Jesda
05-26-06, 05:43 PM
When the Maxima was acting up, I was sort of hoping there would be a burnt valve or something that would force me to junk it, giving me an excuse to buy another FWD car like a Seville or Millenia. Unfortunately (fortunately?), Maximas never die. Popped in two injectors and it drives as good as new.
I went and looked at the Millenia anyway. This one had a 2.5L naturally aspirated V6, the same one used in the 626 LX, Probe GT [possibly also the Contour and Mystique), and MX-6 V6, not the supercharged Miller Cycle 2.3 in the Millenia "S".
What sweet car. Take the BMW 525, put the drive wheels in front, drop some weight, and modernize the body. Thats the Mazda Millenia.
Body/Interior:
http://q.spilky.com/milly/rear.jpg
The body and interior look like it came out of the design studio last week. The dash swoops around the driver and the exterior lines are clean and organic.
http://q.spilky.com/milly/dashboard.jpg
http://q.spilky.com/milly/dashboard2.jpg
Its hard to believe this was conceived fifteen years ago for the Amati brand (a shame Mazda never launched it). Whoever owned this one had gold pinstriping and gold badges installed. Nice touch on a blue car.
http://q.spilky.com/milly/doorpanel.jpg
There's a clever storage area underneath the door panel arm rest, and a cupholder slides out from the center storage bin. The leather and plastics are nicely assembled and finished, but dont feel as sturdy and expensive as what Nissan uses.
http://q.spilky.com/milly/backseat.jpg
The rear seats are a bit small, but the trunk is sufficiently deep.
http://q.spilky.com/milly/trunk.jpg
Handling:
I took it for a cruise down Des Peres River Rd, probably one of the only winding roads in St Louis. It curves alongside a small river and there's few intersections, so I was able to really push it. Just like the BMW 5-series I briefly owned, it turned in nicely without any drama, and I felt like I was at the center of gravity, one with the car.
With the Maxima and Q, you feel more like you're on top of the car moving around, and less like youre inside it sharing the motions with the chassis.
There was little or no body roll and it remained completely flat under hard braking and hard acceleration. "Jinba ittai"
Ride:
Flawless. No jarring reactions from potholes, no floating, no rolling in turns.
Comfort:
The seating was pretty similar to the BMW E34 5-series. Lots of side bolstering, but more lumbar support would be nice. Easily, its a nicer place to sit than the Q. I'm not sure its quite as comfy as the Maxima, which has a three-position lumbar adjuster and soft cushions for long distance cruising.
The Millenia has ADP! [Short for Automatic Drive Positioner.[/b] Just like the Q45, Jaguar XJ, and Lincoln Continental, the steering wheel moves out of the way when you remove the key and moves back into place when you insert it.
I dont really understand heated seats, but they worked.
Drivetrain:
http://q.spilky.com/milly/engine.jpg
Shifts were remarkably smooth. The 2.5 was silky but lacked a bit in low end power. Fortunately, it's light enough to take off satisfyingly from a stop. I think I prefer the VG's growl over the 2.5's muted electric hum.
I was shocked at the lack of torque steer. The Maxima grabs the wheel from my hands under hard acceleration. With the way it handles and moves, I wouldn't know the Milly was a FWD car.
Quicktime video clips, brief commentary:
http://q.spilky.com/milly/mill8.mov
http://q.spilky.com/milly/mill9.mov
http://q.spilky.com/milly/mill10.mov
Verdict:
I'm still as in love with it as I was six years ago. Despite having less power, the feedback from the steering and chassis give you a strong sense of control. Control, after all, is what makes driving fun.
I went and looked at the Millenia anyway. This one had a 2.5L naturally aspirated V6, the same one used in the 626 LX, Probe GT [possibly also the Contour and Mystique), and MX-6 V6, not the supercharged Miller Cycle 2.3 in the Millenia "S".
What sweet car. Take the BMW 525, put the drive wheels in front, drop some weight, and modernize the body. Thats the Mazda Millenia.
Body/Interior:
http://q.spilky.com/milly/rear.jpg
The body and interior look like it came out of the design studio last week. The dash swoops around the driver and the exterior lines are clean and organic.
http://q.spilky.com/milly/dashboard.jpg
http://q.spilky.com/milly/dashboard2.jpg
Its hard to believe this was conceived fifteen years ago for the Amati brand (a shame Mazda never launched it). Whoever owned this one had gold pinstriping and gold badges installed. Nice touch on a blue car.
http://q.spilky.com/milly/doorpanel.jpg
There's a clever storage area underneath the door panel arm rest, and a cupholder slides out from the center storage bin. The leather and plastics are nicely assembled and finished, but dont feel as sturdy and expensive as what Nissan uses.
http://q.spilky.com/milly/backseat.jpg
The rear seats are a bit small, but the trunk is sufficiently deep.
http://q.spilky.com/milly/trunk.jpg
Handling:
I took it for a cruise down Des Peres River Rd, probably one of the only winding roads in St Louis. It curves alongside a small river and there's few intersections, so I was able to really push it. Just like the BMW 5-series I briefly owned, it turned in nicely without any drama, and I felt like I was at the center of gravity, one with the car.
With the Maxima and Q, you feel more like you're on top of the car moving around, and less like youre inside it sharing the motions with the chassis.
There was little or no body roll and it remained completely flat under hard braking and hard acceleration. "Jinba ittai"
Ride:
Flawless. No jarring reactions from potholes, no floating, no rolling in turns.
Comfort:
The seating was pretty similar to the BMW E34 5-series. Lots of side bolstering, but more lumbar support would be nice. Easily, its a nicer place to sit than the Q. I'm not sure its quite as comfy as the Maxima, which has a three-position lumbar adjuster and soft cushions for long distance cruising.
The Millenia has ADP! [Short for Automatic Drive Positioner.[/b] Just like the Q45, Jaguar XJ, and Lincoln Continental, the steering wheel moves out of the way when you remove the key and moves back into place when you insert it.
I dont really understand heated seats, but they worked.
Drivetrain:
http://q.spilky.com/milly/engine.jpg
Shifts were remarkably smooth. The 2.5 was silky but lacked a bit in low end power. Fortunately, it's light enough to take off satisfyingly from a stop. I think I prefer the VG's growl over the 2.5's muted electric hum.
I was shocked at the lack of torque steer. The Maxima grabs the wheel from my hands under hard acceleration. With the way it handles and moves, I wouldn't know the Milly was a FWD car.
Quicktime video clips, brief commentary:
http://q.spilky.com/milly/mill8.mov
http://q.spilky.com/milly/mill9.mov
http://q.spilky.com/milly/mill10.mov
Verdict:
I'm still as in love with it as I was six years ago. Despite having less power, the feedback from the steering and chassis give you a strong sense of control. Control, after all, is what makes driving fun.