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Mazda MPV All-Sport minivan outfitted for off-road trekking
Bob Plunkett
Date Posted: 5/10/2005
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ESCONDIDO, Calif. -- The customized off-road course hugged tall perimeter fences which surround San Diego Zoo's Wild Animal Park in an isolated canyon defined by lumpy California hills.
Beginning from a dusty parking lot, a sandy 2-tread track immediately plunged through a sticky mud hole before climbing a steep embankment which led up to the zoo's border. Then the trace undulated in stair step fashion for a mile or so to a crest overlooking an enclosure stocked with hoofed and horned African creatures like giraffe, impala, springbok and rhinoceros.
The idea underwriting this challenge would be to steer a special vehicle outfitted with part-time 4-wheel-drive system and related off-pavement hardware through the mud and dirt and sand to reach that pinnacle in a test of traction, suspension, ride quality and overall off-road capability.
What made this motoring experiment unusual came not from the exotic setting of the menagerie or the severity of that rutted route. Instead, it concerned the type of vehicle used to navigate the course.
The test vehicle, you see, was not the latest iteration of a rough-and-tumble sport-utility wagon -- it was actually a rather comfortable minivan.
A minivan, you may wonder, can conquer an off-road route, in the process plowing through mud holes and scampering up slippery slopes of loose sand?
It apparently can when it's Mazda's MPV All-Sport, now spiked with all-wheel-drive and special off-road equipment.
Admittedly, the concept of a sport-utility van may seems out of place, perhaps even superfluous, yet Mazda, the Japanese automaker with California-based design studios, can conjure an interesting argument for comfort and convenience combined with sporty outback travel for this latest innovation derived from what for many years has been our country's best-selling imported minivan.
The attraction of an easy-to-drive minivan that contained convenient interior features and provided an able powertrain plus rear-wheel traction preferred for hauling a trailer became factors which sent Mazda's original MPV to the top of the sales charts following it's debut in 1988 as the first of many imported minivans.
Since that inception, the Mazda minivan has been called the MPV, with its initials denoting Multi-Purpose Vehicle.
A dramatic revision a year ago extended MPV's overall length by seven inches and installed new safety systems along with a hinged door positioned on the left side immediately behind the driver's door.
A hinged right-side door -- rather than the typical van's slider -- was one innovation of MPV's 1988 debut model. When combined with the left back hinged door, this pair of portals amplifies the point that MPV skews passenger conveniences toward those of a sedan.
For 1997 MPV models, Mazda's designers forged another new position by combining the optional part-time 4-wheel-drive system with a package of functional equipment and appearance elements grouped under the All-Sport badge.
The package becomes standard accessory for deluxe ES trim but is offered optionally for the LX model.
All-Sport installs exterior equipment like front grille guard and a stone guard, crisp two-toned eyebrow fender flares, a handy roof rack, special 5-spoke alloy wheels and for the AWD version R-ranked 15-inch mud and snow tires.
MPV's base model uses a rear-drive traction system but the optional 4-wheel-drive unit features push-button controls for shifting from rear-drive to all-drive mode. A center differential automatically distributes traction among four wheels to improve traction on wet or slippery pavement.
The AWD edition stands about five inches higher than the rear-drive model, which adds air to the undercarriage and enables MPV All-Sport to clear such obstacles of an off-pavement trail as ruts, roots and rocks.
These go-anywhere features elevate the minivan concept beyond that of a convenient family hauler and imply that MPV All-Sport may also serve as a weekend warrior for sport-oriented outings to reach a lake, beach or slope with traction confidence as well as passenger comfort.
What a novel approach.
And MPV's All-Sport looks meaty and substantial with its wide stance tied to a broad band of contrasting body cladding which sets up its aggressive posture that in triangular forward profile seems rooted to the earth.
In tests, it also behaves with a zippy personality.
The MPV's only engine, a 3.0-liter V6 with single overhead cam and 3-valve format for each cylinder, employs a multi-point fuel injection system. It produces 155 horsepower and reasonable torque, particularly in low and mid-range speeds, when linked to an electronically-controlled 4-speed automatic transmission.
The suspension, with independent front components and a rear live axle, delivers a ride quality that mimics the smoothness of a large sedan.
And for those who haul a trailer behind their minivan, the MPV 4WD provides an optional trailer towing package which also includes an automatic load leveling system on the rear suspension, plus heavy-duty cooling fan and automatic transmission oil cooler.
Towing capacity totals to 4,000 lbs.
Power rack and pinion steering applies to all issues, although quicker steering ratios appear on the 4x4 version.
With the generational redesign of 1996, MPV's overall height increased by 0.8 inches. On the inside, that resulted in a generous cabin height and, when combined with the minivan's flat floor, signifies that passengers may move easily from seat to seat.
A flexible seating system establishes three tiers of seats, beginning with two front buckets followed by a center bench for three and a back bench that holds an additional three riders for a total of eight passengers. Variations for ES trim install leather captain's chairs instead of the second row bench, but you may also remove the third bench easily to expand capacity of the cargo bay that's accessible through a back top-hinged hatch.
This tester's analysis on the off-pavement course concerned MPV's strength and the smoothness of its ride over lumps and bumps of erose terrain. It felt sure-footed and instilled confidence in driver, implying that this minivan with its sport-utility flavoring can carry you to that sporty outback spot and back in complete comfort.
1997 MAZDA MPV ALL-SPORT
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| Vehicle Specifications: |
| 1997 MAZDA MPV ALL SPORT Specs |
| Description: |
Compact sport-utility minivan |
| Model Options: |
Compact sport-utility minivan |
| Wheelbase: |
110.4 inches |
| Overall Length: |
183.5 inches
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| Engine Size: |
SOHC 3.0-L V6
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| Transmission: |
Auto/4 |
| Drive: |
4WD |
| Braking: |
Power 4-disc/ABS |
| Airbags: |
2 |
| Gas Mileage: |
16/22 mpg |
| Price: |
$ 26,000 to $ 30,000 |
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