Mazda BT-50 pricing and specifications
As of early 2022, the Mazda BT-50 range is made up of the typical ute body variations (single, freestyle and dual cab, with chassis or pick-up trays), spread across 6 trim grades. There are also 2 engines on offer and a manual or automatic gearbox.
Mazda BT-50 XS
First in the Mazda BT-50 range is the XS trim. This is the only BT-50 model available with Mazda's 1.9-litre capacity diesel engine.
For this trim, Mazda's recommended delivered price (RDP) is from $41,103
The main highlights include the following:
- 17-inch steel wheels
- Apple CarPlay (wireless & USB cable) and Android Auto (USB cable)
- Cruise control
- Adaptive cruise control (ACC) with stop & go
- Bluetooth hands-free phone and audio connectivity
- 7-inch touch display
- LED headlights
- Air conditioning
- Black cloth seat upholstery
- Vinyl flooring
- Power windows
- Power-adjustable body-colour exterior mirrors
- Reverse camera
- DAB+ digital radio
- Safety assists including the following:
- 8 airbags
- Autonomous emergency braking
- Attention assist
- Blind-spot monitor (BSM)
- Emergency lane keeping (ELK) - overtaking
- Emergency stop signal (ESS)
- Lane departure warning (LDW)
- Lane departure prevention (LDP)
- Lane-keep assist system (LAS)
- Rear cross-traffic alert (RCTA)
- Speed assist system
- Turn assist
This model seems largely comparable to its twin-under-the-skin, the Isuzu D-Max SX.
Mazda BT-50 XT
Next up, starting from$44,193, is the XT BT-50.
This trim grade unlocks extra desirable features such as the following:
- 3.0-litre turbo diesel engine
- 17-inch silver alloy wheels
Everything else appears to be chiefly the same as the XS BT-50.
Mazda BT-50 XTR
Next in the BT-50 ranks comes the XTR. Mazda asks from $54,640 for the XTR BT-50.
On top of the XT model, XTRs have the following:
- 18-inch black machined alloy wheels
- 9-inch colour touchscreen
- Satellite navigation
- Dual-zone climate control (with rear vents)
- Power-folding exterior mirrors
- LED front fog lamps
- Silver side steps
- LED headlights with signature illumination and auto-level
- Daytime running lamps - signature style
- Carpet flooring
- Leather-clad steering wheel and gear shifter
- Auto-dimming rear-view mirror
- Advanced keyless entry
- Rear centre seat armrest
All in, it's a very comfortable sounding ute.
Mazda BT-50 GT
The GT spec represents another step up in luxury and passenger conveniences. This model starts from $62,535.
For the extra coin, you'll receive the following:
- Heated front seats
- Brown leather upholstery
- 8-way power-adjustable driver's seat
- Heated chrome exterior mirrors
- Front parking sensors
- Remote engine starting (auto models only)
This model brings those extra touches that a family, caravan owner or tradie who covers lots of kays might look for in a ute.
Mazda BT-50 SP
Looking for a BT-50 with additional exterior accessories? Then the SP might be the BT-50 for you. Prices start from $63,990.
Here's what Mazda fits into the SP BT-50:
- 18-inch black metallic alloy wheels
- Black and "driftwood" leather and synthetic suede combo
- Gloss black fender flares, sailplane sports bar, exterior mirrors as well as door and tailgate handles
- Grey side steps and roof rails
- Manual roller tonneau cover
- Black grille with gunmetal "signature" wing
Mazda BT-50 Thunder
Finally, if you want an even tougher and more adventure-ready ute, the BT-50 Thunder might fit the bill. This model starts from $67,990.
The Mazda BT-50 boasts the following:
- 18-inch black alloys
- 20-inch LED dual-row light bar by Lightforce
- Black single-hoop bullbar, alloy sports bar, side steps and fender flares
- Electric roller tonneau cover
- Thunder graphics
- Tub liner
The Thunder exterior seems reminiscent of the Ford Ranger Wildtrak X.
Click on a price to compare car loans for the Mazda BT-50.
| The above prices are the recommended delivered prices for private buyers in NSW postcode 2000, taken from the Mazda Australia website in February 2022. |
It seems that Mazda has taken the rather unconventional, but refreshing approach, of not charging extra for different paint colours. The BT-50 comes in the following colour options:
- Red Volcano Mica
- Rock Grey Mica
- Gun Blue Mica
- Concrete Grey Mica
- Ingot Silver Metallic
- True Black Mica
- Ice White
Overview
It sounds like a dream team combination. Isuzu does the engineering and provides many of the mechanical components while Mazda handles the external and internal styling. That's what you get when you buy a Mazda BT-50. You're benefiting from 2 companies putting their heads together to make a ute that, according to car reviewers, is great. There were a few minor quibbles with the spec, mainly that the infotainment system could be more like other Mazda vehicles. Also, some might find the BT-50 a little pricey.
Other than that, you can't fault the ute much and so it's one that should go on your shortlist.
Engine and performance
When you buy a BT-50, you're getting an Isuzu-engineered ute. As such, you also get the common mechanical components used by the Isuzu D-Max.
Mazda 1.9-litre diesel engine
At the heart of the smaller-capacity XS BT-50 is one of Isuzu's 1.9-litre turbo diesel power plants. In the BT-50, it makes the same power as it does in the D-Max. That's 110kW at 3,600rpm and 350Nm between 1,800rpm and 2,600rpm.
This engine meshes with a 6-speed automatic transmission from Aisin.
Mazda 3.0-litre diesel engine
Most BT-50s have a 3.0-litre turbo diesel engine, again supplied by Isuzu. This engine outputs 140kW at 3,600rpm. Peak torque measures
450Nm between 1,600rpm and 2,600rpm.
Car reviewers' impressions of the Mazda BT-50 engine and transmission line-up
How did reviewers find the Mazda BT-50's engine and transmission?
It seems that the motoring experts rated the BT-50's 3.0-litre engine as polished, with a decent bit of urgency about it. Reviewers observed turbo lag at low revs, but that's a common trait of a turbocharged engine. Another tester suggested the engine was unchallenged and relatively quiet when working hard. They elaborated that the BT-50's oiler was quite happy going about its business with just the lightest touch of the accelerator. Others reinforced this notion by saying it was strapping and relatively well-behaved.
Testers who were given 1.9-litre turbo diesel press utes found they understandably were busier and noisier as a result of the smaller capacity and lower output figures. They still said it was an effective and uncomplicated engine; it just had to work a bit more to achieve overtaking speeds.
Gearbox wise, one tester felt 6 gears was the perfect amount for daily driving. They also recounted how they felt few buyers would go for the manual. The autos apparently work logically, spooling up the right cog as needed and dropping down the ratios when necessary. That's good, as nobody likes an indecisive automatic that can't make up its mind about gear selection.
One of the reviewers who drove a manual BT-50 grumbled that it had a long gear shift throw.
Overall, it seems both engines and the transmissions of the BT-50 are adept and fit for purpose.
Mazda BT-50 engine and transmission figures
Mazda BT-50 fuel economy
For all our comparison reviews, we reference the Green Vehicle Guide, an Australian government-backed website with a database of official fuel economy numbers.
1.9-litre turbo diesel
Oddly, the 1.9-litre turbo diesel BT-50 is not included in the Green Vehicle Guide data. As a result, we had to reference the brochure's fuel economy numbers, which were as follows:
- Combined: 7.0L/100km
- Urban: 7.9L/100km
- Extra: 6.6L/100km
Those figures are a tad behind its former sibling, the Ford Ranger, which promises as little as 6.5L/100km combined.
3.0-litre turbo diesel
As you'd expect, the larger 3.0-litre block uses more diesel. How much fuel will depend on the configuration of your BT-50. An RWD freestyle cab is supposed to be the most frugal on fuel, using the following:
- Combined: 7.7L/100km
- Urban: 9.5L/100km
- Extra: 6.7L/100km
Driving 14,000kms, two-thirds of the time around town, would equate to an annual spend of $1,615 at the petrol station.
If you go for a 4x4 BT-50 model, fuel economy takes a bit of a hit. The figures can rise to the following on dual cabs:
- Combined: 8.0L/100km
- Urban: 10.2L/100km
- Extra: 6.7L/100km
That makes for a higher annual fuel bill of around $1,702.
Something to know about fuel economy figures
Fuel economy figures are a result of a standardised testing procedure that is meant to reflect conditions you'd encounter on roads. However, it also has to be consistent across different brands and models. As a result, when you're driving on public roads, you might notice a different figure to the ones in the brochure. That's because of the dozens of variables you encounter on real-world streets, including things like traffic, hills, the mechanical condition of the vehicle and even the weather.
It is not uncommon to find that a vehicle varies by as much as 1.0L (or more) from the factory fuel economy numbers.
How much diesel did the Mazda BT-50 use during testing?
Helpfully, motoring journalists share the fuel economy they experience when testing. How does the BT-50 shape up then?
One of the journalists recorded 8.9L/100km across their testing. They were driving an auto GT model, which has a claimed combined fuel economy of 8.0L/100km, so 0.9L/100km higher. However, it's very normal to have a roughly 1.0L/100km difference to the factory fuel figures. That's pretty good, considering our years of looking over fuel usage. Another logged 1.7L/100km higher rates of diesel usage, so not brilliant, but still within touching distance of the factory figures. The final expert managed to log within 1.2L/100km of the official numbers, driving an XT freestyle model.
All in, the BT-50 seems to be capable of getting within a reasonable margin (an average of 1.26L/100km deviation for the utes on test) of the brochure fuel economy data.
Handling
Why review a ute's handling?
It seems like a strange idea to review a ute's handling. After all, they are large, heavy, commercial vehicles designed to carry loads and tackle off-road terrain. However, as more and more people buy a ute expecting to use it as their main vehicle, manufacturers have invested serious engineering time into making them drive as well as possible.
How does the Mazda BT-50 drive? For some of the testers, it was a standout characteristic. It was commented on by one of the reviewers that they didn't load up the tray, though some of them did. That's important because the heavy-duty suspension of most utes is designed to be carrying at least some weight all of the time.
One of the reviewers loaded up their BT-50 with 0.65 tonnes. In their mind, this made the handling more refined, which makes sense. As we noted above, ute manufacturers engineer the vehicles to be used for work. It was suggested that with this weight in the tray, the BT-50 handled as an SUV would.
Unladen, you can expect the suspension to be less relenting. However, one journalist commented that you could push the BT-50 a little more and the handling still held together, most of the time isolating the cabin from the road surface imperfections. The same writer also thought the new model was a significant improvement over its predecessor. Basically, for them, it was a nice middle ground between comfort and payload/towing capacity.
Steering response was described as a little hazy by one tester, but they did acknowledge that the BT-50 is a larger vehicle and that kind of sensation is a trademark of the ute segment. They added it was also rather agreeable when it was ambling around the suburbs. They even went as far as to say it was pleasing to drive, which is quite an accolade for a ute. Another motoring expert backed up this viewpoint, stating the steering wheel required little exertion from the driver. It seems the consensus was that the BT-50 works well at all speeds, whether chugging along in slow traffic or cruising at highway speeds. This notion was held by another one of the reviewers also.
One of the reviewers complained about the standard tyres fitted to some models, which they judged weren't off-road biased enough. However, if the extent of your off-roading is driving on a gravel road or onto a muddy construction site, they should be fine. This seems a little unfair, given that they are original equipment on many of the current ute options and so you could say it isn't a Mazda-specific gripe.
Overall, it seems the BT-50 is one of the better handling utes and certainly matches the D-Max since it shares the same mechanical componentry.
Interior and equipment
What's the interior of the Mazda BT-50 like?
If you haven't been in a ute for a long time, things have really changed over the last 10 years. The BT-50 is no different.
You can purchase a workhorse-spec model, but even that has things like Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, reversing cameras, air conditioning, a USB charging port, cruise control and a 7-inch infotainment screen.
One of the testers wished that the interior was more Mazda-like, but that's because they were comparing the differences between the Isuzu D-Max and the BT-50. However, one of the reviewers suggested that the BT-50 is in the mix for best in class.
Reportedly, the seats in the BT-50 are nice and comfortable. One of the reviewers went as far as labelling them extremely comfortable and that statement was confirmed by at least one other tester. They also commended Mazda for the seat moulding, which they wrote hit the perfect balance between body contouring without being overly soft. A motoring journalist suggested there was ample adjustment available too.
Mazda's infotainment display was rated as one of the better screens in the ute class. Most of the reviewing panel suggested the screen responded quickly to inputs.
Space in the back, on the say-so of one of our expert panellists, is at the leading end of the ute segment. Second-row occupants (in dual cabs) shouldn't feel cramped as the journos found there was ample room, making the BT-50 a great option for family buyers. A panellist did suggest that on lower-spec XT models, things were a bit spartan back there, but that would be true of any entry-spec vehicle. Ostensibly, you can fit 3 large humans back there without much fuss.
On the topic of practicality, it appears the BT-50 met most reviewers' expectations. Journos deemed the various pockets, cubbies, bins and storage points as liberal.
Cabin build quality, at least on the GT grade BT-50, got a thumbs up on the whole. Motoring writers determined that the materials were a bit more premium with some soft-touch elements that they often look for. One of the downsides of the BT-50 compared to its cousin, the D-Max, was the rearrangement of the dash. The BT-50 misses out on a storage bin on top of the dash and it was judged that the centre cupholders were too large to hold smaller coffee cups. Also, one of the testers didn't like that Mazda had ditched the cupholders that pop out on the D-Max dashboard.
As we've said numerous times throughout the review, the BT-50 inherits a lot of its safety assistance tech straight from Isuzu. You get all the usual ones you've come to expect from a modern vehicle, and in fact, the BT-50 and its sibling are thought of as being first in class. However, one of the car reviewers found some of the assists a little overbearing at times, but they noted that it is better to have an overly keen safety assist rather than the alternative.
All in all, it sounds like the BT-50 is a very comfortable, practical ute that'll work just as well for a tradie as it will for a family. There were a few minor quibbles observed, but nothing that would be a dealbreaker. Still, always make sure you test drive any vehicle you're thinking of buying.
Mazda BT-50 safety, security and driver assists
Mazda BT-50 interior and comfort features
Mazda BT-50 exterior highlights
Verdict
Mazda teaming up with Ford to make the previous generation BT-50 was a stroke of genius, as that platform is still widely considered to be the best ute around despite its age. Some wondered how the BT-50 would turn out once Mazda ditched the blue oval in favour of Isuzu. By the sounds of what we've analysed, it seems Mazda's approach has paid off.
With the BT-50, you've got a refined, safe and practical ute that drives well. It is more pricey than its twin-under-the-skin, but it's also subjectively better-looking than the D-Max and is aimed at a different buyer. If image is an important thing to you, then this could sway things – as could Mazda's interior design.
If you're looking for a ute, stick the Mazda BT-50 on your shortlist, especially if you're chewing over the D-Max. That way, you can see whether it's worth the extra money for all the Mazda extra touches.
This Mazda BT-50 review includes the expert opinions of 4 unique car reviewers. We do this so you can save time. Now you've got a little extra time on your hands, it's well worth comparing car insurance and car loans because you may be able to save hundreds of dollars.
