2019 Ford Ranger vs Mazda BT-50

What's the difference?

The 2019 Ranger XLT with twin-turbo 2.0-litre diesel and 10-speed auto offers 10kW more power and 30Nm more torque than the venerable Duratorq 3.2 litre five-cylinder alternative, along with superior fuel economy. Although Aussies traditionally lean towards large capacity engines, based largely on perceptions that smaller ones have to work harder to do the same job, there was no evidence of that during our test.

Indeed, it hauled its one tonne payload up long and steep climbs with an effortless ‘you call this a hill?’ arrogance and with plenty in reserve. Pub-test perceptions are powerful things, of course, but so too is this new engine which makes light work of hard work.

That 3.9 might seem like a high score for a ute that, at times in this review, I’ve not been very complimentary of, but most of that score is for the BT-50 itself, not the Boss aspect of it; the Boss thing does nothing for the BT-50. 

Like most decisions in life, whether you opt for a Boss boils down to wants and needs. You might want a Boss but you certainly don’t need one – I don’t think so, anyway. The BT-50 is a solid, dependable ute with a top-notch engine and driveline without any of the Boss frippery. It’s a very capable unit for working and towing, and the Boss trim simply makes it look a little bit different to other BT-50s – whether that’s a good ‘different’ is up to you.

The BT-50 handles everything nicely and, while it never feels quite as refined as something like the Ford Ranger or VW Amarok, it’s still right up there with the best utes in the market.