The Best utes in Australia, 2022

In review of the “Drive.com” article, a megatest was performed in search of Australia’s best ute of 2022 with eight of Australia’s most popular utes put under the microscope. The top dual-cab 4x4s featuring a range of utilities and accessories represented Australia’s best buying options for new vehicle shoppers. The utes that were put in comparison included the Ford Ranger, Toyota HiLux, Mitsubishi Triton, Mazda BT50, Nissan Navara, Isuzu D-Max, SsangYong Musso, and the GWM Ute Cannon X. These four wheel drive utes are being bought up by Australians when its not medium or small SUVs with some familiar brands topping the ranks. The dominant utes from this megatest were the Ford Ranger, Toyota HiLux, Isuzu D-Max, and the Mitsibishi Triton. All of these were no surprise once the results were put together. Dual-cabs were the focus of this megatest particularly utes in the segment best reflecting lifestyle amongst Australian’s. All utes tested leaned towards family-friendliness, refinement and comfort, whilst remaining true to the tough roots.

As new kid on the terrain, the Ford Ranger Wildtrak embodies performance and comfort in an all-round package of style and capability. The Toyota HiLux hasn’t deterred buyers although it may be getting long in the tooth. It still remains as Australia’s best selling workhorse of any kind for the year catering to buyers who want dual cabs with utility and off-road capabilities.

The Nissan Navara Pro-4x took the 2022 “Drive Car of the Year” with best Dual-cabs saw the like of the Izuzu D-Max and Mazda BT-50 SP. The Mitsubishi Triton GSR provided new look competing for value-conscious buyers. Challenger brands SsanyYong and GWM fitted their utes with the level of equipment expected by buyers with the XLV Ultimate and the Cannon X. Both of these utes undercut their rivals significantly by being budget conscious.

Lets go through “Drive.com”s ranking from the megatest (8 to 1) of the best utes.

8.  The Mitsubishi Triton:

• Value pick of the four wheel drive ute range and scores well in terms of cost of ownership.
• 10 year service warranty, low entry price, and decent resale value.
• Lacks in safety technology and is behind in ride quality, overall technology and comfort.
• Still a solid and safe choice for those that consider value

7. The Toyota HiLux:

• Australia’s best-selling ute for the last 6 years and shows signs of staying that way.  
• A direct comparison against its competitors brings out its ageing four wheel drive platform.
• One of the better vehicles in terms of driver ergonomics and comfort. Strong resale value and overall driving qualities.
• Proved to be one of the smaller vehicles in comparison which affected its rankings in overall interior space and tub.

6. The Nissan Navara Pro-4x

• Spurns leaf springs in favour of its coils in the rear giving it a major point of difference.
• The chassis tuning set-up feeling on the money for a four-wheel-drive-ute and produces more car like qualities that other segments.
• Let down by ergonomics, particularly the steering column and seating positions. Relatively low safety rating coming in at fifth.
• Recent updates to the 8.0-inch system scoring it well for infotainment. New technology qualities and an easy to use operating system.

5. The GWM Ute Cannon X

• Scored strongly in safety with a five-star ANCAP safety rating and equipment included.
• Good levels of space inside and out with a relatively low asking price for a top spec model.
• Fell behind in comparison of driving characteristics, such as suspension and calibration, which could have used with more polishing and fine tuning.
• A relatively fiddly operating system but can be classed as an all-round good ute.

4. Ssanyong Musso XLV Ultimate

• Surprising performer that outranked popular competitors. A major strength is its size and overall space.
• Offers good levels of comfort and equipment with a low asking price.
• Dulled down by its safety features of the mechanical metrics while its powertrain offers the lowest output relative to its size.
• Good road performance, smoothness, and comfortabilty, giving it a solid ranking.

Equal 2. Isuzu D-Max X-Terrain

• A strong performer and one of the newest utes in comparison in terms of its underlying platform.
• Scored well in the technology stakes of four-wheel-drive in safety, equipment, and infotainment. Solid and smooth powertrain with quality driving capabilities.
• The biggest shortcoming was the overall ownership costs.
• Scores some additional storage space and inside cupholders whilst getting a longer warranty period.

Equal 2. Mazda BT-50 SP

• Produced impressive elements in driving comfort, ride quality and refinement. A wide range of technology and safety equipment with a recent 5 star ANCAP safety rating.
• 9.0 inch infotainment display scored in the guts of the pack. A decent operating system with size and multiple features.
• A relatively high asking price and a moderate resale value resulted in its low cost of ownship like the Izuzu.
• The turbo diesel engine and automatic gearbox was smooth and offered good performance. The rev range had healthy torque with a moderate performance on the powertrain.

1. Ford Ranger Wildtrak

• Crowd the winner of Australia’s best ute of 2022. The only available ute with an optional larger powertrain.
• The safest ute in comparison being impressive across the board with a comprehensive array of equipment.
• Top of the infotainment stakes with a 12-inch operating system and multiple features enhancing user experience.
• Despite being the most expensive ute, strong resale value and low servicing costs helped the ute reach the top. An all-round impressive performance making it first in driving stakes and solid scores for powertrain performance, ride quality and refinement, seat comfort, and steering.