BT50 vs Ranger Wildtrak vs Colorado (apples-apples-orange comparison)

**yebo** · January 17th, 2014 01:09 PM

i opened a thread earlier, asking if the 2000-2003 ford explorer pick up is still a good buy. but things change and now i have the green light from my kumander, brand new na lang daw para di siya nagwo-worry kung tumirik ako sa gitna ng sampulanggit at wala namang tow truck dun. ang tanong lang nya e "so di ka na bibili ng rolex mo?" well that is one P527k luxury i can live without, taken out only on special occasions and absolutely matched in performance by my P5k casio G-shock. brand new pick up in a heartbeat! hehehe!

so which of the top 3? mazda bt50 3.2 4x4 a/t, ford ranger wildtrak 3.2 4x4 a/t, or chevrolet colorado 2.8 4x4 a/t? yes it needs to be an a/t because my kumander says she has to be able to drive it, too. 2 car garage lang kami so either the pickup or starex will be the garage queen, taken out only when needed. most probably starex stays in the garage and the pickup will be parked outside. so pag coding ang sorento there should be no need shuffling cars around and the wife should just be able to drive whatever is outside. so yun, A/T dapat.

my first choice (for now) is the mazda BT50 3.2 4x4 a/t at P1.49M. why first choice? simple lang, the price and the 3 years/60,000km free PMS. it is basically the same as it's twin brother, the ford ranger, less some bells and whistles that i do not really need, save for the back proximity sensor and reverse camera that the wife probably will find handy. those 2 items should be easy aftermarket add ons. the only thing is the looks, front and back! yeah, it grows on you, and supposedly looks better in the metal than in photos. but surely every time i see a ford ranger i will be, you know, feeling like the nerd beside the star forward. cosmetic surgery will fix it, but only available in australia for now (arb bull bars, etc.)

2nd choice (used to be 1st) is the ford ranger 3.2 4x4 a/t. BUT, i've been reading the ford ranger thread and i so much hate it when people try to take advantage of a situation and they ask for DI. see ford people how ugly you are! greedy as crocodiles in congress, instead of solving the problem of lack of units you ask for bribes to put somebody's name on top of the wait list. that is corruption mind you! so for this the ranger might even make it to number 1002895 in my list. but heck, yeah the ranger wildtrak is one handsome son any dad will be proud to have. just one look and i feel jealous of the guy behind the wheel already, be it 2.2 or 3.2. its looks just shout "macho" or "pogi". however at P1.549M it is 59k more than the bt50, and no free maintenance. assuming each visit to the casa costs P10k, and sked is every 10,000 km, then thats a free P60k. cost of ownership will be P119k more than the bt50.

3rd, because the missus says she likes the looks, is the chevy colorado 2.8 4x4 a/t. it has a smaller and less powerful engine but everything else seems at par. for me, it looks like its shoes are 2 sizes too small, so definitely that will be an additional 50k on tyres as soon as it gets out, probably even 100k if the mags need changing. this is something i do not like doing as i like my rides stock if possible. and then there is the badge, "chevrolet". sounds like "friday the 13th". parts availability issues pa din ba? after sales support sadly lacking? please educate me as i am not familiar with the brand.

comments please!

**foresterx** · January 17th, 2014 01:18 PM

if you're not in a hurry just get the ranger na lang, get a reservation for all casa you can go to and see which one can deliver faster. not a big fan of the bt50 because of it's looks and i'm sure every time you see a ranger you'll regret why you didn't wait for it instead. stay away from colorado, the previous gen colorado's were considered to be one of the worst pick-ups made.

**renzo_d10** · January 17th, 2014 01:50 PM

Sounds like friday the 13th... Hehehehe.

Well in my opinion, just wait for the Wildtrak. At least, even if it's more expensive, youll get your money's worth as it looks like you really really like it. Forget about the DI brouhaha and just scout for the best deal possible out there. Marami naman Ford dealers diyan to choose from, if di ka tinatamad, sign up at FCP and it is likely that they will assist you on where to get the Ranger.

I like the Ranger too, honestly if I had the cash to buy one, I wont even take a second to look somewhere else. Not buying the ranger is like a very nice opportunity that youll be missing hehe

Besides, not sure if it applies as well to Ford, but a friend has a BT50 now and it took Mazda months before they could replace the part that he needed. Nabunggo kasi eh.

And from what I'm hearing, the Ranger is really easy to drive. Kita mo pa nga daw yun likod niya from the cabin eh.

Sent from my GT-P7310 using Tapatalk 2

**Ry_Tower** · January 17th, 2014 02:32 PM

Driving dynamics nang Mazda plus suspension is better than the ranger in my experience. So my pick would be the BT50. The free maintenance is a bonus pa. The looks will grow on you naman. The price difference would be put to good use in making it abit macho like bullbars nga and the reverse cam.

But if the look factor is such a big thing, hintay ka na nga lang sa wildtrak.

**yebo** · January 17th, 2014 02:57 PM

Yes, the looks. Why did mazda have to put that amber eyeshadow on the headlights? Nagmukhang baklang impersonator sa karnabal tuloy. So there should be aftermarket headlights without that bakla look. Same with the tailgate, why put lights there? Maybe what i will save buying the bt50 mapupunta lang din sa pagpalit ng headlights and bullbar. And i will have to wait 3 years before i can remove the lights on the tailgate and patch it up with metal.

well, if price really gets in the way, there is always the 2.2 wildtrak. Do i really need 200 horses or 150 should be enough on dirt tracks? Hmmmmm?

**SiRbossR** · January 17th, 2014 03:04 PM

WildTraK.

Power. Machismo. Soul.

Parang Aston Martin lang.

I'd get the Ranger in a heartbeat. The BT-50 is nice and has a very upscale interior but the Ranger is just so hard to pass. It's just like saying 'NO' to sleeping with Scarlett Johansonn and rather sleeping with her identical nerdy and conservative twin which is the BT-50

**rac98** · January 17th, 2014 03:34 PM

I think the colorado's engine has been uprated, same as that of the 2014 trailblazer (an SA of chevy commonwealthbtold me we i went to check on the latter.). So if power is a concern, it matches both the 3.2 wildtrak and bt50 with a slightly higher torque figure.

If you want to be unique, maybe the bt50 will be a good choice. The looks really grows on you. The truck also looks huge, it looks larger than the ranger even if they are based on the same platform. I once parked beside it with our sta fe and it was big...

If I would choose among the 3, I'd choose the bt50. Its cheaper and looks unique. What I really dont like though is its rear. Pero magagawan naman siguro ng paraan.

**niky** · January 17th, 2014 03:49 PM

On paper, the Ranger and BT50 are powerful... but in practice, the 3.2 has a short powerband, and runs out of puff severely at 3,500 rpm.

The old Colorado 2.8 was already a match for them. Quicker by a bit, in fact.

The new Colorado 2.8 blows them the hell out of the water.

-

Between the Ranger/BT50:

http://www.topgear.com.ph/drives/big...vs-mazda-bt-50

Yeah, I picked the Ranger, BUT: In terms of the complete package, however... the BT50 makes more sense... It's not that much cheaper than the Wildtrak, considering all the extra goodies on the Ford (in-bed power-outlet, body-kit, rollbar, 18" wheels, etcetera), but the lower price is still a consideration, especially considered it's bundled with Yojin-3, which can save you potentially another 50k or so over the next three years.

And in the Mazda's favor, the Dunlop Grandtreks are more confident in the wet than the Dueler HTs on the Ranger (tested firsthand) and provide a marginally better ride over bumps (The Ranger has slightly better shock damping, but this matters little unless you're driving really really fast).

**IMm29** · January 17th, 2014 05:11 PM

bro yebo, i guess you have to test drive the 2.2L Ranger to see if it's potent enough. Then again, with your current steeds (Sorento and GS), baka dapat talagang TOTL engine ang kunin mo.

somehow the BT-50 appeals to me. it's just not as butch as the Wildtrak, so the nerdy twin vs the hot chick twin analogy really works. plus ang daming WT ngayon, somehow you'd like a bit of identity. i guess a test drive would help you decide between these two better.

Not a fan of the Colorado/Trailblazer though. But it does have a powerful motor.

**yebo** · January 17th, 2014 05:32 PM

yup dami nga ranger na bagong labas sa casa last december, karamihan blue. yung WT dumadami na din sila, at least 1 orange and 2 blacks yung nakita ko gumagala sa SM and trinoma area.

hopefully may lumabas na upgrades yung bt50, especially for the headlights. kahit alisin lang nila yung amber and make it clear white.