By 1990, Honda, Toyota and Nissan all had luxury divisions that offered superbly engineered cars at prices that rivaled American and European brands. Mazda was a bit slow to react, but soon had its own luxury channel planned. To be called Amati, Mazda began developing two sedans to sell through the division when it debuted in the mid-nineties.

The rising yen and softening sales in the luxury car segment made it clear to Mazda that Amati would be nothing more than a money pit. The project was canceled, but one of the sedans in development was nearly ready for production. Rather than consign that model to a future of write-ups in "Cars Japan Never Built" books, they decided to sell it as a Mazda. They named it Millenia and priced it, in base trim, to compete with entry-level BMWs, the Nissan Maxima and even top-of-the-line Toyota Camrys.

Times have changed. The Millenia now competes on a fiercely scarred near-luxury battleground bordered by the excellent Audi A4 on the low-end and the BMW 328i on the high end. Since its introduction, prices of the Millenia have steadily risen, while competitors have slashed prices. The Millenia isn't the deal it used to be.

The Millenia is an interesting looking car, though some styling cues can be chalked up as derivative. The S version is powered by the only Miller-cycle engine in production, a 2.3-liter unit equipped with a supercharger and good for 210 horsepower. Base models make do with a 2.5-liter V6 good for 170 horsepower, which simply isn't enough in this class. The interior is quite distinctive, in the Mazda tradition of providing excellent controls wrapped in interestingly flowing shapes.

If only the Millenia had something other than the Miller-cycle engine to distinguish it, like the personality most other Mazdas exhibit and a lower sticker price, we could wholeheartedly recommend it. Unfortunately for Mazda, there are three new and very competent players on the field, and their names are Cadillac Catera, Lexus ES300 and Mitsubishi Diamante.

1998 Highlights

Millenia carries over into 1998 with no changes.

Consumer reviews

Read what other owners think about the 1998 Mazda Millenia.

Overall Consumer Rating

4.523 reviews

Write a review See all 23 reviews

5(65%)

4(22%)

3(13%)

2(0%)

1(0%)

Most helpful consumer reviews

Worst Car Ever

John,04/24/2009

Contrary to the other positive reviews, this is by far the worst car I have ever owned. I have never put so much money into a car just to keep it running. Literally, every 3 months since I have owned this car, something goes wrong. I have put several thousand dollars into this car just in repairs, and that is in the three years I have owned it. I hate this car, and I will never ever

My Ownership review

Briley,09/28/2003

Great handling automobile, good ride and very responsive. Seats are a little small. Very reliable, road noise level could be improved. Mileage could be improved for the size engine 2.5 Liter. Only maintenance has been oil & filter change. New battery.

I Love My Car!

spongebobluvr,08/02/2004

I bought this car from my dad who was the first & only prior owner so it was well taken care of. I love my car. It has never failed me, & I bought it at 79K miles, now it has 107K miles, after only 15 months of my owning it. It drives as good as it did the day I bought it. I have taken it on no less than FOUR cross-country road trips in that time, about to be five next

2nd Owner and first time Mazda owner

macjav,05/20/2003

This is the first Mazda I've purchased and I am the second owner of this vehicle. I will definitely give Mazda serious consideration when I am in the market to purchase another vehicle. The service center in my area (Ferman Mazda in Tampa, Florida) have been excellent.

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Features & Specs

MPG

17 city / 24 hwy

Seats 0

4-speed automatic

Gas

170 hp @ 5800 rpm

MPG

17 city / 25 hwy

Seats 0

4-speed automatic

Gas

210 hp @ 5300 rpm

See all Used 1998 Mazda Millenia features & specs

Safety

NHTSA Overall Rating

The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration offers independent analysis.

Frontal Barrier Crash Rating
OverallNot Rated
Driver4 / 5
Passenger5 / 5
Side Crash Rating
OverallNot Rated
Side Barrier Rating
OverallNot Rated
DriverNot Rated
PassengerNot Rated
Combined Side Barrier & Pole Ratings
Front SeatNot Rated
Back SeatNot Rated
Rollover
RolloverNot Rated
Dynamic Test ResultNo Tip
Risk Of RolloverNot Rated

IIHS Rating

The Insurance Institute of Highway Safety uses extensive crash tests to determine car safety.

Side Impact Test
Not Tested
Roof Strength Test
Not Tested
Rear Crash Protection / Head Restraint
Not Tested
IIHS Small Overlap Front Test
Not Tested
Moderate Overlap Front Test
Acceptable

More about the 1998 Mazda Millenia

Used 1998 Mazda Millenia Overview

The Used 1998 Mazda Millenia is offered in the following submodels: Millenia Sedan. Available styles include 4dr Sedan, and S 4dr Sedan.

What's a good price on a Used 1998 Mazda Millenia?

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Which used 1998 Mazda Millenias are available in my area?

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Should I lease or buy a 1998 Mazda Millenia?

Is it better to lease or buy a car? Ask most people and they'll probably tell you that car buying is the way to go. And from a financial perspective, it's true, provided you're willing to make higher monthly payments, pay off the loan in full and keep the car for a few years. Leasing, on the other hand, can be a less expensive option on a month-to-month basis. It's also good if you're someone who likes to drive a new car every three years or so.

Used 1998 Mazda Millenia

Used