Ford Ranger vs Mazda BT-50

What's the difference?

The Ford Ranger XL 4x2 Double Cab combines strong performance with a one-tonne-plus payload rating, 3500kg towing ability, spacious cabin and excellent ride/handling.

However, it could be even better without the penny-pinching evident in the lack of rear passenger air-vents/USB etc found in some 4x2 rivals. Even so, for workhorse buyers, there’s plenty to like here.

The XTR LE adds polish to the BT-50 line-up, in more ways than just its silver metallic paint and highly buffed accessories. It also has exceptional fuel economy and is equally competent as a suburban daily driver, tradie’s workhorse and weekend escape machine, with robust load-carrying and towing ability. For those wanting an upmarket version of the popular XTR, the LE has plenty of appeal. 

All Ranger XL 4x2s are called ‘Hi-Riders’ as they share the same ride height as their 4x4 siblings. As a result, they also benefit from the same ground clearance/approach/departure angles, which can be handy if there's some rugged terrain in your line of work.

Braking is a front disc/rear drum combination but you’d struggle to feel the difference between this and the four-wheel discs of higher-grade models, given how well Ford has refined the set-up over the years.

The Ranger XL is a chrome-free zone as you'd expect, with the interior featuring many shades of grey and a conspicuous number of plastic caps in places where buttons/switches are found in more luxurious variants.

Even so, the cabin is neat and functional for this role. Rear seat space is excellent, even for tall people like me (186cm). There’s also ample headroom, which contributes to the spacious feel.

Our only gripes are the absence of air-vents and a USB port in the rear of the centre console, which come standard in rivals like Isuzu’s D-Max SX.

The XTR is a happy medium between the work-focused XS and XT models and higher-grade GT, SP and top-shelf Thunder offerings, so the additional equipment that comes with the LE enhances the appeal of this popular model grade.

The bull-bar integrates with the BT-50’s safety systems ensuring crumple zones, airbags and driver assistance systems are not compromised. 

This bull-bar design also ensures no adverse effect on engine and transmission cooling and its single hoop is ideal for mounting extra driving lights.

The load tub-mounted sports-bar includes an integrated brake light for enhanced safety, while the heavy-duty tub-liner protects against dents and scratches.

The XTR interior has a quality look and feel with a tasteful blend of piano black and satin chrome highlights on the dashboard and door linings, contrasting fabric seat trim, exposed stitching along numerous seams and adjustable centre console a/c vents for rear seat passengers.

Driver and front passenger get comfortable bucket seats and the rear seating is also accommodating, with ample head and kneeroom even for tall adults. 

However, shoulder room is tight when travelling three-abreast, so like most dual cabs of this size it’s most comfortable as a four-seater.

Thanks to its relatively light 2093kg kerb weight, our test vehicle’s 3250kg GVM allows for an impressive 1157kg payload rating.

It’s also rated to tow up to the category-benchmark 3500kg of braked trailer and given its big 6200kg GCM (or how much it can legally carry and tow at the same time) that would still leave a generous payload capacity of more than 600kg.

These are strong numbers well suited to a variety of heavy-hauling tasks.

The load tub’s floor is 1547mm long and 1584mm wide with 1224mm between the wheel housings, allowing it to carry an 1165mm-square Aussie pallet which can be secured using a choice of six load-anchorage points (three each side).

A steel-framed bulkhead doubles as robust protection for the cabin’s rear window and a handy place on which to lean and secure items that are too long to fit in the tub.

Its flush-fitting load retainers can pivot and lock into a vertical position on each side, to effectively ‘book-end’ loads when securing them.

The tub has internal lighting thanks to small but bright LEDs embedded in the sidewalls. These are welcome not only when accessing the tub at night or in poorly-lit internal spaces, but also if it's fitted with a hard tonneau cover.

There are concave side-steps behind the rear wheels, which make accessing the load tub easier and safer than standing on top of the tyres as owners often do, because if they're wet or muddy it’s easy to slip off.

Six plastic caps (three each side) along the top edges of the sidewalls can be removed to provide access to internal mounting points for numerous structures, like ladder racks.

The top edge of the tailgate incorporates a 1.3-metre ruler and a pair of spring-loaded ‘trapdoors’ which provide access to the tailgate’s internal cavity.

This allows for the use of G-clamps, which can be inserted into these holes when using the open tailgate as a workbench to clamp materials in place when cutting, drilling, sanding, etc.

Front-of-cabin storage includes dual bottle holders and a bin in each door, plus an overhead glasses holder and, on the passenger’s side, an open shelf with glove box below.

The centre console has open storage up front, a pair of small-bottle/cupholders in the centre and a lidded-box at the back which doubles as a driver’s elbow rest.

Rear seat passengers get a bottle holder and bin in each door, another bin in the rear of the centre console and a pocket on the front passenger seat’s backrest, but with no fold-down centre armrest there are no dedicated cupholders.

The one-piece seat base can also swing up and be stored vertically if more internal luggage space is required, or to access two large underfloor storage compartments.

The addition of the LE’s accessories adds 81kg to the XTR’s kerb weight, which increases from 2030kg to 2111kg. As a result, the payload rating must drop by the same amount, from 1070kg to 989kg, to avoid exceeding the vehicle’s 3100kg GVM. 

The LE retains the XTR’s class-benchmark 3500kg braked tow rating but to keep below its 5950kg GCM (how much it can legally carry and tow at the same time) while doing that, the payload limit would have to be reduced by a sizeable 650kg. 

Alternatively, you could lower the trailer weight limit by the same amount (to 2850kg) and keep the full payload, which is not only more practical but also safer for towing.

The lined load tub is 1571mm long, 1530mm wide and 490mm deep with 1120mm between the wheel housings, which means it can’t carry a standard Aussie pallet but will take a Euro. There are four sturdy load anchorage points.

Cabin storage includes a large-bottle holder and bin in the base of each front door. The dash offers a closable compartment to the right of the driver’s knee for small items, upper and lower glove boxes and an overhead glasses holder. 

The centre console has an open tray at the front, dual small-bottle/cup-holders in the centre and a small box at the rear with a contoured lid that doubles as a driver’s elbow rest.

Rear passengers get a large-bottle holder and small bin in each door, plus pockets on the front seat backrests and two pop-out cup holders in the fold-down centre armrest. So, in total that’s four large-bottle holders and six small-bottle/cupholders. 

The 60/40-split rear seat base-cushions can also swing up and be stored vertically if more internal load space is needed. This also reveals two underfloor compartments with lids for keeping valuables out of sight, so there are plenty of places to store things.

Our XTR LE test vehicle is available only with the top-shelf 3.0-litre turbo-diesel, six-speed torque converter automatic and 'Ingot Silver Metallic' paint for a list price of $64,295, plus on-road costs.

The letters LE usually stand for Limited Edition, but as Mazda does not have a capped build number for this ‘edition’ its production numbers will only be ‘limited’ by how many it can sell.

Based on the popular XTR grade, which is an enhanced version of the entry-level XT, the LE adds three good-looking items from the Mazda Genuine Accessories range comprising a single-hoop polished alloy bull-bar, polished stainless steel sports-bar and a heavy-duty tub-liner.

Mazda claims the LE pricing represents a $2500 saving compared to specifying these accessories separately. Even so, it surpasses the price of the GT which sits one grade above the XTR in the BT-50 model line-up at $62,510.

These accessories are in addition to numerous standard XTR features including 18-inch alloy wheels with 265/60R18 tyres and a full-size alloy spare, body-coloured power-folding door mirrors and LED headlights, daytime running lights and fog lights.

XTR cabin highlights include keyless entry (with auto central-locking when you leave the vehicle), dual-zone climate control, leather-wrapped steering wheel and gear-knob, auto-dimming interior mirror and rear seat fold-down centre armrest.

The eight-speaker multimedia system has a 9.0-inch colour touchscreen display, along with steering wheel controls and multiple connectivity including Apple CarPlay/Android Auto. There’s also a 12-volt accessory outlet and USB-A charging ports front and rear.

The 2.0-litre four-cylinder diesel with single turbocharger produces a healthy 125kW at 3500rpm and 405Nm of torque between 1750-2500rpm, which exceeds the outputs of 2.4-litre HiLux and 1.9-litre D-Max diesel rivals.

This engine is paired with a six-speed torque converter automatic, which offers the choice of sequential manual-shifting using a small thumb-operated toggle on the side of the shift-lever.

This can be handy when carrying and/or towing heavy loads, particularly in hilly terrain to minimise gear-hunting.

The Isuzu-sourced 3.0-litre four-cylinder intercooled turbo-diesel is a refined and proven performer, producing 140kW at 3600rpm and 450Nm of torque which peaks across a 1000rpm-wide band between 1600-2600rpm.

This is paired with a refined Aisin six-speed torque converter automatic, offering fast but smooth shifting and intelligent protocols that prompt automatic downshifting to assist with engine-braking on steep descents. 

It also has sequential manual-shifting plus overdrive on the top two ratios to optimise fuel economy during highway driving.

The part-time, dual-range 4x4 transmission has 2.482:1 low-range reduction and a switchable locking rear diff.

Ford claims official average combined cycle consumption of 7.8L/100km.

When we stopped to refuel at the end of our 493km test, which included a mix of suburban and highway driving of which about one fifth was carrying a heavy payload, the dash display was claiming 8.5L/100km.

This was very close to our own figure of 9.3, calculated from fuel bowser and trip meter readings, which confirmed thrifty single-digit economy in real-world driving conditions.

So, based on our own figures, the test vehicle should achieve an impressive driving range of around 860km from its big 80-litre tank.

Mazda claims official combined cycle consumption of 8.0L/100km which was close to the 8.4 showing on the dash display at the end of our 276km test. 

Both were close to our own figure of 8.7 calculated from fuel bowser and trip meter readings, which is outstanding single-digit economy for a 4x4 dual-cab ute weighing more than two tonnes. 

So, based on our numbers, you could expect an excellent real-world driving range of around 870km from its 76-litre tank.

It’s easy to climb aboard with big assist-handles on the A and B pillars to compensate for the absence of side-steps.

The driving position is comfortable and spacious, with ample manual adjustments available in the seat and steering wheel.

It may be a back-to-basics workhorse but refinements in the latest Ranger generation have not been compromised.

The unladen ride quality is undeniably firm but still commendable, even on bumpy roads, given its leaf-spring rear axle and big payload rating.

The relatively light 4x2 kerb weight ensures brisk acceleration from standing starts, combined with steering feel that arguably remains the class benchmark.

We forklifted 890kg into the tub which with driver (and towing pack) was more than one tonne of payload.

The rear leaf springs compressed 50mm under this weight, but there was no chance of bottoming-out because of the rear suspension design that has long cone-shaped jounce rubbers that engage with the springs early in their compression.

This eliminates the hard thumps at full travel like traditional bump-stops and provide what is effectively a second stage of load support. The result is a smooth ride under maximum loads, regardless of road conditions.

The Ranger has ample performance in busy suburban driving and excels at highway speeds, with low engine, tyre and wind noise highlighting its excellent noise suppression.

It also made light work of hauling this load up our 13 per cent gradient, 2.0km set climb at 60km/h, self-shifting down to third gear to easily reach the summit with minimal accelerator required.

Engine braking on the way down, in a manually-selected second gear, wasn’t as robust but typical of small displacement turbo-diesels trying to restrain big loads on steep descents.

The only negative was an alert that appeared on the driver’s info display, warning of a ‘front camera malfunction’ that would require servicing.

As a result, we were without pre-collision assist, adaptive cruise control or speed-limiter functions for the remainder of our test run, which fortunately occurred on the final day of our loan.

There are big handles on the front windscreen pillars to assist entry and it’s easy to find a comfortable driving position given the spacious cabin, height/reach adjustable and leather-wrapped steering wheel, big left footrest and adequate adjustment in the driver's seat which includes variable lumbar support. However, some rake adjustment in the seat base would be welcome.

It has solid build quality with low engine, tyre and wind noise. All-round vision is good, enhanced by useful driver aids like blind-spot monitoring and a reversing camera. 

Our only criticisms are an annoying glitch in the design of the driver’s sun-visor, which clips the edge of the rear-view mirror enough to dislodge it each time the visor is swung down. 

And there are no rotary dials on the media screen for quick and easy adjustment of audio settings. Buttons are not as user-friendly.

Handling is sure-footed for a high-riding 4x4, the braking is reassuringly strong (particularly under load) and steering feel is amongst the best in class. 

The engine has good response and never feels sluggish in city and suburban driving thanks to its broad spread of torque, enhanced by an automatic transmission that generally gets the best out of this engine without the need to manual-shift.

It’s also a comfortable and economical highway cruiser. With the overdriven top gear and full torque converter lock-up, it can consume long distances with minimal effort as the engine requires only 1600rpm to maintain 110km/h. The adaptive cruise control works well.

We didn’t forklift a load into the LE as we have already tested the standard XTR on which it’s based with a 950kg payload, which was only 40kg under the LE’s maximum rating. 

On that occasion the leaf-spring rear suspension compressed 75mm, but there was still more than 30mm of stationary bump-stop clearance remaining. That ensured it never bottomed-out, floating over large bumps and through dips with ease.

We have also towed a 2.5-tonne dual-axle caravan with an XTR during which it also excelled, so in LE form it’s not only a comfortable daily driver but a competent load-hauler, too.

The BT-50 has a maximum five-star ANCAP rating awarded in 2020. Advanced safety includes eight airbags and a comprehensive list of active safety features headlined by AEB. 

There are also ISOFIX and top-tether child seat attachments on the two outer rear seating positions.

Warranty is five years/unlimited km.

Scheduled servicing is every 12 months/15,000km whichever occurs first.

Capped-price servicing for the first five scheduled services totals $1911 or an average of $382 per service.

The BT-50 is covered by a five-year/unlimited km warranty.

Scheduled servicing is every 15,000km or 12 months, whichever occurs first. 

Minimum combined cost is $2404 for the first five scheduled services, for an annual average of $481.