After driving it around the Queens Park Savannah and up Lady Chancellor Hill, I came to the conclusion that the BT-50 is almost like a faithful horse from back in the cowboy-days. It'll be there for you when you need it, whenever you need it.
Vehicle: Mazda BT-50 2009-2010 model, sold by Southern Sales Limited (POS showroom)
Specs:
- 2.5L MZR-CD turbocharged Common Rail engine with Variable Geometry Turbocharger
- 4x4 Automatic Transmission
- Limited Slip Differential (standard)
- Fabric interior
- 16-inch Alloy magrims with Bridgestone Duellers 245/65R16 All-Terrain tyres
- Rear tray bar
- Aluminium Sidesteps
- 6CD mp3 capable player, bluetooth, Aux-in
Previously, Southern Sales Limited sold the BT-50 with the 2.5L MZ-DE direct-injection turbodiesel engine, with 4x4/4x2 in Manual Transmission only (this is the same engine as in the older Mazda B2500 pickup and the 2002-2005 Ford Ranger). They've recently introduced the Common Rail turbocharged engine with Variable Geometry engine - basically the clone of the new Ranger's 2.5 TDCi WLC common rail engine. Much more powerful than the older engine and more fuel efficient.
The model I test drove came with more standard equipment than the equivalent Ford Ranger sold by McEarney Motors in Port of Spain - i.e. Sidesteps and Rear tray-bar. No standard foglights though; the Ranger does come with foglights standard but not much else.
First Impression
The BT-50 is the true model of a "compact pickup truck". Smaller than the Navara & Hilux, but with similarly sized tray and similar ground-clearance as the Hilux, the BT-50 has the goods to roll with the big-boys, albeit in a slightly smaller package. This can be an advantage to city & urban dwellers, or urban contractors where turns & driveways can be tight, hence a smaller truck would be an asset. I liked the clean, traditional lines of the pickup body, to me it seemed more appealing than the swept-back lines of the Hilux, more familiar than the swoopy space-shuttle lines of the L200 Sportero. It felt like it was a pickup truck, and nothing more. No pretentious intentions here. Even the front fascia seemed more sporty and clean than the 2009 Ford Ranger, which to me has a "feminine" look to it's headlights. The BT-50 looked and felt like a truck that was meant for young professional workers, contractors, or a guy who just wanted a solid, dependable vehicle. Minimal use of chrome to highlight the body lines on the grill, door handles and side-mirrors was pleasing to see.
In The Cabin
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| Functional engineering & design. I liked the BT-50's interior, it fit my body dimensions quite well. |
The compact nature of the BT-50 can be appreciated in the cabin. The driver's seat and front passenger's seat were well supported and comfortable. The steering wheel adjusted for height and was thick enough to fit well into my palms. The instrument cluster was well laid out, logical and functional (almost identical to the Ford Ranger). The gearshift was well within reach of my left hand, while the T-bar handbrakes reminded me of my dad's old Mitsubishi L200. Visibility out the front windscreen and around the windows was excellent, I felt like the seating position gave me a good command of what was in front of me. All-in-all, everything around the driver's seat was well within reach, and being a 5-foot, 6-inch tall guy, everything I needed to drive the truck felt naturally within my reach. It fit very much like a glove, at least to my liking.
The doors shut with a satisfying "thunk", and the orange glow of the instrument lighting would probably be very pleasant on nighttime drives. The pull-out tray on the Front Passenger's dashboard may come in very handy, esp when eating food in the truck or using a laptop.
Rear-seat legroom was limited however. I usually drive with the driver's seat pulled up, not slid back like most drivers (this is so my arms would be at 45-60 degree angles to the steering, like a Rally Driver or Racecar driver). With the driver's seat in that position, I jumped to the backseat and found that there was enough legroom for an average-height passenger to sit comfortably. Not enough room to stretch out the legs properly, but being a pickup-truck and not a family sedan, this is to be expected. I'd say there was adequate room for short to moderate drives. The recline of the rear-seats was adequately supportive of my lower back, though not as comfortable as the Hilux or Sportero.
Around the Outside
Like I said, the BT-50 is a clean, handsome truck. Mazda's designers did well to keep the functional lines from the Ford Ranger, while the slightly swept-back front face was sporty yet composed. Getting into & out of the truck was no problem at all, plus having side-steps as standard equipment helped considerably. I figured that Mazda meant this truck to be comfortable for all passengers, from young children to grandma. The tray on the Mazda BT-50 is the same size as the Ranger's, and without getting into pedantic measurements - is very similar in dimension to the Navara and Hilux, while definitely a lot larger than the L200. The vehicle's height posed no problem for me to reach into the tray as if to grab cargo, and I suspect that swinging cargo over the side into the tray wouldn't be a problem either (unlike the high-riding Hilux).
The tail-lights and headlights were trimmed in chrome; younger buyers and mid-life crisis buyers would find this appealing. The 16-inch powder coated 5-spoke wheels suited the truck's styling without being ostentatious, while the factory stock 245/65R16 Bridgestone duellers should be replaced with more aggressive & better performing tyres, like 265/70R16 Pirelli Scorpions or Michelin LTX (at least that's what I think).
Performance And Ride
Despite the BT-50's workhorse roots, the ride around the Savannah was surprisingly civil. The front suspension's torsion-bar setup was nowhere near as bouncy as the setup in my Frontier, I would have sworn the BT-50 came with a coil-over setup like the Hilux and Navara had I not known about it previously. The truck absorbed bumps well, and sat glued to the road as I took the bends by Republic Bank & QRC quickly (with a bit of discomfort to the salesman). Steering was direct and responsive, the truck turned whenever I willed it. Acceleration was excellent, power was tremendous and came early in the rev-band. There was barely any turbo-lag, with a solid punch of torque coming in at around 1800 RPM when you put your foot down. This is attributed to the Variable-Geometry Turbocharger, which has vanes in the turbo-conch that close-up at slow RPM's and open-up at higher RPM's. This means the turbo can spool up much faster even at slower-speeds, and at higher speeds it acts like a larger turbo, giving you full power much earlier and faster than with a regular turbodiesel. This engine pulled strongly and tirelessly, even up to almost 4000RPM. Going up Lady Chancellor hill felt almost effortless, the 2.5 common-rail engine barely broke a sweat.
The automatic transmission changed gears quickly and at the correct engine/road-speed combinations. The ride was definitely a good mix of civil and sporty - if you drive easy then the BT-50 has very good manners, if you're rough with the truck the BT-50's engine won't fail to disappoint with power and torque. Power-steering was quick and efficient, adding to the sharp handling of the truck. You wouldn't feel like you're driving a pickup, more like driving a small SUV. Turning circle was tight and well-balanced, you'd be able to turn in a narrow street while giving enough allowance in steering-lock to prevent the sides of the truck from scraping other cars.
Verdict
The BT-50 performs well on many levels - as a workman's truck, as a contractor's truck, as a young-man's truck, as a workhorse. It gets the job done, has a handsomely rugged yet sporty image, has a strong engine, can carry the same loads as the big boys, and is comfortable enough to drive your friends around while liming. I could see myself hauling cargo in this truck one day, making a quick and effortless run up to Maracas and back, or perhaps taking the truck off-road through the Las Cuevas trail with the TriniTuner Diesel Boyz on one of their runs. I could see myself cruising late at night, heading home from work or a party with the Missus sleeping quietly and soundly in the passenger seat next to me. And through all this, the BT-50 2.5 Common Rail 4x4 would never miss a beat. Furthermore, this truck is composed enough that your female counterpart wouldn't mind driving it either (in fact you may end up fighting for the keys!).
PRICES:
- 2.5L MZ-DE Turbocharged, Direct Injection, (non-common rail), Manual Transmission, 4x4 with LSD, fabric seats, sidesteps, tray bar, 6-CD/MP3 player with Aux input = $196,000
- 2.5L MZR-CD Common Rail, Variable Geometry Turbo, Automatic Transmission, 4x4 with LSD, Fabric seats, sidesteps, tray-bar, 6-CD/MP3 player with Aux Input = $230,000
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