 | 2000 Mazda B-Series The sports truck of sports trucks.
By Dean Stevens,
New Car Test Drive .com |
Overview
It's sort of like those "Tastes great" versus "Less filling" beer commercials that have been running for years: If you're partial to a sporty look you probably prefer the Mazda B-Series trucks over their cousins the Ford Rangers. Beyond trim and other treatments that give the Mazda pickup line its own distinctive identity, they are two trucks in a pod, so to speak. Both are solidly built ("Ford tough", in this case, equals "Mazda tough"), dependable, and fun to drive. There is now another distinction between Ford-labeled Rangers and some of the Mazda B3000 and B4000 models. Where Ford has (or had) Eddie Bauer, Mazda has enlisted the services of noted graphic designer Troy Lee. Well known for his designer line of racing helmets, Lee specializes in extreme sports apparel and equipment. Mazda introduced the Troy Lee Edition B-Series truck as a production model in 1998. With its flashy looks, graphite-looking trim, any extreme-sports enthusiast would feel right at home in a Troy Lee-branded B-truck. Model Lineup
Mazda makes it easy to understand the B-series line-up: B2500 trucks feature a 2.5-liter, 4-cylinder engine. The B3000 uses a 3.0-liter V6, and the B4000 is powered by a 4.0-liter V6. The two V6s are available in 4x4 and 4X2. Three cab configurations are available: regular cab, two-door extended Cab Plus, and 4-door extended Cab Plus 4. In addition, there are three trim levels: the basic SX, the upscale SE, and the extreme Troy Lee Edition. (The Troy Lee Edition is only available as a B3000 4X2 or B4000 4X4.) All told, with various combinations of drivetrain, layout cab configuration, and trim level, there are 13 different B-series models to choose from in the 2000 model line-up.
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