Hi All

I am in the market for a used car and looking at Mazda, Accord, Camry and Altima.

I found a good deal on 2001 Mazda Millenia S.

- 102k miles
- Timing Belt replaced
- Chrome wheels and all the other goodies
- Price quote 4K. I think I can bring it down to $3700.

Now, the questions I have are:

- Is this a reliable car? i.e as reliable as Accord/Camry
- Does it always need premium gas
- Realistically, how much mpg can I expect?
- Is the check engine light a real problem? I have read online in forums that the check engine light comes on w/o any problem and it is hard to figure out the problem.
- anything else I should be aware of before buying this particular model?

Thanks in advance.

Sunny

 

reliable? loaded question. depends a lot on the previous owner. if this is a one owner car, ask for service history. otherwise, it is a crap shoot. with good maintenance, the mazda can go a long time.

premium gas? 91 octane or better. if not, it will still run ok, but performance will be down. if premium is a problem, dont get the car

mpg-i would say 20-22 mpg, long trip, steady speed, 28. we get those figures all the time.

check engine lite-if this comes on, and ANYONE who ignores it is a fool. steady lite means the pcm has detected a problem, and it needs to be diagnosed. flashing lite means possible engine damage if it is driven. but if it is flashing, it will run like crap anyway.

the most important questions you should be asking yourself is, are you capable of performing fairly complicated mechanical maintenance? do you have a good inventory of tools, and know how to use them? do you have a good place to work on the car, like inside a garage? if the answer is no to any of these, i would advise you to look elsewhere. if you have to depend on someone else to repair your cars, do NOT get the mazda. this is a very low production car, and they did not sell. resale sucks. most parts are only available from the dealer, and some parts are beginning to go nla. most shops have no experience with this car, and that includes the dealer. lastly, 4k for a 2001 is on the high side. if you do decide to buy this car, find a really good shop, and pay for a good pdi.