Car Gazing
Mazda's simple Truck is rugged, versatile
By Derek Price
How's this for a no-nonsense name: the Mazda Truck.
Mazda stopped naming its pickups the B-series this year, instead opting for the strangely simple "Truck" moniker. It's a straightforward, surprisingly plain and almost cool approach – just like the truck itself.
Based on the Ford Ranger, Mazda's Truck offers an automotive buffet of options and packages
that range from cheap and
stripped-down to fancy and
powerful. You can get two-
or four-wheel drive, a regular
cab or four-door Cab Plus,
and a choice of three engines.
It's perfect if you like your
trucks a la carte.
Strangely enough, Mazda's
still hanging onto those B-series
numbers in a small way. It's
designated each package with
a different name, beginning
with the base-model B-2300
Truck.
Starting just under $13,000,
the two-wheel drive B-2300
comes with a 2.3-liter four-cylinder
engine, five-speed manual
transmission and the bare
essentials. You can upgrade
to air conditioning, cloth
seats, stylish wheels, carpeting
and a CD player for around
$1,600 .
The B-3000 Dual Sport, still
two-wheel drive, steps up
to a 3.0-liter V6 engine and
nicer suspension. Air conditioning,
color-matched bumpers and
a terrific stereo come standard
in either regular cab (around
$15,500) and Cab Plus (just
under $18,000) varieties.
Mazda's top two-wheel drive
model, the B-4000 Dual Sport,
shares a class-leading 4.0-liter
V6 engine with the Ranger
to make a gaudy 206 horsepower.
The $19,685 package only comes
with a four-door cabin, but
it includes a larger fuel
tank and a trailer hitch.
Four-wheel drive is offered
in the two-door B-3000 and
the B-4000, which tops the
lineup at roughly $22,500.
The Truck's performance and
comfort depend largely on
which version you choose,
but there was little to complain
about in my four-wheel drive
B-4000 test model. It was
as quiet and refined as anyone
could expect in a bred-for-battle
truck with a rugged frame
and big engine.
That top-of-the-line powerplant
is more than adequate for
both highway acceleration
and off-road torque on demand.
Its dual overhead cam design
produces smooth power and
a pleasant sound, while the
four-wheel drive system could
engage with the flick of a
switch for those really tough
situations.
Style-wise, the simple-looking
Truck doesn't have the intimidating
presence of a pro football
linebacker like some of its
competitors, including the
brawny Toyota Tacoma and wild-child
Nissan Frontier. Instead,
it looks more smooth and refined
like the big American trucks,
with sweeping curves and subdued
bulges.
The Truck has a nice interior
with a three-person bench
seat in regular-cab models,
while Cab Plus versions come
with two small, sideways-facing,
foldaway seats in the back.
Controls are simple to operate
and read.
Overall, the Truck builds
on the success of Ford's Ranger
while adding a unique style
and nice variety of options
to fit many budgets and uses.
It also offers class-leading
power for heavy-duty hauling
in a small truck, or simply
for bragging rights.
Just like its new name, the
Truck does its job without
any fluff.
(Derek Price is a newspaper editor and freelance writer living in Texas.
Contact him at dprice@cargazingonline.com)
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