2022 Mazda BT-50: 50 Days with a BT-50 – Accessories

Get the most out of your BT-50 with some genuine accessories.

I slide in to the comfortable seat of the Mazda BT-50 Thunder. In standard guise, there are a host of additional components fitted to this vehicle that add to your enjoyment while driving it.

Along for the ride is Lloyd. He's been driving the BT-50 for 50 days now and has some thoughts on why this could be the most comfortable and capable car he has been in.

During his journey with the vehicle, he found the electric tonneau cover a lifesaver.

196

Click any photo in this article to see the full gallery

Being an avid surfer, he could fit a six-foot surfboard in the tray, and with a simple press of a button, cover it up so no one even knew it was there. He was completely at ease leaving the BT-50 parked anywhere around his hometown, given the privacy and security that the cover provides.

The BT-50 Thunder is geared to those that look to get off-road often, and as such is fitted with plenty of tough accessories. One that adds to the look are the side- steps.

I believe some owners may want a proper rock slider setup, although Mazda does not offer one, as it isn't compatible with the side airbags. Nonetheless, the steps do a great job of providing easy access to the vehicle and are suitable to stand on when you want to take a look at what is ahead from an elevated position.

Lloyd is tall, so he didn't use the steps all that often, but he was a huge fan of the bash plates hidden underneath the car.

196

“I didn’t have to worry about hitting anything while out in the bush,” he said.

He often uses his own 4WD to tackle rocky tracks that lead through to the local beaches, so having that protection was a godsend.

The protection the plates offer to the front end of the car cannot be understated. Not only do they protect you from hard impacts from rocks and even tree stumps, they also protect the underbody from wildlife impact.

And on that note, the BT-50 Thunder is also fitted standard with a light bar. Most of the roads out of the main suburban areas are not lit, so having a sturdy and bright light bar on the front end is paramount in rural areas.

196

Click any photo in this article to see the full gallery

It's an excellent safety feature lighting up the roadway beyond what a conventional high beam is capable of. We used it one night after some rain and could even see frogs hopping across the road in the distance.

Lloyd said it was excellent for night-time runs to town from Crescent Head, where the road is not illuminated and can be quite dangerous.

The light bar sits on a very tough looking bullbar in matte black. It is angular and really gives the front of the BT-5 50 Thunder a different look. You know it when you see it, and if you are forking out for this model, you can be assured you will not be mistaken for a run- of- the- mill model.

To add to that aggressive and independent appearance, the Mazda design team has added a sports bar and wheel- arch flares. While not entirely functional accessories, both work to deliver a tough looking exterior. I only wish they had married the line of the bullbar with the wheel arches. Despite this, it still looks like it all fits together.

196

The rims are specific to the BT-50 Thunder. The highway focussed tyres, the same as fitted to other BT-50 models sit on 18x7.5-inch black alloys. The tyres are not geared to heavy off- roading, and Lloyd suggested that this would be something he would change straight away to suit his rocky, muddy track work. Something like an all-terrain or mud- terrain set- up.

The tyres are great on the beaches, if that is more of what you expect to be doing.

Lloyd and I agree that we would both fit a snorkel, which is available through Mazda and is a part of its accessories list for all BT-50 models.

On Mazda’s website is a comprehensive list of accessories that you can fit additionally to many of the BT-50 models. The range is going to cover all types of usage in and includes things like ladder racks if you are a tradie, UHF radio if you are a keen off- roader, and optional tow bar and electronic trailer brake as was fitted to the BT-50 Thunder.

196

From the list, I would most certainly add a charging pad for my phone, which does away with the cord constantly being in the way, and the entertainment holder for iPads, given my children’s love of Bluey. Plus, considering how dirty the kids and I can be, the rubber mats would be a great addition.

No matter what you love doing in your BT-50, the genuine Mazda accessories are going to keep you satisfied. Not only is the list comprehensive, and we have only touched on a few of the many items available, but being standard fitment they are all most importantly covered by the Mazda warranty.The full series.

The full series