When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
Recently the family Zoom and I took a trp to Belize and Guatemala. While thereI saw a remarkable number of Mazda BT-50s, quite a few CX-5s and even an RX-8
This particular BT50 was owned by a fella who owned the canoe rental place where we went canoeing into a Mayan cave but there were loads of them about. Not quite as many as Hilux but nearly so. Even the local police were driving them.
It's regarded quite highly there and elsewhere around the world. We'd like to have a small 4 door truck but our choices here are really limited to Chevy and Tacoma. If we had this (and Ford Ranger also available in Belize) we'd choose it over Tacoma. We saw plenty of older models and also brand new gen versions.
Mazda needs to bring them to the states. If they can sell in Belize they can sell here.
Also, when traveling through Guatemala in the Vallejo de Venado between Lake Peten Itza and the border with Belize I saw a familiar site sitting under a tree in a front yard- an RX-8 I didn't manage to grab a pic but it looked like a series 2. Hello to our RX-8 owners in Guatemala.Sorry I didnt have time to stop and say hello
Sorry Jorge about not messaging you or something. We were not saying "out loud" on social media before going but i could have let you know.
I agree the front end is not the best. The new version looks better.But it's a quite capable little truck and is more refined than say the Hilux and bit better than the colorado. Check some of the video comparos from down under and you'll see it gets quite good marks on road and off plus when towing etc.
Here in the sates we have the Colorado, Taco and Nissan. The Colorado is just ok, kinda meh. The Nissan is as someone said recently, from last century. they should be embarrassed. That leaves the Taco. There really isnt an alternative . If I could buy the BT50 or Ranger instead I would in an instant.
We have only 3 choices here and really only 2 when you toss out the Nissan. In Belize they have like 8 or so. Hilux (and I saw a couple of Tacos), Bt50, Ranger, Colorado, VW Amarok, Isuzu, Mitsubishi, Mahindra, Great Wall
Tacomas are bland as hell inside and in my opinion, grossly overrated (I see a lot of them on the trail). The new Tacoma and Colorado are nice in person. But all of these "compact" trucks are pretty big. Hoss-05 is going thru this same dilemma of wanting a smaller truck without many options. The new Ranger sold outside of the U.S. is pretty sweet.
SEEE?!?! We'd already own that and this conversation would be moot if we had that in the states or could easily side import one. There should be a reciprocal treaty so that if it can be sold in a country signed to the treaty then the auto is automatically legal in the other countries signed to it. then we could easily shop across borders and import stuff with out having to jump through stupid red tape hoops.
04-26-2016, 10:53 AM
I didn't manage to grab a pic but it looked like a series 2. Hello to our RX-8 owners in Guatemala.Sorry I didnt have time to stop and say hello
