1997 Mazda MPV Interior Review at Automotive.com
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1997 Mazda MPV Review: Interior

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1997 Mazda MPV Review

The world's first sport-utility van.
Interior
Mazda's attention to detail shows inside. The speedometer and tachometer

are housed in a rounded instrument panel. Ventilation and audio controls,

cupholders and storage for small items are located front and center for

easy access. A sporty four-spoke leather-wrapped steering wheel houses

the driver's airbag, while the passenger-side airbag is above the glove

box. A rear air conditioning blower with separate controls adds to the

comfort of passengers in the back rows. A storage tray under the front

passenger seat is a thoughtful touch.

Other standard MPV features include power windows, doors and outside

mirrors, cruise control, tilt steering column, power steering, AM/FM/cassette

sound system with digital clock and four speakers, rear wiper/washer/defroster,

dual vanity mirrors and remote fuel door release.

All MPV's come with reclining front bucket seats. LX models are upholstered

in nice velour cloth, while ES models come with leather seating surfaces.

A key MPV consideration is choosing between seven- and eight-passenger

seating. Eight-passenger models use a second and third row of bench seats

that hold three passengers each. Both rows can be folded flat to carry

cargo and the middle bench reclines and adjusts fore and aft. It looks

good on paper, but the width of the middle bench makes getting to the third-row

bench seat difficult.

We don't want to sway you, but seven-passenger seating is the preferred

layout in the MPV. A pair of captain's chairs replace the middle row bench.

The captain's chairs are more comfortable than the bench seat and they

make it easier to get to the back row. ES models come standard with seven-passenger

seating and it's an option on the LX models.

Either way, the third row can be folded forward to provide more cargo

space or removed completely. The MPV does not offer nearly as much cargo

space as a sport-utility, but it does a superior job of hauling seven humans. Next Page



1997 Mazda MPV