So my girlfriend and I decided to check out an auto auction, since I'min the market for a new car...I figured why not.

There were plenty of cars there, some were great and some were not so great...and one died on me (`98 Plymouth Voyager's tranny gave out...it got left in the middle of the parking lot).

I had fun test driving the assortment of vehicles, and among them were 2 Mazda Millenias.

The First Millenia:

I must it admit, it is a very nice looking car in person, and it had a very nice set of wheels. It was bluish/green.

It had plenty of nice features like power everything, leather, and automatic climate control.

The first problem I saw was that the cup holders would not stay closed/hidden. No biggie...

Later I came by with the keys to it and started it up. Next problem: there was a knocking sound coming from the engine. I figured, what the hell, I'll drive it anyway. The steering was way too light, the gas peddle was way to hard and the brake peddle was way too soft and mushy. I popped the hood and saw oil on the top of the engine...signifying a leak...it was a real piece of junk. In it's defense it had 223k miles on it...but still.

The second one I drove was a refreshed Millenia. This car was in much better shape. It ran well, accelerated smartly and nothing seemed broke. No leaks either. The steering was better weighted, and the peddles felt better too. The guages wre much nicer as well. Indeed, it was a damn nice car. This car had 128k miles on it, and was in excellent condition.

The first one actually sold for 2,800...I get the feeling not enough people looked at it closely. The second one didn't sell cuz the dealer wanted more than what people were offering.

So my thoughts? That interior BV brags so much about..isn't all it's cracked up to be. Granted, the controls are nice, the stereo is classy, and so is the shifter and the steering wheel, which is very nice to hold. The dash however, was not so great. While the materials were indeed "soft" touch, they were far from "velvet" In fact, they didn't feel very nice...kinda rough to the touch. The door armrests were leather covered, but they were very firm and not nearly as soft as I would have expected/liked. I sat in several other cars, and I gotta say, the dash and armrests on an `00 Intrepid I sat in were nicer to touch (if a bit shiny).

So in short, nice car, but the interior materials ain't all they're cracked up to be.

Sorry BV

Oh yeah, that driver's door armrest opens to reveal a storage compartment...that was pretty nifty!

I own a 2001 Millenia S. I love it a lot somewhat of a sleeper car. If you get the miller cycle engine they suggest you use premium gas.

hey dodgefan, a pretty similar car to the millenia is the nissan maxima, and back in the day those cars were actually amazing well engineered. from '89 on, these cars were powerful, handled well, high quality, roomy, spacious, very structurally sound, and reliable of course. I recommend if you are in the market to look at one of these, nissan has always made pretty reliable cars.

hey dodgefan, a pretty similar car to the millenia is the nissan maxima, and back in the day those cars were actually amazing well engineered. from '89 on, these cars were powerful, handled well, high quality, roomy, spacious, very structurally sound, and reliable of course. I recommend if you are in the market to look at one of these, nissan has always made pretty reliable cars.

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I actually did have a look at a 95 Maxima, but it had more than 200k miles on it, and the interior needed work.