Mazda B2500: The Oppositelock Review

"Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To" (murdersofa)
11/26/2014 at 18:21 • Filed to: reviews

Better known rebadged as the Ford Ranger, the Mazda B2500 is basically a Miata with a lift kit. Engine in front, driven wheels in the back, mazda badge, and a manual transmission.

Yup, exactly the same.

Looks (7/10):

Pretty smart-looking for a light truck. More modern than a box, but not ostentatious or overdesigned. Not much to go wrong here.

Engine (4/10):

Tiny-ass little naturally-aspirated 4cyl gets this beast from zero to sixty in some amount of time. Never measured it, but depending on who's shifting it felt like it would hit 60 in about 11 seconds or so. Good enough for merging onto the highway. Had monstrous amounts of torque for its size/the size of the truck. Very eager to break the rear tires loose.

Transmission (4/10):

Bleeeech. Typical sloppy truck transmission that REALLY hates going into 5th and reverse. Throws are approximately four miles, and the clutch pedal had a travel of 45 lightyears. Clutch was sloppy and awful because it was worn down to nothing and didn't engage until the last 2 inches of pedal travel.

Audio (5/10):

Speakers are paper. Radio is 'meh'. The engine makes noise, but it's not particularly nice to listen to. Road noise is surprisingly not-deafining, but not really that good, either. Chalk up another "meh" for the Mazda.

Handling (-5/10):

Gonna cheat here because dear LORD this is awful. Body roll combined with super-stiff springs for hauling results in a very good chance of the car hopping if you get sideways. And you will, because with an open diff trying to accelerate through a corner results in one of the tires spinning and the remaining rear not being able to hold on, resulting in difficult-to-predict rotation and sometimes getting nearly airborne by bouncing sideways. Pretty sure JayhawkJake's life flashed before his eyes.

Conclusion (15/50):

Despite what the awful score says, this is not a bad truck. It's a bad car, yes, but not a bad truck. The aim of a truck isn't to carve corners, destroy Mustangs in the quarter-mile, or make your pants tighten with the noise it makes when you bury the go-pedal. The purpose of a truck is to haul shit around and sometimes to go over other shit that it isn't currently hauling, and that is something the B2500 is rather good at. Just as the fridges I recently had to haul in it.

Truck Conclusion (80/100) because it's FEREIGN (dey took er jerbs)

DISCUSSION (28)

jkm7680 > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To
11/26/2014 at 18:24

For some reason I like the B2500 more than the Ranger. Probably because Mazda, even though they are pretty much the same.

Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To > jkm7680
11/26/2014 at 18:25

Because Miata.

Denver Is Stuck In The 90s > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To
11/26/2014 at 18:27

Haha, I have a 4.0 V6 and you only have a measly 4 pot. But wait, you have a 6 speed manual!?!? You lucky dog, I only have a 5 speed in my ranger

Jayhawk Jake > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To
11/26/2014 at 18:27

ANOTHER RANGER POST?! When will it end?!

Denver Is Stuck In The 90s > Jayhawk Jake
11/26/2014 at 18:29

GIVE IN TO THE RANGER.... DOIIIIT

jkm7680 > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To
11/26/2014 at 18:29

NOTBECAUSEMIATA.

Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To > jkm7680
11/26/2014 at 18:30

MIATA IS THE ANSWER TRUCK

jkm7680 > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To
11/26/2014 at 18:31

NO, MIATA IS NOT THE TRUCK, MIATA EUNOS ROADSTER NO MIATA TRUCK NO MIATA MIATA MIATA, B2000.

RallyWrench > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To
11/26/2014 at 18:33

I'll bet it's hard to get into 6th. ;)

Jayhawk Jake > Denver Is Stuck In The 90s
11/26/2014 at 18:33

No. They aren't even interesting trucks. We need less Ranger, not more.

Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To > RallyWrench
11/26/2014 at 18:34

Dammit slippery fingers.

Denver Is Stuck In The 90s > Jayhawk Jake
11/26/2014 at 18:40

Kinja'd!!!

You must give in or Veronica will be forever sad. Also why u no like RWD V6 small pickups? Their the most Jalop type of trucks

area man > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To
11/26/2014 at 18:43

I love the last line so much.

Jayhawk Jake > Denver Is Stuck In The 90s
11/26/2014 at 18:44

It's not that I dislike them, I'm just tired of you posting about yours every 30 friggin minutes.

Denver Is Stuck In The 90s > Jayhawk Jake
11/26/2014 at 18:46

Not every 30 minutes, but ok. Its my first car, I dont have a license yet and I have nothing better to do. I dont know enough about it to be sure whats wrong and I want to to tap into the knowledge base that is Oppo, whats wrong with that?

Nibbles > Denver Is Stuck In The 90s
11/26/2014 at 18:49

I happen to have it on certain authority that the most Jalop type of truck is actually a 4wd V8 manual small pickup ;)

Jayhawk Jake > Denver Is Stuck In The 90s
11/26/2014 at 18:51

Not every 30 minutes but it sure feels that way. I'm not telling you to stop but it might be nice to cool it off a bit, or save a bunch of stuff up and put it in one post. Just sayin, it's a bit much

Denver Is Stuck In The 90s > Nibbles
11/26/2014 at 18:52

V8, yes. Manual, hell yes. But how can you do burnouts with 4wd? Ive got posi, I can do burnouts

Your boy, BJR > Denver Is Stuck In The 90s
11/26/2014 at 21:21

dude can you just take the hint? I'm not trying to be a dick but this is oppositelock not "Denver's truckositelock"

itranthelasttimeiparkedit > Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To
11/26/2014 at 21:49

the long throws are half the fun of stick shift trucks. my buddy got an 01 f150 sport w/ a 5sp in HS and is trying to sell it to me with the pleading of "keep it in the family" - I am strongly considering it. It would make a great christmas present to my wife...(ha)

Also +10 if the b2500 has jump seats in the back

Jake - Has Bad Luck So You Don't Have To > itranthelasttimeiparkedit
11/26/2014 at 21:55

It does. I had to sit in them once, it was equal parts amazing and terrifying

jkm7680 > Denver Is Stuck In The 90s
11/26/2014 at 22:51

Dude, it's OK to be proud of your truck. And even more reason to be proud since you're happy and that it's your first car. But 20-something posts in 6 days?

Man, I'm plenty proud of my A4. But I've only posted pictures of it about twice, and don't really bring it up that often.

Just try to tone it down, to be honest it's getting a little repetitive. You should start a build thread on a Ranger forum or something, and just work from there. Maybe post about Veronica every once and a while on here but not like three times a day. More people will know about the problems that you're having, and it won't get repetitive because they'll probably inhale all the Ranger porn that they can get.

Just keep in mind, I'm not trying to be Lord. Dickus the first of Dickville, I'm just trying to give you an Oppo-ly (Like neighborly) heads up :P

Nibbles > Denver Is Stuck In The 90s
11/27/2014 at 00:36

easy: Put it in 2WD. 300 torques light the tires up with gusto!

that ranger has POSI???

Denver Is Stuck In The 90s > Nibbles
11/27/2014 at 00:42

Ya, I have factory Posi, its very well optioned

Nibbles > Denver Is Stuck In The 90s
11/27/2014 at 00:44

just to be certain - you're sure it's posi and not limited slip?

Denver Is Stuck In The 90s > Nibbles
11/27/2014 at 00:45

According to LoudMusic, Its Posi. I should decode the vin myself, although I am positive its not the base rear end

Nibbles > Denver Is Stuck In The 90s
11/27/2014 at 00:48

that's pretty awesome regardless. Posi rears suck for the snow though :(

Denver Is Stuck In The 90s > Nibbles
11/27/2014 at 00:49

The rear bounces about if I dont start off smoothly. Because of this I think its posi.