√2021 Mazda BT-50 Thunder review: Long-term conclusion

Mazda’s top-specification four-wheel-drive ute – complete with plenty of bolt-on accessories – proved its versatility over our time behind the wheel. However, it’s probably not for everyone.

Introduction

After plugging some long distances and putting the ute to the test in a variety of situations, we pull the curtains on our time with the 2021 Mazda BT-50 Thunder.

The Thunder from Down Under, you could say. Australia is one of the few markets that the Mazda BT-50 is sold in, but the Thunder is an Australian-only specification that was conceived locally.

It’s the most money you can spend on a Mazda four-wheel-drive ute, coming in over the $70,000 threshold that some top-spec utes have managed to do in recent years.

When this Thunder model first launched, pricing was set at a special $65,990 drive-away with a six-speed manual, or $68,900 drive-away with a six-speed automatic.

However, pricing has since moved upwards. It now attracts an asking price of $68,290 before on-road costs with a manual transmission, or $71,290 ($3000 more) with the six-speed automatic gearbox.

Many vehicles on the Australian market have been subject to pricing increases in recent years, and this Mazda BT-50 is clearly in the same camp.

Key details	2021 Mazda BT-50 Thunder
Price	$71,290 plus on-road costs
Colour of test car	Concrete Grey Mica
Options	None
Price as tested	$78,384 drive-away (NSW)
Rivals	Isuzu D-Max \| Toyota HiLux \| Ford Ranger

Take a Mazda BT-50 GT but throw in some black 18-inch alloy wheels, a hoopless steel bullbar, fender flares, electric roller cover, plastic side steps and a sports bar. And don’t forget those Thunder decals down the side.

The bullbar is outfitted with a sturdy-looking bash plate underneath and Lightforce (a quality Australian brand) driving light up top, but it unfortunately lacks any kind of winch compatibility.

It’s a package that is more practical and off-road-ready from the showroom floor, but buyers would be remiss to not consider pricing up similar packages of goodies from the Australian aftermarket instead. It might not be as well integrated into the vehicle’s warranty offering, but choosing quality equipment with a good reputation (and having it properly/professionally installed) should see issues kept to a minimum.

	2021 Mazda BT-50 Thunder
Seats	Five
Length	5470mm
Width	1870mm
Height	1790mm
Wheelbase	3125mm

I think it’s fair to say that the integration of the fender flares and the bullbar up front isn’t perfect. The flares finish quite abruptly, and the unchanged wheel offset of the Thunder doesn’t really suit the widened stance of the bodywork.

The roller cover – electrically operated via buttons near the tailgate – is a handy addition to have for a ute doing family duties. Keeping things out of the weather and out of sight of passers-by is always a good thing. However, locking the tailgate by the pop-out key is annoying. It doesn’t work through central locking, and it should.

It’s also worth noting that while the broader BT-50 range gets a five-star ANCAP safety rating from 2020, the inclusion of a bullbar precludes the BT-50Thunder from getting the same rating. That’s not to say it’s inherently unsafe in a crash, it just hasn’t been tested.

	2021 Mazda BT-50 Thunder
ANCAP rating	Unrated
Safety report	Link to ANCAP report for the BT-50

There is still the same broad range of safety equipment on offer, however: autonomous emergency braking (including pedestrian, cyclist and intersection detection), blind-spot monitoring and collision avoidance, rear cross-traffic alert and collision avoidance, driver attention alert and adaptive cruise control.

There are also eight airbags inside, which includes a front centre airbag between the forward occupants.

The powertrain of the BT-50 Thunder is unchanged. Although there is a 1.9-litre turbo diesel engine (also sourced from Isuzu) available in lower specification grades, we have the steadfast 3.0-litre, four-cylinder turbo diesel engine that makes 140kW at 3600rpm and 450Nm at 1600–2600rpm. This runs through a six-speed automatic gearbox in our case, while a six-speed manual transmission is also available for $3000 less.

At a glance	2021 Mazda BT-50 Thunder
Warranty	Five-year/unlimited-kilometre
Service intervals	12 months/15,000km
Servicing costs	$1493 (3yrs) \| $2307 (5yrs)

Claimed fuel economy for the BT-50 Thunder is 8.0 litres per hundred kilometres on the combined cycle, with figures of 6.9L/100km and 9.8L/100km claimed for highway and town driving respectively. Our average usage overall worked out to be 8.8L/100km, which was a mixture of just about everything – including off-roading and some big highway runs.

With a 76L fuel tank, our average economy would leave us with an approximate driving range of around 860km between refills.

Fuel Useage	Fuel Stats
Fuel cons. (claimed)	8.0L/100km
Fuel cons. (on test)	8.8L/100km
Fuel type	Diesel
Fuel tank size	76L

Find your nearest bp

Driving

The more time I spend with the 3.0-litre Isuzu-sourced turbo diesel engine, the more I enjoy its company. It’s not the most powerful nor the most refined, but does deliver a healthy punch of lazy torque throughout most of the usable rev range.

And for what it’s worth, I rate it as plenty powerful and refined for the application.

It’s a powertrain that doesn’t mind being loaded up, which is something important for a vehicle like this. It’s perfectly happy to slog its way up steep and slippery inclines off-road with that wide range of torque lending a smooth and predictable nature to the powertrain.

And on the flip side of that, it’s an engine that is happy to cruise at loping revs on the highway, barely raising a sweat to hold the speed limits up hill and down dale.

We haven’t been able to sample the six-speed manual gearbox, but we all know that most ute buyers opt for the automatic. And it works quite well, getting the best out of the engine and making good shifting decisions.

Having a locking rear differential for off-roading, along with the additional protection and clearance afforded by that polarising front bumper, makes it a good off-roader. The Mazda’s off-road traction-control system isn’t as advanced or as competent as others in the segment, but this BT-50 will take on more off-roading than your average user would ever throw at it.

Key details	2021 Mazda BT-50 Thunder
Engine	3.0-litre four-cylinder turbo diesel
Power	140kW @ 3600rpm
Torque	450Nm @ 1600–2600rpm
Drive type	Part-time 4×4, low-range transfer case
Transmission	Six-speed torque convertor automatic
Power to weight ratio	63kW/t
Weight (kerb)	2213kg
Tow rating	3500kg braked, 750kg unbraked
Turning circle	12.5m

Conclusion

Although the execution of this Thunder specification might not be perfect (or to everyone’s taste), one cannot deny the pedigree of vehicle on which it is based. The Mazda BT-50 is a very fine four-wheel-drive ute in many respects, which hasn’t lost any of its lustre during our time with it. It was happy on the daily grind, while also doing well loaded up, road-tripping and off-road.

And for what it’s worth, I reckon a nice set of 17-inch wheels (offset correctly to suit the flares and barwork) would help the appearance of the Thunder immeasurably.

If you pick a nice set of all-terrain tyres, you’ll also get a nice bump in off-road performance without too much impact on the bitumen.

The Thunder gets the interior treatment that includes all of the bells and whistles, which helps when you plan on spending bulk hours behind the wheel. Safety credentials are good (despite Thunder losing the five-star ANCAP rating), and the infotainment system packs a good number of features on its generously sized screen.

Since we started our time with the BT-50, Ford’s Ranger has arrived and redefined in many senses how good a four-wheel-drive ute can be. That shouldn’t take away too much from this Mazda four-wheel-drive ute, however. While it’s not the newest and freshest on the block any more, it’s still capable, comfortable and competent.

MORE: Long-term report one: Introduction
MORE: Long-term report two: Off-road
MORE: Everything BT-50