 2000 Mazda Millenia (Millenium Edition) Review by AARON GOLD
 Specifications
 First, the bottom line
In the early 90s, Mazda had planned to launch a separate luxury brand called Amati, hoping to mimic the success of Toyota (Lexus), Nissan (Infiniti), and Honda (Acura). Concerns about launching a luxury nameplate into a crowded marketplace, plus an unfavorable exchange rate, caused Mazda to abandon Amati in 1993, but not before two four-door sedans had been developed. The smaller version was sold in Europe as the Xedos 6, and the second, known abroad as the Xedos 9, came to our shores in mid-1994 as the '95 Mazda Millenia.
Still, the Millenia never made a very big splash, thanks largely to bland exterior styling, the pedestrian Mazda nameplate, and direct competition from Mazda's own 929 sedan. The Millenia has remained virtually unchanged for the last six years.
 Safety
Millenia's got the kit we've come to expect - dual depowered airbags, crumple zones, and door beams, plus reinforcements under the rear seat to protect back-row occupants in a side collision. Four-wheel disc brakes with antilock control are standard on all Millenias, and the S and Millenium versions get traction control. But look around the $30K luxury sedan class, and you'll see hardware like side airbags and seat belt pretensioners, which are missing from the Millenia.  Handling
Those who prefer a smaller car will find the Millenia's dimensions to be an advantage: it's easy to thread through narrow spaces, and it's a breeze to park. The steering is juuuuust right - light, but not too light, and precise on center without being twitchy. The Millenia stays well composed on most roads, but the ride gets floaty on the highway, and it doesn't smooth out rough roads as well as the similarly-priced Acura 3.2 TL or Infiniti I30. There's more body motion - cornering lean, acceleration squat, and braking dive - than I'd like, but no one will accuse the Millenia of being a poor handler. It's just not as well composed as other cars in this class.  Performance
Allright, let's talk about that Miller Cycle engine. Here's how it works: While most engines draw in air through the open intake valve, then close the valve and compress the mixture, the Miller Cycle engine leaves the intake valve open far into the compression stroke, which, among other things, is supposed to reduce detonation (spark knock), though the Millenia still requires premium fuel. To allow for the longer valve opening, the engine is fitted with a Lyshom supercharger. The supercharger is an engine-driven compressor that forces the air-fuel mixture into the engine, packing in more than the engine would get if it was "breathing" on its own. (Turbochargers are similar, except they use exhaust gasses, rather than a belt, to drive the compressor.) Furthermore, the engine is small - just 2.3 liters - which reduces rotating mass and internal friction. Are you confused? So am I. Frankly, I've got no idea why the hell it all works, but the results are obvious: the engine turns out 210 HP and 210 ft-lbs of torque. Compare it to the base Millenia's engine, which is larger (2.5 liters) but produces less power (170 HP, 160 ft-lbs), or even the engine of the Acura 3.2 TL, which is much bigger (3.2 liters) but produces a similar output (225 HP, 216 ft-lbs). The Miller Cycle-powered Millenia is sluggish off the line - jack-rabbit starts on wet roads didn't produce enough power even to activate the traction control system - but as the revs rise the engine picks up sharply. At 3,000 RPM the engine really starts to come into its own, accompanied by the whine of the supercharger. The tachometer races towards the 6,000 RPM redline, the seat pushes against the small of your back, then -
The transmission steps in with an upshift at a lousy 5,400 RPM - a full 600 RPM short of the redline! Yes folks, we've found, as OJ would say, the Real Killer. The party pooper. The wet blanket. I'm sure Great Things (and I don't capitalize lightly) would happen when the engine gets near that redline, but the transmission just isn't going to let that happen. And if you're on the move and drop the hammer, it won't downshift at any speed that will put the engine in it's powerband. So much for enjoying that supercharger. The Miller Cycle engine is cool - at the very least you can explain it to people at parties, and they'll think you're an automotive genius - but you probably won't see much more of Ralph Miller's invention. Variable valve timing systems are all the rage - they allow engines to remain economical while leveraging their larger displacement in the form of more torque. Case in point: the Infiniti I30, which uses a 3.0 liter V6, has the same EPA numbers as the Millenia, but feels much more powerful, even though the I30 is a heavier car. During my test week, I managed just 17.7 MPG in the Millenia, compared to 19.7 in the I30.  Comfort
Even after all these years, the Millenia's interior still looks pretty cool. I like the smooth curves of the dash, the rich-looking wood trim, the unique (and functional) climate controls, the dash-mounted ignition switch, and the rounded steering wheel. The stereo - a Bose unit - sounds fantastic and is easy to use. But the plastic on the center console looks shiny and low-rent, and the molded-in cupholders look like afterthoughts. Smokers may find the placement of the ashtray - directly in front of the armrest - to be an annoyance. The doors have big bins with lids that close, and the center storage bin holds plenty of CDs, but the glove compartment is barely big enough for the owner's manual and there's no other storage space save the cupholders.
The driving position is compromised by a low, flat seat that lacks thigh support, but it's enhanced by a power-adjustable steering column, which automatically moves all the way up when you remove the key and resumes it's pre-set position when you turn the ignition on - a neat function that can be easily disabled if you don't like it.  Parting Shots
By itself, the Millenia is a great car - smooth, comfortable, handsome (especially with the Millenia edition's chrome wheels), technically sophisticated, easy to drive, and reasonably priced for a car with this level of equipment.
But compare it to competition, and its age begins to show. The Millenia is behind on size, behind on safety hardware, behind on ride quality, behind on luxury, and behind on performance, which is why James Dean's face only appears twice at the top of this review. That doesn't mean you should eliminate the Millenia from your short list. It's small size makes it a great city car. It will most likely last forever. The supercharger sounds cool. And it's unique - chances are you won't pass 10 identical Millenias on your way to work each morning. Just one word of caution: If you do buy the Millenium Edition, be ready for
wise-asses like myself to refer to it as the "2001 Mazda Millenia."
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GOOD STUFF
BAD STUFF
The upper-level Millenia S packed an interesting piece of technology called
the Miller Cycle engine. We'll get into details later, but suffice it to
say that this engine produced big-motor power with small-motor economy. 210
HP from just 2.3 liters was - and still is - quite a feat.
This year, Mazda is trying to revive the Millenia. They are playing off the
name with the new Millenium Edition (which some, your author included, will
argue is a year too early), a special edition of the Millenia S that
includes 17-inch chrome wheels, synthetic suede seat and door trim,
leather-covered steering wheel and shifter, a six-disc in-dash CD changer,
and special badging. They've also cut the Millenia's price by $1,750 (to
$24,995) for the base version and $1,250 (to $29,995) for the S. The 2000
Millenia actually costs less than the original 1995 version. The Millenium
Edition in this test lists for $30,995.
Whump. Fizzzzzzzzzzle.
The suede seats in the Millenium Edition are an interesting touch, but I'd
rather have leather. Suede looks too much like cloth for my tastes, and
leather is easier to clean - I was afraid to put the kids in this car for
fear of staining the interior. (The Millenia S gets a leather interior.)
Considering the car has remained nearly unchanged for six years, it's pretty
impressive - the Millenia doesn't look like it's bumping up against its
sell-by date, inside or out.
Home, James