Question: I am shopping for a good used car. Would like something under $10,000 and under 100,000 miles. Prefer something midsize over small. I like the looks of the Mazda Millenia and prices are reasonable. Is this discontinued model a good buy? Any recurrent problems to beware of? - Geoff J., Minneapolis
Answer:The important thing when buying used is to keep in mind but also look beyond what reviewers said about the car when new. Obviously those details such as how it looks, handles, headroom, leg room, trunk room, visibility, comfort and convenience features are important to your model choice. You want a vehicle that looks and performs within your expectations and has specifications suitable to your needs. The Millenia got high marks for looks and overall performance. Initial reviewers generally agreed that it was a fair amount of car for the money.
As you've probably discovered, the Millenia was to be the first in a line of Mazda luxury cars that would bear its own label, Amati - a premier brand above Mazda in the way Lexus, Infiniti and Acura sit above Toyota, Nissan and Honda respectively. Mazda planned for Amati to compete with the likes of BMW's 3- and 5-Series and chose a European-sounding name perhaps to further the connection. Did their name-planners discuss the fact that Andrea Amati was one of the earliest Italian violin makers and the man credited with giving the instrument its now characteristic shape?
On further reflection, Mazda abandoned its luxury aspirations, leaving the Millenia as its orphan upscale sedan. The car was introduced in 1994 and discontinued after the 2002 model year.
For a car that could cost over $30,000 new, you can find Millenias quite cheap - no problem hitting your mark of under $10,000 easily. You can find them for half that or less with some diligent searching, but you get what you pay for. Someone selling a $30,000 car for $4,000 has not had a happy experience with it; steer clear of those examples.
Owner reviews on the Millenia are mixed. Those who haven't had problems love the car. Understandably, those whose cars have had recurrent maintenance issues are less enthusiastic. The check engine light illuminating is a regular complaint, which may sometimes be due to running lower octane gas, particularly with the high performance 2.3-liter V-6. (Premium is the way to go on high-compression engines - and the only way to go whenever that's what a manufacturer prescribes. Higher compression makes it easier for the air fuel mixture to ignite, which higher octane resists; if heat and compression cause the mixture to fire prematurely, the force released will resist rather than propel the pistons, causing serious problems.) Parts and labor for the Millenia are also expensive and because the car is no longer made, parts supplies and repair expertise will diminish.
Mazda may have stopped making the car to focus on its other models, producing it for several years to try to get back manufacturing costs even though it was abandoning the Amati line. Yet if the car were an unqualified success, earning as much praise from owners over the years as from the magazines when new, one has to wonder whether Mazda would have dropped its flagship model.
If a used car proves expensive to maintain, it quickly eats up the money saved on the purchase price. Not all owners complain of the Millenia's costs - there are praising owners too - but research several makes and models in your price range before you spend your money. Be sure to get a maintenance history, too. Consumer Reports is a reliable research source and, to find deals in this price range, check listings in this newspaper's Cars section.
