Lloyd spends more time exploring remote places in pursuit of the perfect wave than staring at bright city lights – he’s also an avid reader of 4X4 Australia – so he was the perfect choice to saddle up in a top-spec Thunder variant as part of our ‘50 Days with a BT-50’ series.

The all-new series will give Lloyd the opportunity to steer a BT-50 for – you guessed it – 50 days, with his off-roading nous and experience enabling him to seriously put the vehicle through its paces to explore its functionality.

When the keys arrived we were in the BT-50 with Lloyd, initially preparing to show him what the 4×4 could do. As an avid off-roader, he had other ideas, deciding to show us his favourite stretch of track in northern NSW. I suspect it was due to his love of surfing that his favourite track happened to lead straight to the quiet north end of a beach. Sadly, on this day, the weather was hardly favourable for a wave.

It is hard not to be impressed with the BT-50 as we passed through forest trails and dipped down towards the coast into sandy, muddy tracks behind one of the most stunning locations on the mid-north coast. The rocks and mud quickly gave way to sand, dirt and plenty of puddles, courtesy of the east coast low that affected so many during early March.

We were running along the back of the beach at Hungry Head, south of Coffs Harbour, and the bush was so thick in places you wouldn’t believe you were only a stone’s throw from the beach.

The rain was relentless, and as we made our way over several hundred kilometres from the muddy and rocky tracks to the west of Kempsey, we were thwarted at almost every attempt to cross some of the lower bridges in the area. It truly was a sight to see, but made the driving on this trip a challenge.

Driving these difficult tracks in the BT-50 made apparent that this is a ute with a broad range of ability. It is very competent and capable at handling most tasks thrown its way, and with comfort that belies the fact that it is a ute – this is the complete package.

Lloyd is a mid-north coast local and really appreciated the comfort of the BT-50 Thunder. His daily driver is an ageing LandCruiser 100 Series, and he was quick to point out that on-board comfort and tech is not really the forte of his Toyota. He was glowing of the BT-50’s ride and the adaptive cruise control on the freeway, something the Cruiser does not have.

Lloyd also loved the electric tonneau cover, which is quick to open and close – and he appreciated that he could lock his surfboard up and out of sight in the tray. He mentioned the cover was water-tight, keeping his things dry even in torrential downpours.

The Thunder sits atop the line-up in the BT50 range. Coming in at around $70,000, it is geared towards active owners with a front-end bash plate, sturdy bullbar, Lightforce light bar, side steps, tough wheel arches and 18-inch rims with Bridgestone Dueler H/T tyres in 265/60 R18.

Lloyd said he would swap the tyres out for something wider and a little more aggressive, as he felt it would look better with a wider tyre given the width of the wheel arches. However, the OE tyres are great on the highway and sand, and airing them down to about 20psi had the car riding beautifully and able to manage most terrain.

Under the bonnet is a 3.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine producing 450Nm. Lloyd believes what sets the BT-50 apart from the competition is how that engine and six-speed gearbox marries to the cabin ergonomics.

He said this is one of the most comfortable utes he has been in – not only that, but the power is ample for most things and the Mazda is certainly more responsive than his own daily and his mate’s old Ford Ranger which he spends a bit of time as a passenger in.

This observation is hardly surprising given Mazda has made some of the most family-friendly vehicles on the market with the CX range of SUVs. The BT-50, while a ute, is no exception, seamlessly blending on-road ability with on-board comfort.

While exceptional on the road, the BT-50 is a capable off-roader. The dash dial allows you to switch from 2H to 4H quickly on the fly, and there is a 4L option which requires you to stop the car and put it in neutral to engage. It is well-geared for tracks that require a slow and methodical approach.

Lloyd mostly sticks to 4H when off-roading. He doesn’t tackle overly challenging terrain that requires enormous suspension flex and huge wheel-lifts. Lloyd’s purpose is more functional, requiring getting from A to B with a surf at the end – basically on tracks that most 4×4 owners generally experience.

Standard across the entire range is a locking rear differential which will ensure that, if you have at least one rear wheel on the ground, forward motion is never too far away. It is perfect for steep, muddy hills or sections of track where a loss of traction is expected.

Lloyd’s a huge fan of Hill Descent Control which is standard across the model line-up. It makes slippery downhill sections a breeze, by automatically controlling the rate of descent using on-board electronics.

The Mazda has sturdy approach and departure angles: a 26-degree approach with the front bar, which is designed well for offroad use; and a 24-degree departure angle without the optional tow bar.

Considering the deluge when we met up with Lloyd, we were grateful for the 800mm wading depth considering some of the puddles we drove through looked more like swimming pools – one puddle leading onto the beach at Hungry Head was much deeper than we expected.

On the beach, Lloyd loved the light feel of the BT-50. With tyre pressures down, he said it simply eats up the sand. His words were more like “compared to my LandCruiser, this dances on the sand”. And dance it does. There is no need for the locking rear diff. Admittedly we did not have an enormous amount of gear in the tray, but you get the feeling it would make little difference.

Lloyd said that when he switched back to bitumen he really felt the engine’s breadth of ability. Living on the mid-north coast, he often drives hundreds of kilometres to reach a job, and it didn’t matter whether he was on a track or the highway, the low-down torque and ability to quickly find the right gear was no different. He also didn’t find the BT-50 lacking in terms of power and delivery.

The suspension is tuned to a sweet spot between off- and on-road ability. It is not bouncy as some utes can be and does well to absorb bumps on all surfaces without feeling either hard or soggy in the rear end.

The BT-50 Thunder features plenty of torque, an extremely comfortable cabin, good standard 4WD kit, and a drivetrain combination that has smooth power delivery. For Lloyd’s typical use – shipping materials and tools to job sites, before hitting the tracks in search of a quiet wave – this is a very capable off-roader that will deliver in most situations.