Excellent reliability, very comfortable. Great exterior design.

Stereo is fairly weak.

I believe it is a very good truck.

Powerful engine and smooth ride for such a small truck

poor selection of standard features even on the top model
overall poor quality (see below)
terrible customer service from mechanic/dealer/Mazda Canada

I wish I could say I was impressed with the truck, but unfortunately that's just not the case. I've been leasing it for 5 months and it has been in to the mechanic three times for repairs, and all for the same problem (air conditioner). Now one of my headlights is malfunctioning.

Customer satisfaction seems to be a foreign concept for Mazda. The customer service rep from Mazda Canada said "100% satisfaction is difficult to accomplish, most of our customers are very happy". Hey this may be true, but that shouldn't stop them from trying right? The truck is working fine now, but my confidence in the vehicle and Mazda has been shot. Guess I should have gone with the Dodge afterall.

Similar Products Used:

Toyota RAV4

Good stiff suspension. Leans very little when cornering. Fairly comfortable seating (at least for me). 3 Yr./50,000 mi warranty (as opposed to Fords 3 Yr./36,000 mi)

Power lacking for its engine size. Poor gas mileage. More than average mechanical problems.

This is essentially a Ford Ranger with different styling and a few different package features. I bought a 1998 left-over with only the "Appearance Package" (I don't require many features). The truck looks great but it has had a few problems. I checked the gas mileage after about 1000 miles. I got 15 mpg from a combination hwy/city driving and just 17 with hwy driving alone. It was rated at 16 to 20. I bought a tonneau cover for it and that got it up to 17½ mpg (city/hwy @ 15.000 mi).
I had a recurring problem with minor shuddering when I started to accelerate. I took it to the local Mazda dealership (Seacoast Mazda) and they had to grease the splines in the driveshaft. When that didn't work after 2 visits, they ended up replacing the driveshaft altogether. So far, that has seemed to work. Seacoast Mazda was great with researching, diagnosing and solving this problem and I'm very satisfied with them.
Consumer Reports rated the 2WD B4000/Ranger very well but didn't give the 4WD model very good reviews with respect to mechanical problems. I knew this when I was looking for a 4WD truck but no other dealers like Chevy, Ford, Dodge, Toyota, or Nissan could come close to the deal I got with the Mazda.
Horsepower(160) on the 4 litre is lower than on other makes (Chevy 4.3 is 200 & Toyota V6 is 190?, Dodge V6 is 175?). Acceleration is only ok although the 5 speed automatic tranmission makes for better acceleration than the 4 speed auto, 3 litre V6, 150 HP model(a real dog).
Perhaps all the bugs will be worked out of it before the warranty runs out (I hope). Next time around and assuming I have the extra money, I may lean more towards a Toyota. Consumer Reports says they are mechanically more reliable.

Similar Products Used:

Chevy (full size), Toyota 4X4 (test drive), Nissan 4X4 (test drive).

I like the looks and the climate control system is second to none....COOL A/C and HOT defrost and heat

Quite a few mech. problems, bordering on a lemmon. Thank god for the extended warranty! Auto hubs, diff posi plate, injector pan gasket..... But the most nagging problem, a lurch or thud from the driveline somewhere if you lugg the engine what a pain..NOBODY has been able to find the problem!! If anyone out there knows of this PLEASE email me the fix

Just too many nagging problems, I picked this vehicle after much research, but it really hasn't lived up to my expectations. I don't drive it hard and keep up with all the recommended maintenance religiously. Repairs are stupidly expensive: auto locking hubs $650 per side, pan gasket $900 labour (front end has to be dropped) Don't buy this vehicle if you can avoid it!

Similar Products Used:

The old Ranger seemed much more reliable. I had an 88 4x4 and it was flawless in comparrison.

Reliable, Never had any trouble. Will laast a life time with proper care.

A little weak under the hood. Good for teenager who doesn't need power but rather a soild truck.

I have done everything in Mazda. Haul woods, boats, trailers, campers any thing. Set it on some larger tires and made it really look sharp. Great for any one who needs a good truck able to do anything reasonable. Priced great, resale reather low for quaility. Would suggest for teen who needs dependible, sharp truck

Similar Products Used:

Ford Ranger and Toyota t-100. Neither come close to value in Mazda.

Very reliable. No mechanical problems in the 8 years that I owned it. Excellent buy!!

Horsepower

This was the first truck that I owned. It was a low cost vehical that was dependable and reliable throughout the 8 years that I owned it. I would recommend this truck without reservation! I finally sold it...only to buy a 2000 B3000 V-6...and so far I love it too!

Similar Products Used:

None

DRIVES GREAT, RUNS GREAT, LOOKS GREAT

REAR END'S LIGHT, HAVE TO WEIGHT IT DOWN WHEN THERE'S SNOW.

LOVE MY TRUCK!!!!!!!!! HAS BEEN IN THE SHOP TWICE (LET'S JUST SAY DRIVER ERROR!) BUT WHAT CAN I SAY, THEY ONLY HAD TO REPLACE THE BUMPER EACH TIME. (TOUGH BUMPERS TO!) MY MAZDA HAS 159,000 MILES ON IT, AND IT STILL RUNS GREAT, LOOKS GREAT, I TRY TO KEEP IT CLEAN INSIDE AND OUT - SO, IT STILL LOOKS LIKE NEW. THE TRUCK'S APPEARANCE HASN'T CHANGED THAT MUCH WITH THE NEWER MODELS, SO, EVERYONE IS VERY SURPRISED WHEN THEY FIND OUT IT'S 7 YEARS OLD WITH THAT MANY MILES ON IT. I LOVE THIS TRUCK, I HAUL HAY, FURNITURE, YOU NAME IT - NO PROBLEM. IT'S BEEN A GREAT TRUCK, I'LL KEEP IT TILL IT DIES!!!

Similar Products Used:

MAZDA B2200, THAT ONE DIDN'T GO TO THE SHOP EITHER (WHILE I HAD IT!)

I have had this truck since September 1999 and it has started every time I've turned the key (knock on wood), even has the original battery from 1996. It's running with 79K miles and no problems at all. Great air conditioner, easy to install a CD player, easy to park, very reliable, handles town driving well, decent gas mileage.

UNDERPOWERED Try driving 70 against the wind with the a/c on... doesn't happen. My friend's 1988 Honda hatchback can pass me with ease. Gas mileage isn't as expected either, only about 20 on the highway. It rides really rough. Very little interior room, and it's not the most comfortable ride for someone 6'4"

I have really enjoyed my little truck. It has the SE package, which to this day I haven't figured out exactly what that means. I just hate that it is so deprived of power. The 2.3L churns out a whopping 112 hp at 4800 RPM. It is impossible to drive in the wind, and here in West Texas, it is hard to avoid that.

I like the looks of it and how it handles overall. It has been very reliable and has good ground clearance for a compact truck. If I had my choice, I would get a Mazda again, but with an automatic V-6. The B2300 is definitely not made for trips as far as comfort and gas mileage, but it's great for running errands in town or just driving around.

Similar Products Used:

1994 Buick Regal: Great car with a 3.8L V-6 Nice ride, much more power, power windows/locks

The Madza/Ford has good sound for a stock stereo system and 4 doors. Highly discounted due to factory incentive and rebates even compared to the identical Ford Ranger's incentives.

Lack of power (even from the 4.0L V6), engine problems, rough ride - unsettling on uneven surfaces (even for a truck), noisy cabin, smallish rear seat area with uncomfortable jump seats. Though not recalled, Firestone Wilderness tires could be a concern.

Don't be fooled, this is 99% Ford and with Ford comes all of their poor quality and service issues. The '98 to early '00 4.0L V6 engines have a pinging problem that Ford/Mazda acknowledge but don't have a solution for. The ride is rough and interior noise is high. NVH in this truck is worse than most compact pickup trucks. Poor workmanship and engineering expose itself over time. Problems include abrupt downshifing, a door handle falling off, the rear doors had a habit of opening when making sharp turns and mysterious squeaks and rattles. This truck may have compared well five years ago but with many truck choices the Mazda/Ford doesn't compare.

Similar Products Used:

Chevy S10 and Nissan Frontier. Workmanship seemed better than the Chevy but for more noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) and smaller cabin than the Nissan.

stiff frame

camshaft oil seal, mechanical fuel pump

My friend gave me this truck. He wouldnt put the effort into fixing the oil leak. As it was it took me two weeks to figure it out it was the camshaft oil seal - by the way do index the distributor when you take it out, lol. I have just purchased a NOS cap for the long bed and have been using it as my "flyfishing truck" its ugly as hell but humps all my crap. 193,000 miles and pleanty more to go. Wish it had some extras like cruise, ac or PS but cant complain. The truck is solid. Would probably purchase something in 4WD and a little bigger, but what the heck. Anyone know where I can get a new EGR Valve other than from the dealer?

Similar Products Used:

IH Scout II- nothing like it