Faults:

Great Performer on Road. Just spent $2000 @ dealership for 60,000 mile maintenance. Expensive to maintain, but has been extremely reliable.

Be prepared to replace spark plugs (platinum tipped) $125 a set, ignition coil-$162, induction service-$109, timing belt-$350, valve cover gasket-$525, vacuum tees-$265. Uses premium octane gas, but good mileage overall, about 23 city & 26 highway.

Low profile tires have been very expensive to replace - plan on buying new tires every 15,000 miles.

General Comments:

Enjoyed owning the car because you get the best of both worlds - sporty & very fast & luxury sedan that's very comfortable.

The Bose sound system is fantastic.

Leather seats have remained intact & I recommend solar film on windows to extend wear if you live in hot climate like Fla.

Car is still fun to drive & looks equivalent to newer BMW's in Euro Style.

If you're going to own this car you should invest in frequent oil changes (I use synthetic) & recommended factory maintenance program.

Faults:

I usually keep my vehicles a long time. We have a Honda Odyssey with almost 200K miles. However, this Mazda at 60000 has cost a lot more in repair bills than the Honda has.

The check engine light started coming on a few seconds after starting and would flash some while the engine ran rough. I found that often if I park in the sun or on a hill it makes the problem worse. The car runs fine when starting up first thing in the morning. The problem usually goes away during warm-up or after a few minutes driving.

Update March 08: Now, after finding a local mechanic that knew what he was doing (since the dealership did not), the car has been trouble free for a year and a pleasure to drive every day and on long trips!

General Comments:

I took it to the dealer 8 times in 2 months. They replaced the EGR valve, the catalytic converters (one at a time), the spark plugs ($85 @) and wires, and then said I needed a new coil. The last time I took it in they told me I needed another coil (it has 6) at $350+ labor and that all the coils would need replaced. I finally decided they were just throwing money at a problem they didn't know how to fix. I hope to sell the car soon and not EVER buy another Mazda!

Update March 08: I'm adding a comment to my previous comment after one year. The problem turned out to be THE DEALER NOT THE CAR. After one $200. trip to a local mechanic, the problem was gone. I think the Mazda dealer just thought they could get their new building paid for by keeping me coming back.

Faults:

Oxygen sensor and vacuum tee connector raplaced at about 80,000 miles.

General Comments:

A beautifully styled sedan. I think one would see many more of these on the road if Mazda were a higher volume manufacturer such as Toyota or Honda.

I've had my Millenia S model for almost six years and have loved it since the first day.

Fit and finish is excellent. No squeaks or rattles.

Acceleration and handling are still excellent.

Absolutely no problems for the first five years - nothing broke or stopped working!

Replaced front brake pads for the only time at about 75,000 miles. Still have not replaced rear brake pads.

Check engine light came on at about 80,000 miles - relatively low part costs for oxygen sensor and vacuum connector, but labor cost was expensive.

CD player stopped working in 2006 - probably an easy fix.