Test Drive: Mazda 8, theZoom zoom MPV

Size does matter but in the case of the Mazda 8, bulk doesn’t mean boring

The boom of the Multi-Purpose Vehicle has continued since the mid 1980s so we can safely say that it is not a passing fad.

With more than two decades of MPV season it is only fair for us to expect carmakers to have figured out how to make the people carrier more fun, after all, when all is done, customers always want more fun.

The sad fact is that to this day there are no MPVs that are fun to drive. Well actually that is not true, the Mercedes-Benz R63 AMG was a mad mad MPV that is a hoot and a half to drive but it also costs a king’s ransom and since my family is unconvinced of my royal lineage they were not willing to cough up the money for one.

Anyway, in the real world, there are no MPVs that are fun to drive.

The rest of the review after the jump

At a glance, the Mazda 8 is a typical large people carrier, as large as a shed and only marginally more curvaceous, it is roomy enough for occupants to swing cats in and apparently the suspension consists of lightly fluffed cotton wool.

If all you want is a large and comfortable mobile living room, then the Mazda 8 would be right up your alley but the Japanese carmaker has built a reputation for exciting driving dynamics and even has a kooky Zoom-Zoom tagline so they had to inject a bit of fun into this large vehicle. Did they succeed?

Well, in a sense, yes. Despite the size, the Mazda 8 sits rather low, almost like an MPV that looks like it wants to be sporty. Even the styling tries hard to hide the visual bulk of the vehicle with the use of distinctive creases along the flank and strong shapes for the headlamp and tail lamp.

The result is not an outright success but it certainly does stand out from the crowd of tall Toyota Alphard, Nissan Elgrand and Hyundai Starex Royale. It is, in fact, closer in spirit to the Mercedes-Benz R-Class than to the typical large MPV.

The low-slung design means that everyone sit closer to the ground and this makes the 8 feel more like a car than an MPV, or at least more like a compact MPV than a full-size semi-detached.

This low seating position helps to make the 8 roll a lot less and make it feel planted despite the soft suspension setting. Reduced body roll tend to also make cars more predictable and this contributes tremendously to driver confidence.

Mazda did not cut corners when it comes to driving dynamics, their accountants allowed the engineers to come up with MacPhersons for the front and expensive multi-link for the rear.
It is Yen well spent. The Mazda 8 has very polished road manners and does a good job ironing out road imperfections.

Further fun can be found from the 2.3-litre engine that cranks out 160 horses and 203 torquing Newtons which willingly dispenses power through a five-speed automatic transmission.

The large four-cylinder engine revs quietly and unobtrusively until about 5,000rpm when the laws of physics would beat even the cleverest counterbalance and cause the motor to vibrate quite noticeably.

On the plus side, the transmission has been well programmed to suit driver mood.

Drive hard with the throttle near the limit and the transmission will happily drop a gear or two when the driver wants it but if the driver wears very light shoes then the gearbox would upshift quickly and keep the engine humming lazily in the lower rev range.

The Mazda 8’s interior also warrants commendation as they have found space to fit two reclining ottomans in the second row that can be combined to form a single bench seat.

However if you want to take full advantage of the ottoman then the third row becomes unusable, in fact if you are a tall person, even the front passenger will have to be squeezed.

The Mazda 8 comes with a dual zone climate control for the front and a separate blower for the rear cabin, this makes it possible to reduce cabin temperature quickly even in the hot sun.

It also comes with keyless entry and starting, a good feature for a vehicle that wants to be considered a luxury family MPV. However they decided not to include steering-wheel mounted controls for the sound system and this detracts slightly in the luxe department.

We also feel that the Mazda 8 deserves a cruise control system to make it a very good highway cruiser.
Overall we would rate the Mazda 8 four out of five stars with half a star taken out for the lack of cruise control. Maybe in the next batch, distributor, Bermaz Motors Sdn Bhd will order the Mazda 8 with cruise control.
 

Mazda 8 Specifications
Engine 2.3-litre four cylinder 16 valve DOHC S-VT
Displacement 2,260cc
Max Power 120Kw (160hp)/6500rpm
Max Torque 203 Nm/3,500rpm
Front Suspension Mac Pherson strut
Rear Suspension Multi-link
Brakes front/rear ventilated disc/ventilated disc
Tyre         215/65 R16
Special features Sunroof, reclining ottoman, leather seats, power sliding doors, keyless go
Price RM191,928 OTR without insurance