Hi all,
I'm going to look at a 2001 Mazda MPV tonight and was wondering if any of you have any experience with these. We test drove one a month ago and liked the fact that it drove more like a car than most minivans, and that it was not so huge, like the Sienna or Odyssey. I also like that the sliding door windows go down, which I think is not available on most minivans.
What should I be looking out for? Any reliability issues I should be concerned about?
Thanks, Mark
I can tell you that I test drove one back in 2000, and found it seriously underpowered. I don't remember what year they started putting the 3.0L engine in, but I'd look for one of those.
I love my sienna, and the sliding door windows go down. That 3.3 is pretty sweet too. On the MPV I have nothing to add other than I hate the styling and the interior wasn't as nice as the toyota I finally got.
I'm not sure of the years but there are coil pack issues. They fail a lot. And a set aren't cheap. Other than that they aren't too bad.
I love mine.
It is a second gen, but later model. Mine has the 3.0L 5pd auto, you are looking at the 2.5L 4 spd. I can't speak for the powertrain on that one.
Mine is quite peppy, although there is an annoying slight delay in the ECU programming which won't let you really stomp on the gas. If I stomp it, it will delay a second or two. I've learned to squeeze the accelerator, not stomp it. That's the 3.0, not the 2.5.
It is compact enough to be sporty, but has an enormous amount of interior room. We wanted to buy a 7, but that simply didn't have enough room. MPV is a lot better for us (3 kids in it continuously).
Opening windows in the sliders, sliders on both sides, stow-and-go rear seating, flip down center seats, rear a/c, are all elements we like. It's been consistent on handling (VG), economy (24-26 mpg), and maintenance (tires and oil changes only- no issues whatsoever).
Great car, at a fair price with good build quality. My wife LOVES it.
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