The new MPV shares only its name—which stands for Multi-Purpose Vehicle—with its predecessor. Multipurpose, or hybrid, vehicles that more closely combine car and truck features are becoming all the rage at the turn of the century.

No "Me-Too" Minivan The first MPV was unusual because it had rear-wheel drive and a swing-out rear side door, when the top-selling minivans from the former Chrysler Corp. had front-wheel drive and a sliding rear side door. Mazda wanted its minivan to be different. But Chrysler annually sold hundreds of thousands of minivans, while the best year for the MPV was 1991, when 48,056 were sold.

The first MPV was offered with 4-wheel drive soon after its debut. In 1996, it was restyled, becoming longer and offering a driver's side rear door. The following year, the MPV could be had with an All-Sport package that allowed Mazda to pitch it as a "sport-utility van." But the basic design soldiered on.

Front-Drive and Sliding Doors The new-generation MPV—like all minivans except the aging Chevrolet Astro/GMC Safari sister models—has front-drive. Like other conventional minivans, it also has dual sliding rear side doors.

But those doors have power windows that slide down—a minivan "first." They don't slide down all the way, but leave rear passengers a sufficiently large opening to grab food at fast-food-restaurant drive-through lanes. The slider windows are manually operated on the entry DX, and power-operated on the mid-range LX and top-line ES.

Clever Design Mazda still wants its MPV to be different. While other minivan makers have provided more interior room by just enlarging their vehicles, Mazda has made the 2000 MPV only slightly bigger on the outside while providing a pretty spacious interior with clever design touches.

Disappearing Seat For instance, the second-row seats are light enough to be easily removed, the spare tire is under the floor and the third-row seat folds flat into the floor—like the "disappearing" seat pioneered by Honda for its Odyssey minivan. The third seat can also be swung over to provide a rear-facing tailgate seat.

Only one-size MPV is offered. It's about the same length as a short-wheelbase Chevrolet or DaimlerChrysler minivan. The MPV thus retains its handy, maneuverable size for driving in congested areas.

Mazda says, it's "not in the business of building big buses." But one reason it didn't make the MPV bigger was because the vehicle is made on a platform also used in Japan and Europe, which have narrower, congested roads.

Three Well-Equipped Models The MPV comes in $19,995 DX, $22,050 LX and $25,550 ES trim. Even the base model is well equipped, with items including a 4-speed automatic transmission, front air conditioning, AM/FM/CD audio system, tilt steering wheel, and front/rear intermittent wipers.

No Anti-Lock Brakes for Base Model Unfortunately, while anti-lock brakes are standard on the LX and ES models, they're not even optional for the DX—a glaring omission for a family oriented vehicle.

Jump to the LX and you get added items such as cruise control and power windows, door locks and power heated outside mirrors. The ES adds leather seats, wood-tone trim, rear air conditioning, front side airbags and a remote keyless entry system.

The side airbags aren't available for the DX but are part of the $1,100 LX option package, which includes remote keyless entry, theft-deterrent system and attractive alloy wheels.

Underpowered The MPV always has been underpowered, and the 2000 model is no exception. While lighter than most minivans, the new MPV still weighs 3,657 pounds and only has a small 2.5-liter, 170-horsepower V6 with marginal torque. Acceleration thus is just average, even with only a driver and no cargo aboard. Still, high speed cruising is no problem.

The automatic transmission shifts smoothly, but estimated fuel economy is average at 18 mpg in the city and 23 on the highway.

Good Roadability The power steering is precise, and ride and handling are quite good. The brake pedal feels a little soft, but the MPV stops surely.

There are no power sliding doors, but these doors often move slowly and can be more trouble than they're worth.

Second-row seats in LX and ES models move fore and aft. And the right-side second-row bucket seat slides left to create a 2-passenger bench seat.

Slick Styling The new MPV styling features items such as hidden sliding door tracks and rear roof pillars that sweep slightly forward for a nifty profile.

There is decent room for only six 6-footers in the quiet interior, although the MPV is billed as a 7-passenger vehicle. There are no less than 10 cupholders, and the front ones are especially sturdy.

The nifty V-shaped dashboard has gauges that can be read at a glance and conveniently high-mounted sound system and climate controls. There are roomy storage areas in the lower part of the dash, but good luck trying to quickly find the ignition switch on the steering column in the dark.

Other faults: The wiper control gets in the way of the shift lever. And that lever threatens to put a driver in a gear he doesn't want because it slides much too easily. While comfortable, the driver's seat should give more side support during spirited motoring.

The hatch door swings up well out of the way and has an interior grab handle that allows easy closing without getting your fingers dirty on the outside metal.

Good Cargo Room There's decent room in the cargo area even with the third-row seat in its normal position—and impressive cargo space with that seat in the floor and second-row seats removed.

The new MPV is a big improvement over its predecessor, and is generally quite attractive. But a more-potent engine and anti-lock brakes for the base model really are needed.