Looking for a new Ute? Well, nothing screams Australian culture like off-roading in an indestructible, ragged Ute. In fact, Utes are so Australian that in 2019, they dominated our new car sales market with the three best-selling Utes listed as the Toyota Hilux, the Ford Ranger, and the Mitsubishi Triton respectively. Consequently, we understand that new cars are not a buy that you should take lightly. Unless you have millions of dollars at your disposal, buying a new car to drive for a couple of days and dropping it like a hot potato is virtually unheard of. When looking to buy a Ute, you should think about exactly what purpose you’ll be using that bad boy for! To make this task easier, we have broken the top four Utes into categories to aid you in your decision making; Toyota HiLux SR5, Ford Ranger XLT, Mitsubishi Triton GLS Premium, the Isuzu D-Max LS-T (which was released recently in Australia).
Ute Driving and Off Road Capabilities:
Utes aren’t just known for their ability to carry large loads, half the fun of owning a Ute is knowing you can explore rougher terrain and unknown territory in these beasts.
– Hill Launch Assist making short work of hills and slopes
– Electronic Stability Control to help control sliding in your slippery adventures
– Locking Rear Differential to get better grip during those harsher conditions
People in the back of this Ute who accompany you on your adventure have adequate head and legroom but you won’t want to include more than two mates. However, it is quite a large vehicle and is more difficult to drive in city conditions. Finding car parks for this mammoth Ute could prove to be difficult.
– Electronic Stability Control
– Electronic Traction Control
– Trailer-sway Control
– Rear Diff Lock
The Mitsubishi Triton manages a tight grip in near impossible conditions and the tyres hold surprisingly well in the face of adversity! It is also unique in its Air-circulating Roof Pod that recycles cool air to its passengers.
The latest car news, Isuzu D-Max LS-T has been improved to ensure the vehicle is not as “heavy” as the previous model, by tweaking the steering to require less effort. There is also a smaller turning radius. It’s wading depth has gone from 600mm to 800mm, which is on par with its opponent; the Ford Ranger XLT. It also includes Rear Diff Lock, and the rear suspension has been fine tuned for driving stability. Lastly, the cabin have been beefed up and rivals that of the Toyota Hilux and Ford Ranger, making trekking with mates more comfortable.
Ute Safety:
When it comes to car safety, you can trust the Toyota Hilux, Ford Ranger and Mitsubishi Triton to boast a 5 star ANCAP safety rating; which is the highest rating available. All three of these Utes have important car safety specs such as:
– Lane Departure Warning
– Adaptive Cruise Control
– Traction and Stability Control
– Rear Traffic Alert
– Rear Parking Sensors
– Autonomous Emergency Breaking
– Hill Start Assist
– Front sensors
– Rear Parking Sensors
– Hill Start Assist
– Hill Descent Control
– Emergency Stop Signal
– Auto-parking
– Auto-locking
There are also subtler characteristics at play that make the Isuzu D-Max more appealing such as integrating “low-rebound MDI polyurethane” into the seat cushions, which for reasons not yet known to us, has been aimed at lessening driver fatigue on longer commutes.
The Toyota Hilux SR5 and Ford Ranger XLT both have rear cameras whereas the Mitsubishi Triton GLS Premium has a 360-degree camera, which comes in handy when you want to make sure there are no obstructions around the Ute not just in the rear. However, the Mitsubishi Triton does not come with an impairment alert monitor like both of its rivals; which will be convenient on those interstate commutes and you need to be reminded to take a break. Lastly, The Toyota HiLux and Mitsubishi Triton both have seven airbags, whereas the Ford Ranger has six, which shouldn’t impact the car safety, in any big way. When it comes to safety, all Utes are dependable, safe and definitely built to code.
Extra Ute Features:
Entertainment features are more important to some more than others. However, when planning to buy a new Ute, it is important to remember these vehicles are worker bees; built for tough labour and heavy lifting and not for entertainment purposes.
