options: 4WD V6 w/ pw,pl, upgraded am/fm CD, 2 10" JL W3 subs, focal 6" components all around. My subwoofer couldn't even shake this thing... It sound great inside.. and the only thing you could hear was bass on the outside. This proves the sturdy construction, vs. Voyagers and astros.. they rattled like crazy when a subwoofer even smaller than mine was placed in them. the 4WD was decent... it allowed me to get out of the most horrific circumstances, except for a 3 foot deep mud pit. Pickup was ok, faster than a civic till 55MPH! =) For first time drivers, you may not be accustomed to the sway of the body, the car is relatively high off the ground. Towing.. is great for light duty (college dorm room moving) didn't feel a bit different on the road, maybe because the car is like 2+ tons... Upgrade your tires, get bigger ones. It will make your life easier. For the 2 years i had it, I drove it to hell and back a couple of times, putting on almost 56,000 miles in one school year. I thought the plush seating was comfortable, very comfortable. Very fast when you give it synthetic oil and fuel injector cleaning, and adjust gear ratios... but you can leave the last one out. I've hit 130 in my van going on a straight part of I-90 in New York. I thought i was going to die... but she kept up ok.

The transmission... on the 1989 MPV is one of the worst transmissions EVER. When it works.. it's great! But it doesn't like to work that often. Replaced transmission 2 times in 2 years.. but then again, I don't drive what a normal person drives in one year. The next years model (1990 and up) have much better transmissions, and pretty much drive the same. Oh yeah, dismal gas milage when you drive her hard. But that's what you should expect if you drive any car hard.

Honestly, out of all the cars that i have driven for extended amounts of time, I love the 2001 Yukon the most.... but then again its about 12 years newer and twice as expensive as the MPV. The MPV was my first vehicle... so it does definately have a sentimental value to me, from dragging 18 people around from party to party, to driving to california in 4 days just cause "we felt like it". The MPV definately has a fun factor to it. Unexplainable to anyone, I love my MPV, but I would have loved it more if I had a 1990 or up. Still, it's not the worst in space, as long as you are not hauling around basketball players. Plus, i personally think the design of the earlier models MPV are much more stylish and aggressive looking then the crap plymoth and them put out. The current car that I drive, Jeep Grand Cherokee 94, is much smaller than the MPV, and has an engine in it that is about 2 times the size (3.0 on MPV vs 5.2 on Jeep) but still does rather well with fuel economy (16/18 MPG) and the full time 4WD is far superior to the MPV's part time with center diff. lock. But then again, it's more costly than the MPV, and smaller, and more recent. The Nissan quest? piece of crap. its only atvantage is that it is lower to the ground, and gets better gas milage. The MPV is a far better minivan that that. Plus, the MPV is a heavier van, and more strongly welded, as i found out first hand, than a ford tarus (96) when it smacked into my front right hand corner. My damage est. $750, while his was roughly $4000!!! (His fault) So in short, the MPV is definately not the greatest at any one particular thing, but it does most of what is can do well. If I had money, I'd get a 1994 MPV, and start getting aftermarket parts for it. i miss my MPV, and if you get one and drive it a while, you would too.

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1994 Jeep grand Cherokee Limited 5.2L V8
2001 GMC Yukon XL 2500
1997 Nissan Quest
1996 Chrysler Town and Country

Features: Hideaway third row seat, side by slide middle row seats, power roll down sliding door windows, leather seats, huge moonroof, front and side impact airbags, nine-speaker 180-watt 6-CD in-dash changer stereo sound system, smooth and quiet (made by Ford with design help from Yamaha) DOHC V6 engine when cruising(gets somewhat sporty sound at full throttle), flip down LCD entertainment system, wood grain dash, easy to open and close sliding doors, light and easy to remove middle row seats, keyless entry and embedded chip in key security system, rattle and squeak free, only minivan available in the USA that's made in Japan(although Mazda is virtually owned by Ford), nice exterior styling, fog lights, roof rack, rear bumper step plate, mud splash guards, cargo mat and net, excellent handling and maneuverability for a minivan, powerful brakes.

No power seats, no casette player.

For the price, the MPV is the best value in minivans. It's not as fast as other minivans. But power is more that adequate for high speed (75-80mph) cruising and climbing hills. Won't use it to drag race though. That's what sportcars are for.

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Odyssey EX. Too expensive. Arrogant salesmen. Won't come down from MSRP. Bland interior. Weak sound system.
Sienna. Too expensive.

*The interior layout
*All the buttons, gadgets, doors, cupholders,& pockets are in the most accessible places
*great price for the quality you are getting
*You can instantly arrange the seating for 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, or 7. It is awesome!

I was used to the get-up-and-go of the Pontiac I traded in for the MPV. The horsepower is not race-worthy but I guess I don't really need it to be if I have 3 kids strapped in to carseats.

I originally was fired up about getting a Honda Odyssey, but when I realized that the MPV was comparable in almost every respect, AND was cheaper new than a used Odyssey, AND had the 4 roll down windows like an SUV, I was hooked.

I then switched my research focus off the Odyssey and onto the MPV. It was recommended by Consumer Reports, and by this website as well, so I went to check it out. The saleswoman was a whole lot more respectful to me than the Honda dealer, who talked down to me because I was buying the car with my husband overseas. She respected my research and the fact that I was prepared to buy the best car I could afford.

The view from the driver's seat is like that of a pilot, you can see everything! It is very well organized, easy to maneuver my 3 small children all in carseats, and the seats all move around, fold flat into the ground, or come out. It is not jellybean looking, and the well for the 3rd row to fold into serves as extra storage space very efficiently. I go through the back door to buckle in the 2 booster seats in the 3rd row. I have the baby carseat in one of the middle bucket seats, and the other bucket seat is removed. I fit in the back between the two huge booster seats, so the MPV does fit 7 with all the seats in. It uses the same amount of gas as my Pontiac did, and I think it accelerates decently for a vehicle that size. I'm not planning on going racing in it anyway :)

I am very pleased with my decision to go with the MPV instead of the Odyssey. I think it is one of the coolest looking vans, because it's not really a van, it's an MPV.

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I had a DODGE Grand Caravan Sport as a rental while I had my car alarm put in. It was huge, the seats were all squished, it was hard to load and unload carseats and children, the seat layout was illogical, and the back was too long. I hated it. I also read that while they are the best selling vans, they are the most unreliable. And they are uncomfortable, ect, ect, ect.

what others said... windows that go down, folding rear bench, comfy ride.

needs a few more horses and better gas mileage

Great minivan! What's not to like...

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nothing compares...

Dependable. comfortable, tight for a vehicle with this many miles. Real good clearance for pitted roads, brush etc.

Front brakes, terrible in snow.

With 150,000 miles, we are starting to have a slight delay with the transmission and am wondering if it can go another 150,000 miles and what I might expect for repairs. Like others, I just like driving this van and don't want to part with it. It has the best radio system for the money and a comfortable view of the road. Front brakes have been a problem and I was told the design of the pads/brakes was too small for the vehicle. I add a quart of oil every two weeks and had the radiator replaced at 95,000 miles. That's it! I doubt if I could trade it since it has suffered a few dings which really aren't worth repairing on a 1990 vehicle.

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At the time, Chrysler mini vans were the rage, but in comparison, they did not seem as sound as the Mazda MPV.

Seating arrangements, very nice car-like styling on the dash. Drives like a car, third row flip seat.

A little underpowered.

I traded in a Volvo V40 for the Mazda MPV. I had nothing but problems with my Volvo and decided to cut my losses before I got hit a major expense. I love the MPV so far, and compared to other vans, it definately offers the best value, price, and quality of all of the others. My two kids love it and I love how it feels like a car when you drive it. It also has a great reliablity rating and upkeep cost are minimal. If you are in the market for a van, do not overlook the MPV! It is a little Honda Odyssey without the outrageous price tag (and better reliablity!).

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Toyota Sienna - Felt like a boat and has serious 'Sludging Issues' with the engine. Honda Odyssey - Arrogant salespeople and overpriced. Chrysler - Transmission issues and resale value problems.