Mitsubishi Express vs Mazda BT-50

What's the difference?

The Mitsubishi Express is an impressive return to the market for the brand, albeit one that won’t suit every buyer’s needs or wants. If you need to personalise your van, or if you value the safety technology offered by rivals like the HiAce, then you may need to shop elsewhere.

But if you do choose the Express, you will be getting a value-packed and very comfortable van that is backed by a broad dealer network and decent ownership prospects.

The MY25 Mazda BT-50 benefits from its robust Isuzu underpinnings to excel in this dual cab-chassis configuration, particularly with Mazda’s premium heavy-duty aluminium tray as fitted to our test vehicle. Fact is, apart from the big drop in payload required to tow 3500kg (but it’s not alone there) it’s hard to find any major flaws. Overall, it’s an excellent workhorse that would be well suited to a multitude of tradie tasks. 

The badges are different, and so is the front bumper and bonnet. But you might otherwise struggle to tell what’s changed between a Trafic and the Express.

One thing Mitsubishi is offering, though, is a standard three-seat cabin on all models, plus dual side sliding doors and rear barn doors across every variant in the line-up. That’s a win for hard workers.

Here’s a table of dimensions to help you size up which might be best for you:

As you can see, the extra size on offer in the LWB model is strictly nose to tail, with no other compromises to consider apart from, understandably, the larger turning circle. But Mitsubishi claims even the smaller version can cope with two pallets in the back.

As for cargo zone dimensions, here’s how the two body styles compare:

It’s worth noting that there is no high-roof option available, where you can get a taller body in most competitor vans. 

And while it is a bonus that there are barn doors (still not available on the HiAce), you can’t option a liftback tailgate. Plus, while the dual side sliding doors is an advantage as many OEMs charge extra for a driver’s side slider, you can’t option glazing for the rear door from Mitsubishi.

The company says that it is simply offering what it can get as part of the Alliance with Renault, but if you need to tailor a van to suit your specific needs, you might end up going with the French van (or the VW Transporter, which is the most configurable on the market). 

Check the engine specs section below for more specs on weights and capacities. Next, let’s take a look at the cabin, starting with some interior images.

It must be said that Mazda’s stylists did a commendable job with the third-gen BT-50 when it launched in 2020. Five years later it still looks fresh and we’re yet to find anyone who doesn't like its styling, which is in stark contrast to its polarising predecessor.

Its exterior sculpting embodies Mazda’s design language to maintain a strong family resemblance to the popular CX line of SUVs, yet does not detract from the tough and purposeful appearance expected of a 4x4 ute.

The MY25 facelift includes a newly designed front bumper, radiator grille and unique LED headlights. At the rear, pick-up models incorporate what Mazda describes as a ‘mountain-inspired ridged design’ along the bottom edge of the tailgate, along with new LED tail-lights and a larger Mazda logo.

Apart from the mountain-inspired ridged design, also evident on the glove box lid, the latest XTR interior is largely unchanged, blending different shades of grey with satin chrome highlights on the dashboard and door linings, contrasting fabric seat trim, exposed stitching on seams and adjustable centre console air conditioning vents for rear seat passengers.

With a three-seater cabin as standard, the Express is already at an advantage over a HiAce. You can’t get a three-seat HiAce, and if you’ve got apprentices or workmates that always need a lift - but you don’t want the space sacrifice that comes with a crew van - it could be a crucial decision-maker for you.

And there are decent amenities for the occupants, too, with three cup holders and ample storage options across the dashboard, as well as large bottle holders in the doors. In fact, all told, Mitsubishi claims there is 43 litres of loose item storage in the cabin.

The driver’s seat gets manual height adjustment, lumbar adjustment and an armrest, as well as steering wheel rake and reach adjustment, so getting a comfortable driving position should be a cinch. Unlike the Trafic, there’s no driver’s seat heating option, but the clever “Load Through” cavity - for loading items up to 4.14m long - under the passenger seat is fitted on all models (but unlike the Trafic, which has a bulkhead, there’s no porthole, and the vehicles we tested with cargo cages didn’t have an opening to make the best use of this).

It’s set up for hard work, with rubber floor mats and a “hard wearing” poly trim on the steering wheel, though that finish is a bit coarse, and not as pleasant to hold as a leather wheel. The seat trim is fabric, and feels to be made of a durable material.

Ergonomically, it is no different to a Renault Trafic. Most important controls fall easily to hand, though people unfamiliar with Renault switchgear may need to pay attention at the dealership when the positioning of the cruise control and speed limiter buttons are explained. The buttons are between the dashboard and steering wheel.

And if you’re looking for the volume button, it’s on the weird little stalk behind the wheel itself. That has tuning and phone controls too, and it takes some getting used to. Further, if you’re used to the blinkers being on the “right” side of the steering wheel in Japanese cars, the Express is the exception. 

When it comes to media and infotainment, there’s a lot left to be desired. There is no touch screen at all, and you can’t option one, either. Some drivers will appreciate that, but others will lament the lack of smartphone mirroring tech (Apple CarPlay and Android Auto), and likewise there is no sat nav available, either. There’s not even a CD player, but as standard the Express gets a smartphone holster with USB port on top of the dash, so there are two USB ports to keep things charged, plus a 12-volt below if you need it.

But the simple media system does offer a USB port to connect your phone or MP3 player, and Bluetooth phone and audio streaming, as well as DAB digital and AM/FM radio. The sound system has just two speakers, but it’s okay.

The cargo zone is, as you’d expect, a big, largely empty space. There’s no steel bulkhead option to separate the two zones, which could be frustrating for some customers - though if you can deal with the noise reverberation but just want to make sure things don’t fly from front to rear, there is a mesh cargo barrier available.

There are 14 tie-down points in the SWB (eight floor mount, six wall mount) and 16 tie eyelets in the LWB (10 floor, six wall). Plus there’s a rear-mount 12-volt outlet near the back doors to keep things charged.

Our test vehicle’s 1910kg kerb weight and 3100kg GVM results in a meaty 1190kg payload rating. However, that drops to 891kg after you deduct the combined weight of the premium heavy-duty aluminium tray (243kg), nudge bar (9.0kg) and towing kit (47kg).

It’s also rated to tow up to the class-benchmark 3500kg of braked trailer but with its 6000kg GCM (or how much it can legally carry and tow at the same time), towing that weight would require a substantial 590kg reduction in payload to avoid exceeding the GCM.

Even though few (if any) BT-50 owners would need to tow 3500kg, it’s important to be aware of these numbers if the need arose, to ensure the combined weight of your vehicle and trailer does not exceed the legal limit.

The premium heavy-duty aluminium tray from Mazda’s genuine accessories range is a nice bit of kit with its Mazda-branded tailgate decals and mudguards.

The tray is almost square with internal dimensions of 1800mm length and 1777mm width. And it has numerous internal load-anchorage points, external rope-rails and a sturdy mesh-style rear window protector, plus removable ‘quick-lock’ ladder racks with fold-down load retainers up top.

There’s also a 1500mm-long underbody drawer with adjustable internal dividers and a four-stage incremental locking system. An HDP (High Density Polyethylene) 25-litre water tank complete with tap and handwash bottle-holder resides under the right side of the tray, with a sizeable and lockable HDP toolbox under the left side.

The driver and front passenger have comfortable bucket seats and the rear bench is also accommodating, with ample head and kneeroom even for tall people.

However, shoulder room would be tight for three big tradies, so like most dual cabs short of a full-size US pick-up it’s tolerable for short trips as a five-seater but works best as a four-seater for longer drives.

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

The centre console has an open tray at the front, dual small-bottle/cupholders 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 storage pockets on the front seat backrests and a pair of pop-out cupholders in the fold-down centre armrest.

The 60/40-split rear bench seat’s 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.

Our test vehicle is the XTR cab-chassis, which is available only with a 3.0-litre, four-cylinder, turbo-diesel engine and six-speed automatic transmission, for a list price of $59,650.

The XTR is an upgraded version of the base model XT cab chassis equivalent which lists at $54,620, so for the extra $5030 you’ll pay for the XTR the standard equipment list expands to include 18-inch machined alloy wheels with 265/60 R18 tyres (and a full-size alloy spare), LED headlights/DRLs/front fog lamps, side-steps and power-fold mirrors.

The XTR cabin also comes standard with carpet, a leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob, three USB-C ports and a 12-volt socket, fold-down rear centre armrest, eight-speaker audio with digital radio and wired/wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity.

The cabin has smart keyless entry (with auto central-locking when you walk away from the vehicle), dual-zone climate control and 9.0-inch multimedia colour touchscreen, now thankfully with physical volume and tuning dials.

In addition to the facelifted styling, is updated software for the touchscreen which includes tyre pressure monitoring and various off-road-focused displays. The driver also gets a new 7.0-inch customisable 'Multi-Information Display' (MID).

Our example, finished in optional 'Ingot Silver Metallic' ($695), is also fitted with several items tailored for tradies from Mazda’s genuine accessories range, including a premium heavy-duty aluminium tray ($7888), SP nudge bar ($1432) and 3500kg tow pack ($1389) which combined add more than $11K to the price.

There are a couple of options available in the Express range.

Elect for a six-speed manual transmission and you get a 1.6-litre twin-turbo four-cylinder diesel engine producing 103kW of power (at 3500rpm) and 340Nm of torque (at 1500rpm). 

Choose the six-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission and the engine is a 2.0-litre four-cylinder single-turbo diesel motor, with 125kW of power (at 3500rpm) and 380Nm of torque (at 1500rpm). This engine meets a stricter emissions requirement than the other (Euro 6 vs Euro 5) because it has a 25-litre AdBlue urea treatment tank, though both have a diesel particulate filter (DPF), too. Depending on what side of the fence you sit, that’s either an advantage or an added cost and burden.

The Express is only available in front-wheel drive (FWD/2WD), so there’s no rear-wheel drive (RWD) or all-wheel drive (AWD/FWD) options available. 

Of course, you’ll need to consider weight if you’re buying a van like this. And it comes down to more than just engine specs - you need to consider payload, towing specifications, gross vehicle mass (GVM) and gross combination mass (GCM).

Here’s a table with the figures you need to know:

Wanting a petrol, hybrid, electric, plug-in hybrid or gas version of the Express? No can do… well, not in Australia, and not yet.

You will have to stay tuned for our full-scale Tradie Review on the Mitsubishi Express, where we will load it up to its GVM limit. But for day-to-day driving impressions, see the driving section below.

The BT-50’s drivetrain, shared with its D-Max donor, comprises Isuzu’s proven Euro 5-compliant 3.0-litre, four-cylinder, turbo-diesel that produces 140kW of power at 3600rpm and 450Nm of torque between 1600-2600rpm.

This is paired with an Aisin-sourced six-speed torque converter automatic featuring ‘intelligent’ protocols that prompt downshifting to assist with engine-braking on steep descents (great when towing) and overdrive on the top two ratios optimises fuel economy during highway driving.

It also offers the choice of sequential manual-shifting, which can be handy when hauling and/or towing heavy loads particularly in hilly terrain.

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

Fuel consumption for the Mitsubishi Express depends on the engine/transmission combination you choose. 

The 1.6-litre twin-turbo manual version is the more frugal according to official combined cycle consumption figures, at 6.2 litres per 100 kilometres. Opt for the 2.0-litre single-turbo auto and the fuel consumption is claimed at 7.3 litres per 100 kilometres. 

Those figures are based on a driving loop that doesn’t incorporate loaded testing, so you can expect your real world consumption to be higher - but even so, the claims are lower than the likes of the HiAce (7.5L diesel manual, 8.2L diesel auto).

On test, for instance, I saw a return of 7.9L/100km in the SWB auto, which experienced a few traffic snarls in Sydney. The LWB auto with 200kg of ballast over the rear axle - in which I did 100km of mixed urban, interurban and freeway driving with free flowing traffic for the most part - had a displayed return of 7.8L100km. 

The fuel tank capacity is large, at 80 litres. That means theoretically excellent range on a single tank - up to 1290km if you can manage the claimed consumption in the manual model.

Mazda claims an official combined cycle (urban/extra-urban) average of 8.0L/100km and the dash display was showing 10.2 at the completion of our 369km test, which comprised a mix of city, suburban and highway driving of which about one third was hauling a near-maximum payload.

Our own figure, calculated from fuel bowser and tripmeter readings, was slightly higher again at 10.6L/100km but still within the usual 2.0-3.0L/100km discrepancy between official and real-world figures and not bad for a two-tonne-plus 4x4 ute.

So, based on our figure, you could expect a realistic driving range of around 700km from its 76-litre tank.

If you’ve never driven a modern-day mid-size (2.5-3.5 tonne) van, you will be amazed at their road manners. There’s not a bad one in the class, in round terms, and the Express builds upon the Renault Trafic’s reputation as being among the best in the class for comfort and drivability.

It really is a pretty sweet appliance, with a ride quality that is mostly excellent whether you’re in the SWB or LWB model. It offers decent comfort and control at low speeds and high speeds, and is really only upset when the potholes are deep or have sharp edges. 

The SWB model has a slightly more pitchy ride when unladen, but we didn’t get a chance to put any weight in it just yet. The LWB model had 200kg of ballast over the rear axle, and that weight - combined with the extra 400mm of wheelbase - made for a very comfortable drive. Not too mushy or slushy, but actually nicely cushy. 

Aside from the low-speed electric whirring sound from the power steering, the steering is terrific - it is nicely weighted and pivots well, even the LWB model. Sure, it definitely feels its size, but it’s easily manageable and surprisingly agile for such a big rig, and easy enough to park as well, thanks to the split side mirrors and reversing camera (which pops up in the rear-view mirror and is quite small, but there are rear parking sensors to help out, too).

Because I sampled both automatic models, that meant I only had the chance to sample the 2.0-litre four-cylinder single-turbo diesel engine - and it’s a very strong performer.  

I never once felt like I needed any more pulling power with this - admittedly small - amount of weight on board. 

And the dual-clutch transmission is decent as well. You get away from a standing start pretty well, with just a little bit of turbo and transmission lag to contend with. It’s never annoying, even in traffic jam drudgery - unless the engine start stop system activates, and then it can be a little bit sluggish to get moving again.

However, as is the case with plenty of dual-clutch transmissions in commercial vehicles, it’s not quite as measured or linear in its progress when there’s no load on-board, tending to lurch away a little more when unladen.

And while we were hardly pushing the GVM limits with only 200kg in the back, the brake pedal of the LWB did feel at times like the push was a little longer than it should have been. 

It is a decently refined van, especially considering there’s no steel bulkhead to shield you from the noise intrusion at the rear. One thing, though - our test vans both had optional rubber mats fitted, and they were quite odorous. 

As mentioned the visibility is pretty decent, but I couldn’t help but feel jealous of a HiAce I overtook that had its blind-spot monitoring system flicker on the mirror. It would just add a little bit of extra piece of mind, as there’s no vision over your shoulder, and if you do have a load in the back it’s hard to see in the rearview mirror. And unlike other vans in the market, you can’t option rear windows, either. 

The cabin is spacious and, with side-steps plus large handles on the front windscreen pillars, it’s easy to climb aboard and find a comfortable driving position.

All-around vision is good and active driver aids like blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert and reversing camera instil confidence, particularly when hauling taller loads that block rear vision through the central mirror.

The engine is responsive in city and suburban use, thanks largely to its broad spread of torque across a 1000rpm-wide band from 1600-2600rpm that showcases its useful flexibility. The six-speed automatic has well-spaced ratios and shift calibrations that feel like they get the best out of this engine, either unladen or when hauling heavy loads.

It feels well-planted on the road and displays sure-footed handling if driven at appropriate speeds for a high-riding 4x4 ute, combined with excellent steering feel and responsive braking.

The unladen ride is firm, as you’d expect given the heavy-duty rear suspension unique to cab-chassis models, but the combined sprung weight of the tray and tow bar ensure it’s not too harsh.

To test its payload rating we strapped 830kg onto the load tray, which with driver and half a tank of diesel was a snip under its GVM limit. Even so, the rear leaf-springs only compressing 40mm under this loading, which left more than 40mm of bump-stop clearance that ensured no bottoming-out on our test route.

It hauled this big load with competence and a smoother ride quality, given the large increase in sprung weight allowed the heavy-duty rear suspension to do what it’s primarily designed to do.

There was also minimal effect on steering and braking response and the engine’s ample torque was not phased by this payload, particularly on our 13 per cent gradient, 2.0km-long set climb at 60km/h.

Engine-braking on the way down was also robust, highlighting the advantage of larger displacement engines (3.0-litres-plus) on overrun when restraining heavy loads on steep descents.

It also has low engine, tyre and wind noise at highway speeds, where the engine requires less than 2000rpm to maintain 110km/h thanks to its overdriven top gear with full torque converter lock-up.

This ensures the BT-50 is a comfortable and economical highway cruiser, with average fuel consumption that quickly drops into single figures on long hauls.

It has a maximum five-star ANCAP rating originally awarded in 2020 and updated in 2022 in accordance with D-Max upgrades.

The benchmark safety menu is packed with passive and active safety features highlighted by multiple airbags including full side-curtains and the latest in low/high speed AEB with pedestrian/cycle/motorcycle detection, lane-keeping, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, reversing camera, trailer sway control, tyre pressure monitoring and much more.

For junior tradies there are ISOFIX child-seat anchorages and top-tethers for the outer rear seating positions.

Mitsubishi is constantly dabbling in the long warranty promotional deals, but the standard warranty on offer for the Express is five years/100,000km.

The brand also has a capped price servicing plan for the first three years/45,000km of ownership. With intervals set at 12 months/15,000km, the costs are low, at $250 per visit.

And if you service your van with Mitsubishi’s dealer network, you will also get roadside assistance for up to four years.

If you’re wondering how that compares with the Renault plan? It’s a three-year/unlimited km warranty (but promotional five year/200,000km warranty plans are available until 31 August 2020). The Trafic has capped price servicing every 12 months or 30,000km intervals, or as determined by the oil sensor, at $599 per visit - but as of July 1 2020, it spans five years/150,000km, and is available with up to five years’ roadside assistance when maintained in-network. 

You might be curious about Mitsubishi Express problems - but it could be worth taking a look at the Renault Trafic problems page to find out if there have been issues around reliability, engine or transmission problems, recalls and common complaints.

Our test vehicle comes with a five-year/unlimited km warranty.

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

Mazda’s ‘estimated service cost’ for the first five years/75,000km totals $2547 which is an average of $509 annually.