An electric steering-wheel adjuster allows infinite adjustment up and down, tailoring the driving position to individual taste. Auxiliary audio controls are mounted on the wheel. Less satisfactory is the power-window setup, with automatic-down on the driver's side only, and no automatic-up anywhere to be found. Some of the competition has one-upped Mazda here.
The heating, ventilation and air conditioning system includes straightforward controls for mode (defrost/up/down), fan strength and a radial knob for selecting temperature. Also provided is an ambient outside temperature readout. The front and rear window defroster buttons are placed immediately next to one another, and at first, these symbols' similarity make you think twice. On the other hand, in frosty conditions you may need both simultaneously anyway.
Traction control is standard in the Millenia S, and can be switched off. That's a useful feature when, for instance, the car is being operated with snow chains. Base-model buyers can still get traction control as part of a $600 "4-Seasons" Package that also includes heated front seats, a heavy-duty wiper motor, a large-capacity wiper-fluid tank and two-position wipers. A $300 package adds the heated seats and heavy-duty wiping/washing equipment to the S-model. Next Page