Print friendlyMazda B4000
Power and Torque in an Aging Package
Thursday, August 11, 2005
And if you're looking for something a little more utilitarian — as in a real pickup truck, say, Mazda's B4000 offers a lot of power and torque, though unfortunately it's packaged into a vehicle that seems a tad long in the tooth considering vehicles such as Honda’s new Ridgeline.
Here's another case where I don't think Mazda should be tying its " zoom zoom" to one of its vehicles. According to Mazda Canada's website, " Mazda B-Series Trucks are also engineered to deliver agile handling and exhilarating performance. At work or at play. On the road or off. Flying solo or with friends. These trucks bring you a driving experience like no other."
Please. Despite my two wheel drive (4x4 is also available) test unit being dubbed a "Double Sport," after my week with the B4000 my chief memory (other than its great power and torque) is that it shudders noticeably when you start a turn from a stop (such as when turning into an intersection from a stop sign), bounces like a pickup truck (which, since it is a pickup truck, isn't surprising), has a greenhouse plants would up and walk out of (if they were Triffids), and is generally Spartan in its accoutrements.
Still, the four liter V6 in my test unit has plenty of power and torque. It's rated at 207 horsepower @ 5,250 rpm and a healthy 238 lb. ft of torque @ 3,000 rpm. I remember driving a manual transmission version a few years ago and there was so much torque I had trouble starting from a dead stop the first time without stalling it. The five speed automatic transmission (which feels like a three — okay, four speed) in my tester didn't lend itself to any such embarrassing situations.
The seating position is fine, as long as you're up front. Front seats are reasonably comfortable and supportive, though I don't think they'd be great for a long cross country trip.
My tester was the " cab plus" version that "features" two tiny jump seats perched in the rear — but not for the rear. I had to try them, of course, and even for a short drive it was not a pleasant experience. Not only was getting in and out a pain for these middle aged bones, despite rear-opening doors to help facilitate the experience, but the seats themselves seem fit only for pre-teen butts and the seat belts were an ordeal to hook over the paunch.
Still, I suppose they'd suffice for emergency use.
The B4000's front suspension features raised independent double-wishbones with gas-filled shock absorbers, torsion bars and a stabilizer bar. Its butt has a raised solid axle with leaf springs and gas-charged shock absorbers. They impart a very truck-like feel, which isn't surprising but which could be a heck of a lot nicer these days.
Steering is power-assisted rack-and-pinion and the brakes are power-assisted front discs and rear drums, with ABS. My Dual Sport version came with 15 inch tear-drop alloy wheels wearing 235/75R15 tires.
There aren't a lot of creature comforts, but you do get keyless entry, power windows and door locks and there's a manual air conditioning setting on the HVAC system.
The sliding rear window came in handy when I had to haul a big home theater screen home that was too long to lie flat in the truck's bed.
Safety equipment includes driver and passenger airbags.
I was disappointed with the B4000's audio system. It's an AM/FM/CD stereo player with integrated (and nearly illegible) clock, and features four speakers. I usually run auto audio systems "flat" to ensure apples to apples comparisons, but the B4000's stereo was quite muddy, and I had to crank up the bass to make it as close to listenable as possible.
Okay, it was never really listenable.
Truck features include a double-wall cargo bed, tie-down hooks, and a crank-up/down spare tire carrier with spare tire lock.
The as-tested price of the Mazda B4000 Cab Plus Dual Sport is approximately $27,000 Canadian (approx. $23,500 US).
