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Mazda Millenia

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Comments

  • ruskiruski Member Posts: 1,566
    so what's the full price (if you did not have a trade-in)?
  • chexi1chexi1 Member Posts: 4
    Well, right off the bat I was quoted $25,495 before they knew about a trade-in, so you should be able to get it for at least that price, if not better. Good luck.

    Chexi
  • rbrubakerrbrubaker Member Posts: 54
    You guys make me sick! I thought I got a smoking deal when I paid $27,500 for my 1999 S in Jan of 1999. In 1998 they were going for over $30,000. At least I got 3.9% financing and lifetime oil changes.
  • kearlykearly Member Posts: 1
    I am going to test drive a Mazda Millenia tonight. I really had not heard much about the car prior to seeing it today at the dealer. Right now I have a 1989 Mitsubishi Mirage that I have had since high school with 160,000 mi and my wife and I need a second car. We test drove a 1998 Toyota Camry, 1998 VW Beetle, and a 1997 VW Jetta. Obviously, you can see that we are looking for a car in a certain price range and I am working with a dealer that will give me a good deal due to where I work and a friends recommendation.

    After driving these other cars, he showed us this 1997 Mazda. It has 48,000 mi, and is loaded with everything - Leather, cd, heated seats, etc. I am not sure whether it is an 'S' or 'L' series.

    I am now concerned after reading a lot of the posts about this car. This car is listed at $17,995, but most likely I would be able to get it for 15,000 or so.

    Any advice or words of wisdom?

    Kevin
  • acabral1acabral1 Member Posts: 122
    From a personal standpoint, I am quite confident in the Millenia - (well the 2000 Models)Thus far, I have not had any problems with mine. The Millenia, isn't the best car in the world, but for the money spent, and plathora of standard features, moderate maitanence cost, and tax savings. It's an excellent value!

    Any slight bit of imperfections or "should haves" that I may have come accross are really insubstantial to me from a logical standpoint once I recant to the dollar to value ratio -

    If you decide to purchase a later model, just review some of the "problems" that owners of similiar models/years have experienced, and carefully check for signs/symptoms of them in the model year Millenia you are considering - for what its worth.

    It very difficult to identify each and every flaw or malfunction that a used car has/may be subjected to from a 20 minute test drive.

    Regards,
  • acabral1acabral1 Member Posts: 122
    Has anyone managed to obtain information regarding the release date of the 01' models. All
    of my local dealerships are keeping the exact release date on the "hush-hush" so they can remove all the 00' Millenia's of the lot first.
  • prophet2prophet2 Member Posts: 372
    Saw three yesterday, one "S" in pearl white, two base w/leather, Bose, etc. (one two-tone pearl white, one in platinum). Same body, with added chrome treatment below the trunk lid surrounding the license plate area and a few other upgrades. But, no rebates ...... for now.
  • acabral1acabral1 Member Posts: 122
    Do you see these at night? I think you may have been confusing them for the '00 Millenias -

    Although I can't manage to obtain an exact release date, the rumours that are floating around are uttering a release around the December, January time frame -

    The problem is that I have also heard that the '01 will will release prior to the above mentioned date as well - Late September to October time frame.

    The fact of this matter is that, the actual "delivery" date will be the same at all Mazda dealerships within CONUS, therefore, you couldn't have seen a '01 Millenia

    Regards,
  • chexichexi Member Posts: 13
    A quick note on MPG. My new 2000 S is getting 23-25 mpg with mixed hwy and city driving. I guess that's pretty good. One thing I've noticed that I think is true for all is that the gas guage hits empty with about 4 gallons left. This may have been intentional as you really shouldn't let the tank go to empty. It's a bit annoying, but just figure you have 80 miles or more when the empty light first comes on.

    As for insurance, I realize this is a free plug, but I went to Youdecide.com and requested a quote for my 2000 Millenia S Millenium Edition. I've got all the basics required for a financed car and then some. I'm a 27 year old male with one nasty ticket still on my record. I ended up with a quote of $1180 per year (yes that's per year not per 6 months). This blew my mind, as I thought I was getting a decent deal at $1650. The best part is, when I said I would pay it all at once, they dropped it down another $115 bucks. For anyone out there who thinks they may be paying too much for insurance, I suggest you use this wonderful thing called the internet. It just saved me $500 per year. :) BTW, YOudecide just gets quotes from insurance companies, they do not sell or underwrite the insurance. Good luck all.
  • chexichexi Member Posts: 13
    I just saw a pic of the 2001 Millenia. I don't know about everyone else, but I think the vertical lincolnesque grill on the 2000 is one of its best features. To me, it's what really separates the looks of the car from a Maxima, and it let's everyone out there know that this is a luxury car. The new grill, while Acuraesque, I think is less classy. I was about to kick myself for buying a 2000 when I heard of some of the new features on the 2001, but now I'm glad I bought the 2000.
  • ruskiruski Member Posts: 1,566
    last April.

    At the New York Auto Show. I remember walking away spitting, because I could not believe what they have done to such a nice car. The new grille and new sharp hood creases are ruining it now.

    It was locked up so I don't know about the interior.
  • ruskiruski Member Posts: 1,566
    but then again, if 2001 flops because of its style - consumer will benefit.
  • csuftitanscsuftitans Member Posts: 215
    I am too Glad that I got the 2000 Millenia S compared to the 2001. I was going to wait for it before I see the 2001 picture. Now that Ive seen it, I'm glad that I got the 2000 model. But then again, the 2001 might look better in real life than in pictures. I will however replace my tail light with the new one, so I'll look different.
  • acabral1acabral1 Member Posts: 122
    The front fascia of the '01 Millenia is something that has to "grow on you" if you will. My speculation is that Mazda changed the front end of the Millenia to obtain a more masculine look like many of the other luxury/near-luxury vehicles on the market today.

    Eventhough the '00 Millenia has the similiarily exact body style as its predecessors, I think the subtle changes to it makes it standout a great deal. Especially, the rear fascia with its refined tailights and metallic trim, the front fascias clear/smoke coloured bumper reflectors refreshens the appearance a great deal as well.

    The biggest quam that I have about owning the '00 Millenia, is that all us '00 owners will literally be "upside on our financing", because whenever a rebody occurs previous models tend to depreciate very fast - regardless of the price you paid for it OTD.
  • prophet2prophet2 Member Posts: 372
    Saw three more 2001 Millenias today at another dealer. They have the different nose treatment - you either love 'em or hate 'em. Besides, the stickers all identified them as '01s.

    These did not have the leather and other goodies as part of the $2000 option package charged in the 2000 model. Apparently, these are included in the base price.
  • csuftitanscsuftitans Member Posts: 215
    Ecaf, you're right on the money. The 97 & up 626 looks very bland, even after they re-freshened it in '99 still looks bland. I used to owned a '93 626ES, replace the grille and headlights with the 5-door hatchback Australian version, it's one of the best looking front end anywhere (I have pics to prove it). The maxima has a better looking front end now, but the butt is butt ugly. MX-8 would be a Great idea if Mazda can come up with it, I can only hope.
  • chexi1chexi1 Member Posts: 4
    Ecaf,

    I wholeheartedly agree. I was considering the Maxima, as a friend of mine had an older model edition I really liked. The later models, however, are a monstrosity (especially the rear end. What's with those stupid tail lights?) I agree also about the 626. Another friend of mine had an older model 626 several years ago, and I really liked it. Now, I find the 626 quite plain. It's funny though, because the Millenia's differences from the 626 are only subtle (as far as styling goes), but I find the millenia to be an absolutely beautiful car. It just goes to show how subtlties can make all the difference.

    Has anyone noticed that Mazda is starting to advertise again like mad. Of course it's for the MPV. I still haven't seen a Millenia commercial since 1995. Fine by me. I love having one of only a handful around. There's a sort of commaraderie in it. On those rare occassions I see another one on the road, I glance over and give a nod to the driver... the driver almost always returns the nod acknowledging that we both know a secret held by a select few... Millenia...
  • rvrbs00rvrbs00 Member Posts: 2
    Hello, this is my first visit...just purchased a 2000 sand mica MilleniaS with chrome wheels...looks great...my question...Do I need mud guards...I think it will detract from the appearance of the car but I do not want to deal with tar...paint chips etc.
  • ruskiruski Member Posts: 1,566
    2001 does not look better in person either. I am glad that you are glad that you got 2000. :)

    ecaf - I agree on all points, including your thoughts about Maxima and Q45. They looked so good in early 90's.
  • marak88marak88 Member Posts: 57
    I have mud guards put on my millenia S sandmica and It does not take away any of the looks, As a matter of fact I thinks that it adds to the looks.
    go for it,:-).
  • rvrbs00rvrbs00 Member Posts: 2
    marak88...thanks for the advise...did you get them at your mazda dealer and what color are they ?
  • marak88marak88 Member Posts: 57
    yes, i got them from the mazda dealer, I think they cost around $85-95 for all 4 of them, they even put them on for me, black is the only color they come in.
  • marak88marak88 Member Posts: 57
    I think that your price @ 27500 is not a bad price at all, if you calculate the interest @3.9% assuming its for 5 years, then you are paying about $2813 worth of interest, if someone else buy the millenia now @ $25500 with 7% interest rate for 5 years, then the interest will be around $5172 in interest, calculating the difference in interest is $2359, if you take the $2359 out of your 27500 then your deal is actually $25141, on top of all of that you have got your car in Jan 1999 not at the end of the year, before mazda discounted the prices even more. I think that you got a super deal, you did real well.
  • acabral1acabral1 Member Posts: 122
    To all those out there who own a '00 Millenia and are looking for a good leather and interior cleansing product, I can assist you here. I have a product that cleans 100 times better than all the retail products that are out on the market.

    This product does not leave any of that greasy/oily sheen that many other products leave behind, I have been using this product for about 2 years now, and I can assure you that there is nothing better available.
  • chexi1chexi1 Member Posts: 4
    What I did for price was went with dealer financing at 9.99%, but paid it off in full on my first payment with a home equity line of credit. The Home equity line of credit will have an effective after deduction rate of between 5.5 and 6%. This is not a bad option for those who can use it.
  • acabral1acabral1 Member Posts: 122
    Good move, you get a tax write off for on a purchase like a lease, without the headaches of a mileage allowance.
  • ecafecaf Member Posts: 44
    Chexi1 mentioned that Mazda has recently become more aggressive in their advertising. Check out the MPV commercials. Also, many print ads are starting to crop up for the Tribute SUV. Note that both use Ford's Duratec V-6 engines. Something's kinda fishy here. When was the last time you saw advertising with such vigor with freshened Mazda-powered vehicles like the '98 Protege, or '99 Millenia? Hmmm...

    And why does the 626 only have 170 horsepower in its V-6 when competitors have 20 more? Is a certain company afraid that a 200 horsepower 626 will caniballize sales of their 200 horsepower sedan they call the Taurus? Hmmm....

    These provocative questions may be answered when Mazda introduces the refreshened '01 Millenia and '01 Miata Roadster (new projector headlamps, air dam, bigger wheels and 15 more horses). These are, in large part, Mazda designed, Mazda engined. Will these vehicles get the same (advertising) attention as the Ford-powered MPV and Tribute? Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm...

    I'm very happy with the years of reliable driving my older Millenia S has given me. But if rumors of a supercharged Duratec in a future Millenia come to fruition, I'm buyin' an IS300. Be careful, Mazda.
  • ecafecaf Member Posts: 44
    You're killin' me! :-) Give us the name and decription of the cleaning product you mentioned. It's time I clean the inside of my car.
  • windowphobe6windowphobe6 Member Posts: 765
    Then again, the 626 weighs 200 to 400 lb less than the competition, so it's less of a liability on the road - but they don't quote curb weights in the advertising, do they?
  • chexichexi Member Posts: 13
    Other than a K&N Filter (a 97 works on the 2000 btw), has anyone found a decent way to improve horsepower on the S? Anyone out there tried a smaller pulley on the supercharger, or any sort of exhaust work?
  • ecafecaf Member Posts: 44
    chexi,

    I'm leary of most upgrades because they are, in large part, "generic" parts that need to be custom fabricated to fit the S. All I have on my S is that K&N drop-in element (not that cone thing). I put it in at 40,000 miles. At 108,000 miles, I can barely feel any difference. That I 'barely' feel anything might be the placebo effect. At least I save money in the long-term since it's not disposable. Oh well...

    You may want to try asking the folks at

    http://www.jetchip.com

    They may be able to reprogram your S 2.3's ECU. They do offer a chip upgrade for the 2.5 though. Millenia L 2.5/626/MX-6 owners take note. If this doesn't help horsepower figures much, it will likely help your fuel economy.
  • chexichexi Member Posts: 13
    Thanks for the info ecaf. Yeah, I don't notice much on my drop in K&N either. But hey, beats having to replace one every 6k. And if it does the job of keeping more dust, etc., out of the engine, great. I just went driving today... just to drive. It's something I never did before I got my Millenia. I can't wait to take it on my first long trip. Although, I don't look forward to getting all those dead bugs on my car. :)

    Chexi
  • chexichexi Member Posts: 13
    Does anyone know the 0-60 and quartermile stats for the Millenia S?
  • acabral1acabral1 Member Posts: 122
    Ecaf says - "You're killin' me! :-)" It's just called Leather & Vinyl Cleaner. You will not be able to purchase this at a retail store. Give me your name and address and I will send you a bottle. You probably have been using cleansers like Lexol or Armoral to clean/protect the interior of your cars, after one thorough application of this product. All the greasy/oily sheen on your car/s will be removed.

    Regards,
  • acabral1acabral1 Member Posts: 122
    What ecafe, basically means by "generic" is that many of the performance upgrades you can obtain/use will not be specifically tuned to your Millenia.

    Even if you decide to go the custom route, your car should be fine with the upgrades - just do some research first! There are a lot of young kids out there who would love to your use car as an experiment.


    Peace
  • acabral1acabral1 Member Posts: 122
    If anyone out there wants to install an intake on their Millenia, contact the fellas at Weapon-R. They will design a tuned Intake for your Millenia.

    Check them out at: http://weapon-r.com/ I had them make one for my last car.

    Regards,
  • acabral1acabral1 Member Posts: 122
    Car & Driver, tends to have the ability to make folks believe whatever they want - espcially with the 0-60 time on the '00 S. The time indicated is completely absurd, if that's the case C&D is telling me a Civic Si is faster than a Millenia S!? OK!

    They were probably confusing the times with protege'.
  • chexi1chexi1 Member Posts: 4
    Thanks again for the info ECAF. I have the 2000, which is shown being a real dog. It doesn't feel that slow. I just found out that one of my good freinds has the testing equipment. I'll run the 0-60 and the quartermile (once I've found a suitable, non-cop infested spot) and post my results.

    Chexi
  • acabral1acabral1 Member Posts: 122
    Ecaf - I will the differ with you on the Civic Si argument, based on my own personal experience. About 2 months after I took ownership of my Millenia S, I raced a blue Civic Si at a stop light, for approximately a half mile. And was ahead of the guy by one cars lenghth!

    And I will tell you, that the guy in the Si had his Civic screaming to its redline from the sound eminating from his engine - from an exterior assesment, this guys Civic was completley stock with the exception of a aftermarket muffler.

    Another point that I should add is that I didn't even utilize the "Hold" feature on my Millenia. From what I have seen, the majority of these 0-60 times on particular vehicles appear to be an average time, with variances.

    Don't get me wrong, comparing the speed of a Millenia S vs. a Civic Si, is like comparing apples and bannas,. but for my particular situation myself and the civic owner obvious had a desire/urge to see which car had more "juice"! I certainly did, because I have always heard of how well the rev happy Si's engine can haul [non-permissible content removed] and I wanted to see if this Miller Cycle Engine can perform.

    Regards,
  • acabral1acabral1 Member Posts: 122
    Ecaf - I will agree with you on the Civic Si comment, when you compare the "times" and actual side by side performance times; on the Base Model Millenia, 170bhp (626/V6 Engine -

    It's easy to debate my response to your comments by saying, that neither myself or the Civic Si driver knows how to drive; my response to that would perhaps the folks at C&D or MT can't driver either!

    Regards,
  • acabral1acabral1 Member Posts: 122
    What are everyones thoughts on this feature in comparison to the Tipronic or Sequential feature?

    Regards
  • ecafecaf Member Posts: 44
    Sorry, regarding the Civic Si, I failed to site my source! Motor Trend tested the Honda Civic Si 5-speed manual at 7.2 seconds 0-60. It's in the April 1999 issue. The only Motor Trend figures for the Millenia that I have are for the 1995 model, 7.6 seconds 0-60 for the S 2.3, as indicated a few posts ago. Their test numbers speak for themselves. Then again, so does your street race (shame on you both! Kidding.). So I can neither agree nor disagree.

    Can't wait to see Chexi's acceleration figures.

    Regarding the Millenia's HOLD feature for the 4-speed auto transmission: it's a very lame, cumbersome feature that doesn't befit a car with an otherwise excellent drivetrain. For example, dropping to second requires that you 1) shift down one, then 2) hit the hold button. A far more elegant setup would be like the one in the Acura TL, where you simply select "D2". That's it -- all in one step. Daimler-Chrysler also has a better thought out solution with its "AutoStick". Simply nudge the shifter left or right for a lower or higher gear. Porsche/Audi's Tiptronic is nice and simple, too.

    Now, let's talk about the tranny itself. It's apparently the same Jatco transmission as the Nissan Maxima's and I30's. The current 4-speed doesn't do the Miller Cycle motor justice. First, it lacks the smoothness of the typical Lexus/Toyota automatic. Second, the gearing isn't spaced quite right to keep that Miller Cycle cookin'. What it needs is a five-speed auto, six-speed manual or both! Frankly, 4-speed autos have reached obsolescence in cars like this. Lexuses (Lexi?), Acuras, BMWs and M-Bs now use 5-speed autos that essentially take out much of the performance advantages that 5-speed manuals have.

    Geez. Now I'm making myself look like I just complain a lot. I'm actually quite happy with my car. Really.

    -Ecaf
  • toddster1toddster1 Member Posts: 18
    The car is definately better off with the button than without, but there are much better alternatives out there. Maybe the car needs to buttons, one to downshift and another one to hold. I also love my car but that doesn't mean there isn't room for improvement. I really wish Mazda would wake up and develop the car to its full potential.

    Here is what I want...

    A 3.0 supercharged, dohc v6. The car runs good now but could use more torque. 210HP was pretty respectable back in 1995, not anymore.

    An option for a 5sp manual transmission.

    Sportier seats that hold you in place better.

    Turn down the power steering boost already.

    Saturn type dent proof door panels.

    Side impact air bags.

    The stainless steel scuff gaurds for the door jam should be standard.

    Steering wheel mounted radio controls.

    Garage door opener holders in ceiling.

    HID headlights.

    Don't screw up the looks.

    If Mazda isn't willing to ante up on most of the items above they might as well stop pretending to compete with Acura, Lexus, Audi and BMW. They should go ahead and just drop the base price down to the 25K everybody ends up paying for them anyway and compete with the Camry, Accord, Passat, and Maxima.

    I guess it all equals out though, because if they did have all of the above features they really would sell for 30K and I wouldn't have been able to afford one. OOOOh the humanity!
  • chexichexi Member Posts: 13
    Dear All,

    I don't know if my car is defective or what, but when I hit the HOLD button it does Drop Down a Gear. So my HOLD button is really a 1 gear downshift. I did not know this until the other day when I let a good friend of mine test drive my new 2000 Millenia S (M Edition). I told him about the hold and he tried it while we were doing about 60. Sure enough the car downshifted (with only a touch of the hold button) and we started to take off. I tried it later and it works. If it's a defect, man I'm not getting it fixed!

    Also, as for Toddster's comments on the seats. I don't know about the leather, but the synthetic suede seats really hold you in place. I didn't think I'd like them, and I don't... I love them. They wrap around your sides just enough, and the grip of the suede keeps you in place.

    As for the tranny, well it could be smoother. Soon I'll put some Redline tranny fluid in and see if it helps. If the tranny is the same as the Maxima, I wonder if one couldn't drop in the Maxima engine (in case anything really bad happens to one's Miller and they don't feel like shelling out the mooola to replace it with another Miller).

    I'll try to get those times this weekend. I'm seeing my friend with the equipment on Saturday. :)

    Chexi
  • ruskiruski Member Posts: 1,566
    the thing is that I really like the drivetrain in my Grand Prix GTP (the 240HP supercharged 3.8L V6 and the auto transmission). When properly insulated it is very quiet (my 96 supercharged Buick Riviera was VERY quiet.) I like a lot the rest of the car too. But I also like the styling of the Millenia. Not to say anything bad about the Miller Cycle engine, but here is a cheap way for Mazda to improve the performance of Millenia S - they should buy GM's drivertrain and install in the Millenia S. This will beat Acuras, Lexuses, BMWs, and M-Bs.

    Discuss. :)
  • mantagmantag Member Posts: 47
    could not agree w/ you more toddster1. i would also add, bring back the real wood trim, optional fold down rear seat, rear vents, and cubby hole in rear deck lid like before. ofcourse this will bring up the price...
  • acabral1acabral1 Member Posts: 122
    I personally think the Millenia "HOLD" feature is quite pratical in the matter of effectiveness. I have read and been told by people whos cars have the Sequential and Tipronic shifters that, they are more or less gimmical and become very tiresome to use.

    Each comment has also reported that these features are far from capturing the feel and performance for a basic 5/6 speed manual gearbox. It's impossible to replicate (capture) feel of a maunual transmission using a automatic even with the use of an extremely refined automatic transmission - in my opinion.

    As far as the Millenia S "Hold" feature goes it truly increases the cars high end torque. What I really like about it is that, it isn't as gimmical like its competing features; the Millenia's features captures more effectiveness vs. creativeness. But I also agree that this feature should have been coupled with 5spd automatice transmission and at least 30 more hoursepower - so that the engine can be worked more thoroughly. -

    I have had once situation where I redlined and caused the engine expierence a retard effect - nothing negative accumulated from this but, I was that the engine does this upon reaching its redline.
  • mcon13mcon13 Member Posts: 2
    I own a 96' Millenia S. I recently experience catastrophic failure of the transmission (69k miles). During overhaul, it was necessary to remove the supercharger intake(black plastic) piece leading to the first cooler. It was full of leaves and other debris. Needless to say, the car is much faster now. My MPG is 21 (combined driving in the JAX, FL area). I got 28.5 on a recent trip to Charleston, S.C. I averaged 75-80 mph on I-95. Not bad!
  • ruskiruski Member Posts: 1,566
    I am surprised that air filter did not catch the leaves and other stuff.
  • acabral1acabral1 Member Posts: 122
    This is probably the best investment you can make to your Millenia. I have HID's in my '00 Millenia S - performance is phenomenal in comparison to the factory Halogens, and visual performance of my HID's are identical to OEM HID's i.e 3.5RL, 3.2CL and other OEM HID's inclosed in a Reflector Type Headlamp.

    My HID kit consist of Philips Ballast, Philips D2S Xenon Bulbs. Installation took approximatley 30 minutes and did not require any modifications with the exception of drilling two holes in the light bulb Dust-Caps; to run the wiring.


    Regards,
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