2001 Mazda B4000 Dual Sport Cab Plus 4

The Dual Sport expands on this basic revamp by adding a tweaked lower valance panel, fender flares, and bumpers, all done in a monochrome theme. Complementing that color-keyed look, it rides on P235/75SR15 all-season tires wrapped around 15-inch cast-aluminum wheels. In a nutshell, the Dual Sport package provides the look of a 4x4—ride height and ground clearance—but without the added cost of a transfer case. It's obviously inspired by the "pre-runner" trucks of the desert Southwest.


To bolster that greater visual impact, Mazda gave its entire compact-pickup family a significant bump in underhood muscle for 2001. Despite having slightly lower displacement than the SOHC 2.5-liter four it replaces, a new DOHC 2.3-liter in the entry-level B2300 boasts 21 more horsepower, bringing the total to 140. Pony count in the B3000's carryover 3.0-liter OHV V-6 shows a less dramatic improvement, but still rises from 143 to 150.

Although top-billing displacement is the same, the redesigned 2001 4.0-liter V-6 is now a cammer. A significant leap in horsepower is the result of this engineering.

The big news comes at the top, where a new 4.0-liter SOHC V-6 replaces the previous pushrod engine. That hot swap sees horsepower leap from 160 to 207 and torque jump from 220 to 238 lb.-ft. While 200 horses is quickly becoming the price of entry at the top end of the compact-pickup category, Mazda can, at least for the time being, claim one semi-exclusive advantage: It has the only 5-speed automatic transmission in this class (although it's shared with the Ford Ranger).


The new 4.0 V-6 and its state-of-the-art autoshifter make an impressive team for sure. There's nothing quite like meaningful displacement, a generously broad torque band and well-sorted gear ratios to add a bit of welcome performance, no matter what type of driving you do. In this case, it nets smart acceleration with full-throttle upshifts that cause the tach needle to dip only a few hundred rpm, keeping the engine well on song and pulling strongly.


Our best 0-60 mph run took only 8.6 seconds with the quarter mile rolling by in 16.3 ticks at 84.5 mph. In real-world running, that translates into hassle-free city motoring, plenty of reserve for freeway passes and a surprising amount of capability should you elect to abandon the tarmac for a bit of light-duty off-roading. The new V-6 makes the B4000 a more appealing work truck as well, bringing a 1,260-pound base payload and raising standard tow capacity to 3,781 pounds with the automatic transmission.