Review Car

2011 Mazda Truck

2011 Mazda trucks consistently set the standard among Japanese-brand pickups for spacious, comfortable accommodations and convenient features. If you need attitude, opt for the Dual Sport 4×2 pre-runner truck. Or consider the new 4×4 Off-Road package, with bed rail caps, tubular step plates, all-terrain tires, a compass, and other important wilderness accessories . . . like a stereo that plays CDs and MP3s. Incidentally, don’t refer to the Mazda pickup as the B-Series any more. It is now simply called 2011 Mazda truck.

2011 Mazda truck is available in three trim levels designated as B2300, B3000, and B4000. Four-wheel drive is offered only on B3000 two-door Cab Plus ($20,375) and B4000 four-door Cab Plus ($22,430). B4000 has skid plates for its fuel tank and transfer case.

Restyled last year, The 2011 Mazda truck has a look all its own: windswept, but still brawny, more like a miniature Ford F-150 than, say, a Toyota Tacoma; and certainly more restrained than the posturing macho of the Nissan Frontier. The new 2011 2011 Mazda truck is smooth all over, while retaining the square, glassy greenhouse that has become a Mazda pickup hallmark. The little-Ford look is more than coincidence: 2011 Mazda truck is engineered by Ford, and shares mechanical components with the Ford Ranger. It does offer its own interior and exterior styling and equipment packages. Its exceptionally strong prow sparkles with multi-beam reflector lamps flanking the prominent grille and its bold Mazda emblem.

Last year, Mazda re-engineered the cab for even quieter cruising. Also new to 2011 Mazda truck are seat designs clad in new fabrics, a revised instrument panel with a tachometer, and a revamped center pod for climate and audio systems, with large, easy-to-use rotary dials. For 2002, the Regular Cab still supplies a bench-style seat that can just fit three across. 2011 Mazda truck benefits from Ford’s engineering, but adds its own style. Its 207-horsepower V6 engine propels it to the top of the import class. Dual Sport trim emulates the tough look a racer’s pre-runner, while a trick new Off-Road package makes the Mazda more desirable for off-roading in 2002.