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Comments
As far as acceleration... once the engine breaks in, acceleration will get better. Everything is very tight right now and will loosen up. Also, the traction control system on the Millenia S is a tad sensitive. The 210hp and 210lb-ft of torque from the supercharged 2.3L V6 can easily overcome the traction limits of the front tires. The traction control system will detect a hint of wheel spin and immediately retard engine timing to reduce power while maintaining rpm to keep the wheels from spinning. The computer will not allow full power until it has determined that full traction has been regained. The best acceleration method on the Millenia S with the traction control system engaged is smooth throttle from a stop and increasing throttle pressure as the vehicle speeds up. Otherwise, turn off the TCS button (dash should indicate "TCS OFF"). The acceleration of the Millenia S increases with speed. However, you do have to agree that the acceleration at freeway speeds is impressive.
1. Mileage: 1st fillup - 20 mpg Last fillup (this morning) - 25 mpg
2. Acceleration: I have not experienced TCS slowing me down. Of course, I don't race the engine either, but I've had it once or twice up to 5,000 rpm (AFTER first 1000 miles). What I've noticed is that 'flooring it' doesn't work very well. You have to kind of press the pedal 3/4 of the way, get the car moving and then - quickly - floor it. This way I get _really_ good takeoff.
As jstafender mentions, acceleration from 70mph up is just mind-boggling.
I've also talked just yesterday to somebody with 1996 S - he described it as flawless. I hope mine stays that way.
Tomek
Thanks for your recommendations/suggestions. I will try driving my car with the TCS button off and let you know if it improves the acceleration. No, I don't push the car. If anything, I probably drive slower than most people. And yes, I agree this car is great on highways, quick and smooth.
Richard
I've been driving with the TCS off and I've noticed a slight improvement with acceleration. Thanks for the tip! However, I still notice that when I press the gas pedal from a stand still, the transmission often hesitates for a second or two and I feel a small vibration from the gas pedal. The engine/transmission is also noisier than usual. If I press the pedal a little harder (maybe half way down, not flooring it), the car picks up the speed, and it becomes quieter and smoother. Is this normal for Millenia S engine/transmission?
No, I have not noticed what you're describing and since it hasn't been a problem I have not payed much attention to how my S accelerates from a still stand. Tomorrow I'll try to test it.
Are you doing this on warm engine?
Do you use 91+ pump octane (in my neck of the woods I use the common 93 octane)?
Tomek
Yes, I only use 93 octane gas from Amoco. And yes, it usually happens when the engine is warm. Tomekk, try it with your A/C on. It appears to be more frequent when my A/C is on. I really love this car except for this. Hope it goes away with more mileage. I also read several comments in this forum regarding the "cranky" transmission with some Millenia S, could this be the problem with my car? If yes, is there anything I can do? BTW, I paid $26,500 for a white S (it had 66 miles) with four seasons, 17" chrome wheels, and 6 cd-changer. My MPG has improved slightly from 17 to 18. Again, thanks for your suggestions. This forum has been most helpful.
Richard
I've tested it (with TCS off) and, so to say, it "goes like stink", shifting at ~5900 RPM. Of course, I've interrupted the test at 90mph... I had AC off, though. I'd recommend that you talk to your service department manager and invest some time in a test drive with him. What you're describing doesn't sound right. You could also "test-drive" another Millenia S to compare... :-) And remember, that for the first 12000 miles/1 year even "adjustments" are covered by the warranty, so use it.
I've paid $26K for Sand Mica with 32.5 sticker. I went kayaking with my 5 year old son today - about 50 mile drive from my house, all highway. I was tremendously enjoying the car. Cruise at 80 is so effortless, much better than my previous car - 95 Passat GLX (5 speed wagon).
Cranky transmission: Last week I bumped into my service manager when I was picking up wind deflector (for the sun roof) and I mentioned to him that in the morning, just after start, my tranny hesitates shifting from 2nd to 3rd. I press "Hold" in drive to force 3rd gear around 3000RPM. He said they get complaints about Millenia S trannys all the time, but the 2001s are by far the best. It's just not Lexus smooth, that's all.
Tomek
I did test drive a black S before I bought my white and don't remember it had this problem. Again, this problem usually happens only after 10-20 minutes of driving. Unfortunately, my dealer does not have any S in stock. I also check with a couple of dealers in my area and all of them are out of S. I guess I going to have to wait for a couple of weeks before I can test drive another Millenia S. And yes, I agree with you, my S is extremely quick, smooth, and quiet on highways.
By the way, how much did it cost to install the wind deflector? Are you happy with it?
Richard
wind deflector was under $50, and took me 15 minutes to install. I can go up to 70-75 with my sunroof completely open. It works.
When the sunroof is closed, above 65 or so (I do 85-90, on highways that I know, with radar detector) there is some wistle from it, but not too bad. Money well spent.
I also got mudflaps (installed "free" at the dealer before delivery).
I am kind of still looking for something similar to your acceleration problem, but to no avail so far...
Hope this helps -
Tomek
Finally, I have some insight into my problem. I purchased a used 95 Millenia 2.5L earlier this year. The car had alot of problems when I bought but got it to almost new condition. The engine was replaced right before I purchased it and had only 40k miles on it. However, it did have a bad head which I promptly replaced. After that, the car was great. However, I had this vibration when I accelerated. I have about 93k miles now. I thought is was as a result of all the work done to the car.
However, the vibration while accelerating didn't happen all the time. Just occasionally. Mostly after a California stop. Then, I noticed it was more intense when I had the AC on. So I thought, this couldn't be something mechanical because it occurred only occasionally. Then I thought of the TCS which I've read has cause many problems in Millenias. I switched it off and voila, NO TRANSMISSION VIBRATION!!!!! I was ecstatic! Then I went to the town hall yesterday and noticed that others had it. For a 2000 Millenia to have it definitely shows a flaw in the Mazda TCS system. Man, You would think they would have gotten it right after 6 years. Problem solved. Still have a clunky transmission though. Another Millenia drawback. Anybody out there have any insight on permanently disabling TCS?
you're talking about 95 Millenia, Richard has 2001 Millenia S. DIFFERENT engine, DIFFERENT transmission.
I have 2001 S and no sign of this (elusive) problem.
Just my $0.02.
Tomek
I'm sure I could get them down even more. Is this something worth looking into? I'm a newbie to the Millenia, but not to Mazda. Any reliability issues? How long (miles) could I expect it to last?
Any help- non-biased would be greatly appreciated as I may go in tonight or tomorrow to have a look.
Thanks!
Execute demo means either a dealership manager used it as a "demo", or a Mazda corporate employee used it as a "demo" (the latter is called a "Brass Hat"). $22,500 is too high for that car. There is a $4,000 rebate on the 2001 models, plus discounts usually amounting to $2,000. That means you can pick up a brand new 2001 Millenia S for just a couple of thousand more. A more fair price would be between $20,000 and $20,500. Remember, this vehicle is in actuality a used car except for the fact that it hasn't been registered yet.
In terms of reliability, the Millenia S is an excellent car. You should easily get 150,000+ miles out of it without any major problems. Of course, you must keep-up maintenance on the vehicle. The supercharger and valve train are quite sensitive to oil quality. Do realize that maintenance is quite expensive on this car, particularly spark plug and timing belt changes. It is a drawback, but the 2.3L Miller-Cycle V6 is a marvel of engineering and is about as refined as you can get.
I'm familiar with caring for turbos, but don't know much about supercharged engines. Is there any special care that needs to be taken with them, and should I be concerned about whether those 6k miles were 6k "hard" miles?
Thanks for your quick reply. I really appreciate it.
Oil change should've been performed at 3K-5K miles.
I've bought 2001 S brand new (sticker 32.5) for $26K six weeks ago.
Hope this helps,
Tomek
cheers
Was it easy to install the wind deflector? Did you have to drill holes?
BTW, my car is running better and quicker. I guess more mileage has helped "break in" the car. In addition, I did not have to use the A/C last week and I think that made a difference. Do you have some pictures of your car with wind deflector and mud flaps? I would like to see them. I plan to take pictures of my car this weekend and will post the link here sometime next week.
Richard
the wind deflector has two hook-like contraptions that catch on the the edge of the sunroof opening - you tighten them with 2 screws, that's all. All you need is a Philips scredriver and 15 minutes (including reading the installation manual!). Really easy, just make sure the seal at the bottom of the deflector lays flat on the roof.
Pictures? - I'm not THAT much in love with my car... :-) but now that you mention it, maybe I'll post something after the weekend. I really do like the mudflaps, I had them on my Passat and they do keep the car much cleaner on the sides (and tar-free, too!). Interestingly enough in some countries in Europe (as you can tell I am no native English speaker) they are required equipment as they reduce water spray thus improving visibility in the rain for those who follow you.
I'm glad to hear your Millenia is running smoother. Enjoy it! and take it easy, you still have 50K miles of bumper-to-bumper warranty to iron out any glitches. I tell you, this car grows on me . . . I like it more and more every day.
Tomek
I went to Ebay's web site earlier today and saw several Millenias for sale. I noticed that several of them had rear spoiler. Did Mazda offer rear spoiler as an accessory for pre-2001 models? I looked at the list of accessories for 2001 Millenia and did not see rear spoiler. Where can I get one and how much do they cost?
This is my first car with leather seats. A friend told me Lexol is the best product for leather seats. What do you guys use?
Richard
Anyhow....
I've actually been seriously considering/looking @ an Acura 3.2TL -- 99 or 00 model. 3.2L 225HP engine, schwwinngg LoL... but anyhow they are great cars, great reliability, but it's going to be slightly hard finding one for under $20000 with decent miles. Although, perhaps by the time I'm ready to buy (late Sept/Early Oct.) that'll be a better time for lower prices right (winter/fall time...)
Anyhow, I also have always liked the Millenias. To me they are another Acura Legend (GREAT looking cars... just classy and understated and will continue to get looks for 10-15 years) I still see a 92 Legend on the road and damn thats a nice car.) But I digress....
The really attractive part of the Millenia is the crappy resale --- 2000 Millenia S Milleniums for like $18-19k. with 20-30k mileage. I don't care about resale in this case (Acura or Mazda) because I plan on having the car throughout college -- (about 7 years) and I plan on putting tons of mileage on it (by the time I'm ready to sell it I should have added at least 120k)
So I need a car that WILL last. Without a lot of major problems/maintenance. I can handle the 60k service (I'll just start my lil' "Service Fund")
But I'm worried about the tranny... I had to replace that in my TBird and spend $750 on one from a junked car --- new was like $1900. Excuse me, that was actually to rebuild mine -- I don't even want to guess new price.
According to Consumer Reports -- Reliability is "Very Good".
With the engine getting the red circle with the dot (best) for 98 & 99 -- but a full black dot for 95! the three years avail. (some have insuff. data) 95--98--99 have the Very Good and Excellent for Trannys... so is it just that they aren't smooth, but still well built?
I'm under the impression these are assembled in Japan which leads me to believe they have superior build quality inside (i.e. no squeaks/rattles, fit finish probs...) Over on the Acura TL board -- the TL is very good, however, many that have owned the Legends before hand (assembled in Japan, TL in US) said they notice a major difference and the Legend just felt more solid. Thats one part where the Millenia earns my vote if its true. Squeaks and rattles drive me insane -- and my TBIrd the whole thing is HORRID. I just have the radio blaring all the time.
on the 2k Millenium Ed. with the BOSE -- whats the configuration of it?
(speakers/wattage) The TL has a 5 speaker (4 doors & an Nd Woofer in the rear deck) it has good sound, but it could seriously use some tweeters. I'm not an audiophile, but I like to turn up a good song and get good solid bass and treble without it getting distorted but still sounding good.
I guess that's it for now -- any thoughts, suggestions, etc etc. would be appreciated!!!
*****anyone out there have luck with an aftermarket muffler/exhaust system??? where????
The only other car we really considered was the Accord EX V6. In the end, we 1)thought the Millenia was more attractive, 2)thought the Millenia was a great bargain, and 3)didn't think the world needed another Accord on the road! Yeah, we give up some power and will probably get dinged a bit should we need to sell it anytime in the next few years, but in the end, we feel like we are in a much more luxurious car for less money, so I guess value is in the eye of the keyholder.
Now we have to work on just having 825 posts. I think the Protege board gets that in a good day!
zoom-zoom
wouldn't you lose a lot of money upgrading 2000 to 2001?
Just curious how you justify that...
Tomek
with his 2001 S :-)
Even though I have the smaller engine in my Millenia, I can't wait to break it in a little and start opening her up some. The engine certainly sounds willing! The one thing I already love about the car is how much quieter it is than the Protege. I can actually appreciate the sound system!
BTW, to anyone who has driven both Millenia and Millenia S, which one has a quiter engine. when I test drove a used '98 Millenia, I thought during idle, the Millenia's 2.5 V6 engine is quieter; about the same while driving.
Oh, and the only thing I have found so far that bugs me is the fan control. Say you have the fan on the second setting and get too cold. You can't simply click it back one notch. You have to go through speeds 3 and 4 before you get back to one. Not a big deal, just an observation.
Did you guys know that Merceded Benz in its newest 6 cyl AMG model uses Lysholm screw supercharger, just like Millenia S (they do it on a 3.2L V6 end up with something like 350BHP).
csuftitans, I just searched www.google.com for "mazda millenia parts" and that's what it came back with - I'm sure you'll find more:
http://www.corksport.com/others/millenia.html
http://www.pricingcentral.com/mazda/millenia.html
http://www.4autobodyparts.com/cgi-bin/4autobodyparts/body_parts.html?body=MAZDA&parts=MILLENIA
http://www.mazdastuff.com/directory.cfm?CategoryID=77
... and so on.
Good luck!
Tomek
Toyota dealers were very courteous, the Nissan dealers for the most part were not a good experience. But the whole buying experience at Courtesy Mazda was by far the most pleasant I have ever had.
There are great incentives right now, so don't wait if you are wanting one of these beautiful cars.
My dad really likes the Millenia S. We've tried a 98 and 2000 model and both have a funny vibration at Freeway speeds (70 MPH/120KMH). We didn't notice the problem while gunnning it though, just at that speed. Is this similar to your problem that was solved by shutting off the traction control? My dad loves the car and will probably buy a used one, but this issue really bugs him.
Which are better though, 17s or 16s? (apart from the style factor)
Do 17s give slightly more vibration and road noise as a compromise to superior handling?
Tire vibration can be usually cured by wheel balancing (done by somebody who KNOWS what he is doing) and - if that doesn't help - alignment (more $$$).
I have 2001 S with 17 inchers. I don't think those 17 inchers are necessary, but they look good. There is no significant quality of ride difference between 16 and 17 inch wheels IMHO; 16 inchers are good enough.
Tomek
As far as the poor depreciation is concerned. I don't see how that can factor in, when they gave me at least two years worth of depreciation to start with. Sure feels good to have found such a bargain on what is obviously a world class vehicle.
BTW, I have to say that a 16 inchers on a Millenia will give you a slightly better ride, since the tires is higher profile, 55 series compared to 50 on a 17 inchers.
A couple years ago I drove a 98 ES 300. What a plain car, it really lacked personality.
One of the reasons I bought my 2001 Millenia S is that it got a very reliable rating from Consumer Reports. In the upscale cars category, it was placed as the third most reliable car, lower than Infinity I30 and Lexus ES300 but higher rating than Acura TL, BMW 3 series, Audi A4 and 6 other cars. Hope this helps!
Richard
Reliability wise, everything I find gives it top rating, including Consumer Reports, with a red dot rating, (the very best), and red checkmarks(the best) for every year available, except '95 which is average (black check mark), because of the spark plug wire problem apparently, as pointed out by jstandefer above.
It truly is a great car so far, and the styling startles you when you go to your garage and see it. It is that beautiful, mine is Platinum Silver Mica, with light gray leather interior.
By the way, if you are in the Tampa area, check Courtesy Mazda on Hillsbourough. No luxury building, just a great dealership that sold me a great car at rock bottom price. Know your stuff when you go to any dealer. Right now there are $4000 in incentives, and they go way down from there. I mean WAY down. Happy car hunting.