1994 Mazda MPV.... I want an MPV! Not a Honda or Toyota. NO RUST RUNS GREAT!

This is a 1994 Mazda MPV. A 2 owner car that was purchased by from an older couple. This was a real surprise when I first drove it. I was on the hunt for a station wagon for one of my Saab customers, and this one just called out and said “take me home”. This may very well be the nicest 1st generation MPV for sale in the USA. Its in “turn the key and go” condition.

For being as old as it is, its surprisingly modern, with features and specs that are uncommon or premium options today. To get some of the features that are in this SUV, you’d have to spend $40k or more. To get a 3 row seat configuration, you’d have consider the Mazda CX-9 or a Dodge Durango. The CX-9 is front wheel drive, so towing anything is a bit dicey, and the Durango is truck based with the same basic design as it had in the 90’s, and they are REALLY thirsty.

If you’ve owned one of these before, or are looking for a good budget SUV whose next stop isn’t the wrecking yard, I think you are in the right place. These were always klnd of “different “ in the people mover class, and they have become kind of unusual to see on the road in this condition, as most have delivered faithful service for 200k or more.

It was in pretty nice shape when it came to the workshop, and we have taken it to the next level. Like most trade ins, the last few months of ownership usually means it does not get any further service, so one has to assume its going to need a trip to the service bay. This one was no different, but it was clear that it had been well kept in the past, so just normal items typical of the miles and age were needed.

It’s a car based SUV, sharing its powertrain and underside with the Mazda 929, one of the most trouble free cars of the 90’s. Fuel efficient, good riding, and easy to see out of, its “different”, but also darn versatile. Its just a good design.

Its well equipped with cruise control that works, air conditioning that works, power windows and locks that work. Driver airbag and 3 point belts for all but the second row middle seat. Has some features that 20 years ago were uncommon, like underseat cubbies and drop down cupholders, along with power mirrors. Its also equipped with V6 and is a 2wd (rear) example.

The miles are consistent with the overall condition of the vehicle. It has the original interior, the original paint and it appears that it still has the original rear brakes, in addition to being virtually rust free. Most of these did their 250,000 miles and then went to the recycler pretty well used up, but this one runs, drives and looks like its 5 or 6 years old. Not a “time capsule”, but one that was clearly well loved by its prior owner. Read on for more descriptive information

Exterior. “What a Maroon”. Yup, its maroon. This one appears to have its original paint all around the body, and has single color paint. Many of these came from the factory with the lower part of the body in a contrasting color (most often silver), which in my humble opinion makes them look really tall and narrow. . A small amount of road rash/bug marks on the hood, again from being driven on a regular basis. A couple of scrapes and dents that one could reasonably expect from an unrestored original vehicle, with the overall condition as is very presentable, with clear headlights, good glass all around, all of the trim present and in good condition. The rear bumper was repainted after the painting contractor for the complex I’m located in scraped it with a pressure washing trailer. Excellent color match. Unusual for darn near any SUV more than a couple of years old, the roof is in very good condition. Take a view of the photos and feel free to ask questions.

The Interior. Its all there in its beige/tan glory. The dash in uncracked, but the defroster vent has a crack dead center. The upholstery is in very good overall condition and the rugs are clean and almost unmarked. All of the interior toys and controls work as they were designed to, and has no funny smells or unpleasant odors. Near as I can tell, there are no signs of heavy tobacco use. If I was going to nitpick, I’d point to the following

1. The aftermarket replacement radio, while a major brand, is the absolute bottom of the manufacturer’s model line when it was made.

2. There is a small area of discoloration in the driver’s foot well that looks as though its been there for years. I tried a light foaming cleaner on it, and was not successful.

3. There is a small spot by the second row seat that appears to have, at one time, been bleached. The carpet and pad itself are in good condition, but it is there.

4. Behind the third seat, the side panel has a small crack which has been repaired.

Drivetrain. This is a 3.0 V6 with a 4 speed automatic and the open rear….standard equipment. Starts right up, idles smooth, shifts well, stops decently, runs cool with good oil pressure. NO SMOKE, no funny smells. All of the controls work, tracks straight and pretty much does all of the things that its supposed to do. The ride is firm, but assured, and no rattles or squeaks, unusual for what amounts to an echo chamber on wheels. Rear entry is actually quite easy and to me the door on the side as opposed to a sliding panel makes sense for an SUV/ people hauler. A/C and heat work, cruise control works, power windows smooth.

I do mostly Volvo, Saab, and VW cars, and those folks are pretty particular so we went over the car’s mechanics pretty closely to make sure it’s a turnkey car for the next owner.

In the workshop, it just got a few things to freshen it up for you:

• Oil and Filter change. Was due on a time, not miles basis. It has since consumed NO measurable amount of oil.

• Rear shocks. The driver’s side was leaking around the seal Replaced with aftermarket brand. The compressor works and the self leveling function is also working. After a few days it will droop, but I can include a set of standard style high pressure gas shocks (KYB) if you’d prefer.

• A rear main seal, as it was starting to drip. I understand that this is a common issue with the Mazda 3.0 motor in this application. The OE brand was used.

• A PCV oil separator seal. Also a common issue. Often where the 3.0 will leak after everything else is taken care of. • A new pipe section for the exhaust. It was just a short section of pipe and rest of the system is solid, we had replaced what was needed.

These are pre OBD vehicles, but does have proprietary diagnostics. There were NO stored codes found.

Its got a spare which looks good. Has all of the tools. TWO KEYS. Tires are about 70%, and are date coded well within safety recommendation (low mile vehicles of this vintage often have tires that look good but are 10+ years old) and are all the same brand and size.. Mounted on factory alloys with just some minor curbing..so minor it does not photograph. Title in hand. Title shows exempt miles, as almost any car which changes hands more than 10 years after its first registered on the road. I’ll be putting a few more miles on it over the next week just to make sure I have not missed anything it needs to be the best it can be so we’ve added a few miles to the listing.

Here are some answers to the most frequently asked questions that I get on my listings:

What’s the worst thing about this car?

Kind of wish it had a few less miles, and a couple fewer cosmetic flaws, but hey its 24 model years old. Other than that, nothing known that has not been described or pictured in the listing that I am aware of.

What’s the best part of the car?

It does everything its supposed to do.

Could I drive this car back home

Can’t see why not.

This is a Reserve Auction and the it is not unreasonable given the condition of this car. It’s a used car, not an investment in automotive art SO IF YOU ARE REASONABLE, I WILL BE TOO . Please take an opportunity to look at the photos, ask any questions that you might have, and then feel free to press that bid button………

A Few words about condition, business philosophy, and why I’ve listed on E-Bay since 2001.

I try to accurately describe the listed vehicle to the best of my ability, but like you I am human, and assure you that I will not hide any known defects that materially impact the vehicle. I want you to feel “comfy” pressing the bid button! I don’t offer anything that I would not and have not driven myself, but please understand that all vehicles are complex machines and what works perfect right now may not the next time. Just like a new pet from the shelter, its first act as new member of the family might be to “mark its spot”. If you have doubts, feel free to ask questions PLEASE ask for the inspection report!!

What I try to bring to the table as competitive advantages are three fold:

1. Knowledge of the brands of vehicles I choose to offer.

2. Ability to find skilled crafts people in the trade who do good work at a fair price. For the things I’m not real good at, I’ve used just about all of the same suppliers for at least 15 years. I don’t try to bust ‘em for a really low price, but reward their fine work by loyalty.

3. Lower overhead. I’m not in the local retail market, so no fancy showroom in a high cost location.

I’ll be glad to share any additional information that I have about any item listed, and about the marque in general, but please understand that its up to you to determine if the car listed in this auction is the right one for you. Please don’t assume….it’s a good way to be disappointed…the only ‘stupid’ questions are the ones not asked, and after the auction is over is not the time to determine whether or not y’all want the listed vehicle!

Spending every last dime you have on a used car with an expectation that it will give you faithful service with no additional expenses for the next 10 years probably is not a real good idea, so use your head, spend within your means, and leave a little in reserve for a ‘rainy day’.

I try very hard to use objective terms in the listings, and where possible, can provide quantitative data on things that can be measured without taking the car apart, so if you have questions on things like tread depth, compression readings, voltages and the like, feel free to ask and if its possible to provide the data I will. However, please keep in mind that terms like Excellent, Mint, Good, etc. are subjective terms that vary from situation to situation, and from individual to individual, so if in doubt please refer to the photos AND feel free to ask detailed questions.

Remember that this is a USED CAR!!!!. While I try my best to make sure each unit has been carefully described, you should be aware that they are not in "as new" condition, except where the addition of new parts has been indicated. There can be undiscovered flaws, but each car has been gone through using a two page checklist, a daily use evaluation (that means I’ve actually driven it, in traffic, just like an owner might use it, and an overall visual inspection. Cars with built in diagnostics such as OBDII are also read, and identified flaws corrected. We don’t just shut the light off, we find out why the light came on in the first place so. Each car has been given a check of all safety systems, all operational controls are functional, and any needed repairs or replacements are performed unless otherwise indicated. Unless otherwise indicated, these cars are being “AS IS”, WITH NO WARRANTY EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED. To make things really clear, if its not as described, I’ll bust my butt to make it right before it goes out the door, but if you blow a hose while doing 90 mph 6,000 miles down the road and warp the head ‘cause you decide to make it to the next exit 26 miles south and expect me the pick up the tab, please don’t bother to bid…neither one of us will be happy…. (true story)

While I do my best to offer the best cars that I can, I am not able to predict the future (If I could, I could see a job at the Federal Reserve...), hence the "no warranty" provision of the transaction.

You are welcome to inspect the cars at any time during normal business hours and the reserve price, if any, will be LESS than the local offer price for the car. I built my first VW motor when I was 14, and that's more years ago than I'd like to admit, and approach each car as if it was going to be my own or a family member’s.

In my prior career I was a corporate "weenie" with the same firm for 25 years and when it came time to do something different, I turned my hobby into a business. That “hobby” turned in to a full time, 6 day a week business for over 17 years. Although we may never meet face to face, I want to earn your trust, and hopefully your repeat business and your recommendation. I’m not some “ex new car dealer whose wife threw him out of the house”, “an official liquidation center for vehicle disposal”, or a “new car trade in wholesaler” who never even drives what they are selling, but a car nut and now small business person who believes that it is possible to buy a car from an ethical source who is familiar with the car. I stick with marques I’m familiar with, so as to minimize potential problems, and source the cars from reliable sources. As a matter of policy, if I don’t have the title AND a history for the car, you won’t see it on e-bay!!

Life’s too short to lie, and while one person’s trash …… I’ll try hard to call ‘em as I see ‘em.

One of the things that drives me nuts is the following.. Folks buy a car based solely on price, and then take it to a NEW CAR dealer or fancy emporium, pay OVER retail price for parts (IN ONE CASE MORE THAN 4 TIMES THE GOING PRICE!!!!), DOUBLE the going local rate for labor by a quality independent shop and them come back to me feeling that they have been ripped off. New car stores exist to sell and service NEW CARS. If you feel the need to have the “new car” experience, its there for you. Like the “free coffee”, solid mahogany doors to the rest rooms and the fancy carpet in the waiting room are “no charge”??? Just hope you find the one person in the place who actually cares.

The Fine Print and other info worth reading:

Car is offered FOB Tampa Bay FL. Car is 20 minutes from Tampa Airport and beautiful Gulf Beaches . Winning bidder will get an e-mail with a request for information, followed by an express package with transaction detail and supporting documentation. Balance due within 7 business days via either certified funds, cash on local pick up or wire transfer with proper vetting with the financial institutions on both ends of the transaction. Seller can hold for 21 days at no additional charge while buyer makes shipping/travel arrangements. Canadian customers, please note that I am experienced in working with the regulations and requirements.

Please bid with the understanding that the winning bidder has entered into a binding contract to buy the car. Due to the large increase in deadbeat auction winners, by bidding, you have agreed that if you fail to complete the transaction except for those unusual events, you will compensate the seller for the full incurred cost of re-listing the item, plus a service fee equal to 15% of the bid, payable upon demand.

I will gladly answer any and all questions via e-mail and you can also reach me at 727-455-8491 from 9:30 a.m. until 7:00 p.m. eastern time except Sunday.. Please be aware that I am a solo operation, and it will sometimes take a little while to phone folks back, but I do check e-mail at least twice a day, ‘cept Sunday. I don’t use an answering service, I don’t have anyone who “takes care of stuff” for me, and I don’t use a third party listing service. Hate to do it, but because of some less than “stand up” folks on e-bay, I’ve been forced to go to “private auctions” on autos.

Florida deliveries are subject to local sales tax and $249 title/transaction fee in addition to winning auction bid and any applicable registration fees imposed by the STATE of FLORIDA. Shipped vehicles are not subject to FL sales tax, but are subject to a $149 transaction fee to cover the costs of moving the documents back and forth and to offset the costs of providing insurance coverage for the vehicles while awaiting shipment. Out of state buyers who require a non-permanent tag to drive the car home must be charged sales tax under FL law. ALL SALES SUBJECT TO THE FLORIDA STATUES AND BUYER AGREES TO STATE OF FL JURISDICTION. ALL LISTINGS CAN BE LEGALLY REGISTERED IN THE STATE OF FL AND CONFORM TO APPROPRIATE FL REQUIREMENTS. By bidding, you agree that these terms will apply to the transaction.

If you’d like to come visit, please call for an appointment and directions to our facility. A local buyer can end the auction early by exceeding the reserve providing the reserve has not been met. After the reserve has been met, the auction will not be ended early for a local purchaser. The car is displayed locally but not advertised in any other forum while on E-Bay. Out of state buyers, please contact me for shipping costs to your location at least 24 hours prior to auction close so that I can quote an accurate price as it varies a good bit by car and location, which is not included in the auction bid price. Thank you for bidding