1994 Mazda MPV Review (continued)
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Walkaround

From the front, our 1994 test MPV looked more like a sport utility vehicle with its slightly forward-pushing nose. The sides were well designed, with fender lifts atop lace spoked aluminum alloy wheels, tinted windows that gave the minivan a very private look and a third door on the side that swung rather than slid open.

Our MPV was a two-tone Hunter Green Metallic and Prestige Silver Metallic. The optional moonroof was a cool addition on this cruiser.

The optional towing package we added included automatic load leveling, a special heavy-duty transmission oil cooler, a larger engine cooling fan and a full-size spare tire.

Interior Features

The most striking feature of our test vehicle's interior was the leather upholstery in an attractive blend of light and dark tan that prevented all seven seats from looking monotonous.

Our driver faced an ergonomic, feature-rich control panel- vent and lighting controls, a remote lock transmitter, a hold button to help with towing and an easy-to-find 4WD switch on the transmission lever.

The front seats were extremely comfortable, and the hood line was dropped just the right amount to allow visibility of the front bumper when parking . However, it was in the driver's seat that we noticed several annoyances: First, the frontseat armrest was short and placed too close to the driver's body; second, finding the seat recliner handle underneath the armrest was awkward; and finally, the brightly lit instrument panel didn't have a dimmer switch-or so we thought. We finally found it to the far left of the instrument cluster.

Our MPV offered ample storage space on all doors and behind the front passenger seat, but we were disappointed with the small size of the glove box-there was room only for the owner's manual and insurance documents. And for you java junkies, our coffee actually tipped while we parallel parked due to a poorly designed front cupholder.

As is the case with most minivans, our MPV had a clear passageway on one side to enable access to all three rows of seats. Rear passengers had some degree of autonomy: They could activate heat for the vehicle's rear vents. And middle passengers had their own cupholders. Legroom was adequate, but middle passengers lost about two inches of headroom because of the moonroof.