Overview & Reviews
Upscale Japanese luxury sedans began to proliferate across the landscape in the early 1990s, with newly hatched premium brands like Toyota's Lexus and Nissan's Infiniti born to do battle against more established European and American rivals. In such a thriving marketplace, Mazda planned to get in on the aspirational act with a proposed premium division called Amati. This idea proved a little too rich for the company's pocketbook, however, and was subsequently scrapped. But all was not lost, for the junior of two planned Amati sedans came to life as the midsize entry-luxury Mazda Millenia, which was introduced in 1995 as the company's flagship replacement for the outgoing 929.
The Millenia was plagued throughout its 8-year run by a lack of upscale presence and a mild case of schizophrenia. While its styling and higher content level qualified it for the entry-luxury market, the Millenia's execution and cachet just didn't measure up -- especially considering the $30,000-plus price tag on the top-drawer Millenia S model.
Midsize sedan shoppers looking for a dash of luxury and something different might find a later-model Mazda Millenia an intriguing choice, especially the supercharged S. Other worthwhile luxury-branded used vehicles from this era include the Acura TL and Lexus ES.
Most Recent Mazda Millenia The Mazda Millenia was produced from 1995-2002. As it was originally intended to be a luxury-branded car rather than a typical Mazda, it featured upscale leather, wood and chrome appointments inside, along with higher-quality paint and better overall fit and finish. Two trim levels were available: base (with or without leather) and S. Base models came standard with a rather pedestrian 170-horsepower 2.5-liter V6, while those who followed Mazda's suggestion to "get in, be moved" could choose the more powerful Millenia S with its larger tires, standard traction control and 210-hp 2.3-liter "Miller Cycle" supercharged V6 engine. A four-speed automatic was the only available transmission. The Miller Cycle V6 was a unique power plant that featured a belt-driven supercharger to boost power and torque. It was refined and smooth, but not particularly powerful by luxury-car standards. Handling was also a mixed bag, with well-controlled body roll through smooth curves, but inadequate damping over rough surfaces. Seating up front was comfortable and well-contoured, but rear passengers suffered from a lack of thigh support and foot space. Numerous changes were made during the Mazda Millenia's eight years on the market. Equipment was upgraded for 1997 and a revised center console design arrived. Two-tone color schemes and a styling refresh showed up for 1999. The following year, the Millenia celebrated the millennium by cutting prices and offering a special-edition model. Available in two eye-catching colors, the Millennium Millenia featured 17-inch wheels, an in-dash six-CD changer and suede upholstery. The most significant changes occurred for 2001 when Mazda strengthened the Millenia's body structure to improve torsional rigidity while adding new stabilizer bars (for better handling) and bigger brakes. That year also saw exterior styling tweaked and upgrades to the interior. Side airbags were also made standard. Because of these improvements, the 2001 and '02 Mazda Millenias (the final model years) are clearly the best choices for used-car shoppers.
I do not like this car and i do not recamend it unless you have a lot of money.
This is my first car and i got it for my 16th birthday. I have spend around $2000 getting repairs done on it and I have only had it for about a year and half. It is terrible on gas. Since i have got the car i have has to replace the timing belt, change the radiator, all the spark plugs, the thermostat, the cords too the spark plugs and more. It coast way to much to get fixed and the check engine light has be on constantly, no matter what i get done it will not go off. Although it is a nice car I do not reccomend it to anyone. Also something is still wrong with the car and it wont even run now.
I purchased the Millenia in March of
2002 and ever since Ive had nothing
but troubles with the car. Since March
2002 I am in dealership twice a month.
The master brake cylinder went in 3-
months owning car, driver side mirror
motor bad, the rear struts was
replaced, door not closeing properly,
ignition switch malfunction car not
starting, transmission regulator
malfunctions cant make mind up, wires
and plug are bad and needs replacing,my
rear window defoster cracked and entire
rear windshield was replaced, driver
seat rear panels fall off, fog lights
needs adjusting every 2-months, paint
is cracking all over and April 2003 my
transmission went.
I got this car with 137k miles on it and kept it for almost 5 years. This is a luxury car and is expensive to repair. I recommend financing a certified car if you want this. Something had to be changed every few months and it usually cost north of $1000. I spent around $2000 (and even more) every year to keep this car on the road. Parts are overpriced ($330 per engine mount is insane and there are 4 of them!). The check engine light is a huge issue with this car. As it ages, many exhaust components need to be changed (vacuum lines, egr port, catalytic converters, o2 sensors...the list goes on). I can only recommend this car to a mechanic or someone with deep pockets. It loves maintenance.
I had this car about 1 year before tranny went out, and had it replaced. Mazda did help out though so I give them props. They paid for the tranny, and I paid for the labor. It was only 1,000 miles over warranty at the time. This cars interior and exterior is awesome, best bang for the buck. It really is a dog of the line, but 3rd gear and up performs ok. The rubber around the lights peels off. The paint has a defect in the side mirrors which causes them to chip off really bad. You can usually take them to Mazda and have it replaced for free. Oh, and the gas mileage of this car is horrid; check the forums. Everyone is complaining that their cars are getting nowhere near MPG that Mazda states.
I bought my Millenia new in 2002. Had problems with it from beginning. It is the white with gold bottom. Loved all the extras for the price. Very loud interior road noise. So bad you cant talk on cell. Engine light problems early on, caused by Mazda requiring premium fuel--which they later revised--but not until they had to work on the engine 5 times! Very tough dealing with Mazda. I read other reviews about how quiet theirs are. I wonder if were talking about the same car. I even bought new tires that are supposed to be known for their quiet ride. When those didnt help, I realized it was the car. Im glad all the others are satisfied. It was a lot of car for the price, but a lemon!
After owning a Lexus for the last 5
years, I decided to try something
different to lower car payments. Ive
had the Millinea for a couple of
weeks now and have come to some
conclusions. The styling of the car is
nice outside and in. I like the
dashboard, its layed out nice. The
ride is quiet and smooth. The
engine seems to hesitate when you
first step on the gas, which I find
annoying. The latch covers in the
back for the child safety seats keep
popping open. If I could do it all over
again, I would opt for an Acura or
back to another Lexus.
Car is fantastic when engine light is off. Spends to much time in the shop and car parts cost an arm and leg. I would have loves it when it was new.
The 2000 Millenia rides well but is a bit sluggish. The upshifting when passing traffic is particularly annoying. However, since I am a conservative driver it is acceptable to me.
There are many good features on this car. The leather is quite nice. The heated seats are great. The car is very handsome to look at with its two tone paint job.
Overall, I believe I got a fair deal for the money (I got about 5000 off sticker).
User Reviews:
Showing 1 through 10 of 161.00
By jwanzer
- January 29 - 4:43 am
By JonathanA
- June 8 - 10:00 am
By alwayssunny
- July 10 - 9:18 am
By coreyandj
- February 2 - 3:53 am
By kahuna
- September 25 - 1:50 am
By Steve K
- June 19 - 10:00 am
By frank
- March 27 - 10:56 am
By Ftown600
- December 10 - 7:36 pm
