightly better forward visibility. Throughout the
cabin what you'll find is pretty contemporary and pretty typical minivan
fare these days. All the fabrics and materials look and feel very nice,
very durable. There's plenty of glass for viewing the scenery and I
counted 10 built-in-storage compartments, including an overhead console
and a huge glove box with a seven-litre capacity.
Cupholders? Lots of 'em. There's an adjustable dual one in the slide-out
centre console that holds everything from juice boxers to Big Gulps.
Another pull-out dual cupholder is there for the second row
passengers, along with a place for plastic drink bottles in each sliding
door. Not to be left out, the third row has dual cupholders in each rear
quarter panel trim. With all that drinking going on, the typical family
trip has, I guess, turned into a series of bathroom pit stops.
For convenience, there are power points both up front and in the rear
cargo area. Rear passengers get their own air conditioning controls and
the sound system is easy to find and operate from the driver's seat. The
mini-spare tire is hidden in a compartment behind the front seats, so if
you get a flat it's tricky to unload and you'll have to find space
somewhere in the cargo area for the full-size tire you've just exchanged
with the mini.
Access from the side is via sliding doors that are surprisingly light
and easy to close. There's a reason for this. The slide rails are
mounted with a two-degrees slant forward, so little effort is needed to
close them on a flat surface. And they open wide enough to make room for
the removable second-row seats.
As for trim levels, there are three of them, all with dual sliding doors
and the V6 engine. The base DX ($24,555) comes with AM/FM stereo CD and
front air conditioning. For $996 you an add cruise control, power door
locks, power and heated door mirrors, power windows and the overhead
console and under seat storage.
The LX ($28,455) has all that plus body colour side mouldings and
bumpers, four-wheel ABS, improved braking performance thanks to a
feature called Electronic Brake Distribution, front courtesy lamps,
illuminated/keyless entry with panic alarm and immobilizer, driver's
seat lift and tilt, armrests for the second row, better upholstery, the
second row seat sliding function, second row horizontal folding seat
function, rear AC, a Micron air filter, seatback table and privacy
glass.
The LX is available with a sport package ($1,800) that includes 16-inch
alloy wheels, leather wrapped steering wheel, premium audio, six-disc CD
changer in the dash and a towing package.
And finally, the top-of-the-line ES ($33,080) adds to all that leather
interior, woodgrain trim, power glass moonroof, front side airbags, and
illuminated driver and passenger mirrors.
Mazda has made buyers wait for the new MPV, but in the end they've
delivered a van that is original enough and interesting enough to carve
out its own little corner of the marketplace.
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2000 MAZDA MPV LX
Engine: (front-engine/front-wheel drive) 2.5-litre V6 w/four valves per
cylinder operated by dual overhead camshafts; electronic engine
management/sequential fuel injection; 170 hp at 6,250 rpm; torque rated
at 165 lbs-ft at 4,250 rpm.
Transmission: four-speed electronically controlled automatic.
Steering: power-assist, rack and pinion.
Brakes: power-assisted front disc/rear drum w/optional four-wheel
anti-lock system.
Tires: 205/65R15 all-season radials.
Fuel economy (litres/100 km): NA.
Wheelbase: 2,840 mm (111.8 in).
Curb weight: 1,656 kg (3,657 lbs).
Price: $28,455.
Key standard features: seven-passenger seating, dual sliding doors,
power windows, side-by-side removable second row seats, tumble-under
third row seat w/flip-over tailgate function, 10-built-in storage
compartments, overhead console, dual AC w/micron air filter, AM/FM
stereo CD w/four speakers, power door locks/heated side mirrors, cruise
control, anti-lock braking, Electronic Brake Force Distribution, keyless
remote entry w/burglar and panic alarms/engine immobilizer, driver's
seat height and tilt, upgraded cloth upholstery, seatback tables, body
side mouldings and garnishes, courtesy lamps .
J.D Power & Associates Initial Quality Rating (industry average 167)
Mazda lineup: 167
Performance in 0-100 km/h: 10 sec. (est.).
Consumer Reports Predicted Reliability: NR.
Safety/security: driver/passenger airbags; optional side front airbags;
available anti-lock braking; no available rating for headrest
effectiveness; no available rating for driver/passenger crash
protection; meets side impact standards; no rating for injury claims;
available anti-theft device.
Warranty: Basic: 3 years/80,000 km
Major components: 5 years/100,000 km.
Rust perforation: 5 yrs./unl. km.
Pros
* Versatile seating/cargo features
* New, aggressive styling
* Quick and nimble in the urban commuter shuffle
Cons
* No longer a four-wheel drive version available
* New model yet to be road tested
* Not as big and as powerful as some rivals
(Pricing information source: Autodata Marketing System Inc.)
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