However, there's good mid-range response, and 60 mph can be reached in a respectable 9.3 seconds. The MPV isn't all that light at 3,794-3,812 pounds, so a 3.4-liter V-6 with more power and torque would be nice. The new engine provides strong acceleration, although it's not very large at three liters and thus works harder than a bigger engine and growls when pushed. Last year's model changed that impression. Mazda never seemed to have been in much of a hurry to change the MPV, giving the impression that it was largely an afterthought. There also were a revised suspension for better ride and handling, along with subtle front-end restyling and slight dimension changes. Mazda finally woke up and gave the 2002 MPV a 200-horsepower V-6, along with a new five-speed automatic transmission. It also received a third-row bench seat that cleverly folded into the floor.īut the new, more slickly styled MPV still didn't fit Mazda's "zoom-zoom'' advertising image, because its 155-horsepower V-6 was replaced only with a 170-horsepower V-6, which left it in the slow lane. But it remained an oddity in the minivan field until the first major redesign came with the 2000 model, which got front-drive and dual sliding doors with power windows. The MPV dropped the four-cylinder in 1992 and got a removable third-row seat in 1996. Its handy exterior dimensions, decent room and carlike nature attracted a fair number of buyers looking for something different. Charms were few, but MPV offered an automatic transmission. Weak four-cylinder and V-6 engines seemingly made more noise than power, and minivan buyers were puzzled by the standard manual gearbox, which was odd for a family-oriented vehicle. It also had rear-wheel drive instead of front-drive-along with available four-wheel drive, which few minivan buyers wanted. The first-generation model arrived in 1989 and had rear swing-out side doors instead of sliding side doors. The MPV seemingly has been around forever. About time, too, because the MPV was embarrassingly underpowered for years. There's a lot more "zoom zoom'' to the sleek Mazda MPV, which is among the most fun-to-drive minivans.
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