Test Drive Mazda MPV 1999 - 2006

Not just relax, and super - relax! Overview Mazda MPV.

Specifications MPV 23c FF model:
Length 4860 mm x Width of 1850 mm x Height 1685 mm.
Wheel base: 2950 mm.
Machine weight: 1720 kg.
Drive: on the front wheels
Engine: 2.3 -LTER, 4-cylinder with inline cylinder arrangements and two camshafts, developing power 163 hp at 5500 rpm, the largest torque is 21.4 kg / m at 4000 rpm.
Transmission: 4-speed automatic transmission
Machine price: 2 million 470 thousand yen
 
 
It's time to stop counting the minivan machine, the shipment of which is solid boredom!
I ask you to pay attention: the Mazda MPV car of the third generation, which will be discussed further, debuted almost simultaneously with the new Toyota Estima model. It should be expressed even more definitely: not just at the same time, but almost immediately after the Toyota company twisted his minivan winner. And now think about it, what is it, to submit your new minivan to the public when your opponent (in this case, Toyota has captured the initiative and leading position? The authors of the MPV project seemed to prefigge that they would be prepared such fate, and in every way they tried to prevent them to be compared with a very successful car, which is to hide, developing Toyota. Whether they were premonished, whether they were just lucky, but the car developed by them, although formally continues to relate to the class of minivans, it turned out to be completely unlike the Estima model.
In fact, how was the development of the Estima model range? Without deviating either a step from the destination that he was prescribed from the very beginning, to be a genuine minivan. Look, the concept of the egg machine, because it remained determining up to the current, third-in-generation Estima. Of course, the salon was becoming more and more spacious, the car became more and more comfortable, but by and large the Estima model did not change its essence. And what can be said about Mazda MPV minivan? The debut of the first-generation machine took place in 1990, and then, it is remembered, she was distinguished from himself similar models of a pronounced Americanized image, right? Since then, it went: the main thing is to be anyone else! In other words, a purely individual character, a purely individual way of development, is what distinguishes the MPV model range.
This is a general reasoning, and if specifically: what's new and unusual received the MPV car of the present, third generation? - So you can formulate a question that will certainly arise in the head of the reader who read the above considerations. I answer: the main thing is that he began to move at all as it is inherent in his class minivan! I will explain what I mean. Imagine yourself on the site of authors and developers of this model range. In the MPV of the second generation, everything was done, as it should, - and the salon was distinguished by a great useful volume, and the seats had an unusually diverse arrangement. Where to move on, what else to distinguish between your competitors? It remains only one thing: try to make it so that the minivan get rid of, finally, from his offensive, in general, fame almost the most dull in terms of driving a car type. And Mazda's designers accept a bold decision to show on the example of their minivan, that this curse must be removed and forgotten forever!
In order to achieve the goal, a series of constructive measures should be taken. The main task was formulated as follows: Locate the center of gravity of the car as low as possible. As a result of such a recalculation, a new car even at the coolest rotations does not show a noticeable tendency to the roll and keeps almost exactly. And this means that the driver sitting behind the wheel arises completely different feelings, and they are moving completely different emotions than it was before.
  
Not just relax, and super - relax!
The cabin device is also not left unchanged. In particular, since the wheelbase of the machine has increased, it allowed to stretch the interior, more precisely its useful part for as many as 110 mm. This in turn was reflected to the degree of freedom of passengers who occupy places in the second row. Namely, the guide rails, along which armchairs move back and forth, were truly the rails of an elongated type (long slide), because the movement range of the seats began to be 330 mm. And now, of course, passengers are provided with more opportunities creatively and with the maximum benefit to use useful space formed around the seats of the second and third row. As in the former model, the left and right chair of the second row is independent of each other. Thus, if necessary, they can be shifted together, and then the rear seat is transformed into the sofa.
But what really distinguishes the salon of a new sample from its predecessor - this is the so-called super-relaxing chair, which is placed in the second row. It is equipped with two retractable armrests, you can extend the footrest on the bottom and even adjust it in height. Then reject back the back, and everyone, relax myself on health! But this is not all, and this is not everything truly is the highlight of the new MPV salon. It is not for nothing that this chair is called not just a relaxing (Relax Seat), but in excellent relaxing (Super Relax). So, from the situation when the back is rejected back, the stand under the legs, etc., you can move on and change the slope of the very seating so that the back of the sitting drowned in the chair even more. After that, two-section head restraints are put forward, and the head turns out to be a supported position with three points of support.
The effect of such an arrangement of the seating is really awesome! Judge for yourself: the angle of the tilt of the back can be changed. The angle under which the seat itself is also regulated, so you can arrange these components of the chair as you like. I assure you (I tried it) that if you use all the functions of this chair and take the Super Relax pose, then you can relax so much that no longer wants to rise. And yet, as already noted, the seachers of the second row can easily turn into a sofa if they move them together. And then this is super-relaxation can be obtained for a couple, side by side. Yes, another DVD player at hand is a great way to relax!
Nevertheless, if I asked me where the best places in the MPV salon, I would probably not find what to answer. Of course, extremely seductive, being in the cabin, take place in the Super Relax chair described above. But the fact is that both the driver's seat, when behind him, such comfortable chairs, attracts no less. What I mean? Imagine for a minute that you come to walk with your family. Family, as usual, rear, you are driving. Family members relax and quiet, staying in a half. No one else follows the road, does not climb with his advice and does not prevent you from turning the steering wheel in his pleasure. And pleasures, in fact, you can get a lot, if you sit in a minivan with a low center of gravity. This is where the danger is listed. If all this happens in the usual minivan, then it is worth only to you, as a driver, to allow an excessive sharpness in turn, as it immediately, someone from sitting back will go head, and you look, still flies with the head restraint. And it will start: how do you drive, how do you dare, yes where are you flying, etc. etc. Whether it's when you drive a new minivan MPV! Passenger's heads hold reliably, and even if even the back of the car will lead to the side, no one really will understand what happened. And everyone will be satisfied.
 
Mazda's running quality at the car in the blood.
So, in terms of high-speed qualities, a new car Mazda MPV can be called the minivan, created in the image and similarity of the sports car. This definition, which invented the authors of the project themselves, was known to me, and this was even more heated my interest in the upcoming test arrival. And so I'm driving. Immediately I want to notice that on the corners of the car body practically did not stick. Well, if the machine seems stable, then you can experiment! And here I am in the middle of rotation dramatically I press the brake pedal to see what will happen. As a rule, when performing such a reception, the load on the front axle increases, balancing is broken and the machine is in every way to be peaked. Here, everything happened otherwise: all 4 wheels slowed the speed of rotation at the same time, so the car, as if nothing had happened, continued to follow the same course.
As you know, the length of the new Mazda MPV machine does not reach the 5-meter turn of only 13 cm. However, despite such a length, the body continues to move like monolith. What is this due? Of course, additional measures aimed at increasing the rigidity of the entire structure, and, above all, spinning directly in the bottom of the frame with a nearby cross. If in a nutshell, the cause of increased maneuverability was increased rigidity.
It is necessary to replace that the body of Toyota Estima in this regard is very successfully designed, and I, when I tried to control this machine, never experienced anxiety about the increased deformation. But still, the Mazda MPV car deserves a higher evaluation. The difference in high-speed qualities I would define like this. Driving a minivan Estima with well-known circumstances you think: it is necessary, who would have thought that the minivan could run!. And when you lead the MPV car, then exactly at the same moments do not even remember that you are sitting in a minivan (if someone it seems to be exaggerated, please excuse!). Need or not to minivan he possessed such high-speed data, everyone has their own opinion on this. But one is undoubtedly: a general trend in the development of machines of this type is an increase in traction and high-speed characteristics. It is enough just to recall one example of the Honda Odyssey model range. After all, it is due to the fact that for all 10 years of existence of this type of machines, all manufacturers are constantly competing with each other, the Japanese minivan was able to rise to such a high level.
And what else, besides speed?
Because of the lack of time, I could not try in the case most interesting in terms of the chassis with a 2.3-liter turbo engine. But on a car with a simple engine, the working volume of which also amounted to 2.3 liters, I was pretty pretty both within the city and speed highway. By the way, it is assumed that this version of the car will be the best selling. Before I got behind the wheel and moved from the spot, I did not leave doubt about the feasibility of the combination of this engine with a rather limited 4-speed automatic transmission. After all, we are not talking, but the weight of the car is not small. But my fears turned out to be completely in vain, the power unit together with a transmission accelerate the car with no or noticeable tension. When moving to reduced transmission, the torque difference was almost impaired, almost without a jerk was switched and at increased speed.
I must say that a photographer working with me is very well familiar with the MPV car former sample. So, if you believe it says, the new car significantly exceeds the old on the level of the noise penetrating into the salon. After this comment, I began to listen carefully to what sounds come outside. So, the noise that occurs because of the contact of the tires with the road surface, indeed, almost never listened, and therefore in the cabin is quite quiet. Of course, all this is relative, because the noise of the operating engine is still not going anywhere, but the fact is that this noise does not work on the nerves.
Earlier, I have already noted that Japanese minivans are constantly improving their speed characteristics, and this is true. But what is still striking those who are more or less closely monitors the trends in the development of machines of this type, so this is the improvement of the acoustics of the cabin, so that the music playing in it sound better. Sometimes you will not even understand why such music is such muscle, but what is there, that is. At the same time, the creators of the new version of the Mazda MPV did not risk the equipment of the salon with musical appliances, based on the principle of each other and the main thing is not harming. For this very reason, all the musical instrument, which is possible in the cabin of a new sample, was prudently withdrawn beyond the standard set and translated into the discharge of options. However, the list of musical options is impressive. Judge for yourself: you can only limit ourselves to the simplest radio system + CD player, but it is possible to complicate it and install the device that allows you to change CDs automatically (CD-Changer). In addition, it is proposed to install a mini-disk player and, finally, the onboard HDD navigation system that supports the G-Book format. And finally, there is a standard 5.1-channel acoustic system BOSE. As you can see, the choice is really wide.
Does not lag behind music and lighting equipment. What can be highlighted here? First of all, it is a darkened instrument pointer type 3D, then the presence of special lamps on the front row, illuminating the legs of both the driver and the front passenger, and the space under them. In the dark, this gives the driving process a special charm. At least, it is believed that this kind of game with light causes the driver once again to feel the significance of its presence in the cabin of the car.
In conclusion, I want to emphasize once again that the main characteristic feature of the new Mazda MPV machine is, of course, the running characteristics that have a lot of pleasure to those who prefer the sports type of driving. But only this, of course, the minivan cannot and should not be limited. In the end, a person chooses a minivan type car at all in order to fly along a winding road with a whistle, enjoying how it turns out! And in this regard, the new MPV machine seems in order: even if you do not fly and you are not going to fly, you still know exactly and feel the car.
 
 
 
 

A source: Carview.co.jp.