2021 Mazda BT-50 Thunder 3.0L Automatic 4×4 Review

The dual-cab ute market in Australia has boomed in the last decade and manufacturers are doing all they can to capitalise on this segment. Excluding Hyundai and Kia, most top 10 mainstream brands offer a ute in Australia and their appeal is easy to see with immense practicality, reasonable comfort and the ability to travel cross-country when weekends come around. Mazda have been on the band wagon for years now with the BT-50 ute and have just released an all-new model that shares a lot with the new Isuzu D-Max. We tested the top-spec 2021 Mazda BT-50 Thunder to see whether it is the ute you should buy.

While the two previous Mazda BT-50 models have been heavily based off the Ford Ranger, the current model has changed things up a bit and is now based on the all-new Isuzu D-Max. Being the top of the range ‘off-road’ focused variant of the BT-50 range, the Thunder we’re testing has a very specific set of rivals such as the Toyota HiLux Rogue, Isuzu D-Max X-Terrain and the Ford Ranger Wildtrak.

Price & Equipment: 9/10

The 2021 Mazda BT-50 comes in a variation of different models starting with the BT-50 XT that starts at $36,550 plus on road costs to the model just under the Thunder which is the BT-50 GT which starts at $56,990 plus on road costs. Now the Thunder model which was released after the initial launch of the BT-50 sits a top the range and starts at $65,990 plus on-road costs.

The new Mazda BT-50 is much better equipped than the previous model with a lot more technology and safety featuring across the range. The 2021 Mazda BT-50 Thunder comes equipped with 18-inch alloy wheels with a full size spare wheel, a 9.0-inch touchscreen with satellite navigation, digital radio, wireless Apple CarPlay and wired Android Auto, an eight-speaker sound system, dual-zone climate control, brown leather upholstery, an electric driver’s seat with lumbar adjustment, heated front seats, keyless entry with push button and remote start, automatic LED lighting, rain-sensing wipers, heated and power-folding exterior mirrors, side steps, a steel bull bar, an electronic tonneau cover, fender flairs, an LED light bar, a roll bar and mud flaps all as standard. The Thunder gains a tub liner, fender flairs, black side steps, a black steel sports bar (roll bar), an electric tonneau cover, black 18-inch wheels and an LED light bar all for an extra $6,000 over the previous top-spec BT-50 GT.

The 2021 Mazda BT-50 Thunder also comes loaded with all of the modern safety features that are usually fitted to passenger cars. This includes eight airbags, auto emergency braking (AEB) with pedestrian, cyclist and intersection assist, blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert, lane departure warning, lane keep assist with lane trace assist, forward collision alert, auto high beam, driver fatigue detection, adaptive cruise control with stop and go functionality, front and rear parking sensors, a reversing camera and an alarm.

Comparable models to the BT-50 Thunder include the $68,990 plus on-road costs Toyota HiLux Rogue, the $63,990 Isuzu D-Max X-Terrain, the $62,390 Ford Ranger Wildtrak and the $58,130 Nissan Navara Pro-4X. The off-road-focused variants of the dual-cab ute market have gained traction in the last few years for those who need to do the school run but enjoy going away off the beaten track on weekends.

All of the exterior colours that are available on the 2021 Mazda BT-50 Thunder come at no further cost. These include ‘True Black’, ‘Gunblue’, ‘Red Volcano’, ‘Ignot Silver’, ‘Ice White’, ‘Rock Grey’ and our test car’s ‘Concrete Grey’. There are also no options available on the BT-50, though a wide range of dealer-fit accessories.

Performance & Economy: 8.5/10

Being heavily based on the Isuzu D-Max, the 2021 Mazda BT-50 Thunder has an Isuzu engine, which is no bad thing. The 3.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder diesel engine used in the BT-50 is lifted straight out of the Isuzu D-Max. It produces 140kW of power at 3,600rpm and 450Nm of torque between 1,600-2,600rpm. It’s a grunty engine that makes light work of most situations. Like in the D-Max, it can be a touch vocal and the 155kW/500Nm 2.0-litre bi-turbo diesel engine in the Ranger is quicker, but for most buyers, the BT-50’s engine is totally fine.

The standard transmission offered with this engine is a six-speed manual, but our car was fitted with the available six-speed torque converter automatic that adds $3,000 to the cost. We like the transmission around town, although when coming down a hill it seems to downshift too much and will often rev the engine out more than is needed.

It is also worth noting that when trying to gain speed the gearbox will often downshift twice rather than just once (which is all it needs) which means it causes more noise and uses more fuel. We would recommend saving your money and choosing the standard six-speed manual.

The 2021 Mazda BT-50 Thunder comes with a sophisticated 4×4 system, which has a dual-range transfer case and a locking rear differential. This means the BT-50 can get itself out of sticky situations off road. It also has hill descent control and hill start assist, which means that steep inclines and declines are no problems at all for it.

The BT-50 Thunder has a braked towing capacity of 3,500kg and an unbraked towing capacity of 750kg. These figures are identical to the Toyota HiLux, Isuzu D-Max, Nissan Navara and Ford Ranger – though the Mitsubishi Triton only has a 3,100kg braked towing capacity and a 750kg unbraked towing capacity.

As for fuel consumption, the 2021 Mazda BT-50 Thunder has a claimed average fuel consumption of of 8.0L/100km (the manual’s claim is 7.7L/100km) and in our week with the BT-50 Thunder, we achieved an average fuel consumption figure of 9.5L/100km, which is not too far off the claim. The Isuzu D-Max claims the same 8.0L/100km as the BT-50 and the HiLux Rogue uses more fuel at 8.4L/100km. The BT-50 will average around 950km out of the standard 76-litre fuel tank.

Ride & Handling: 8/10

As with most dual-cab utes, the suspension in the BT-50 is on the firmer side when compared with a passenger car, although in saying this of the dual-cab utes on the market the 2021 Mazda BT-50 Thunder is more compliant and comfortable. The ride can be harsh over some bumps, but it’s also unfazed by pot holes and other smaller bumps. Overall the ride is refined and well-damped, but as with most utes when the back is unladen, it is on the firmer side, but by no means uncomfortable.

The BT-50 is as capable as a commercial vehicle can be, it holds its own around corners with limited body roll. The BT-50 handles corners with composure and there is none of the uneasy feeling that some competitors offer. The steering is much lighter than in the previous-generation BT-50, which some buyers might not like, but it does make it easy to manoeuvre around town.

Like the D-Max, the BT-50’s active safety systems are well tuned and aren’t intrusive. A lot of the work the BT-50 does to keep you safe is done behind the scenes. The adaptive cruise control does a great job of maintaining the distance between you and the car in front of you, the lane departure warning only intervenes when it thinks it is necessary and the forward collision alert isn’t overly sensitive and won’t go off every time you brake behind a car.

Interior & Practicality: 8.5/10

The cabin of the 2021 Mazda BT-50 Thunder is a nice place to spend time with good materials and storage. Sitting behind the wheel, you wouldn’t immediately think you were in a commercial vehicle as the steering wheel is covered in soft leather, there is a nice touchscreen next to you and the dash has a nice faux stitched pattern – it’s only when you start to dig deeper that the commercial side starts to come out with harsher plastics.

The dark brown leather seating in the 2021 Mazda BT-50 Thunder is very comfortable – especially on longer journeys – as they have great support and adjustment, though height adjustment for the passenger would be a nice addition. The way the dashboard is laid out is very intuitive, you never need to go searching for things as they are always where you expect them to be.

The new 9.0-inch touchscreen that sits in the middle of the BT-50’s dash is shared with the Isuzu D-Max and offers good functionality as well as good resolution. There are limited shortcut buttons under the screen and occasionally a little lag to the system, but it is intuitive and is easy to operate. While the infotainment system is good, it is easier to connect the wireless Apple CarPlay and use that functionality – we wish there were more USB ports and a wireless charging pad to compliment the wireless smartphone mirroring, though.

The rear seat room in the 2021 Mazda BT-50 Thunder is great with much more room there than in a Toyota HiLux or Nissan Navara. There are rear air vents, a single USB-A input, grab handles and a coat hook in the rear of the passenger seat. There is also a fold down centre armrest with some cupholders to make the rear feel a little more comfortable.

The tray of the BT-50 Thunder, thankfully unlike the GT variant, does come with a tub liner, although there are no cargo tie down hooks. There is a payload of 1,065kg and a 3,100kg GVM (gross vehicle mass). The length of the tray on the BT-50 is 1,571mm and the width is 1,530mm (1,120mm between the rear wheel arches).

Service & Warranty: 8/10

Like all other Mazda products the 2021 Mazda BT-50 Thunder comes with the brand’s five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty. This is on par with the warranty offered with the Ford Ranger, Toyota HiLux (although Toyota offer an extra two years of warranty on the engine if serviced at a Toyota dealer) and the Nissan Navara. Isuzu offers a slightly better six-year/150,000km warranty for the D-Max and Mitsubishi offers a 10-year/200,000km warranty with the Triton (which needs to be serviced with Mitsu dealers the whole time).

Mazda also offers a five-year roadside assistance package with the BT-50, which is a year less than Isuzu offer on the D-Max. But it is also worth noting that Toyota do not offer any form of roadside assist with the HiLux.

Servicing the BT-50 occurs every 12 months or 15,000km, which is on par with the service intervals for the Ford Ranger and Isuzu D-Max. It is much better than the six-month/10,000km intervals of the HiLux. Servicing the BT-50 Thunder over the span of five years or 75,000km will set owners back $2,356, which is slightly more than the $2,215 it would cost to service the D-Max over the same period. It is also significantly more than the $1,581 it costs to service a Ford Ranger over five-years/75,000km, but less than the $2,595 it costs to service the Triton.

2021 Mazda BT-50 Thunder DiscoverAuto Rating: 8.4/10

The 2021 Mazda BT-50 Thunder is a car that can do just about anything that is thrown at it. Want to take the kids on the school run? Sure, want to spend the weekend in the snow? Can do, or do you want to go serious off roading in some mud trails? Yes you can. The BT-50 offers the comfort of a passenger car for everyday driving but the capabilities and durability of a ute when one needs to get a little rough and dirty.

Would we recommend the 2021 Mazda BT-50 Thunder? Yes, without a doubt. It is a much better offering than the Toyota HiLux and other dual-cab utes, though we would also consider looking at an Isuzu D-Max as it is a near identical twin to the BT-50. Regardless, the talent in the ute market continues to grow and the BT-50 is definitely one of the best you can currently buy.