We just purchased a 2002 Mazda MPV ES model minivan, used, with 23,500 miles on it. We’ve taken two short road trips so far, of 130 and 150 miles. Mileage on the 150-mile trip at a steady 65 mph with gentle hills and level road was 29.5 MPG; mileage on the 130-mile trip with steeper hills (and some transmission downshifting to 4th and 3rd gear) at a steady 65 mph was 25.4 mpg. And on regular unleaded gas, at that.
It’s easy to drive in the city and on the road. It has very comfortable driver and passenger seats, comfortable 2nd row seats and a more-than-adequate 3rd row seat. The leather seating package probably helps. Very quiet on the road; I suspect the 17-inch Dunlop tires contribute to the low road noise. We also test-drove a stripped down LX model, same year, but it was noisy on the road, with very twitchy steering and relatively uncomfortable seats.
The premium 9-speaker sound system with CD player and sub-woofer is great, and because there's little road noise there’s no need to pump up the volume. I love the tumble-under 3rd row seat and the “side-by-slide” 2nd row seats. The two power sliding doors are super -- we had a 1971 Volkswagon Bus with a manual sliding door, ugh!
This van is just the right size for two retired people. We knew in advance that the cargo capacity was going to be less than Honda or Toyota, however, the available space suits our needs to a tee. There’s plenty of space when we need it to transport goods or the grandkids. It’s easy to maneuver around town and shows very little body lean in turns, and the acceleration is more than sufficient to merge easily onto the interstate.
I had to swallow a little humble pie because I told our grown children that I wouldn’t be caught dead in a minivan or an SUV, but this MPV has changed my mind. It looks better than other minivans and while it is by no means sporty looking, its outward appearance is balanced and all the pieces are in the right proportion.
Overall, we couldn't be happier with it and recommend it highly.
CarsBelowInvoic e
