2001 Mazda B4000 Dual Sport Cab Plus 4

Seven years ago, Mazda took a risky leap—from selling its own well-respected B-Series compact pickup to offering a lightly disguised version of Ford's Ranger. Import-oriented owners were initially miffed, but they've come around quite nicely. As a matter of fact, new customers rated the 1999 Mazda B-Series pickups at the absolute top of the small-truck heap in J.D. Power & Associates' Initial Quality Survey.


Following a largely carryover year in 2000, Mazda made some significant strides in the powertrain and packaging departments this year and tossed in a few cosmetic upgrades for good measure. We decided to check out one of the more trick B-Series variants: a B4000 Dual Sport Cab Plus 4 model. Base-priced at $19,375, our tester was fitted with the optional automatic transmission and the Convenience Package (keyless remote, bedliner, power mirrors and a sliding rear window), bumping its MSRP up to $21,495.

The Dual Sport is Mazda's higher-riding version of its two-wheel-drive B-Series Cab Plus 4. Rear "suicide" doorlets provide access to flip-down jump seats.

In Mazda parlance, the basic Cab Plus 4 formula opens with a pair of conventional doors and a pair of rear-hinged doorlets that grant easier access to the aft portion of the cab. It also brings a pair of flip-down jump seats. The new-for-2001 Dual Sport variation nets you a high-utility hauler that combines the visual aspects of a serious off-roader with the smoother ride and affordability of a 4x2 chassis.


Changes on the basic B-Series begin up front for the new season, with SX, Dual Sport, and SE models all receiving a restyled fascia that further emphasizes their Mazda family genes. Rounder contours that help differentiate the B-Series from its Ranger cousin are set off by revised head and tail lamps plus a more "corporate"-looking grille.