Mazda’s once-forgettable MPV minvan has undergone a total makeover that transforms it from an afterthought in the lineup to a standout in its class.

Is this exciting to anyone other than suburban parents with large families?  Well, it ought to be.  For the most part, minivans aren’t the stars of the automotive world.  They’re not even the supporting actors.  At a glance, there’s not much difference from one minivan to the next; no flashy styling trends, no high-performance sport packages.  Minivans are all about hauling people and things, and that’s about it.  Not very interesting.  That, plus the fact that they’re hard to see around, is the reason that people who don’t need them hate them so much.  But there’s more to minivans than visibility-blocking rear ends and cupholders.  It just requires a closer look.  It’s under this microscope that the new Mazda MPV’s merits surface.

As with sport-utility vehicles, minivans are beginning to diversify into “small” and “large” varieties, each with different missions in life.  The 2000 Mazda MPV fits into the former category.  Unlike SUVs, thereís no great disparity in size between the small and large minivansójust a difference in purpose.  The MPV, and other small minivans like the Mercury Villager, put a greater emphasis on driveability, appealing to consumers who might shy away from the minivan’s soccer-mom image.  The trade-off of the smaller size, is, of course, fractionally less people- and stuff-hauling ability than larger minis like the Pontiac Montana.  The smaller vans make up for the loss in cargo space by feeling considerably less ponderous in traffic, and provide a more car-like ride.  There’s less lean and wallow when the road gets curvy.

The MPV has a rounded look, reminiscent of the egg-shaped Toyota Previa, with a good helping of Mazda 626 stirred in.  A strong, prominent chrome and black grille leads the way, sharply vee’d as is Mazda’s style, and the hood has a deep character line to match.  A black crosshatched grille below the bumper looks best on bright red vans, like our test vehicle.  The fenders are flared, like those of Mazda’s ProtÈgÈ, contributing to the family resemblance.  Once the nose has ended, however, the MPV is rather featureless.  There’s only so much car designers have dared to do with the basic van shape.  In keeping with current automotive fashion, the rails for the dual sliding doors are hidden in the rear window frames.  The rear end and rear quarter panels tuck inward toward the tailgate in an odd, egg-like fashion.  From the rear, the MPV’s pretty generic.  Our test vehicle featured the 16″ wheels that are standard on the ES model, which spruced up the side aspect slightly.

Inside, the MPV has a bit more personality than the average minivan.  The sporty steering wheel greets the driver with perforated leather and a big, brushed aluminum “M.”  The optional leather interior looks good, especially with the wood on the dash.  The three round major gauges are ringed with bright brushed aluminum. It’s a sporty, modern look, and very much in keeping with Mazda’s family appearance.  Nice interior touches include water bottle-sized cupholders in the rear doors, and rear windows that roll down (most vans have fixed rear windows, or simple vents).  A large sunroof gives the MPV an airy feeling inside.  There are no fewer than five grab handles scattered throughout the interior, including one for the driver.  Side airbags are optional for front-seat passengers.  Unfortunately, like many other minivans, the MPV’s light gray carpet shows stains; our low-mileage test car already sported a few coffee stains.  The single slot CD changer takes some getting used to, a task not helped by the column-mounted shifter, which partially blocks it from view.  Climbing from front to rear is easy, and the comfortable front seats make it a decent place to be while running a day’s worth of errands.  For tailgate parties, the rear bench seat flips over backwards to create a rear-facing couch..  The flopper seat’s only downside is that its moveable, folding frame leaves the bottom cushion rather close to the floor.  That makes for an uncomfortable ride for any adult unlucky enough to have to spend much time back there.

Being a smaller, sportier van doesn’t mean the MPV lacks utility, of course.  It’s still a van, after all.  Configuring the interior for cargo is easy, thanks to a rear back seat that flips into a well in the floor, a unit Mazda calls the “Tumble-Under” seat.  This innovation was pioneered by the Honda Odyssey, and it’s surprising that more minivans haven’t copied it.  When the seat is up, the lowered floor adds room for taller objects.  The disappearing seat leaves a flat load space.  Additionally, The “Side-by-Slide” center bucket seats can be pushed together to form a bench seat, or removed entirely.  Removing them brings the MPV’s maximum cargo capacity to 127 cubic feet with the middle row of seats removed.  Compared to larger minivans–147.7 cubic feet in the Dodge Caravan, and 170.4 cubic feet for the big-mini GMC Safari–that doesn’t seem like much, but it’s competitive with the Mercury Villager’s 135.6 cubic feet.

Compared to other minis, the MPV is a van that can play.  Here’s where the smaller feeling pays off.  The MPV is easy to maneuver in and out of traffic.  Independent MacPherson struts up front, and an unusually rigid suspension at the rear, give the Mazda a tight, responsive feeling that’s lacking in many other small vans.  The MPV retains a solid, planted-to-the road feel whether it’s laden or not.  It never feels like a giant, overweight box, which can be a huge boost to the driver’s confidence while fighting rush hour traffic or backing into a tight parking spot.  The 2.5-liter, 170-hp V6 moves the MPV adequately, aggressively if necessary, but the four-speed automatic transmission can be a little indecisive when it comes to choosing a gear.  The MPV will cruise effortlessly at freeway speeds.  For the most part, the workings of the drivetrain are transparent, which is a good thing to the average minivan owner.

Braking duties are taken care of by disc brakes in the front, and drums in the rear.  It’s a standard minivan setup.  Owing in part to its small size, the MPV stops confidently.  Four-wheel ABS is optional.  An interesting feature is an electronic brake force distribution system that senses road conditions and the load in the rear, and modifies rear braking power to compensate for heavy loads.

The MPV is available in three trim levels:  DX, LX and ES, in order of ascending price.  In addition, the GFX appearance package adds fog lights, spoilers front and rear, and body cladding.  The 4-Seasons package includes a rear heater, heavy-duty battery, larger radiator, oil cooler, and other options geared toward extreme towing and cold-weather duty.  Our test vehicle was an MPV ES, and it came with the optional in-dash CD changer and a moonroof.  It stickered for $27,330.  MPVs start at $19,995 for a DX.  Pricing on the ES starts at 25,550, and includes a leather interior, 16″ wheels, and ABS.  To protect that investment, Mazda offers a three-year, 50,000-mile whole-vehicle warranty, as well as a five-year, unlimited mileage corrosion warranty.

Specifications:

All specs are for the 2000 Mazda MPV ES, which we tested.

Length:    187 inches
Width:        72.1 inches
Height:        68.7 inches
Wheelbase:    111.8 inches
Curb weight:    3657 lbs.

Cargo space:    17.2 cubic feet (behind rear seat)
54.6 cubic feet (rear seat folded)
127.0 cubic feet (rear seat folded, center seats removed)

Base price:    $25,550
Price as tested: $27,330

Engine:    2.5 liter DOHC 24-valve V6
Drivetrain:    front-wheel drive, 4-speed automatic transmission with overdrive
Horsepower:    170 hp.
Torque:    165 ft/lb @ 4250 rpm
Fuel capacity:    18.5 gallons
Est. mileage:    18/23

6/2009 update: The MPV remained one of the most charming minvans out there, and its decently fun-to-drive road feel made up for what it gave up in cargo space to the bigger guys.