2000 Mazda B3000 Review (continued)
Add your own review or comments

Walkaround

Mazda likes to say that a Troy Lee-branded B-truck has a No holds barred, take no prisoners" look. That's really not too much of an exaggeration. The Troy Lee Edition 4X2 B3000 and 4X4 B4000 both feature fog lights, fender flares and 16-inch all-terrain tires mounted on custom alloy wheels designed by Troy Lee. The sides of the TL trucks are emblazoned with a reflective flame graphic, though you can knock $200 off the sticker if you forgo the flames. The 4X2 TL Edition comes with a raised suspension that gives it the look and ground clearance of a 4X4, an effect reinforced by its 16-inch tires.

The Troy Lee interior features gray, two-tone seats; graphite-looking trim panels; leather-wrapped steering wheel; and a Troy Lee Designs logo monogrammed in the door panels. Most important, Troy Lee trucks are Cab Plus 4 configurations, giving them four doors.

The four-door extended cab design is much more convenient than the two-door extended cab. If you have ever tried to wrestle anything (including your own body) out of the rear cab of a two-door, extended-cab truck, you know the clearances are tight.

As for power plants, the 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine in the B2500 puts out 119 horsepower. That's really marginal for a vehicle with a gross weight of about 3000 pounds. (For comparison, Toyota Tacoma's 2.4-liter 4-cylinder puts out 142-horsepower, and weighs 200 pounds less than a comparable Mazda B2500. On the upside, the B2500 qualifies as a low-emission vehicle when equipped with a returnless fuel system and an automatic transmission.

Speaking of fuel, the B3000 V6 is a flexible fuel vehicle that can run on either regular unleaded gasoline or E85 (a mixture of 85 percent ethanol and 15 percent gasoline). Powerwise, it's obviously a better choice than the 4-cylinder: It turns out 143 horsepower and 180 foot-pounds of torque at 3750 rpm.

But if you want to cruise around everything on the road, uphill and down, loaded and unloaded, invest in the B4000 with the 4.0-liter V6. With an output of 160 horsepower and 220 foot-pounds of torque, it will power any version of a B-truck over and around anything with ease.

As far as transmissions go, Mazda offers three: a 5-speed manual, a 4-speed auto, and a 5-speed auto. The 5-speed automatic is standard on the B4000, optional on the B3000.

B-series Mazda 4X4s feature Ford's pulse-vacuum hub-lock system. Introduced in 1999, the system allows nearly instantaneous shift-on-the-fly four-wheel drive at any speed. Another plus is that, when the system is disengaged, the front drive train is disconnected at the wheels. As a result, the trucks get better fuel economy, better ride (less vibration), and lower noise levels."

Interior Features

This is a well-designed, comfortable truck. The instruments are positioned so that they are nicely framed by the steering wheel. The seats are plush and comfortable (at least they were on our B3000 Troy Lee Edition test vehicle). All the controls are thoughtfully and intuitively placed.

One of the best inside features is the cruise controls. Mazda's controls are mounted on the steering wheel and are illuminated, so you won't find yourself hitting the wrong button in the dark because you can't remember where Set leaves off and Resume resumes. Interestingly, the Ford Ranger we tested a few weeks later didn't have lighted cruise control controls.

The extended-cab versions come with rear jump seats. Unless your passenger is a child or a circus performer, don't take these inward-facing perches too seriously. That space is better suited for carrying groceries (or helmets or chaps in the Troy Lee Editions) than people.