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Mazda MPV

8223 messages,  Last post on Dec 14, 2011 at 1:46 PM

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What is this discussion about? Mazda MPV, Van

Messages Page 778 of 824

#7762 of 8223 Comparing the MPV to the SWB Caravan [jaserb] by hansienna

Sep 21, 2005 (5:43 pm)

Replying to: jaserb (Sep 21, 2005 12:09 pm)
Agree. However for my wife and I, the separately controlled temperature for the driver and front passenger is a NON NEGOTIABLE feature since I am cold all the time and need warm air while my wife needs cold air .
     Sure wish DC had learned how to put a "fold-into-the-floor" 3rd row seat into the SWB Caravan and include the split 60/40 3rd row feature Toyota brought to market with the 2004 Sienna.
     Would have been just as nice for Mazda to include the separately controlled temperature for driver and front passenger AND make 3rd row seating a 60/40 split.

#7763 of 8223 Re: jipster has piqued my interest [hansienna] by jipster

Sep 22, 2005 (7:02 am)

Replying to: hansienna (Sep 21, 2005 8:39 am)
Well hans, you could always splurge a little bit and get the luggage rack for extra cargo space. But, of course that would cut down on your mpg a bit. You wouldn't mind a little less mpg ,on those long trips, in your next minivan would you?
 
The back seat in the MPVis a little tight for 3 adults. Two adults and a small child should be comfortable though. Though with the extra space of Ody/Sienna and DCX vans, their third row seats are much more comfortable.
 
I'm guessing that with the newly remodeled 2007 MPV, should it be available in the U.S, it would have the fancy gizmos and saftey features most of the other mini/maxi vans now have (navigation, back up sensors, 60/40 split, seperate controlled temp, VSC, side curtain airbags etc)

#7765 of 8223 MPV after 1 year by mtbiker1

Sep 23, 2005 (6:48 pm)

Thanks for all the posts here; very interesting. We took delivery of our MPV mid-Sept of '04, now have just over 13K on it. Pluses: right size, just big enough for our usual needs (up to 3 mountain bikes packed in back of 2nd row seats), small enough for most parking situations, tight but ok for most building materials (yeah, 4X8 goods just don't fit), and most important, the 2 front seats are very comfy on long road trips.
Gas mileage has been ok, but not exciting; around town we got as low as 19 but mostly around 21-22 even in winter; best interstate mileage has been just over 24.
Big minus: OEM tires (Dunlop sp4000 somethingorother). Going to replace those before our first transcontinental road trip in Oct.
A Minivan (a true mini) suits us grandparents who want to haul some kids now and then, bring some big items (e.g. a compressor or stepladder) to the kids' house now and then, and is actually roomier than SUV's with same outside dimensions. Always a gamble, but I'd rather deal with Mazda/Ford than DC if we have a warranty issue, which based on the feedback so far on this site, I hope we can avoid.

#7766 of 8223 Re: MPV after 1 year [mtbiker1] by jipster

Sep 24, 2005 (6:09 am)

Replying to: mtbiker1 (Sep 23, 2005 6:48 pm)
Why replace the Dunlops with only 13k on them? What are you replacing them with? Do you have the 17" tires? Have fun on your trip!

#7767 of 8223 Re: MPV vs. Mazda5 [carquery] by jc9799

Sep 24, 2005 (11:53 pm)

Replying to: carquery (Sep 18, 2005 6:45 pm)
carquery,
If you're considering the 5 vs MPV, I'd consider the space behind the 3rd row. If there's just the 4 of you, then space shouldn't be an issue either way. If you're carrying more than 4, then storage might be a problem, based on posts I've read on the 5 boards.
 
We've had our MPV for 3 months now. It's an LX $6000 under MSRP, so yes, you can get an MPV for around the same price as a 5. I did consider getting a 5, but our Explorer lease was ending (early July) right as the 5 was supposed to be hitting the market. However, since the salesguys didn't know when the 5 would be arriving (I talked to 3 different guys and their range was early July to mid Sept.) we decided to go with the MPV. However, I think the 5 would have served our needs just fine as well. (we have a 5 and 3 year old)
The 5 is also currently under a recall. A fairly major one by what I've read in the 5 boards.
 
good luck

#7768 of 8223 Re: tires by jaserb

Sep 26, 2005 (9:18 am)

Lots of folks are replacing the Dunlops before they're completely worn out. This is one of the few cases where I think the manufacturer "over-tired" a vehicle. The Dunlops are definitely skewed to the performance side of the spectrum - TireRack classifies them in their "Ultra High Performance All-Season" category, which is the very highest performance category for all season tires. That's about what you would expect to find on a BMW, but on a minivan, it's probably overkill. I'm OK with ours so far at 16k miles, but when they wear out I'll probably go with something in the Performance or Grand Touring categories. I'll be giving away a bit of ultimate performance for comfort, better winter traction, lower noise, and longer tread life - all good things on a family hauler.
 
-Jason

#7769 of 8223 Re: tires [jaserb] by jipster

Sep 26, 2005 (12:13 pm)

Replying to: jaserb (Sep 26, 2005 9:18 am)
Agree with getting better comfort, traction and longer tread life in another tire. But, I thought the Dunlops usually rate quite favorably in terms of noise. Our 17" Dunlops are fairly quiet.

#7770 of 8223 Re: tires [jipster] by jaserb

Sep 26, 2005 (2:56 pm)

Replying to: jipster (Sep 26, 2005 12:13 pm)
The 16s should be similar, as they have the exact same width, but I've always found them somewhat noisy. Question: with the 17s, do you think your speedo reads fast, slow, or right on? The reason I ask is that our MPV reads fast - IE, 70 on the speedo is actually 68 or so according to the local radar signs, and the odometer is off by a couple of miles per 100 if I keep track of mile markers. I have a theory that Mazda didn't want to make any changes to the computer programming or speedo gears to compensate for the different height of the 16" and 17" tire combos, so they just split the difference between the two.
 
If that's the case a van with 17s should read slightly slow on the speedo - 70 is actually 72, or similar. If so maybe I'll need to listen more to the little devil on my shoulder telling me that a set of 18" RX8 takeoffs with 235/50/18s would look really sweet on an MPV...
 
-Jason

#7771 of 8223 Re: tires [jaserb] by jipster

Sep 26, 2005 (5:14 pm)

Replying to: jaserb (Sep 26, 2005 2:56 pm)
I have never noticed any irregularties in our speedometer or odometer. Just assumed they were accurate. Will keep my eyes open though with local radar signs...though don't really know how accurate they are.If you are correct in your theory that means I'll need to slow down 2mph as to avoid getting a speeding ticket.

Messages Page 778 of 824

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