2002 Mazda MPV

Pros: Changeable 2nd and 3rd row seats, real windows on sliding doors

Cons: LOUD alarm and low gas mileage (like all mini-vans)

The Bottom Line: If you are looking for a safe and reliable family mini van this is it! With a wonderful sound system, changeable seats and side air bags too!

Review: We bought two new cars within a week of each other. The first was the Saturn SL1 which is used for errands and outings where 5 or less of us are going. We are VERY happy with that choice.

The other car is our family car, the...

Pros: Great Handling, Flexible seating, Magic Rear Seat, Smooth Ride, LATCH connectors

Cons: Sulfur smell, I want 30 MPG, Add door lock to passenger side

The Bottom Line: This is a great minivan with much more interior space than the exterior would have you realize.

Review: My wife and I were those people who thought they would never drive a mini-van (well more my wife than I). With 2 young children under 3, the family sedan (Accord) was running out of space with 2 carseats + all the other stuff that babies require...

Pros: Small on the outside, big on the inside, great price per feature ratio.

Cons: Very few, mostly preference issues on design (see review).

The Bottom Line: I cannot recommend this minivan enough. It is the perfect combination of small outside but larger inside, and compares or exceeds other minivans like the Honda, Toyota, Chrysler, etc.

Review: Before getting into specifics about this minivan, I want to emphasize that I am fairly anti-minivan. I do not like the way most of them look, most of them are pretty much the same thing with a different symbol on the front grill, and let us be honest...

Pros: "Right-sized" minivan, power windows in sliding doors

Cons: stereo lacking

The Bottom Line: If you need the space of a longer wheelbase minivan, look elsewhere. If you are looking for the best small minivan, you've found it in the Mazda MPV.

Review: Let me start off and say I am not a minivan kind of guy. However, minivans are a practical family vehicle.

Exterior

As far as minivans go, the MPV is a looker even without the optional packages that add the rear spoiler, or...

Pros: Powerful, MPG, nimble, towing capacity, braking feel, prices, cornering, features, removable seats, look.

Cons: The wheel-well gap is kind of high, lower it. Bigger sun visors for front windows.

The Bottom Line: I have test-driven other minivans or sat in other relatives minivans. I've found that the MPV is the king of minivans when it comes to driving fun in a van.

Review: I had test-driven other minivans including 2003 Sienna and Odyssey before making up my decision. The Odyssey is "odd" in driving experience. I couldn't tell if it was hitting a bump, I felt so isolated; it felt just like sitting in anyone's grand-dad's ...

Pros: Drives well, very easy to adjust seats, quadruple 5 star safety rating

Cons: Gear shift handle too big, small size, uncomfortable driver's seat

The Bottom Line: Great drive, easy seating conversion, and quadruple 5 star safety rating are a few reason to consider the MPV if you're willing to sacrifice some space.

Review: There were two models I considered when I decided to purchase a minivan, the Honda Odyssey and the Mazda MPV. The reason was that at the time of this writing, those two models were the only ones that allowed the 3rd row of seats to be completely stowed,...

Pros: Handling, comfortable seats, 9-speaker audio system, 3rd row tumble-under seat.

Cons: No large hidden storage area, no switch at passenger seat to lock all doors.

The Bottom Line: Love this car -- it's comfortable to drive in and has generous usable space.

Review: 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; ...

Pros: 3rd row seat; 2nd row windows; price

Cons: no electric lock on passenger side

The Bottom Line: If you are looking for a van that offers excellent seat configuration flexibility, nice features and a competitive price, I would highly recommend this minivan.

Review: Purchased my MPV about a month ago, an LX with the Security and Luxury packages, and so far I am very pleased with it.

The primary selling points for me were: the tumble under 3rd row seat and the sliding 2nd row captains chairs, and these...

Pros: Unbeatable price/feature ratio. Great acceleration, incredible sport scar like handling and smooth 5 speed transmission.

Cons: None really. Gearshift can obscure stereo controls on dash. Simply use controls on steering wheel.

The Bottom Line: The 2002 Mazda MPV beats the Honda Odyssey when comparing feature to price ratio, sportier looks to match its sporty handling, and a great safety rating.

Review: After over a year worth of research and with one new addition to the family, we finally caved and bought a mini-van for more much needed room and convenience. We were seriously looking at the Honda Odyssey simply because of its popularity and...

Pros: Smooth ride, powerful engine, rear windows roll down.

Cons: Small trunk space if all seven seats in use.

The Bottom Line: If you don't need the largest of the minivans, and you want to drive something resembling a car that will seat 7, this is the one for you.

Review: I had never driven a van in my life, but with three kids, the time had come to graduate from my Subaru Legacy wagon. I test drove the Toyota Sienna and was intimidated by it; the Honda Odyssey would barely fit in our garage; and so I moved on to one of...