Automotive Trends

A Grocery Getter With Attitude

     Yes, we realize that this space just a short while ago was graced by none other than Mazda’s icon sports car, the RX-8, and that following such a hot item with a standard run-of-the-mill soccer wagon could be considered a crime against humanity in some regards. However, that is how the cards fell for us, and we couldn’t possibly deprive our reader faithful from any of the emotions yours truly and the rest of the AT staff felt. So here it is in titanium gray, the story of a minivan, just looking for love.
     Minivans, mommyvans, mommywagons, soccerwagons, grocerygetters, utilitarian multi-occupant plus all their cargo and more cup holders than horsepower vehicle. Whew, and the list goes on. Mention the word minivan and practicality slaps you in the face. Even the dog buries his head. Nope, there is no way to be cool in a minivan. But forget the status quo for a few minutes and lets talk about the functionality factor. Do you realize there is a lot of room inside these things? You can fit seven people inside, or lower and take out the seats and slide in a big screen TV. Where exactly the TV came from or what you plan on doing with said entertainment system is irrelevant, you could do it and that’s the point.
     Minivans don’t exactly follow a typical styling theme anymore. The domestic brands all keep minivan styling pretty basic and conservative, from industrial lines to bubbly curves to bland and ultra-bland and I-want-to-be-an-SUV bland. The rest of them, well, basically we have three Asian hens, two odd ducks, and a seagull in a bonsai tree. I’ll let you figure that out. The MPV, while definitely not an RX-8, is not bad to look at. The lines are clean and crisp yet subtle. Something like that of an overweight Mazda3. Although one will notice that the MPV is a rather smallish minivan. We kind of labeled it a 9/10ths minivan. Clear lamps all around light your way while 17” rolling stock keep you planted to terra firma during those high speed maneuvers through the shopping mall parking lot dodging carts. The lower front air dam, aggressive wheel arches, and side skirts add a sporty flair that goes beyond what most other minis offer while the titanium gray keeps the stand out factor to a minimum.
     Some of the features we liked included the roll down windows, sliding center seat, power side doors, and the huge moonroof. Those of you living in the Sunbelt states, bring some sun screen cause she lets it all in. The roll down windows for the rear sliding doors won praise for being a usable airway unlike the little vent openings that competitors offer. Though we did have more than one parent tell us that a child could fit through them. Yeah, and so could Editor Sesi if he wanted to, here’s an idea, buckle your kids in. The power sliding doors were a neat feature too, especially if you had your hands full of groceries and all you could grab is the key fob. However, trying to open them manually with the power on can be quite a feat, as I recall there was a rather epic battle between Editor Dye and the driver’s side slider. The door won. The middle row seat earned its mention for having the ability to change from a bench seat to bucket seats at the blink of an eye. Though, this is old news compared to the Chrysler minivans in which you can now fold both 2nd and 3rd rows flat without removing head rests (to fold the 3rd seat flat in the MPV the headrests must be removed and stowed.) The captain’s chairs were comfortable and ultimately supportive. Gauges and switchgear followed typical Mazda fashion being easy to read, and pleasant to touch. Most features were within easy reach, though the shifter was too long and reaching the A/C and radio controls while in gear proved to be an awkward task. The DVD rear entertainment system won praise for keeping the kids entertained as well as some editors during the lunch hour.
     So how was the driving experience? Well, she won’t carve corners like the RX-8 and she won’t fit into parking spaces quite as well as the 3 did, but it was altogether satisfying. The steering wheel was comfortable to grip and communicated well with the wheels at work—at least as well as can be expected in a minivan. Strong winds inflicted some side-to-side wandering, but then again, with the tall stance and narrow track width, catching winds is to be expected. Get up and go was on par for minivans, drag races won’t be won but with 200 horsepower on tap from the 3.0L 24-valve V6 but you might beat the other moms to the soccer field. The 5-speed automatic was well matched to the engine, though it had a tendency to want to down shift 2 gears with only minor foot input. Only major Michigan bumps and pot holes upset the MPV, though expansion joints and frost heaves excited a springy ka-thump from somewhere in the aft quarters. Other than that the structure sounded like it was pinned down pretty well.
     While I don’t think the MPV will top any of the editors’ favorite lists, I know it will not soon be forgotten (something about a car cruise and another of Muxlow’s bright ideas–Ed.) A minivan is a minivan and that cannot be overlooked, no matter how sporty you make it appear. Some people just won’t be caught dead in the things. The MPV carries a base price of $28,230. Our MPV ES carried an MSRP of $31,300, which included the DVD entertainment system, moonroof, cargo organizer, and wheel locks, trailer towing package and destination and delivery. For about the same price I would probably opt to look at one of the bigger domestic vans with the better seat tricks. While there was a lot to like about the MPV, I would have to say that there was no real love between us.

Photos by Brandon Dye

[Show as slideshow with a fullscreen option]