I am looking to get into a small pickup right now. I'm told that Mazda actually went with a Ford engine for certain years. Does anyone know what years to stay away from? A good list of the years and engines would be perfect.

 

hmmmm I thought this topic would stimulate a lot of response - and maybe it still will as folks give their recommendations. I'm interested to know more about the Ford tie-in too. By the way there is quite a discussion on this forum under "off topic" - "Truth of Mazda and Ford" that may cover some of what you're interested in. In the meantime I thought I'd start the discussion with a report on my '92 b2600i pickup. It's a 4wd with automatic and the extracab. I bought it four years ago with 100,000 miles on it and a fresh paint job. For the most part it has been a pretty reliable truck and is my daily driver. Does GREAT in snow - particularly with the new tires I put on last fall. Engine seems to have plenty of torque but it's not a quick and zippy little truck. The 4wd adds a lot of weight and I suspect that holds it down some. It cruises nicely on the highway but just isn't quick off the line (as if I was a hairy chested drag racer!). Transmission shifts smoothly and the "hold" feature is nice on the hills around here - otherwise it shifts up and down on long grades. Mileage isn't the best - around 15mpg. Again - I suspect the extra weight of the 4wd contributes to that but I'd like it to do a little better.New tires helped some. It seems to be a leaker - I've tried and tried to solve all the oil leaks and have it down to about three drips on the driveway each morning but can't seem to totally solve that. I've been told that's common with Mazdas!? Other than what leaks out it doesn't use any oil at all. I don't know who made the 2600 engine - hope somebody will post that here. I am a little concerned with parts availability on this truck. Being 15 years old and a somewhat uncommon model - parts aren't easy to find. I recently had to fabricate an electrical part because they just aren't around in dealers or dismantlers. Where I live it is a somewhat rare model - as a matter of fact I've never seen another one like it here. I like the truck. It's an enjoyable driver and given what I know now I'd buy it again.Good luck.
Rolomac

 

[ul][*]This topic is a great "off topic" as well. Can anyone else give me a couple answers? I got this answer from a different forum, but i'm not sure how reliable it is.[/ul]

 

86 thru 93 ...best mazda mazda combo imo

 

Mine is a 2002, B3000 with a 3.0 litre V6. I LOVE it. Thetag on the door posthas "Ford" all over it so I imaginethat is who built the engine. So far I have 88,000Km ( a little over 50,000 miles) and not a moments trouble. It get FANTASTIC fuel mileage on the hyway for a truck, and is easy to work on. I have done 2 oil changes since I bought it in February and I am amazed at how well everything is laid out under the hood. Somebody was definatly thinking when they designed this engine. There is even a funnel mounted on top of the starter to drain away any spilled oil when you remove the filter.
I highly recommend these trucks