Assets
Quality interior, refined and punchy common-rail diesel, decent value, square-jawed looks.
Drawbacks
Rocky ride from unsophisticated suspension, not enough innovation, no high-spec halo model.
Verdict
A million miles from its no-mark predecessor, but not enough glitz or intelligence to tap into the pick-up boom.
Those who hate pick-ups wonder why anyone would spend nearly twenty grand on a commercial vehicle. Those who love them argue they've spent just twenty grand on a highly desirable 4x4.
And the 'love' crowd is growing. Makers are increasingly tailoring their double cabs to catch dissatisfied SUV owners, tired of being persecuted for driving machines so soft they hardly merit the abuse.
These days, pick-up drivers can brag of smooth common-rail diesels, standard equipment rising to the heights of sat nav and a macho pride built into each one. From sales of just 7,500 in 2000, the market has soared to an expected 38,500 in 2006, a rise of 400%.
Mazda has largely missed out on the gold rush, but hopes to redress the balance with this, the BT-50. Naming it after a telecom calling plan doesn't seem the brightest way to begin an assault on the success of the mighty Nissan Navara, but it's got a few bolt-ons to tempt the buyer.
On sale now, the BT-50 double cab costs 17,600 for the TS and 19,200 for the TS2, give or take a few quid. Claim the VAT back - as you can if your business is VAT-registered - and that drops to 15,000 and 16,400.
This really is built to last. European passenger cars are engineered to survive the rigours of the suburban middle-classes, but makers of pick-up trucks have to take a more global view. Put a one-tonne payload limit on your truck as much as you want, but that Thai taxi driver won't leave until he's got a full load of 28 monks and he won't forgive you if the rear leaf springs break under the strain.
The engine is designed for low-rpm torque rather than max-rev power and has a life expectancy of at least 180,000 miles. It's the reason so many people chip pick-up engines and get away with it. There's just so much give.
As for that quality SUV drivers might expect, the BT-50 is a huge improvement over the B-Series it replaces. The silvery slab of dash is definitely plastic but well crafted and complements the almost elegant silver-ringed dials.
If you're for pick-ups, the image is unimpeachable. If you're against, the BT-50 is just another choice for slippery travelling folk. Assuming you're in favour, the Mazda will appeal if you like a softer, more SUV-inspired look to the front end.
The chrome grille, wing mirror housings and door handles fitted to the posher TS2 are must-haves, as are the deep-dished 16" alloys.
What is lacking is another, even grander version on top of that. Ford has its Ranger Thunder, Nissan the Navara Aventura and Mitsubishi the L200 Animal, but so far a Mazda with the requisite leather seats, chrome 'styling' bars and SUV spec hasn't progressed beyond the drawing board.
A 1,500 accessory pack goes some way to rectifying that, adding a front bumper guard, rear chrome bar and steel scuff plates.
The Mazda look isn't as aggressive as some, but its high-riding, squared-off stance does suggest the right amount of rugged individualism.
This is a revelation. If the suspension makes the Mazda feel crude and old-fashioned, then the refined, powerful engine fast-forwards to the present again.
Under the bonnet is a 2.5-litre four-cylinder engine. It's not completely new, but it has been given a 16-valve head, a posh new variable-geometry turbo, a large new intercooler and, most importantly, common-rail injection.
With all that fitted, the power jumps from 108 to 141bhp and the torque from 196 to 243lb-ft. There are more powerful pick-ups, most notably the 172bhp Nissan Navara, but the Mazda never feels slow. The claimed 0-62mph time of 12.4sec feels right.
The Mazda-designed engine is also very refined. The diesel racket that afflicted the old model is all but gone, even with the rev needle past its comfort band of 3000rpm.
First gear is designed to get the horsebox moving (it'll tow a whopping three tonnes of braked trailer) and so it throws great handfuls of torque at you very quickly.
This is what usually sends curious SUV owners scurrying back to their Discovery. The BT-50 is built like every pick-up, involving a cabin and a bed lashed to two girders and suspended by leaf springs in the rear. It's a simple, tough and cheap formula that does nothing whatsoever for driving refinement.
The old B-Series was a shocker in this respect, so owners upgrading will be pleasantly surprised by the BT-50. SUV owners will stay shocked.
The rigidity needed to support a maximum 1,175kg in the load bed creates an unyielding platform when tackling bumps. The coil-sprung front makes a halfway decent fist of removing the sting, but the back end leaps up and crashes back. What saves it are the seats, which are twice as effective as the suspension at soaking up the jolts.
Cornering in the Mazda doesn't bring the lurching you might expect - mainly because it's so tightly strapped down - but the steering is uncomfortably numb. That's welcome off-road, where it prevents rock-shocks from travelling up the steering column, but tackling a tight B-road will look like comic exaggeration from the passenger seat. It's also got a huge turning circle.
Off-road you shift the second, stubbier gear lever to access the low-ratio gear set, and the Mazda copes pretty well. The common pick-up problem of a lengthy wheelbase means it'll never achieve Land Rover status, but it's tough.
No-one's going to be crash-testing the Mazda any time soon, but there's no reason to think it'll crumple. Those two dirty great steel girders underneath have a comforting presence. This time there's four airbags instead of just two - the front seats now incorporating a side airbag each.
You have to fit ABS these days, but there's nothing like traction control as the Mitsubishi L200 offers. The Mazda will drive on tarmac with all four wheels engaged, but sharp turns are like driving through putty.
Mostly you'll be in rear-wheel-drive mode and the back end can get skittish with minimal weight over the rear axle. Dyed-in-the-wool pick-up owners know how to cope, but teenage sons might not.
Cabin security is improved by a standard Thatcham Category 1 alarm, but the rear bed is always a risk. Even hardtops aren't completely thief-proof, because the Mazda's tailgate can't lock and so can be yanked down. An aftermarket flush-fit aluminium roll-top cover with security straps gives the best protection, if not the quickest entry.
Not horrible, actually. The big concern used to be service intervals - 6,000 miles encourages an intimacy with your dealer you really don't want. That's now been doubled to 12,500 miles/one year.
You should see less of the fuel station too. The addition of common-rail injection has improved the combined economy from 23mpg to a competitive 32. The insurance group is 10 or 11, depending on the model.
But the best financial reason to buy a double-cab is revealed when you sell it. Their current market desirability allows them to cling to a large percentage of their value one, two or three years down the line. We're talking BMW levels here.
The Mazda has been less impressive than some, but its new-found refinement should change that. Just don't buy it in white - second-hand customers won't want to know.
When the rear suspension isn't softening much, the seats are the last line of defence for the spine. Thankfully, Mazda realises that. The driver seat is decently cushioned and well braced - it just lacks height adjustment and adequate lower-back back support.
Behind, the high floor means the rear passengers won't get enough thigh support unless they're 5ft or under, but there's loads of headroom and okay legroom for two. The old pick-up problem of ramrod rear seat backs has been relaxed here, but you still snag your foot on the B-pillar on the way out.
The equipment levels are OK, if not stunning. In the top-spec TS2, there's air con and a six-CD in-dash multichanger, plus remote central locking (with jacknife key). The windows and mirrors are electric, and there are plenty of cubbyholes. They include a potentially innovative slide-out tray above the glovebox that's touted as a laptop table-cum-paperwork drawer. In fact, it's next to useless. It doesn't slide out nearly far enough and won't fit A4 documents.
What Mazda really needs to capture disaffected SUV owners is a higher-spec model. Until that time they're not going to be seduced into switching over to a BT-50 contract.
[4Car]
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