2003 Mazda MPV LX from North America - Comments

Nothing at all.

We bought our 2003 MPV LX in April 2003. It was hail damaged (dealer fixed so it looks great) and we got an amazing deal ($5000 off MSRP).

It is my wife's primarily and she loves it. I also enjoy driving it. The MPV handles very much like a car (like an sport sedan almost) and is very comfortable. No creaks or groans which suggests a stiff chassis (this is good). The 3.0L V6 is an very good engine and has plenty of power for this size of van. My car is a 2001 Maxima so I know what a powerful V6 feels like.

The interior is well laid out and very comfortable. I am impressed with the usable space and especially the fold-into-floor rear bench.

In my opinion it is the best looking van out there (Odyssey and Windstar tie for ugliest).

We rented a 2003 Windstar for 2 weeks a few months after buying the MPV and there was no comparison. The Windstar had very sloppy suspension and felt very heavy. I hated the V6 engine. It's mid range torque was so poor that it is a dangerous engine in my opinion (pulling into traffic on a busy 2 lane highway I was shocked at how slow the van was getting up to speed).

The MPV is best value mini-van out there and is underrated by critics (its seems that size and horsepower is the only thing that impresses auto writers these days). Mazda's are an excellent value and are certainly not Ford's with a Mazda nameplate.

Added bonus: the MPV actually fits in the garage!

I agree 100%.

We love our 2003 Mazda MPV!

I Totally agree with you guys. I have 1996 Mazda MPV, been reliable since I've bought it, no comparison to any other mini van and this one (1996) looks more like a sport utility vehicle since there is no sliding doors. Lots of torque too out of its small 3.0L V6 engine. I love it!! Paid $15,909 canadian, not including taxes, brand new, with fully loaded, only thing I don't have is leather. Just regular maintenance and your good to go. Not very many people have driven the 1996's feel sorry for them, In my oppinion their the best vehicles I have ever driven, In terms of reliability, my 1987 Nissan King Cab 2wd truck matches it. Great Job Mazda, I will stay with you till the end. Thinking about purchasing a 2004 Mazda 3. under $20,000.

I bought a 2003 MPV in January of 2004, brand new. Within two months, the check engine light came on. After 2 trips back to the original dealer, my wife was told each time the problem was her not installing the gas cap properly. When the light came on again, we took it to another dealer, where they found a leaky vent hose coming from the gas tank. This solved the problem most of the time, but we still find that the check engine light will come on if we fill the gas tank up. Has anyone seen this?

Just bought a 2003 MPV ES and I totally agree with a previous comment to the fact that MPV is one of the best value mini-van out there and is underrated by critics.

The car had a bad spark plug coil when I bought it used. The dealer immediately paid to have it replace. Mileage is a bout 19.6 in town & 23 on the highway.

I love the comfort of the seats. This is my 2nd MPV. Mazda is one of the few car makers that have seats that fit my back & do not cause discomfort on even long drives. Critics say the engines are under powered, but mine will fly when I put my foot on it. The old one had 160000 mile when I sold it and the lady has nearly 200000 on it now. Let me tell you do not put synthetic oil in a high mileage vehicle. It causes seals & gaskets to start leaking and is near impossible to stop.

We purchased our 2003 MPV LX right off the boat in Nov '02. We have loved it ever since. Drives very well and has good power (even for towing).

We put a quick 109K on it before a Pathfinder crossed into our lane and totaled our MPV in Jan '08. We had just fixed a blocked hose to the rear vents, and had some other minor work done plus 1 or 2 recalls through the 5+ years we had it.

The smaller size and good handling is a plus when you're driving, but was getting tight for our 3 kids and 1 dog. We had to get a roof-top carrier for anything longer than an overnight. Folding rear seat was great before we had to put a child back there. Now having a 60/40 split would be better.

Insurance money didn't come in as well as we'd hoped, and there aren't a lot of used MPVs out there. We're trying our hand at a 2001 Odyssey with 120K. After just one day, we like the extra space inside, but it's already in the shop, so we're really missing our MPV right now. A couple inches wider & 6 inches longer would make the MPV just right!

The best investment I ever made. Over 105000 miles and one major issue of coils in 6 years... NOT bad.