Mazda Millenia

csuftitans · August 2000

Most Mazda dealership I know here in LA, will give about $5500 to $6500 rebate/discount. Especially now that the 2001 model is coming out soos. I would to buy a Millenia, I would wait for the 2001 model, as it has the backlit display and probably xenon (maybe).

For acabral1 (2001 millenia), actually, if you look closer, the rear tail light is different from the 2000 model, the white part is on the bottom part of the tail light.

Love my Millenia

acabral1 · August 2000

csuftitans - the rear taillights for the US Version will be a carry-over from 2000 for 2001 -
The fact that the clear section of the taillight is located on the bottom for 2001 is insubstantial, the reason the 2001 Millenia rear fascia is considered to be a carry-over is because there are not any structural changes similiar to what the front fascia of the 2001 Millenia has undergone.

Hence, it is a carry-over

Regards,

acabral1 · August 2000

csuftitans - From a personal standpoint I would not recommend 19"s wheels on the Millenia,. for starters, because you will lose performance by nearly 50% - braking power will be lost, acceleration performance will be lost, and fender rubbing will definately occur -

I am speculating that your Millenia is used as a daily driven car, and you will have more headaches than you can buy aspirin for! With 19"s

The 19"s wheel issue is nice, but the use of them is mainly for show. If you really want some nice wheels that are large,. consider 18"s you will still be faced with the issues I described above but 18"s are slightly more "practical" for daily drivers.

If you do decide for larger wheels - 18"s + you will definatley need to purchase larger brakes, because the factory ones will not be effective under emergency situations!

Also, insure that you purchase wheels with the correct offset and backspacing MM's - for tires consider this application to avoid blowouts: 225/40 series I wouldn't get anything smaller for a sedan, due to it standard weight load and its weight load with full occupancy -

I am expressing this info because I had 18"s and 19"s on my previous car and had problems. Sometimes good looks aren't worth the compromise -Oh ya, consider purchasing Lowenhart wheels - they are some of the best wheels on the market.

Regards

acabral1 · August 2000

csuftitans - From a personal standpoint I would not recommend 19"s wheels on the Millenia,. for starters, because you will lose performance by nearly 50% - braking power will be lost, acceleration performance will be lost, and fender rubbing will definately occur -

I am speculating that your Millenia is used as a daily driven car, and you will have more headaches than you can buy aspirin for! With 19"s

The 19"s wheel issue is nice, but the use of them is mainly for show. If you really want some nice wheels that are large,. consider 18"s you will still be faced with the issues I described above but 18"s are slightly more "practical" for daily drivers.

If you do decide for larger wheels - 18"s + you will definatley need to purchase larger brakes, because the factory ones will not be effective under emergency situations!

Also, insure that you purchase wheels with the correct offset and backspacing MM's - for tires consider this application to avoid blowouts: 225/40 series I wouldn't get anything smaller for a sedan, due to it standard weight load and its weight load with full occupancy -

I am expressing this info because I had 18"s and 19"s on my previous car and had problems. Sometimes good looks aren't worth the compromise -Oh ya, consider purchasing Lowenhart wheels - they are some of the best wheels on the market.

Regards

mantag · August 2000

earlier I had posted about an engine droning sound that was starting to get louder. it turns out the wheel bearings/seals need to be replaced on the front. approx $500 after all said and done. also, watch out for lug(not lock) nuts that will need to be replaced too, it was another 30, included in above $. i think the lug nuts get rusted on. they had problems with this for 95-96 maybe 97, 626, mill's .

i have a 95 s. i guess it could be alot worse. they gave me a free oil change next time too. yeah!!!

ruski · August 2000

how do the Millenia's headlights perform? Are they bright enough? Do they illuminate the road well? The reason why I am asking is that I have seen a bunch of cars (mine included) that have sleek aerodynamic headlight designs that don't seem to put out light well enough.

What about foglights? Are they efficient?

Does Millenia get dented too much? - the round unprotected sides kind of make me think of that.

What does everyone think of the new 2001 Millenia's face? I think I like the older on better - the new one looks to me like a strange concoction of Toyota Avalon (headlights) and Acura RL (grille) while being too edgy.

mantag · August 2000

dont have dents yet, but it could be easy since the lower door panel "skirts" do not come up high enough to protect against door dings. just watch where you park. no problem w/ headlghts. although to compete against others they really should have

1. xenons available on s
2. side air bags
3. steering wheel controls (radio)
4. 17" wheels on s
5. horsepower boost

2001 gps sits too low to read effectively IMO

ecaf · September 2000

Hey Mantag,

If you have a Gen 1 Millenia (1994.5 to 2000) you can have your 9006 lowbeams retrofitted with "off road" (read: non-DOT) Xenon HID kit. Check out

autolamps-online.com
hidlights.com (pics of 2K Millenia with HID here!)
hitechimportlighting.com
phoenixhid.com
suvlights.com

I got my Philips HID from phoenixhid.com. Unbeatable quality and price. They look really sweet with the projector beam lenses in my '95 Millenia. Great glare control. Check it out! Learn more from the Philips forum:

http://www.lighting.philips.com/forum/forum_6/wwwforum.cgi

Good luck!

ruski · September 2000

I have not had a chance to test drive a Millenia yet. The reviews say that the steering is too light. Is this true?

milleniaman1 · September 2000

The rear of the 2001 Millenia also has a wider opening around the license plate, not just new tail lights. The 2001 model does have side air bags.

ecaf · September 2000

Where can I get more info about the 2001 Millenia besides

http://www.millenia.mazda.co.jp/

I also read the Mazda press releases on the '01 JDM Millenia on the same site. Does anybody here know of sites that have some fun, though unofficial info and spy shots of future car models? Heh heh heh.

Regards,
ecaf

ruski · September 2000

the discounts on the 2000 Millenia sure sound sweet. Can we expect the same for 2001?

acabral1 · September 2000

Ruski - It's hard to say if Mazda will be rebating the 2001 model,. I sure hope they will be!

Correct me if I am wrong, but rebates tend to be implemented six to nine months after the vehicles intial release.

Peace

acabral1 · September 2000

I thought the factory halogen lights on the 2k Millenia was poor, but the fog lights actually worked - as a matter of fact they worked great in conjunction with the factory halogen lights.

I had a HID Conversion kit installed onto my 2k Millenia S - lighting performance has increased dramatically. My kit cost $850 it took 30 minutes to install the kit. The good thing about it was that, there were no wires to cut, and the kit is plug&play - if things go as planned and I get the 2001 Millenia, I will transfer the kit.

The HID kit is not DOT Approved, but I have not been stop or questioned by the authorities about the authenticy of this HID Kit - Most folks are aware that the Millenia is a $30k + vehicle and presume that it comes with HID lights.

Peace

csuftitans · September 2000

I would bet that Mazda would provide about $1500 rebate when 2001 Millenia comes out this fall, or at least a couple of month after the release.

Hey acabral1, which HID conversion kit did you get, Phillips? DS2?. How's the color, it it more like an Acura TL bluish or like Lexus's blue/whiteish :-). Thx.

ecaf · September 2000

Acabral1, what a surprise! This is "Face" from the Philips lighting forum. "Ecaf" (Face backwards) here because that username is apparently taken already. I suspect you're the poster "Millenia". Despite our dissent regarding the appropriateness of the installation of HID on certain vehicles, it's good to see that you're contributing here. This kind of support is much needed for owners (and potential buyers) of a vehicle that is, in large part, undeservedly ignored.

Hi, Csuftitans. It has been argued that (more often) optics originally intended for halogen and (less often) subtle differences in the salt mixtures in the HID arctube contribute to a color that is normally an intense white (rather than conspicuously bluish as in OEM HID) in most HID retrofits. However, my retrofit still looks unmistakably HID. The color seems to match that of a '01 Acura CL-S I passed one night. The D2S bulb is suited to projector lenses as in the '95 Millenia. The D2R bulb is suited to reflector lenses of the '97+ Millenia. They typically carry color temperatures of 4100 to 4200 Kelvin. The hard-to-find new D2L bulb is "bluer" at 4500 Kelvin. For reference, the typical halogen bulb carries a color temperature between 3000 and 3200 Kelvin.

Mazda will start the rebate programs if it can't move 2001 models at a fast enough rate. Mazda's marketing has been practically non-existent lately, so this may be the case. Ford's got Mazda on lockdown! Let's hope that Ford Duratec engines (with all the refinement of a tractor) don't invade the Millenia as they have the MPV and the Jag S-Type.

acabral1 · September 2000

Csuftitans - I have the Philips D2S bulbs in my Millenia - The color and output resembles the Acura CL and RL - eventhough these vehicle use a D2R type bulb. I must say that an HID kit is a "must have" on a Millenia.

Peace

jkul · September 2000

Yesterday I purchased a 2000 Millenia with the premium package, only 13 miles on it. I got the car for right around $20,900. I just wanted to make sure this was a fair price that I paid. I have been looking at these for some time and really think I got a lot of car for my money.

ruski · September 2000

Millenia S or regular? I have seen regular ones advertised around here (SE FL) for $19+K

acabral1 · September 2000

If you got an "S" model, with every option - you managed to secure a good price; from a mileage standpoint. - Mazda is in preparation for the 2001's.

ecaf · September 2000

Is that the press release for the JDM Millenia that was out in July? I wonder what the U.S. specs will be. Hmmm...

octman · September 2000

Sayheymj Just leased a 200o Base load will all goodies except the "S" engine. There was a $6500 difference between sticker and final sales price. After all was negotiated including the trade of my 1991 Honda Accord, I decided to lease! The dealer here in Northern NJ swallowed hard! I walked away with a #327/mo for $1000.00 It was hard to walk away. The rebate also included $750. dealer cash. I sure it helped being the showroom floor model.

Good Luck

octman · September 2000

Sayheymj Just leased a 2000 Base load will all the goodies except the "S" engine. There was a $6500 difference between sticker and final sales price. After all was negotiated including the trade of my 1991 Honda Accord, I decided to lease! The dealer here in Northern NJ swallowed hard! I walked away with a $327/mo payment (3yrs 36K )for $1000.00 down. It was hard to walk away. The rebate also included $750.00 dealer cash. I'm sure it helped being the showroom floor model. Timeing is everything!

Goodluck

milleniaman1 · September 2000

Did you do a 2-year or 3-year lease?

acabral1 · September 2000

octman - have you ever heard of Smart Buy? It's an alternative to leasing - benefits in basic context are as follows: 15k per year mileage allowance, and you can terminate the Contract anytime with any dealer so as long as you get a payoff on your "used portion" unless you don't mind if the balance rolls into the new car purchase.

Many of my colleagues have used a Smart Buy as opposed to leasing because of the 15k mileage standard mileage allowance and the termination entitlement - which a lease doesn't have.

Regards,

rysak · September 2000

Hello, folks! I've recently purchased a brand new Millenia Millennium edition. I want to work on upgrading its stereo ( Bose is good, but its amplifier isn't powerful enough). Does anybody know where I can get a book with Millenia's electrical and sound diagrams? Thank you all.

ecaf · September 2000

I've asked about upgrading my Millenia's Bose stereo before. I was told that it is apparently difficult to upgrade Bose systems as their components are "unique". Just about the only thing that's possible is the addition of a sub and an amp. Nothing else; no tweeters, no speakers, etc. This was about two years ago. Maybe there are more upgrade opportunities now, but I honestly doubt it.

acabral1 · September 2000

rysak - Try going to a private/reputable audio components store they may have some detail reagarding what you need. There just may be a chance of doing some custom work which will probably be very expensive - but if you really want to upgrade it should be worth it.

I personally wish the treble was better, the bass is surprisingly good for factory speakers.

Regards,

acabral1 · September 2000

(L8_Apex) - Nope you are incorrect, that topic was geared to the interest and opinions of Millenia owners, If non-owners have some sort of dispute regarding that particular topic, they could either comment or disembark from the Millenia Forum. Now, if that particular topic was created in say a BMW Forum, then your argument could be warranted.

Peace

marak88 · September 2000

I love the way the paint on the my millenia S, the way it shines it had the real wet look to it, only one thing is concerning me, every time I wash my car (hand wash) I find a few extra paint chips on the car, it only has about 12500 miles and its never driven in any rough weather condition, I just want to know if any one else has this paint chipping problem or is it only me??.

I still love my Millenia.

any feed back is appreciated

regards

csuftitans · September 2000

The easiest way to improve Millenia's sound system is to replace the factory speakers. The way Bose wired the car and where they put makes it difficult to upgrade the amplifier or even to put in a sub.
When I replaced my 2000 Millenis S's head unit with an Alpine Double Din, it sounded terrible. The reason, the bose amplifier is still active, and the amp output from the Alpine + the bose amp makes it sound really bad. I ended up bringing the car back to re-wire the bose cabling with Monster cables. It sounded much better after that. Still the speaker couldn't take advantage of alpine's 40Wx4 output. So I replace both front and rear speakers with Alpine's speaker. 6x9 in the back, and a component 6 1/2" plus a tweeter(in the rear view mirror area) in the front. The installer had to custom made the speaker enclosure for the front speaker though, since Bose's front speaker is a 4x6. Now it sounded much better, clean sound and pretty good bass.

BTW, about 2001 Millenia S, I also read that it will have a lumbar support and digital odometer. Also, does anyone experience/heard any rattle noise from the rear roof area?. Thanks.

mantag · September 2000

well, wouldn't ya know all this talk about speakers.... anyway, my rear bose speakers on my 95 s , seem to be "cliping out" or have a crackling sound. i play my music load and notice this happening when it is turned up near 30 and above for the volume.. my factory bose speakers never gave me any problems and sounded pretty good for factory upgrades. i just did not have the need to spend money their yet until i needed to. this seems to be more noticeable when i play cd's as compared to the radio.

anyway, any suggestions. should the speakers be replaced? if so, would it make sense to replace w/ bose again to keep everything the same. really would want to only spend money for the speakers(if need be) instead of spending money for a new system since i plan on keeping car foer a few more years and new tires will be needed soon. any thoughts....thanks.

fergd · September 2000

My local dealer has a 98 Millenia L with 17,220 miles and they are asking $16995. Is this a fair price? I'm sure I could knock some more off of that but that's the starting price. If that is high, what is the price I should be able to get it for? I have no problem walking out of a dealer if I'm not happy, so tell me what price I should argue for!!
Also, what does the "L" designation stand for? I assume it means leather? I didn't see any kind of "L" designation when looking up stuff on Millenia's on the net. Is there anything I should look for when I go look at this car? Any common problems with Millenia's? I heard they are reliable cars....is that so? Thanks for the advice.

csuftitans · September 2000

Mantag, Millenia's bose speaker only consist of rubber/paper cone, no real tweeter. I'm pretty sure you will get better sound if you replace it with aftermarket speakers like Kenwood/Infinity/Alpine. It should also cost you less to buy an aftermarket speakers compared to getting a bose replacement from Mazda. check out www.crutchfield.com. They have good info about car speakers.

fergd, The "L" does means Leather. This "L" is not actually a real model for Millenia, just to differentiate the cloth with the leather model. BTW, for the 98 Millenia, the price seems to be pretty good for a car with that mileage, but you can probably get an S model for about $17500. Good Luck.

tomt11 · September 2000

Purchased a 2000 Millennia in Dec, '99 and have had nothing but problems. Serious braking problem causing car to pull left or right (dramatically) without warning. Main concern is with transmission - it lurches, jolts, and is basically un-smooth and unpredictable. Worst transmission I have ever had the displeasure of operating. Dealer says the transmission [problems] are "normal" and "they all do it"! My car has been to the dealer twice and will be going in again (to a different dealer) likely next week. I have made a very reasonable offer to the dealer to buy the car back, but it is unlikely it will happen. After third attempt to fix, I will send a registered letter to Mazda demanding a buy back under Michigan's Lemon Law. My questions are 1) has anyone else been experiencing these "shifting" problems? 2) Has anyone had any experience utilizing Michigan's Lemon Law? Thanks in advance.

csuftitans · September 2000

tomt11, the braking problem that you experienced is definitely a serious problem. My Millenia's braking is very solid so far, this is probably true for most other Millenia owners. The auto trans shifting problem is kind of true. I don't know wheter the kind of lurches and jolts that you experience is the same as mine since you have that other problem too, but that problem is also depend on the way you are driving. I only experience this while going up hill. If you do not press the gas pedal hard enough (which mean it will probably stay at 2nd or 3rd gear depending on how fast you were driving before the hill), then, if you press the pedal a bit more it will caused the trans to switch to 1st abruptly (hope this is clear). My solution is to press the gas pedal firmly to make sure its using 1st gear when going up hill. Other than this, I didn't encounter any other significat problem with the auto-trans. It's the best auto out there, but for me it's worth the price of driving one of the best looking car on the road. Good luck on your car.

crankky · September 2000

Hey y'all,

I recently bought a 98 Millenia base (premium pkg.) that will need its 30k service soon. (By the way, it's a great car, if you didn't already know!)

I called the local Mazda dealer and was quoted $340. A reputable independant shop was about $300. However, he mentioned a couple of things that I probably will pass on (air filter, I can do that; rotate tires, not needed, just put new ones on last week).

Do those sound like resonable prices? Any reason why I should go to the dealer for this?

Also, the owners manual indicates that a lot of the items are to be "inspected". However, both shops said that they would replace all fluids and filters as part of this service. So, what is actually necessary? Am I being scr$%#wed?

Thanks!

crankky · September 2000

In my previous post, I was asking about scheduled maintenance. I also forgot to ask about what seems to be a common problem.

With my Millenia (2.5) I notice some throttle lag or delay when accelerating from a stop. There is maybe a half second delay between the time I step on the gas to when the car begins to accelerate smoothly. Almost like it bogs down for a bit. Is this really common?

Also, the gas pedal seems "sticky". Or it feels like I must put a little extra pressure on the pedal to get it to go, almost like there's a stiff spring under the pedal. I know it's not a great comparison, buy my wifes Windstar van has a very different, and I must say a better feel. Much easier to depress the pedal.

Any suggestions on how to explain or remedy these problems?

Thanks again!

julizio · September 2000

What is a good price on a new 2000 millenia edition. there are 2 dealers in my area, each has a silver millenia edition they're trying to unload. One dealer has come with a price of invoice +500 less rebates.

any help would be appreciated.

csuftitans · September 2000

Any price $6000 below MSRP would be reasonable. I know some dealers in Los Angeles areas are offering $6500 discount. I got mine at $29990 OTD, and I still think it's a good deal (In January 2000).

toddster1 · September 2000

I also have the rattle. It started right after I got the windows tinted. They had to remove the rear window tail light to install the film and I am pretty sure this is the source of the rattle. I will probably take it out and test drive it to see if the rattle stops. If it does maybe I'll add some felt to the base to see if this fixes it. I will post the results later. P.S. The window tint really makes the car more comfortable. I can actually have the sunroof shade open now without frying my head through the glass!!

toddster1 · September 2000

1. Has anyone installed the eibach lowering springs? How about posting a review on how they perform? Body roll, ground clearance, ride quality etc.....

2. Has anyone replaced the muffler with a performance brand??

3. Has anyone found any performance part?? I've asked before and let me say now that A. K&N does not make a filter for the 99 and later, B. Jet does not make a chip.

Finally, just a word on Karma. Some rat b####rd had put a nice fat door ding in my baby the other day. It's first owie. I spent $100 bucks at the dent doctor to get it removed. I must say that they did a fantastic job. I love the sleek lines of the Millenia but what ever happened to protective body molding?? I hope God is an automotive enthusiast and has a special purgatory set up for indivuals who disrespect others property! Personally, I would like to place a fat door ding right in their forehead!!!!!

acabral1 · September 2000

I would not recommend the installation of Eibach Lowering Springs unless you can locate some aftermarket performance oriented Shocks/Struts. The recoil-rate of the Eibach's is to excessive for the factory shocks/struts and will cause your Millenia to bottom-out a lot, in addition to causing the factory shocks/struts to wearout very fast.

Just about any universal muffler is compatible with the Millenia, just find a good shop to install it for you. If you have the cash, purchase a universal muffler and have a shop fabric/replicate the factory piping using stainless steal for maximum performance and looks.

It appears as though, many if not all performance upgrades will have to be custom made - I had the same problem with the last car I owned - but I managed to accomplish a lot with it, time and money..........................

poletick · September 2000

The steering on my 99 Millenia L is a little too light for my taste, but it seems that the car just doesn't hold a front end alignment really well. Anyone else with similar experience?

toddster1 · September 2000

Millenia's are famous for having a vague steering feel. I haven't ever needed to get an alignment on the car but it does seem like you are never just able to point the car and drive. It picks up every imperfection in the rode and sends the car in another direction. This is part Mazda's fault, I think they have over assisted the steering, and also a product of a wide tire.

Thanks acabral for you input on the springs and exhuast. Have you made these mods to your car??

acabral1 · September 2000

toddster1 - I didn't do these mods to my Millenia, I had it done on my Legend. If you are
serious about lowering your Millenia and want it done right, contact the staff at - http://www.ground-control.com/ they may be able to assist in this matter.

Regards,

chexi · September 2000

I just purchased a silver 2000 Millenia Millenium edition for $24,995. It was with a trade in that they will make some but not a lot of money on. I got more than the trade-in value. I hope this helps. Good luck, it's one of the sharpest, and rarest cars on the road.

chexi · September 2000

For those of you with the 6-disc in dash changer, Have any of you had a problem? I am getting a rapid clicking and an "E-01" code, which means mechanical problem see Dealer. Something is broken in the changer. What I want to figure out is if this is typical or rare. I'd hate to have to keep taking this otherwise great car in for something like this.

chexi · September 2000

There is some hard shifting in the Millenia's transmission. I'm going to get some Redline brand ATF for it and try it out. I've heard from other posts that the stuff does wonders to smooth out hard shifting. I'll let everyone know what happens after I get it done.

P.S. I've notice some increase in gas mileage after I switched to Mobil 1 oil, but the car is so new it might just be breaking in and getting better mileage anyway. The fuel gauge, however, reads empty with 4 gallons left. I think this is typical for this car.

mpoe · September 2000

I had to replace my transmission in my 96 millenia
this year after about 80,000 miles. I bought it used in 98. Thank god for extended warranty. There really wasn't much forewarning besides a couple of days of jerky take off hesitstions. All of a sudden it died. My air cond. also went last year. I liked my car until then. I'm noticing the chipped and cracked front end paint as well. I don't think it should be there when there are not any rough conditions. Time for a new car I guess.

Mazda Millenia

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