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the mazda6 has more interior space than the Millenia. Front and rear head room, rear leg room and total passenger volume is quite a bit bigger than the Millenia.
example...the millenia rear seat legroom is 34.1 and the Mazda6 is 36.5'' total volume in the millenia is 91 vs 96 in the mazda6. The only area the Millenia is a bit bigger is front seat legroom. beats the 6 by one inch....alot of people don't realize the Millenia has a small interior, not much bigger than the Protege. Its the long wheelbase and body that throws people off.
First, I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday and will have a festive New Year's!
I own a base model 1998 Millenia. It currently has 80,500 miles. When I bought it, it had 67,000 miles. The owner's manual suggests that if the car was purchased in California or MA, the timing belt needs to be changed at 105K miles; any other state at 60K.
Of course I don't understand the logic behind it--Are California models built more sturdy? The Mazda customer service were of no help.
If anyone can part wisdom upon me on this topic, including when is a good time to replace the timing belt, shall be the receipent of my adulance! LOL. Thanks.
edmund2460, the ride on Millenia P is very smooth and quiet, unlike any current protege; not even close. Hoever, the S model is a tiny bit noisier and bumpier than the P model, but still better than a protege. If you're buying new, then you won't have to worry about changing the timing belt until 105K miles for the S model, I'm not sure about the P model; it might not need it, don't quote me on this. Good Luck, it's one heck of a car for the money.
There are those who sing the praises of the Miller engine in the S, but I believe the 2.5V6 is adequate. It will not win drag races, but it can give you power when you need it. My previous vehicle, Probe GT with same Mazda 2.5V6, performed well over the 6 years I had it.
Reliability has been reported to be as good as Honda and Toyota. The only problem I have experienced is some squeaky rear sway bars, which were replaced under warranty.
I, too, once had a Protege years ago. The Milennia ride is head and shoulders above the econobox.
I do not think you will go wrong with a choice of the Millenia, unless you are looking for resale value. The hefty discounts erode resale value significantly.
Thanks for your advice. I called up Mazda's customer service again and spoke to another person who turned out to be a lot more helpful.
The reason for the discrepancy is what you said--California's environmental law where the part is required to be in the car. However, Mazda nevertheless recommends servicing at 60K.
I asked the Mazda rep if the timing belt in CA is built to last 'til 105K, and she flat out said "NO!"
What I don't understand is why would they then put in the owner's manual to have it serviced at 105K? Wouldn't that be negligible?
Anyway, I have to find out a good place to get timing belt serviced.
I got it at $200 over invoice-picked it up yesterday,so far so good.Apart from the snowy streets that keeps messing up the lovely White diamond pearl paint.
I will be dropping by on this board now and then because I still have love for the Millenia.
Between us-its a much better looking car than the TL.:)
how's the transition? Whats different (for better or worse) compared with the Millenia? (you had S, right?)
And do you know if next year's TL will be based on the new Accord or they'll keep the old platform?
Thanks,
Tomek
Also, anybody have any experience with a bra on their car? I personally do not like the way they look, and have heard they can do more harm than they prevent. But there is a gravel quary about 7 miles down the freeway, and the debris those gravel trucks drop on the road is starting to beat up my front end pretty bad. So I thought a bra might become necessary. My dealer says Mazda does not even offer a bra as an option for the Millenia.
Thanks, Fred
Right now I think it is for the better,don't get me wrong now, the two cars are great but I think the Acura wins on the following points-
Engine 3.2 (tls) amazing power
Interior is a bit more spacious
Does a better job soaking up those pot holes
Sequential Sport shift(fun to play with- I would rather the real thing.)
I think the service is going to top that of Mazda's,they installed a set of mud guards for free and they also washed the salt and snow that was on the car.
Overall I think the the fit and finish of both cars are on par.
The Mazda white pearl paint is much better also the Mazda Bose is better IMHO.
I am going to repeat myself,if Mazda had slap that Amati name on the Millenia and did the right upgrades and marketing this car would be right up there with the lexuses, benzes, bmw's etc etc.
I will keep you posted on how the Acura is holding up.
PS- I had the "P", but I drove the "S" for about a week.
My '01 P is at 8000 miles now, and the only news to report on it is no news. Up until this point it has performed flawlessly with no problem of any kind. It has had three oil/filter changes, and I rotated the tires at 7500. If you find your Acura as satisfying as I have my MM-P, you have made a good choice. I'll be looking forward to updates from you on the Acura, as I know you have been fair with your assessment of the MM. It should make a good comparison.
I am sure you will find the extra power noticable, but still for my use I find nothing lacking with the MM.
Happy Acura New Year.
Edit: I got a tiny rock chip on the hood that I tried to touch up with the bottle of paint Mazda sent me. The problem is the touch-up paint is very thin (I shook the dickens out of it) and appeared it would not look good if I left it, so I wiped it off. Have the rest of you had that problem with the touch-up paint?
As for the stone chips-Your best bet is to leave them alone.When I had the Millenia (pearl white) I tried to hide my stone chips with the touch up paint,turned out worse when I applied the paint.
There are certain mishaps on a car that you just cannot avoid,what are you going to do? put a bra on? I would advise you not to - it takes away the looks of the car and in the long run it is going to scar the paint.
If you do a lot of highway driving, I would suggest you stay as far back from the car in front of you- I know it sounds anal but that is one way of avoiding those nasty stone chips.
Catch you guys later:)
I have noticed that the gas guage on the Millenia is miserably pessimistic. I let it go most of the way to "E" and I still have not put in more than 11 gallons. That takes me around 280 miles, but I know that there are still 7 gallons in there. A) Does everyone else have this problem and is there anything mechanical that can be done. I had a 280ZX with a marvellous split guage, showing the full tank and the last quarter. Mind you, the way it went through gas this was necessary...
I always drive about 300-340 miles on a tank, with the gauge pointer getting all the way to E. Even then I can only put up to 15 gallons max (after mostly city driving). I never had the guts to run it up to, say, 380 miles on a tank.
On the other hand after first pump shutoff I can still squeeze 2 gallons in - after that, the gauge moves off of F after 80 miles or so.
Tomek
Tomek
As for the TLS I paid 29,253,roughly $200.00 over invoice.But with all the Dealer holdbacks and back door transactions with Dealer and Manufacturer,they are the ones who get the long end of the stick.Hey, what can you do.
I think its worth the extra dough if you are in it for the long run- say 15 years.
With 228 miles so far the car is doing okay-no rattles, no sqeaks, solid as a rock.
Your question regarding the platform-I really dont care if they change it, all I know is, this car is well put together. Secondly, I could not wait until summer.What if they changed it to resemble the Accord,then the TLS wound'nt even be on my list.
I have to say this again-the power and acceleration is AMAZING,I feel invincible on the highway
I think you were right with your assumptions.
Looks like the 2004 TL will be based on the Accord platform.Car and Driver has a picture of the Japanesse Accord which they say will wear a Acura badge in the U.S.A with a few modifications.
Good thing I got the 2003 year model.
But what if they had made the 2004 Acura similar in looks the Millenia, then I would be upset.
You or Frank Watson mentioned in one of your post a long time ago that we as the consumer cannot keep up with the Manufacturers.I think that is so true,I think we should all be satisfied with the car we have untill its useful life is over.
If we try to get the latest model each year it would be like a dog chasing its tail.
I do think I'll try the touch up paint though. I tried it in the past on my Mazda truck when some lowlife keyed the tailgate. And as most here have said, it doesn't work too well. But I read on a car care website, that if you use a non-dyed round toothpick, with next to zero paint on it,and dab the chipped spot just once,then let dry. Then repeat several times over several days, until the level of the paint builds up to the car's paint, then rub out, it's supposed to work pretty well. I'll let you know how well ( or poorly ) it turns out.
Fred
"consumer cannot keep up with the Manufacturers" - oh, yes, GM's biggest invention: planned obsolescence.
It can also be seen in this months issue of Car and Driver.
A few days ago my 95 millenia s had a charging problem (the charge light came on). I had the alternator tested; the problem was later diagnosed as a defective harmonic balancer. I had that replaced. Now, while the charging problem has been solved, an additional problem has come up; the check engine light and the "hold" light keep flashing, and the car's shifting is rough between first and second gears. This problem seems to have been caused by the charging problem, but everytime I clear the codes the problem comes back. Any ideas as to what might be wrong?
Many thanks
mp
MP, sounds like a trans problem but you should probably have those codes read rather than constantly reset.
Have you changed you're trans screen and fluid in the 100K miles? My millenia doesen't have many miles on it but it sounds like this is a potential weak spot with enough miles / years.
Dom
Best wishes, MP
MP
Thanks,
Fred
Have your insurance company lay out the money for genuwine Mazda sheet metal only.Some insurance companies would rather use after market products to suit their budget.Stand firm in your argument and make them pay for MAZDA REPLACEMENT PARTS ONLY.
Hope you are ok.
I am okay. Not much of an accident really. The airbags didn't even deploy. But the repair is over 6K before they've even pried off the sheetmetal to look for damage under the hood.
Not getting any grief from the insurance about real Mazda replacement parts. In fact, the dealer I bought the car from, also has several other high end dealerships around here ( Saab, Volvo, Porsche, Audi ). And the insurance guy said he has a specific shop he sends those cars to when they get bent. And he felt the millenia rated the same treatment. I thought that was good of him, but I did my own checking, and it turned out to be the truth.
Thanks again,
Fred
This forum was helpful to me when I was looking for cars, so Thank You everyone for posting.
Thanks,
Brady
"Also, any details on this 60,000 mile service I am hearing about."
At 60000 miles, unless you have an extended warranty, maintenance is up to your discretion. The unblown P model shouldn't require any maintenance any other car on the road needs at that point. And recommended replacement of the timing belt does not come until 105000 miles.
Do normal maintenance the same as you would on any other fine automobile, and your MM should last 200000 miles with no problem. It is a very reliable car as compared to any brand you can name. Proof of that is on both Carpoint.com and in Consumer Reports, despite some who have come on this forum deriding the Millenia.
Ultimately any car is apt to have a problem of some sort, after all they are very complicated mechanical devices. But in the real world, this Made in Japan from almost 100% Japanese sourced parts is a great choice. Enjoy your new car.
I live in the Boston area, and drive up North a lot to ski... so, your remarks, ssteele, come to me as a bit of surprise.
TCS not helping?
Tomek
We haven't test driven the car to see if we like it yet, but plan to stop by the dealership after work this evening. Guess we'll try both models to see the difference. I think there's more room to play in this deal, but just wanted other opinions from here.
Thanks,
KBinFL
recently. The check engine light is on. Since the light came on , I
have chnge dteh distributor, the throttle positiuon sensor and the
EGR. The car is still shutting off. It happans after driving for
about 25 minutes. The TCS light goes to off by itself, the car kinda
shudders when this happens, and then a few minutes later the car
shuts off all together. Sometimes teh Hold light flashes right before
the car shuts off. I then ahve to wait a few minutes before it will
start back up. In the mornings, when I satrt the car up after it has
rested all night, it drives fo rabout 25 minutes an then the cycle
starts all over again. Is anyone familair with this and if so , what
needs to be done to fix the problem.
Just wanted to brag about my 97 S. Bought it
2-1/2 years ago with 80,000 miles. It now has
106,000...with ABSOLUTELY NO PROBLEMS WHATSOEVER
(except the check engine light which has been on for over a year). I'm not going to change the
timing belt for all those $'s, since if it goes,
no damage to the engine will occur, besides I
know somebody with an old 626 with over 160,000
miles, that never changed his timing belt!
Also, the Bose stereo is spectacular! The new
Judas Priest CD really blasts!
=============================================
http://www.epinions.com/auto-review-1F46-12132368-3995B672-prod1
QUOTE--------
The Brigestone Blizzaks are, without a doubt, one of the finest working snow and ice tires on the market today. But one caveat is in order. Snow tires are not held to the same traction and treadwear standards as regular all season and highway tires are. The UTQG rating which sets the government standard for tires does not apply to snow tires.
As such, the Blizzaks would be rated very low on the treadwear scale. These tires are excellent in snow and ice, top notch, traction would be rated very high. But when the pavement turns back to bare, so does the tread on the Blizzaks. These tires do not do very well at all on bare pavement. They handle well and pump water well, but they wear out like pencil erasers if now taken off right away in the spring.
If you live in Upper Michigan, Northern Wisconsin, Minnesota, Higher elevation mountainous areas, etc. these would do very well for you. If you live in an area where you really don't have long winters, you may want to opt for a longer wearing tire, unless of course price is no object and you don't mind buying a set every year.---------END QUOTE
I think in your case you should think about those worn, underinflated Blizzaks. These tires have top 1/3 of the thread usable (made of some special compound), the rest shouldn't be driven on.
Hope this helps - Tomek
3 months ago my driver side front tire went flat, so I went to the local gararge and had the flat reparied. The guy said that the alloyed wheels on the S were 'peeling' and showed me some silver residue on his hand. He claimed that the air was leaking between the wheel and rim of the wheel (where the peeling is occuring). He said, go to Mazda with this. When I went to the dealer, they said "the front tire had broken belts. Required 6 ounces of wheel weights. Tire seams appear to have broken belts. Suggest replacing RF tire". 3 months passed. Yesterday, both my front tires were flat!! The local garage guy filled air in both to keep me going. It's been 2 days and the tires aren't flat yet (they will be, but this implies a slow leak, like the kind he spoke about). Now, I don't know what to do.
Is this a Dunlap tire problem? Should I go to them? Is this a Mazda problem? I mean, I have 15,000 miles on the car only. Even if I shell out the cash and buy new tires, what happens 6 months from now if this happens again - whom do I got to? Certainly the less air in the tires (from the leak) may now have damaged the belts, but shouldn't Dunlap help? Or shouldn't Mazda? How do I resolve, please, please assist asap....
Thanks, -Sean.
Second question, when I floor the accelerator going about 10-20 mph the transmission won't down shift. Is this normal? Has anyone had any success with reprogramming the chip or some other type of performance improvement.
Third question, the emergency brake handle hits my knee all the time, has anyone had any success with bending it out of the way?