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Who in their right mind looks at an '86 Mazda B2000 and has an extreme DESIRE to have it as a commuter (or heck, have it at all)? Who giggles over the notion of purchasing something 21 years, and can't wait to detail and clean it as if it were a brand new BMW? In a world where status, prestige, and judgments are based upon your choice of transportation, and in a culture infiltrated by a "Daddy, buy me a Beamer" syndrome, who would look at this mini truck and even give a hoot? The bottom line is that that somebody would certainly have to simply love mini trucks - and that somebody would be me. However, despite the fact that my newly acquired Mazda still had the original stock radio, low mileage, an immaculate interior, and a virtually unscathed (and functional!) bed, in the midst of my budding lust for this aged beauty, I perhaps overlooked something major and fundamental that prevented it from being the ideal commuter vehicle, in that although this truck was "new" to me, it was not "new" to the world, as clearly indicated by 1-9-8-6. Ah, reality check. Earth to Monica. I think a commuter should be safe, reliable, and comfortable. Is the Mazda safe? Besides having no steering wheel airbag, and no headrests to keep you from smashing against the rear glass, I suppose. Is the Mazda reliable? I'm not sure yet, but I think we're getting there. Besides the tendency to overheat and the quiet idle that makes me always feel like it's one step away from stalling, I think so. I hope so? Is the Mazda comfortable? I'm going to go with no, not quite so comfortable, for the bench seat. No cupholders, no AC, and a barely-working radio (fixed now) sure don't add any points to the comfort level. I really do think this truck's finest feature lies in power steering. In addition, a commuter should have good gas mileage, in my opinion, and so far the carbureted Mazda is falling short compared to my S10. All in all, buying the Mazda as a commuter just may have been a "mistake." But what can I say, I fall quickly for mini trucks! I take pride in being the second registered owner of this truck, having signed the original pink slip to this quintessential mini truck.
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