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Mazda might be able to claim one of the longest lineages for the BT-50 – that is, if it hadn’t had three separate names over its history.
The B Series ute was Mazda’s first foray, way back in 1964, which was replaced in 1992 by the well-known Bravo. By then, Mazda’s ute had grown from its workhorse roots to a series of two- and four-wheel-drive utes, with the choice of single and dual cab configurations. With the advent of the BT-50 in late 2006, Mazda updated the name, style and performance of its ladder-framed ute.
These days, a pair of diesel engines work across a range of body styles and drive configurations, with prices starting at $35,520 for the BT-50 XS (4X2) up to $74,095 for the BT-50 Thunder (4X4).
Mazda offers 15 variants in its BT-50 range. There are five model grades - XS, XT, XTR, GT and SP - which stretch from mid-$30K to past $70K.
The overall level of equipment is high, for example, the entry-level XS is the only one with steel wheels, the rest have either 17- or 18-inch alloy wheels.
The XTR is the sweet spot in the range, with 18-inch alloys, LED front fog lights, daytime running lights (DRLs), side steps, keyless entry, dual-zone climate control, navigation and the pick-up gets a tub liner and tow bar with receiver, tongue and wiring harness.
First things first: are you sure the leak is coming from the gearbox and not the engine? It can be very hard to discern the difference in a manual car, although it’s easier in an automatic as the transmission fluid is usually a red colour.
Beyond that, oil can escape from a gearbox through a variety of places. The breather could be allowing fluid out, the pan seal could be leaking, the rear gearbox seal could be faulty or you could even have a cracked transmission casing. Don’t rule out a leaking drain plug, either, as this is a very common source of a leak. You might even find the leak is coming from somewhere within the transmission cooler and its plumbing.
It’s a bit hard to know what’s going on here. If a tyre is scrubbing on its inside edge, it’s often a problem with the camber settings (the amount of lean on the tyre from top to bottom). If it was realigned incorrectly, it’s conceivable that too much camber was removed and now the opposite problem is occurring where the outside edge is wearing too quickly. That said, sometimes incorrect toe-in and toe-out settings can cause similarly odd tyre wear.
Either way, this sort of problem should not be beyond the skills of a wheel alignment specialist to rectify without any mechanical changes to the vehicle or its suspension. In extreme cases, adjustable suspension bushes or mounting points can be fitted in place of the standard items to provide a greater range of adjustment. You may find that rectification is warranty issue, but if the misalignment came about through wear and tear or hitting a pothole or big bump, then it may not be covered by the factory warranty. Previous crash damage that has not ben repaired properly is also another common cause of weird tyre wear due to poor wheel alignment.
It mightn’t seem like the vehicle is struggling, but when you consider that a caravan of this size can easily weight the best part of three tonnes, you can see how it puts a strain on every component of the vehicle towing it. It sometimes only takes a small hill or a headwind to push a towing vehicle into its discomfort zone. Do that long enough and eventually something will get hot enough to trigger the limp-home response.
But don’t rule out a check-up at a BT-50 or Ford Ranger (they’re the same vehicle under the skin) specialist who should be able to pinpoint the weak link, as well as offer solutions to stop it happening again. You might find you need a bigger transmission or engine oil cooler, or even a retune of the engine to bring it back to tip-top shape.
Accessories you’ve added can also make a difference. Have you, for instance, fitted a roof rack or larger wheels and tyres? A roof rack can add a lot of aero drag that has to be overcome, while bigger tyres can mess up the vehicle’s gearing, causing it to work harder for the same road speed as before.
The Mazda BT-50 is available in seven colours - 'Ice White', 'Geode White', 'Ingot Silver', 'Concrete Grey', 'True Black', 'Sailing Blue' and the new 'Red Earth'. The latter was developed specifically for the new BT-50.
For 2025 the cabin of the Mazda BT-50 was redesigned for a more premium look. There’s a new multimedia system as well as a new digital instrument display on the XTR model and above, with a new 7.0-inch digital display integrated into the dashboard.
The majority of the Mazda BT-50 range is powered by a 140kW/450Nm 3.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine, paired with a six-speed automatic transmission with the choice of 4x4 or 4x2.
The entry-grade XS has a 1.9-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel, which makes 110kW/350Nm, and is also paired with a six-speed auto but only offered with 4x2 drive.
The Mazda BT-50s fitted with the 3.0-litre diesel a 4x4 have a claimed combined fuel economy figure of of 8.0 litres per 100km, while the 4x2 option with the same engine uses 7.7L/100km on selected variants. The entry-grade model with the 1.9-litre engine has a claimed rating of 7.0L/100km.
All BT-50 have a 76-litre fuel tank so the theoretical driving range for the 4x4 models is up to 950km and more than 1000km for the 1.9-litre model.
The 2025 Mazda BT-50 is available as a two-seat single cab and Freestyle cab, or a five-seat dual cab ute.
Mazda doesn't publish a 0-100km/h time for the BT-50, because it's not a performance vehicle.
With the 3.0-litre turbo diesel engine, we'd estimate it should run 0-100km/h in approimately 10 seconds.
The Mazda BT-50 pick-up tray measures 1571mm long, 1120mm wide between the wheel arches, 1530mm wide at the top and 490mm deep.
Payload varies from 1379kg for the XS single-cab down to 924kg for the XTR dual-cab