Ute comparison review: Toyota Hilux v Ford Ranger v Mazda BT-50 v Mitsubishi Triton

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Ute comparison review: Toyota Hilux v Ford Ranger v Mazda BT-50 v Mitsubishi Triton


We pit four of the latest utes against each other to find Australia's best workhorse.


David Morley
November 20 2015




We test the new Toyota HiLux, Mitsubishi Triton, Ford Ranger and Mazda BT-50 to see which one is king of the hill in what is one of the most competitive new car markets in Australia.


Commercial vehicles have always had a longer shelf-life than sedans or hatches with extended intervals between new models.

Which only makes it more surprising that just about every manufacturer with a four-wheel-drive utility chose 2015 to unveil either a facelifted version of that vehicle or an all-new model.

And these are increasingly important cars for Australian buyers; the impending death of the locally-made, sedan-based utilities means that vehicles like the Ford Ranger, Mazda BT-50, Toyota HiLux and Mitsubishi Triton will be the go-to models for everybody from tradies to farmers and even the urban cowboys.



Working class: Mitsubishi Triton v Mazda BT-50 v Ford Ranger v Toyota HiLux. Photo: Mark Bean


Throw in the fact that, at various points in the sales year, one of those models, the Hi-Lux, has been this country's biggest seller – bar none – and you can see why this year is a Big Deal for ute buyers.

As always, of course, the big question is which one does the best job?

Again, it's not that simple and vehicles designed to carry passengers, cart a load, operate in the suburbs and then carve their way through everything from bush tracks to desert sands will usually emerge with distinct talents in one or more of those areas.

The trick, then, is to design a vehicle that can do all of those things well and that's where this group comes in because they are, in Drive's estimation, the four that come closest to that holy grail.

But which one represents the closest thing to the perfect all-rounder?


Mazda BT-50 XTR

Changes to the BT-50 for 2015 have not been too dramatic; rather a front and rear styling tidy-up.

So the heart of the matter remains; in this case a 3.2-litre five-cylinder engine with a six-speed automatic transmission.

In XTR trim, the Mazda costs $51,700 but in as-tested form, that blows out to more than $56,000 by the time you've added a tow-bar (which everybody will) and the pricey $2699 retractable aluminium tonneau cover (not so much).

Performance is strong and the five-cylinder engine is quiet and smooth at cruising speeds. It sounds more typically like a diesel on start-up and when accelerating, but it's always punchy and the gearbox is intelligent enough to offer up the right gear for every situation.

The ride is less than perfect, however, and there's a level of small-amplitude jiggling that gives the Mazda a slightly nervous feel on typical patchwork surfaces.

The interior is a bit of a let-down, too, with some strange blanks on the dashboard and fewer power and charging outlet points than the opposition.

But the rear-seat accommodation is line-ball with the Ford Ranger's which also means it's the best here with more knee, shoulder and head-room in the back and, again like the Ford, a bigger load area than the others.

It's worth mentioning, too, that even though the changes have been cosmetic, the Mazda now looks different as opposed to actually prettier than before.

Mazda BT-50 XTR price and specifications

Price: From $51,700 (plus on-roads)

Engine: 3.2-litre five-cylinder turbo diesel

Power: 147kW at 3000rpm

Torque: 470Nm at 1750-2500rpm

Transmission: Six-speed automatic, four-wheel drive

Fuel use: 9.2L/100km


Ford Ranger XLT

The similarities between the Ford and Mazda's rear seat and tray-area are no coincidence.

Under the skin, they're brothers and share the same Ford Australia design.

So, the Ranger also gets the 3.2-litre five-cylinder and six-speed auto for more or less identical straight-line performance.

The Ford also presents a big, bold, vaguely American face that links it visually with the legendary Ford F150s and F250s that changed the North American automotive landscape all those years ago.

Where the Ranger steals a march, though, is in the way it rides. There's a level of initial plushness that none of the others can match and a distinct polish to the way the Ford handles bumps and corners.

It also seems a bit better thought out, too, with better tie-down points in the tray and a standard tray-liner rather than the inferior (and extra-cost) mat of the Mazda.

But for our money, where the Ranger really shines is that it brings to this market a suite of driver aids that can't be had in the opposition models for any money.

The Technology Pack adds $1100 to the Ranger's $55,390 but brings blind-spot warning, lane-keeping assistance, forward collision warning and active cruise control to the equation.

This has implications not just for families turning to vehicles like these as everyday cars, but also for companies and fleets increasingly concerned with occupational health and safety issues.

Ford Ranger XLT price and specifications

Price: From $55,390 (plus on-road costs)

Engine: 3.2-litre five-cylinder turbo diesel

Power: 147kW at 3000rpm

Torque: 470Nm at 1500-2750rpm

Transmission: Six-speed automatic, four-wheel drive

Fuel use: 9.2L/100km


Mitsubishi Triton Exceed

No facelift this one: The Triton is an all-new design from Mitsubishi that also forms the basis of the new Pajero Sport due for launch in this country next month.

As such, we're talking a new 2.4-litre four-cylinder engine and a five-speed automatic to replace the four-speed in the previous Triton.

A five-speed in competition with the six-speed units in every other vehicle here might sound a bit underdone, but the reality is that the gearbox itself works well with the flexible – if smaller than the others – engine. Frankly, you won't miss the extra ratio.

Nor are you likely to find the engine underwhelming because it works hard and is the smoothest in the process.

In fact, it's also the highest tech with an aluminium block for reduced weight (The Triton is the only one of these four to weigh in under two tonnes) and it blitzes the field for fuel economy with an official figure of 7.6 litres per 100km, anything from 0.9 to 1.6 litres per 100km better than the rest.

The Triton's appeal to the budget-conscious is further backed-up by its purchase price; a sticker of $47,490 ($49,901 as tested) under-cutting the opposition by thousands.

Our complaints include a lack of flair in the interior and the smallest tray of the lot. The ride can also feel a little pattery on some surfaces, but that's splitting hairs because in isolation, the Triton is about as comfortable as these vehicles get.

Mitsubishi Triton Exceed price and specifications

Price: $47,490 (plus on-road costs)

Engine: 2.4-litre four-cylinder turbo diesel

Power: 133kW at 3500rpm

Torque: 430Nm at 2500rpm

Transmission: Five-speed automatic, four-wheel drive

Fuel use: 7.6L/100km


Toyota HiLux SR5

It's difficult to put a price on Toyota's reputation for durability and, in the idiom of the HiLux, unbreakability.

Toyota has had a crack at it, though, and the answer is a hefty $57,990 or $59,448 as tested which included a tow-bar (and the necessary wiring), premium paint and a leather-accented interior.

As well as that reputation, you're now also buying an all-new body, new chassis, and new driveline including a 2.8-turbo-diesel and a six-speed automatic transmission.

The engine itself is noticeably noisier and feels more like a diesel than the competition here, although there's absolutely no doubt the driveline does the job and then some.

What might be more tyring over time is the HiLux's busier ride and, even with the 400kg of payload we tried in each vehicle, the Toyota refuses to settle over high-frequency bumps and ripples.

Some of that could be down to the Toyota's use of 18-inch wheel and 60-series tyres where the others use 17-inch rims and 65-series tyres.

But the HiLux also pitches a bit more on larger bumps, suggesting that the suspension tune is simply a fraction stiffer.

Like the others, the HiLux gets a standard reversing camera and sat-nav, but it goes a step or two further than that with a chilled storage compartment (it works off the car's air-conditioning) and is the only one of this four with a reach-adjustable steering column.

Toyota HiLux SR5 price and specifications

Price: From $57,990 (plus on-road costs)

Engine: 2.8-litre four-cylinder turbo diesel

Power: 130kW at 3400rpm

Torque: 450Nm at 1600-2400rpm

Transmission: Six-speed automatic, four-wheel drive

Fuel use: 8.5L/100km


Verdict

All of these vehicles will take any driver pretty much anywhere they dare to point the steering wheel.

They all operate nominally in rear-wheel-drive and all have a series of knobs and buttons to select high and low-range four-wheel-drive as well as a locking rear differential. Ground clearance is ample in every case and so are approach and departure angles and towing capacities.

They are, in short, incredibly competent off-roaders and it's really only their on-road manners that serve to separate them, certainly on a daily-driver basis.

But by that measure, one vehicle emerges as a little superior. The Ford Ranger is that vehicle and steals a march by virtue of its more refined ride and – perhaps just as importantly – for bringing sophisticated driver aids into this market segment.

It's not the cheapest to buy, nor the most economical, but some compensation can be found in the Ranger having the highest retained value which could make a difference when the lease is up.

The Ford also has the wood on everything bar the Mazda (with which it shares many mechanically components and dimensions) in terms of straight-line performance and rear-seat accommodation.

For sheer value for money and the promise of lower fuel costs, the Mitsubishi Triton takes second place. Its smaller, but smoother, engine is up to the job and only a slightly lower towing limit (of 3100kg versus 3500kg) should make some people think twice. The Triton's Super Select four-wheel-drive system is also simple to use and easy to decipher.

The tough-as-nails HiLux would be our third pick, and it would have finished higher if not for that less-polished ride and the larger wad of cash dealers will be asking for them. That said, in isolation, it's a tremendous vehicle and third place in this company only serves to remind us how far these vehicles have come.

Which brings us to the Mazda BT-50; while the mid-life upgrade has brought a new face to the BT-50, in other areas it trails the field, particularly in its interior presentation and the attention to detail shown in, say, the Ranger.

Time waits for no ute: Not even a long-term class-leader.

http://www.drive.com.au/new-car-comp...16-gl01vt.html