The Sunday News
Lovert Mafukure
Of the 7-seater mini-vans that have come out of Japan from the 2000s, I’d say the 2001 Mazda MPV is definitely one of the best looking. It passes the looks bar more than most of the other mini-vans but it gets its fair share of competition from the likes of Honda Odyssey, Chrysler Voyager, Toyota Ipsum and even its sister the Premacy. If you are considering buying one or you have one, let us try and make sense out of this mini-van. Is it really the classy and sporty mini-van?
The Mazda MPV standing for multi-purpose vehicle is a well built comfortable family car or mummy van that really serves its purpose for the better part of the journey. The interior is done up to class with most coming in desert dune beige that should be left for those on the smarter side of life. Other options also include a grey interior. Some come with leather seats as well but just a select few. The middle row seats accomodates two adults comfortably and the back seat is a bit squashed and can fit three small people. The boot is small too unless the back seat that folds into the boot is folded. The second row seats also fold all the way to the front to free up a lot of space should you need to carry anything. It really lives up to its name where multi-purpose is concerned.
When I say comfortable, I mean at high speeds too. The body styling is also sporty and the car isn’t too tall when compared to the Toyota Noah or the Nissan Elgrand. It gives it a stability advantage over the others. A lot of the MPVs come with body kits that make them look a bit sporty, crystal lights upfront, big curvy bumpers — its a car you can easily fall in love with, even the driver’s seating position is the right one, at least for me. I’m sure MPV owners would echo the same sentiments too.
The MPV has a fro-wheel drive set up and there are other models that come with four-wheel drive. Most of them are driven by a 4 speed automatic gearbox. A five-speed gearbox is available for some of the models introduced after 2003. I personally hate the MPV for the front-wheel drive setup but the manufacturer claims cheaper production costs on that front wheel drive setup. Ideally, the front-wheel drive setup does not make it the ideal touring vehicle to load and pull a large trailer albeit for a people carrier it works just fine. All the same, the comfort makes up for all that.
A 2-litre inline 4 cylinder engine is available for these as well as a 2,5 litre V6 engine. Later models like the 2003 also have a 3-litre V6 option to choose from while the majority have the 2,3L found in the Mazda Atenza as well. One thing that people have hated about the V6 motor in the MPV is the fuel consumption. This car needs one to have an oil rig in their back yard.
The 2-litre is not so bad but the fact that it’s hauling that big body also means the fuel consumption goes for a dive but nothing you cannot live with on a daily basis. Spares on the other hand are not so much of a problem nowadays for these MPVs. The 4 cylinder has the same engine as the Mazda 626 Capella. The 2003 model 2,3litre has the same engine as the Mazda Atenza so some spares are interchangeable.
MPVs are not expensive at all even when you decide to buy direct from Japan. One can easily find a “Stock” MPV on some sites for less than $500 in Japan. I laugh sometimes when I see some even for $96. It’s not always advisable though to buy some of these cars that seem too cheap. If there are no visible dents that justify the cheapness, its wiser to pass such deals, they end up costing you dearly.
Mazda MPVs do not score very high on the reliability graph. They have weak transmissions and a lot of people complain with failing transmissions. To enjoy this car you would have to get one with low kilometres and pray you not falling into the mileage fraud trap. You also need to have a good mind to maintain your car well if you are to keep it for long. Some cars like Toyotas are easy to maintain and are not very fussy like these MPVs. Apart from that, this car is very comfy, it drives like a breeze. The V6 has a lot more power than the 4-cylinder but these are not sports cars so performance is not what you will be looking for. Its a good ride for the whole family but only for a while. Till next time. Happy Motoring!
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