"Mazda-VT-50": owner reviews, specifications, photos

2024 Author: Erin Ralphs | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-19 11:42

Japanese cars are quite popular in Russia. However, this applies mainly to urban sedans, hatchbacks or crossovers. But I must say that pretty good pickups are produced in Japan. One of these instances is the Mazda-VT-50. Owner reviews, characteristics and features of the model - later in our article.

Design

Let's start with looks. the design of the car is quite modest. This is clearly not a brutal SUV. In front - rounded headlights and a smooth bumper. Of the features - wide wheel arches and large chrome mirrors. There are also chrome bars on the back.

The Mazda VT-50 is a simple workhorse. There is no pathos in the design, and therefore it will not work to stand out from the stream on such a Mazda.

Dimensions, clearance

As noted by the reviews of the owners, the Mazda-VT-50 has a very impressive size. The total length of the car is 5.08 meters, width - 1.8, height -1.76 meters. The wheelbase is exactly 3 meters. At the same time, the car has a solid ground clearance. On standard wheels, its value is 21 centimeters. In terms of weight, the empty SUV weighs about 1.73 tons. The gross weight of the pickup truck reaches three tons.

Interior

As noted by the reviews of the owners, the weaknesses of the Mazda-BT-50 are plastic and soundproofing. In this regard, the Japanese is significantly inferior to its German counterparts (take the Volkswagen Amarok, for example). The interior here is quite simple. The steering wheel is four-spoke, without additional buttons. The center console is flat, with a simple radio and a stove unit. On top there is a small shelf where you can put any thing. Pleased with the design of the instrument panel. It consists of three wells with red illumination. Looks pretty impressive.

As for the seats, they are quite simple. At the same time, reviews note a wide range of backrest adjustment. The rear sofa is designed for two people. Places, despite the fact that this is a large pickup truck, very little in the back. The legs of tall passengers will definitely rest against the front seats. And the back of the sofa is almost vertical.

Technical part

16-valve turbodiesel engines of the Duratorg series are used as power units. As noted by the reviews of the owners of the Mazda-VT-50, the diesel engine is surprisingly very quiet. The motors do not emit the "tractor" rumble characteristic of diesel engines. Cylinder block - cast iron, double wall. There is also an additional cooling jacket. In Russia, very often you can find pickup trucks with an engine capacity of 143 horsepower. According to the reviews of the owners, the Mazda-VT-50 has no weaknesses with this engine. This is a simple and reliable diesel.

For those who want to get more power with low fuel consumption, you should consider buying a Mazda with a 156-horsepower P4 engine. The same engine was installed on the Ford Ranger. According to the reviews of the owners, the fuel consumption of the Mazda-VT-50 with this engine is about 12 liters in mixed mode. The greatest efficiency can be achieved when driving on the highway at a speed of no more than 90 kilometers per hour. With such conditions, the engine spends about 7 liters of diesel per hundred.

As for the resource, the Drtorg engines (both the first and second options) have a resource of 300 thousand kilometers. But as noted by the reviews of the owners, the Mazda-VT-50 is demanding on fuel quality. You need to refuel with high-quality diesel and change filters on time. This applies to both fuel and oil.

Among the nuances, it is worth noting the need to warm up the engine after starting. It is also not recommended to immediately turn off the engine after a long trip. You need to let it cool down. The unit should run for a couple of minutes at idle. To control this more precisely, a turbo timer can be installed.

Of the pitfalls, reviews note a jump in the timing chain. If you don’t catch yourself in time, you can get into an expensive engine repair. Behind the state of the circuit, you must alwayskeep an eye on it and immediately change it when it is stretched. This can be reported by a characteristic metallic rustle, the tone of which will change with the change in engine speed.

Also, owners note that chain jumping can happen when trying to start a pickup truck "from a pusher", towing it with another car.

Second generation engines

In 2011, an updated pickup was born. Not only the design has changed, but also the technical part. So, the Duratek gasoline engine with 166 horsepower appeared in the lineup. This engine is produced at the Ford plant in Valencia. According to the reviews of the owners, this engine runs 350 thousand kilometers on the Mazda-VT-50 without any problems. But this is subject to the oil and filter change regulations.

Of the minuses of Duratek engines, reviews note increased oil consumption. As for diesel engines, they also tend to eat up oil, but diesel engines are very powerful. With a volume of 3.2 liters, they develop up to 200 horsepower. Fuel injection - direct.

Chassis

The machine has a simple and reliable suspension scheme. So, in front it is torsion bar, and in the back there is a continuous bridge. Instead of springs, there are springs at the rear. The steering is supplemented by a hydraulic booster. Brakes - disc and drum for the front and rear wheels, respectively. How does this car behave on the go? Due to such a simple suspension scheme, you should not expect any comfort. The car handles potholes very hard. Soft suspension becomes only when there is no less in the trunkfour hundred kilograms of cargo. In terms of driving performance, the Mazda resembles a real light truck. Talk about handling and maneuverability is not worth it. At the same time, this car is quite passable off-road.

Conclusion

So, we have considered what the Japanese Mazda BT-50 pickup is. Of the advantages of this car, it is worth emphasizing low fuel consumption, high cross-country ability and reliability of the internal combustion engine. However, in our conditions, the pickup did not take root. Versatility is important for buyers, and therefore the car should have the maximum amount of interior and trunk. Another important feature is comfort. "Mazda-BT-50" does not achieve high smoothness with its almost cargo suspension. Therefore, many opt for crossovers of the same brand.