best 4x4 utes australia 2023 Page 6

If you’re shopping the best 4x4 utes in Australia for 2023, you’re basically picking from a pack of very competent workhorses wearing different flannel shirts. Here’s the quick-and-dirty on the favourites—no winner picked, because your driveway, your rules.

• Ford Ranger — Pros: strong engines, slick tech, tow rating up to 3500 kg; Cons: higher pricing and some early-build niggles.
• Toyota HiLux — Pros: tough, excellent resale and dealer network; Cons: choppy unladen ride and infotainment that thinks it’s still 2016.
• Isuzu D-MAX — Pros: loads of safety kit, good value, dependable 3.0L diesel; Cons: can be a bit tractor-ish for noise and ride.
• Mitsubishi Triton — Pros: sharp pricing and long warranty; Cons: smaller tray/cabin feel and 3100 kg tow limit pre-new-gen.
• VW Amarok (new-gen) — Pros: refined cabin and punchy V6 option; Cons: spendy specs and accessory ecosystem still catching up.

Match the ute to your towing, payload and off-road needs, then test drive on the sort of roads you actually use—sand dunes optional, Bunnings car park essential.