Mazda MPV (1999 - 2004) 2.0 5d (02) (2002/52) Owner Review

What does this car say about you?

No imagination, scared to stick my neck out........

What do your friends / family / neighbours think of the car?

Love it, space/comfort.

Would you buy this car again and why?

Not if I got it for free. This car belies completely the myth of Japanese reliability

What are you likely to buy next?

Renault - I had 3 x Scenic's before this, and none, none, gave anything like this much trouble........

Type of dealer you bought from?

Independent

Did you buy this car new?

No

What price did you pay?

£5,000

When did you buy the car?

September 2007

Did you get a good deal and why?

Good deal, probably because it wasn't pristine, and is a bit of an oddball on the used car market.

Is there any special reason why you bought this car?

Mazda reliablity was the key driver - I didn't want a knackered Galaxy etc, and I have an MX-5 for years, which has been the epitomy of reliability. I sold an 07 Galaxy (which has it's own issues...) to buy the MPV

What was the dealer like?

Fair enough, sole trader.

What's it like to drive?

effortless, smooth, quiet.

What's it like to park?

A trifle large - could do with sensors, but you get used to it..........

Have you had any problems with the car?

Do you want a list? Engine management issue, gearchange cable (which turned into a nightmare - the whole dash/heater/air con/steering rack and gearbox had to be removed to fit....) A Eur140 job turned into a Eur750 very quickly... One month later a rattle turned out to be a big end bearing and crankshaft for the bin.....and whilst the engine is removed, the Dual Mass Flywheel and clutch was also found to be in need of repair. Quote to repair to this fsh, 85k mile 'quality' car, is Eur 4500...... Today I met another MPV owner..........and his Dual Mass Flywheel on an 03 car also went, and cost 2k to fix. His car also uses oil - he'd better save for a crank, then... breaker's yards have told me the flywheels 'all go' in them, and very, very hard to find a secondhand engine for it.....

What's most practical about your car?

Space, ease of driving, comfort.

Favourite gadget, option or accessory?

Hasn't got any, to speak of. Except the sliding doors - fabulous !!