The diesel engine runs forever. It has gobs of torque but no HP. It could pull out a tree but takes 5 minutes to reach 70mph. It's geared to haul and that is what it does. no complaints.
The engine is bulletproof. It has never once given us any problems and since it's diesel it's cheaper to run.

The body isn't the most resilient. There is no inner panels to the bed in other words the outside steel of the bed is the inner lining of the bed. If something shifts in the bed and it hits the side , it'll show on the outside.
It's creature comforts aren't the fanciest but the heater blows tons of hot air when needed.
It's underpowered compared to gasoline engines but thats the nature of the beast. Stay away from the dealership... it seems they are mechanically inept for any sort of service. But since the truck is that old a simple oil change is all that I've done, aside from the air filter and some other minor items.

My dad bought this truck after researching all the compact trucks that were available at that time. There weren't many but Toyota and Datsun were the only worthy competitors out there considered. He thought the both of them were not as ruggedly built as the Mazda. So he bought it.
The standards for comfort and ride quality were certainly lower back then. It rides like a full size, it's harsh, sways in a wind, spins if the rear end has nothing in it.
But it runs and has run forever. It has sat for a number of years in the driveway of my parents place and has quietly sat waiting for the next run.
I've assumed the task of utilizing it for its intended purpose. Moving stuff from one place to another. It's surprisingly strong when it comes to moving full loads of stone or wood. I've recently built a new patio and brought in the materials with this truck. 6 tons of stone, sand and lumber over a few trips with no protest from the engine. IT'S 17 YEARS OLD PEOPLE!

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Toyota compact trucks and Datsun/Nissan. The Mazda would get the same amount of work done at a cheaper initial outlay.

Reliablity,strong engine,good 5 speed auto transmission,still looks great,paint is holding up like new,great for towing my tent trailer.

Loud engine,4*2 not great on snow,very light in the rear.

Outstanding truck.This is my second Mazda truck and I have had great luck with them.My first was a 1988 B2000,it was a super liitle truck.I kept it for 10 years,paid $8800 new and sold it for $4500.Average cost per year was $430,talk about value!!My 1997 B4000 has been great to me as well.The only problem so far was to replace the pinion seal,cost $70,other than that flawless.I have added a topper and was recently offered $16000 for it so again great value,about $1000/yr.the truck is in great shape with only 60k.Was going to sell it but I think I will keep it now,I'm sure it will give me many more years of enjoyment.

Compared to Toyota Tacoma, I thought the Mazda was sturdier built, in general it just felt better sitting in it, the Mazda had more of a big pickup feeling. There is more leg room and roomier in the extended cab area than the Toyota.

Driver side floor mat didn't fit the floor because of a hard plastic foot rest to the left of the clutch. When you pushed the clutch down it picked up the carpet and floor mat. I had to physically push it down with my foot after shifting. Annoying and a safety issue. Mazda did nothing to fix this problem. I talked to another person (who worked at Mazda) who bought the same exact vehicle and had the same problem only his clutch had worn a hole through the mat and carpet. He made Mazda warranty the floor coverings. Within 2 months I was already starting on my 2nd set of floor mats.

Air conditioner problems--ten times per minute the air conditioner makes a "chink" sound and the vehicle makes a rapid jerk (decreases in power). After 4 trips to Mazda they replaced the freeon which helped a little, it now "chinks and jerks" 4-5 times per minute. They are trying to tell me this is okay but I've talked to mechanics and drove other small pickups with air conditioning and they run quiet and smooth. I have gotten to the point of not running it, all the jerking makes me want to park it.

It has terrible gas mileage and wind noise around windows.

After owning two other Mazda pickups I was prepared for a third good experience but that didn't happen. I received extremely poor service from the dealership, couldn't get the floor mat issue resolved and now the air conditioner. Makes me wonder what else I will have a problems with. The pickup gets poor gas mileage, is way underpowered, idles hard, has wind noise around windows. I hesitated buying a Mazda pickup because I am not a Ford person, from my experience over the years Ford's are known to have problems. If I had to do it over I wouldn't have bought it. If they don't resolve the air conditioner issue I am going to pursue the lemon law.

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I owned two Mazda pickups previously--1989 and 1993. Had no problems with either. Great vehicles, fun to drive.

fuel economy, appearance, very good reputation, stylin'

lack of horsepower, a lot of smoke on warm-up. rough idle? transmission is
a little sloppy.

A great looking, compact, economical pick up. it has 222,000 kms and the
engine compression is still very good. replaced the starter and belts.
paint is good. just regular maintenance.

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better all-round quality than sonoma and s-10

fuel economy, appearance, very good reputation, stylin'

lack of horsepower, a lot of smoke on warm-up. rough idle? transmission is
a little sloppy.

A great looking, compact, economical pick up. it has 222,000 kms and the
engine compression is still very good. replaced the starter and belts.
paint is good. just regular maintenance.

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better all-round quality than sonoma and s-10

Engine, reliability, mpg,

Engine(4cyl 85hp), Ride

This truck is pretty good, reliable, can tow my 3500lb trailer, thats surprising since it has an 85hp 4 banger. I have the 5spd stick, i've had to replace the clutch three times, the whole exhaust system is screwed up (can't afford to fix it). The A/C doesn't work anymore. MAzada is almost as reliable as toyota.

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Nissan Hard body (too expensive) alot better though..

Very reliable,handels great,still runs like new, It's very attractive and helps me pick up the ladies:) I haul my 4weller all the time and some times I forget it is back their.

(ABS)problems, check engine light comes on once a month, 4/5 gears suck.
Light rear end, Very slow, Terrible gas/mileage.

I have owned this truck for almost two years. I love it, I'm 19 and have ran this truck real hard and it has held up great. Gets me were i need to go with no hassels. Just hope that your not in a HURRY. Been to FL. 2 106,000 miles and still runs like new.

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None

Rebates are great. The engine work good with a 5 speed. I don't think the automatic will work as well with this V6. No major problems so far.

The Mazda dealerships have really lost their way when it comes to customer service. It because of them, not the truck, that I will not buy Mazda again. Also, I put Penzoil oil in my truck and the engine feels terrible, I am switching to Castrol Syntech. I also put Bosch platnum plugs in my engine and it made a big improvement in acceleration response. Gas mileage is OK but nothing to brag about.

For the money this is a hard truck to beat. I know it's a Ford but you are dealing with Mazda. If you want a good looking truck with some good options this is the one, plus it will not kill your wallet. If you can afford better, go ahead, but most people want the most bang fo rthe buck and this truck fits that bill.

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Chevy S-10...if you like the serious plastic look. Nissan...maybe if I ended up in a Mad Max movie because that truck looks crazy with that big plastic bumper. Toyota....I like their truck but I also like 5 speed and they suck with giving any options with a vehicle mated to a 5 speed. Also I am not made of money and Toyota cost some dollars with options. Mitsubishi...Hey they are reliable as hell, but when was the last time you tried to pickup a young lady in a Mighty Max.