The Mazda MPV is something of an historical oddity. It was created specifically for the US market, which alone was quite unusual, especially for a second-tier Japanese manufacturer. The MPV was sold in Japan, starting in 1991, but because of its excessive width (for Japanese standards) it had to be taxed as a “luxury vehicle”, so sales were quite modest. Meanwhile, Toyota, Nissan and Honda were sending over federalized versions of their old-school vans with their engines between the front seats, and other shortcomings.
Mazda clearly had Chrysler’s hot-selling minivans in their gunsights when they designed the MPV. But Mazda was in no position to develop a new dedicated FWD platform, so they started with their large RWD sedan platform, as used on the 929, and made it work as best as possible. It’s the only minivan that comes to mind that started out life that way (except the much later Mercedes R-Class), and as such, it’s really something of a crossover of sorts, between a sedan and a compact van. And although it had a few intrinsic shortcomings, dynamically, it was the best in class when it arrived, thanks to an optional 3.0 L V6 and handling that was closer to a good sedan than a trucklet.
I just shot this 1996 MPV 4WD a last fall, one of the last left in town, so I’ll use it to augment the review.
The MPV’s performance was clearly best in class. But then V6s were on their way for others in the class, which quickly took away that one advantage. The MPV’s handling wasn’t exactly in sports-car territory, but it was clearly more fun to drive on a twisty canyon than anything else in its class. That advantage wouldn’t be eroded quite so quickly.
Due to it being RWD, it was never going to be quite as space-efficient as the Chrysler minivans. But it wasn’t too bad either, as long as one is comparing them to the swb versions; once the Grand caravan/Voyager came along, they were in a class by themselves.
As can be seen, the rear-most seat sits up over the solid axle, so there was never going to be a flat floor if one took the seats out. They could be removed, as well as folded down, which even made a bed of sorts. A compromise, and one which quite a few buyers were willing to accept the first few years, when the MPV sold fairly well.
Of course there’s also the fact that the MPV had a conventional hinged rear passenger door, which made opening it adequately in parking lots a bit challenging.
From today’s vantage point, one thing is clear: the MPV was a tough and durable thing. There may only be a few left here now, but I know at least two folks who drove them for ages and racked very high miles on them. And the 4WD version really did make it more of a crossover than anything else. A perfect Eugene-mobile for those with kids.
The one person I know who shopped this against other vans found the rear seating uncomfortable for his family of four. He bought a Chrysler minivan.
The MPV, particularly the 4WD version, is why Mazda only ordered a version of the 2-door Explorer, not the 4-door. They assumed that the family wagon market was covered and only needed a sporty 2-door SUV. In the event, Ford was maxed out building 4-door Explorers and couldn’t change Mazda’s production to 4-doors.
I have one correction to your comment. Mazda did not “order” only the 2dr Explorer for their lineup. That was the only vehicle that Ford offered to Mazda. Mazda wanted the 4 dr, but Ford knew they could sell them and would not let Mazda have it.
Interesting article. I didn’t realize these were specifically made for the US market, nor did I know that these were on a 929ish platform. For some reason I thought these were truck based, a la the Astro/Safari. There were a decent number of these around Boulder in their day, and I thought this “lifted” 4wd version you caught was compelling when it came out.
Now if you found a MPV with a 5- speed that would be a rare find!
Underneath its mostly Mazda pickup which also got badged Ford Courier in this market. the 4 cylinder engines are common to the pickup including the diesel as is the 4×4 arrangement, but good replacment V6s are difficult to find so what they also come in I never found out.
Boulder rocks! Just had to say that, being from Estes…Yes these were very cool vans, wish I could find one today. Stay safe fight the virus, and the evil ones!
“Hum, so Hikaru, what platform should we use for new American MPV?”
“Let us use 929 platform, but not completely 929…only partial.”
“Ok Hikaru, so more like 929ish platform?”
“Perfect!”
The MPV is based on the 929 unibody and front end and engine/transmission iirc, but out back is a solid rear axle (on coil springs) borrowed from the B series truck. What you end up with is a very tough durable rig that’s easy to work on, but also surprisingly nimble (earlier RWD vans in particular). My brother still has the family heirloom ’89 with the somewhat rare base 2.6L 12 valve 4cyl (also taken from the B series trucks).
The MPV, particularly the 4WD version, is why Mazda only ordered a version of the 2-door Explorer, not the 4-door. They assumed that the family wagon market was covered and only needed a sporty 2-door SUV. In the event, Ford was maxed out building 4-door Explorers and couldn’t change Mazda’s production to 4-doors.
It was a one off model the next version was FWD, some of these MPV came with the 2.5L turbo diesel four from the Mazda/Ford Courier pickup, they are a bit more durable than the head gasket hungry V6 which is a common failure, the early versions as shown are almost extinct now neigbours had one the V6 model it was hard on fuel in town and proved unreliable in the end and was disposed of ( head gasket failure judging by the bubbling in the radiator and overheating problems) when a good used engine proved to be unobtainium.
My VW nutter English friend has the later V6 FWD model as his daily runner its been bullet proof though a split screen Kombi van on a trailer severely tested its towing limits hes basically been running it into the ground and will replace it with something that uses less gas for his new commute.
Never heard of any endemic headgasket issues on these gas v6s here stateside. We ran our ’98 up to 170k, and have a friend with one with more than that on it by now.
I worked at a Mazda dealership when these came out. I remember we received one or two that were configured as utility vans, with no rear seating and manual transmissions. Come to think of it, I remember we had one or two manual 929s around that time also.
The real unicorns are iirc 89-92(?) with the V6, 4WD, and 5spd manual. The manual 4WD cars actually got a low range in the transfer case which is really neat.
Some friends bought one of these. They had owned a 626 sedan and when their family started to grow they switched to the MPV. I did pay much attention to these at first and it was awhile before I realized that they were RWD. In hindsight, I should have snagged one when they were more common.
They got good use out of theirs, eventually trading it for a full sized Chevy van around 1993 or 94 when their 4 kids were growing and made the MPV too small for their needs.
I’ve wanted one of these in 4wd trim as a daily driver for quite some time. Perfect all weather urban runabout/day hike/kayak launch/mtn bike base camp for 1-2 day semi local excursions. Unfortunately as mentioned above, they are uncommon as well in my area. Seen 2 locally since I moved to SWVA in 2005, and the 1 I saw regularly was in rough shape, permanent temp spare on right rear, busted up rear hatch door, rust, I believe it was the owners home as well. The 2nd gens have been easier to find used on the lower end of the market, but they don’t interest me, no 4wd. An AWD Sienna is more of a realistic solution to my outdoor rec/daily driver minivan wants.
Boulder rocks. (had to say that since I am from Estes Park.)
These vans were very cool, and I wish that I could find a nice clean one for sale.
Stay safe and fight the evil.
Parents looked at one of these new in 1989 as my little sister was on the way.
My 9 year old self was not impressed.
Apparently neither were my parents. They ended up buying an ex-rental SWB ’88 Dodge Caravan which served them well until 2004.
We had the opposite reaction when test driving: in 1995ish we were used van shopping, a neighbor down the street was selling their ’89 MPV with 90k miles for $5000. We went down to the local Mopar dealership to compare it to a 2nd gen Voyager, listed for $8k. The Mazda felt like a Mercedes in terms of ride/handling and interior build quality and overall “tight” feel, we ran back to buy the neighbor’s MPV. Its still kicking too, with about 240k on the clock, a backup/shop vehicle of my brother’s.
This really should have been an entry in JPC’s ongoing series: “How Hard Can It Be to Make a Minivan”… This would have been in the “not successful” category. It seems like Mazda went down a similar path as GM and Ford and found a way to repurpose pickup truck and big sedan parts to make a not-minivan. It’s neither fish nor fowl nor fauna.
Even today’s oddballs (like the BMW and Mercedes lifted AWD sedans with hatchbacks) don’t really line up with this thing. Today’s CUVs might be the closest modern day interpretation; but this is so anodyne that it wouldn’t be recognized as a CUV today. Mostly because those things can’t “butch” themselves up enough. I think the R&T observation from 1988 is the most correct, a sedan for the Millenium. Except we abandoned sedans in the Millenium.
Later, post-facelift MPVs did get butched-up quite a bit, with longer snouts, bumper guards, wheel well surrounds, and SUV-like graphics, not to mention a fourth hinged door. With those features and RWD/4WD, it had what it took to compete with crossovers. Without a flat floor, sliding doors, or (on some configurations IIRC) removable seats, it didn’t have what it took to compete with minivans.
I owned two of these, a ’90 with the 2.6 l inline-4 and 5-speed manual, and a ’97 with the JE 3.0 l V6 and 4-speed automatic, both RWD.
Both were very well built, and fun to drive. Both gave good service for many years.
If I could find one in good shape with low mileage, I’d buy it.
According to a local used-car seller, the Toyota Previa and the 1st-gen MPV were far and away the most reliable minivans.
My family likewise owned an early and a late MPV, a first year ’89 (RWD, 2.6, auto sadly), and a ’98 ES Allsport, fully luxed out model (leather, moonroof, tow package with rear air shocks, etc etc). Both gave good service, most issues coming down to rust later on in life. Easy to work on with the longitudinal layout. The ’89 felt a bit higher quality overall and with a bit more interior space (more minimal dash).
We have the fabled R&T twisties included in the article, but did the gear lever fall readily to hand?
I was going to include bahn-burning but then I realised that was Car and Driver.
My beloved late uncle was seriously looking at this vehicle when he was on market in mid-90s to replace his beloved 1988 Dodge Colt Vista. He really loved his Colt Vista which his family managed to get close to 200k miles not without problems, but it was significant for him because most of his previous cars could never go beyond 100k miles The worst one was the 1972 Vega with manual transmission, that car ended up having its engine blown up during the winter storm at upstate of New York. He got a replacement from GM as I was told. He got a new top spec Chevelle in 1974. That was his favorite car before the Vista, he used it for 14 years — the car didn’t last that length back then.
He found the MPV was nice but expensive for his budget. He also looked at the 2nd generation of Colt Vista , Mitsu Espace.
While looking at for Vista replacement, he owned a Mazda Protege, two models of Dawoo for his two sons. Then in 2004, he got a 2nd generation of MPV with Ford V6. He enjoyed the van very much before pickingson disease stopped him driving, but that vehicle was not quite reliable. Around 80k miles, the transmission went and was replaced under extended warranty. Then by 100k miles, one of engine cylinders was sieged. Luckily the local gas station mechanic from a East European country fixed. My aunt sold that van and got a 2014 Ford Transit (the small cargo based passenger van made in Spain) they seemed enjoying the new van. They looked at Honda Element too but likes seven-seat arrangement of Ford Transit. I suggested them to try out Mazda 5 mini minivan and Ford Flex, and pointed out they should own a Toyota Matrix since they liked to keep vehicles for long.
I wonder why Mazda wouldn’t use the Persona platform. It was midsized, front wheel drive, and might have been perfect for a minivan.
Some friends of ours would meet us at a park south of Nashville, where we would (quite illegally) run our whippets off-leash on Sundays. They had a Mercury-badged one of these, and since we all fit in it comfortably it was our conversation room if it was cold out, or raining. I had dismissed these cars as boring mom-mobiles, but the more I hung out in it the more I sorta wanted one. And now that I’m old and cranky enough to want something roomier than my Forester to camp out in, all of a sudden I want one again. Downside? I don’t think I’ve seen ONE here in SoCal since I’ve been here!
The Mercury Villager was a sister vehicle to the Nissan Quest, not related to the MPV. Apparently the Villager/Quest was a joint venture, with Ford doing the body and Nissan the drivetrain.
This was mine, it had the 3.0 V6 and was 2WD. Nicely refined and smooth, with very comfy seats, it did very good service for us.
Very nice. Those earlier (pre-95 facelift) cars look spectacular on those lace-spoke alloy wheels. Our own ’89 was a base model with 5 spoke hubcaps (rwd, 4cyl auto). Still had all that refinement and smoothness you mention. Driven back to back with a 2nd gen mopar van, it felt massively better built and more refined, like a luxury car (and knowing now that it was based on the 929, that makes sense).
Honda never sent over a mid-engine JDM van to the States; you’re thinking of Mitsubishi. Honda did sell some sorta-minivans here (the first-gen Odyssey which was more of a tall wagon with hinged side doors) and the Element.
I had one of these as a loaner while my Civic was being fixed. What I remember about it was the you sat up higher than you did in a ” normal ” car, and the transmission REALLY liked to hang on to gears before finally shifting with a jolt.
But then, most of my previous experience was with small, FWD, sedans with manual transmissions.
The example I drove was a few years old, but was quite well assembled and rattle free.
I never knew before this article that these were created exclusively for the North American market. And I always assumed that they were B-O-F and based on a commercial vehicle sold in Asian markets.
When I was just out of high school (circa 2007) my best friend’s dad had a few of these if I remember the dad drove one and so did his older brother. His dad always drove cars that were on the brink of death and this MPV was no exception. He let us use it to take it to the beach one summer day and I left him my Grand Am. Naturally while I was driving on the highway with it the timing belt snapped. Not an interference engine but it also couldn’t be limped home. Never saw the van after that… His Dad didn’t like me too much after that. That’s pretty much my only memory of any Mazda MPV
Every day I see one in its European version, which were mostly sold with a 2.5 diesel.
The 1989 to 1996 MPV. The greatest vehicle Mazda has ever made. I was just too perfect. In 1998, they redesigned the nose to make it ugly. In 2000, they replaced it with an FWD poorly engineered POS. On the plus side, it sat 7 plus room for a full size cooler, folding chairs and more. It’s folding seats slept 2 adults. Separate rear a/c kept us cool in the Florida summer. He centerlocking differential made is as capable offroad and across shallow streams as many 4x4s. Water tight, too. No wind noise at highway speed; even at 90mph which it could do all day long. 22mpg average. Basic service was easy. Quiet interior which was a weakness of subsequent Mazdas for years afterward. The body was only 175 inches long yet the wheelbase was 110 inches giving it a smooth ride, handling and maneuverability in tight spaces. Potential to be a camper if it were a foot longer. Very aerodynamic. Even the acoustics were good. The 2 back rows had reflective privacy glass. I preferred the carlike swing door on the right side to those stupid sliders and not having one on the left made the overall structure stronger and safer as small children could only exit onto the sidewalk. Wow! Someone at Mazda was really on the ball. The access to the back row of seats was way easier than today’s monstrous SUVs and its seats were more comfortable. The MPV could come back today with a few changes, double the price and it would still be a bargain in 2023. Replace the 4 speed with Mazda’s excellent 6 speed, Mazdas 2.5 litre inline 4 is both more powerful and more fuel efficient than the MPVs 3 litre V6 with better horsepower and torque numbers. 17/22 vs 22/33. C’mon Mazda!
The 1989 to 1996 MPV. The greatest vehicle Mazda has ever made. I was just too perfect. In 1998, they redesigned the nose to make it ugly. In 2000, they replaced it with an FWD poorly engineered POS. On the plus side, it sat 7 plus room for a full size cooler, folding chairs and more. It’s folding seats slept 2 adults. Separate rear a/c kept us cool in the Florida summer. He centerlocking differential made is as capable offroad and across shallow streams as many 4x4s. Water tight, too. No wind noise at highway speed; even at 90mph which it could do all day long. 22mpg average. Basic service was easy. Quiet interior which was a weakness of subsequent Mazdas for years afterward. The body was only 175 inches long yet the wheelbase was 110 inches giving it a smooth ride, handling and maneuverability in tight spaces. Potential to be a camper if it were a foot longer. Very aerodynamic. Even the acoustics were good. The 2 back rows had reflective privacy glass. I preferred the carlike swing door on the right side to those stupid sliders and not having one on the left made the overall structure stronger and safer as small children could only exit onto the sidewalk. Wow! Someone at Mazda was really on the ball. The access to the back row of seats was way easier than today’s monstrous SUVs and its seats were more comfortable. The MPV could come back today with a few changes, double the price and it would still be a bargain in 2023. Replace the 4 speed with Mazda’s excellent 6 speed, Mazdas 2.5 litre inline 4 is both more powerful and more fuel efficient than the MPVs 3 litre V6 with better horsepower and torque numbers. 17/22 vs 22/33. C’mon Mazda!
If you are lucky enough to get a 1989 to 1996 MPV, change the timing belt right away. I mean that first week of ownership! Or else. Then you will be okay for the next four years.