AutoWeek reports: MPV Gone Missing. Stuff like this cracks us up. Finally, the MPV is a looker and it's not for sale here. The Mazda MPV for years and years has been the ugly ducking in the minivan segment: too ugly, not refined enough, too small and therefore didn't sell like the competiton. So Mazda bailed out on the maxivan market.
They do have replacements though:
1. Mazda5 (which is just a brilliant minivan)
2. CX-7
3. CX-9
The way consumers are so style conscious we guess it makes sense to leave the minivan market to the leaders and focus on crossovers. But it's just so funny because it looks like the MPV could really compete*.
*We're basing that 100% on the picture. It's purty.
The mazda5 is horrible, unless you're under 5'3. There isn't enough leg room in the front row if you're an average sized adult. I'm 5'9 and my knees bang on the dash, with the seat all the way back. The Mazda5 belongs in the Japanese market, surely not in the states.
Posted by: Leroy Brown | Friday, February 09, 2007 at 02:17 PM
The new MPV is indeed a nice vehicle.
Unfortunately, Mazda is following Ford's "All Crossover All The Time" direction.
I guess the car companies and designers don't want to to boring minivans when they could be doing sexy crossovers. I mean, does anyone know the name of the designer who penned the Sienna? The new Odyssey?
Do you think J Mays would ever lower himself to design something as pedestrian as a minivan?
Posted by: Zarba | Friday, February 02, 2007 at 09:20 AM