2021 Isuzu D-Max vs Mazda BT-50

What's the difference?

Utes – especially dual-cab utes – occupy the hallowed turf that lay between being purely a work vehicle and being a daily driver/recreational vehicle. But in attempting to strike the right balance between the two purposes, utes end up being a bit of a compromise in one direction or the other – as in it’s ultimately better suited to work duties than it is to being a people mover, or vice-versa.

Well, some utes don’t need to compromise all that much, because some utes, such as the Isuzu D-Max SX space-cab cab chassis, for instance, are unashamedly purpose-built for work: carrying loads, driving big distances, towing heavy trailers, doing long days.

But that doesn’t mean this sort of ute is not capable of taking on an adventure or two, especially when the ute in question is a 2021 4x4 version of the aforementioned D-Max variant.

So, how does it go? Read on.

The BT-50 has attracted its fans over the years, even with quite a polarising front-end look in recent years.

Well, last year Mazda ushered in a new phase for the ute with a line-up now built on a platform shared with the Isuzu D-Max* – not the Ford Ranger as it had been before – and a distinctively Mazda carry-over look. (* So, the two utes are essentially the same vehicle – engine, drivetrain and chassis –  under the panels.)

The car manufacturer didn’t stop there either, because its top-of-the-range BT-50 is no longer the GT, it is now the Thunder, a new offering, kitted out with adventure-ready accessories.

But is it any good?

Read on.