Nice Odyssey alternative

There were two models I considered when I decided to purchase a minivan, the Honda Odyssey and the Mazda MPV. The reason was that at the time of this writing, those two models were the only ones that allowed the 3rd row of seats to be completely stowed, optimizing cargo room. This is an extremely useful feature, a no-brainer, which for the life of me, I can't figure out why more minivans don't have this feature. I decided to go with the MPV for several reasons. First was the price...I got mine at invoice, try doing that with an Odyssey. The second was drivability. It was easier to drive than the Odyssey, mostly because of its smaller profile. The third reason was the seats were much lighter and easier to maneuver....stowing away the Odyssey's 3rd row seating required some considerable muscle strength.

First the price. The loaded ES model I got with the moonroof and and other options carries an MSRP of around 29,000 dollars. It was very easy for me to talked down the price to the invoice cost, which was just over 27,000 dollars. Most of the people I know who have the Odyssey purchased or leased their vehicle at, or above MSRP...usually with a waiting period to take delivery of their van. In short, the MPV is more accessible and cheaper than the Odyssey.

The MPV rides higher than regular cars, but provides a fairly nimble ride considering that it's a minivan. Cornering feels stable, and with the 17" wheels that comes with the ES model, I am told that it can withstand a lateral G force of .8 before it starts skidding....not that I'll be testing this with my family in the car. For the 2002 model, the engine was changed. It now delivers 200 hp, with much of it's power available in the mid rpm range. This provides good acceleration at cruising speed, but some deficiency when starting from a dead stop unless you rev up the engine to a high rpm. This is OK, as I don't expect to be doing many jack rabbit starts pulling out of a parking lot. Overall, the ride is excellent. Most people who buy new cars...any new car....will tell you that their car drives great. That's because almost any new car always drives well. But I test drove both the Odyssey and the MPV, and the MPV definitely drives better.

The adjustability of the seating arrangement is vastly superior to the Odyssey. The third row bench seat can be stowed easily by any soccer mom with average strength. The Odyssey's 3rd row seat is much heavier, and requires considerably more strength....not that it's impossible to do, but why make things harder? The right hand bucket seat in the second row slides side to side, so that can create an aisle for access to the 3rd row, or it can be moved all the way to the left to make room for people to scoot into the 3rd row through the side doors. This also is considerably easier to move than the Odyssey. All you need to do is to lift a metal latch bar to unlock the seat. The Odyssey's latch is more complicated, is more difficult to access, and the seats more difficult to actually slide over.

Other nice features included the rear side windows to roll down....I think the only minivan with this feature. Like the Odyssey, the 3rd row seat flips back 180 degrees into a tailgating seat with the rear door swung open...nice for viewing fireworks on the 4th of July. The ES model also comes with simulated wood dash trim...looks nice, but it almost borders on being overdone. Also, my wife thinks it looks sporty...if that's even remotely possible on a minivan. My suggestion, if you get the MPV, get it in black. There is also a center shelf between the driver and passenger seats which can fold down completely, this provides a small aisle which allows access to the back of the van from the front seat...a good feature if an crisis develops with the kids in the back and my wife needs to scoot back there to deal with it. Also, the moonroof on the MPV is huge. I didn't actually want one, but they had the color and trim I wanted on the lot, so I just took it.

Here are some drawbacks for me. The first is the driver's seat. I love the power adjustable feature, but no matter how I adjust it, I can't get comfortable. I don't know if it's the leather trim, the design or my body type. It almost feels like the seat is too narrow to allow my body to settle in...not that I have a big butt, I have a 32 inch waist which ain't bad. The other thing I don't like, which I noticed right away as I reached for the stereo volume control, is that the transmission shift handle is too long and obstrusive. When you put it in drive, it sits right in front of the stereo, and partially blocks access to other controls on the front center panel as well...stupid design flaw. I guess a major gripe with the MPV is the flip side for the reason it drives better than other minivans...and that's its smaller size. It is not as big as other vans out ther, but before you buy a minivan, you have to decide just how much room you really need. For my family, it's more than adequate. I actually prefer the smaller size because it's easier to park and drive. The 3rd row seating space will be small for 3 grown adults on a long trip but should be fine for shorter excursions or for smaller kids....if you need that extra room on a regular basis, look elsewhere.

Finally, and not the least important, the NTSB came out with new crash test results for the 2002 MPV and this time around, it scored a quadruple 5 star rating, the highest possible. It now stands alongside the Odyssey, and I think 5 other autos as being the seven safest cars on the road.

As a quick anecdote, my wife (who dreads being the "soccer mom") insisted we get the ES trim in black with the roof rack, because it made it look sportier and "almost like an SUV." I scoffed at her, saying what dope would ever mistake it for an SUV? So what happens? A day after we get our shiny new black MPV with the roof rack, our neighbor says, "Nice car...I like your SUV." My wife will never let me live this one down...go figure.