Mazda 8 2.3 Review: Room to move

Mazda 8 2.3 Review: Room to move

It's a latecomer to the MPV party but can the Mazda8 surpass the evergreen Toyota Previa in the large MPV class?

OneShift Editorial Team
OneShift Editorial Team
14 Jul 2010
What we like:
pros
Mazda: Well-equipped
pros
refined motor
pros
agile for its size
pros
price
pros
bigger boot Toyota: Solid image
pros
more legroom in third row than the Mazda
pros
smart looks
What we dislike:
cons
Mazda: Not as spacious as the Previa in the third row
cons
short on straightline speed
cons
nondescript looks Toyota: Not as affordable as the Mazda
cons
sparsely equipped
cons
small wheels
cons
horrendous wood trim

Overall build quality in both cars is reasonably OK although perceived luxury can be better. The Toyota's faux pas wood trim though, is just horrendous.

Rear passengers also enjoy the luxury of generously proportioned air-con vents with separate controls from the front in both the Mazda and Toyota. The latter boasts an additional rear entertainment system with a single roof mounted LCD screen but the Mazda fights back with a dealer fitted head unit that displays images from the reversing camera as well as sat nav.

The Mazda offers a long list of standard kit that the Toyota can't match including an electric sunroof, a powered tailgate, keyless operation, reversing camera, sat nav, three zone climate control and so on. Despite being better equipped, the Mazda is significantly cheaper than the Previa while offering almost as much accommodation inside, a bigger boot and a more refined drive. Looks like the Previa might not be the automatic choice anymore when it comes to big MPVs, thanks to the credible efforts of the Mazda8.

Credits: Story by Raymond Lai Photos by Yang

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