It’s that time again, time to muster the country’s top-selling 4WD utes for a no-holds-barred, only-one-can-win comparison, says Ross MacKay.

If you already drive one it would have come as no surprise to you that last year, Ford’s all-conquering Ranger was not only named NZ4WD magazine’s Ute of the Year award, it also won the Best (overall) 4WD gong.

Today’s utes – and here we are talking in particular about the double (or crew) cab variety – are literally all things to all people; farmers, tradespeople, recreational users and those with a need to regularly tow a caravan or ‘toy’ trailer.

According to Motor Industry Association statistics last year 25,435 new “Pick Up/Cab Chassis “ utes were registered here, 15,732 4x4s and 9,703 4x2s.
Sales in both sectors were up on 2013 (by 22.7 percent in 4x2 and 17.8 percent in 4x4) with the Ranger – as has been widely reported – the biggest seller over the two sectors, 6,327 units compared with 5,773 for the Toyota’s Hilux, but the Hilux the biggest selling 4x4 (4,193 units compared to 3876).

Where once a ute was just that, a “utility” vehicle primarily used by farmers and rural contractors, a new-generation of rural AND urban buyers have been won over by the double-cab platform’s versatility and ever-increasing mechanical and electronic sophistication.

Like the car companies themselves, we time our annual 4WD Ute Comparo to coincide with the annual Fieldays at Mystery Creek, Hamilton.
We do this because for at least two months before and a month after utes – and demon finance deals to buy them – are everywhere; on TV, on billboards and in extravagant double page spreads in the country’s newspapers.

The ability to finance your way into a new vehicle is just one of the factors in the same process though. Features, facts, figures and plain old ‘eye appeal’ also play a part.
It’s this connection we endeavoured to tap into with this five-way comparison test. Sure, at the end of the day we needed to name “a winner” but as we quickly found out, each of our five had its strong point or points, and when the acid was put on our testers to rank the five in order of buying preference we had four different names.

As defending champ, Ford’s Ranger XLT was the anchor on which we based our test list this year. Company Vehicle’s Ute of The Year, the Holden Colorado LTZ was next, followed by Mitsubishi’s all-new Triton, Toyota’s ubiquitous Hilux, and Volkswagen’s ‘Amarok.

All bar the Hilux came complete with some form of tray cover, from the trick lockable hard on of the Triton to simple practical clip-on tonneaus on the Ford, Holden and Volkswagen.

The venue
We decided the Bay of Plenty’s TECT Park (www.tectallterrainpark.co.nz) was the obvious place to go.

Not only did going there give us a chance to evaluate the five utes on the road, manager Bill Wheeler and Ranger Jarron McInnes have manual Amarok utes a company cars and were happy to join our test crew for the day.

After breakfast at the Autobahn Café at the top of the Bombay Hills, our route on the first day of our two-day test took us south-east on Highway 27 then SH2 with various stops to swap drivers and take photos along the way with an overnight stop at Tauranga.

The second day was pretty much all off-road on a course plotted by Bill and Ashley to fully test the capabilities of the five off-piste. On the road we ran the tyres at 32psi, at TECT Park we de-aired to 20psi.

That’s enough preamble though. What did we find out?

THE VEHICLES
Ford Ranger XLT
There appear to be two key factors to the appeal of the Ranger. The first – before you get near the steering wheel and throttle – is the tough “big-truck” look. Still fresh after four years, and with the coming upgrade more evolution than revolution, the Ranger has a broad-shouldered, narrow-hipped look which combines strength, style and not a little finesse in equal parts.

The 3.2-litre five-cylinder turbo-diesel engine is very much the jewel-in-the-crown. In our sample group it was not only the largest in terms of capacity but also the one which (with Holden’s Colorado) produced the most power (147Nm) and what felt like (but wasn’t because the Holden’s engine produces 30Nm more) the most torque.

That impression (of boundless torque) comes no doubt from the fact that the Ford engine produces 90 percent of its peak torque from 1,500 to 2,750rpm. That and the seamless way the “intelligent” six-speed transmission seems to be able to second guess the perfect gear for any situation.

Feature for feature the Ford sets the pace as well. At $61,540 the auto XLT gets all the key “fruit” of the base model (fivestar ANCAP rating, full suite of electronic driver aids plus locking rear diff, power windows, steering wheel mounted audio/cruise control buttons, Bluetooth connectivity etc.) plus 17-inch. alloy wheels, multi-function display screen, premium cloth interior trim, rear parking sensors and tubular side steps.

In saying that after getting used to a reversing camera in the Toyota and Holden one would be nice – at XLT spec level – in the Ford. As would the electrically-adjustable seat function found on the Holden and Toyota.

For everyday driving 2WD high is the default setting, with 4WD high and 4WD low selectable via a rotary dial adjacent the gear lever.
While the Ranger’s off-road performance in 4WD Low was impressive enough thanks to the ability to push one button to slow your downhill descent, and another (to electronically lock the rear diff) to help you to get up a hill), the handbook made it clear that Ford does not want you driving on a hard (i.e. tarmac) surface in 4WD Low for any length of time.

Hauling your boat and trailer out of a slipway is fine. But for day-to-day use 2WD High is the go.
The fact that you have to stop to change from High to Low (with the transmission in neutral) was a moot point with some testers. As was the placement of the diff lock and hill descent buttons. Both were on the central console rather than clustered around either around the gear lever or rotary drive High/Low dial (which is where they logically should be).

As smooth as they were to engage, the Ford’s various electronic traction gizmos were the noisiest.
Ride and handling got the thumbs up from all our testers, on and off the road, with the precise and excellent, progressively weighted power steering coming in for a special mention.

The ride is firm but there’s real compliance front and rear, less reluctance to change direction (and understeer once you do) than some of the other utes on test, and yaw control (from front left to rear right and vice versa) was by far the best of the bunch.

The interior was one of the standout features of the Ranger, with impressively comfortable front seats, adequate rear leg room and a smart yet durable mix of carpet and upholstery.

“I can certainly understand why (the Ranger) has risen to the top of the sales charts,” said one tester. ‘It’s very good on road and a capable performer off-road.

Specifications

• Engine: 3.2-litre turbo-charged five-cylinder diesel
• Transmission: Six-speed auto
• Power: 147kW/3,000rpm
• Torque: 470Nm/1,500rpm
• Economy 9.4L/100km
• Front suspension: Coil
• Rear suspension: Leaf
• Brakes: Disc front, drum rear
• Tyres: Dunlop Grandtrek A/T 265/65 x 17
• Turning circle: 12.4m
• LxWxH: 5,351x1,850x1,821mm
• Wheelbase: 3,220mm
• App/dep angles: 29/28 degrees
• Ground clearance: 237mm
• Gross weight: 3,200kg
• Load bed: 1,549x511mm
• Payload: 1,088kg
• Towing: 3,500/750kg
• Safety: ABS, EBD, EBA & DSC
• Safety rating: ANCAP five-stars
• Price: $61,540

Holden Colorado LTZ
Holden’s answer to the Ranger is the Colorado.

Feature for feature the big, brusque Holden is an impressive beast too, boasting the same peak power as the Ford, and the most torque, all 500Nm of it. In LTZ spec the Colorado chimes in at $61,990, within $500 off the list of the Ranger.

If you’re a brochure fiend you’ll also already know that the Colorado shares tow-meister status with the Ranger, each capable of towing a braked maximum of 3,500kg. You’ll also know that it is equipped with one of the most sophisticated Bluetooth-based comms and navigation systems available, MyLink.

Not everyone was enamoured with the new-look Colorado on first release, however, and since then Holden has worked hard to play catch-up. First up the 2.8-litre Duramax 2 turbo diesel engine got a workover (including a new turbo) for more power and torque. The spring and damper rates were softened and front anti-roll bar stiffened fora softer ride characteristics on the road, and a new NVH acoustic package was put together to reduce vibration and noise levels in the cabin.

The electronic traction control system also got the descent control and hill start assist options that (to be frank) it should have had since day one.
Like the Ranger and Amarok the Colorado is built big, and you do notice this. There is good visibility over the bonnet and through the side windows, though the (removable) centre rear headrest restricts visibility through the rear window. Good thing, then, that at LTZ level the Holden gets a reversing camera.

The interior is not as chic (if you can use that word in a ute test), nor are the front seats the most supportive and/or comfortable in the line-up, but you’d only know that if – like us – you got to drive all five.

The LTZ is certainly a well-specced vehicle at its price point with five-star ANCAP rating, limited slip diff, full compliment of ESC features including ABS, EBD, traction control, hill start assist, trailer sway control and the one we particularly put to the test, descent control.

What’s really interesting about the Colorado is how our various testers responded to it.

Taken in isolation the ride is comfortable on the road and very good off it.

On the road you notice the extra quarter turn of steering lock-to-lock compared to – in particular – the Ford and Mitsubishi. Turn-in and response to wheel input is relaxed rather than precise, and you feel the weight around the nose if you try to hurry things along on a twisty back road.

Engine response is similar (and therefore well-matched) but again, you have to row the bugger along if you’re in a hurry.
That said, the Colorado would appear to be an excellent long distance open road proposition, a km-eater extraordinaire rather than point-to-point pacer like – say – the Ranger or Triton.

Our farming tester named it his favourite, on as well as off the road.

Like the Ranger you select the drive mode you want 2H, 4H or 4L via a rotary dial adjacent the gear lever. In this case though you can do it on the fly (at low speed) if you slip the trannie into neutral.

Under off-road ride and steering, one tester was unequivocal; “ Very good – the best!” he said. “Very quiet – suggest it was the most quiet – and very smooth. It did not rock violently from side to side (like some of the others) as you crossed ruts – so was a very good ride off-road.”

One tester also liked the power characteristics of the engine and the way the push-button downhill assist worked.

“Again, the best,” he said.

Specifications

• Engine: 2.8-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel
• Transmission: six-speed auto
• Power: 147kW/3,600rpm
• Torque: 500Nm/2,000rpm
• Economy: 9.1L/100km
• Front suspension: Coil
• Rear suspension: Leaf
• Brakes: Disc front, drum rear
• Tyres: Bridgestone Dueler H/T 255/65 x 17
• Turning circle: 12.7m
• LxWxH: 5,347x1,882x1,780mm
• Wheelbase: 3,096mm
• App/dep angles: 30/22 degrees
• Ground clearance: 210mm
• Gross weight: 2,950kg
• Load bed: 1,484 x 466mm
• Payload: 825kg
• Towing: 3,500/750kg
• Safety: ABS, ESC, EBD, TCS, DCS
• Price: $61,990

Mitsubishi Triton GLS
New kid on the block, and we owe a big vote of thanks to Mitsubishi HQ in Wellington for pushing out the boat to get us a brand new GLS test unit to Auckland to include it in our line-up.

The all-new-for-2015 model retains the same (3,000mm) wheelbase as the old but the new, sharper, more angular body is completely different, as is the (now 2.4-litre) turbo diesel engine, five-speed dual-range transmission and Super Select traction control system (available on the GLS) which incorporates a Torsen centre diff that allows the Triton to be driven in 4WD on hard (tar seal) as well as soft (off-road) surfaces.

Like the other utes (bar the Toyota) in our line-up, switching from one drive programme to another is done electronically via rotary dial where you effectively have four options, 2H, 4H, 4HL and 4LL.

The de facto setting for daily road use is 2H which drives the rear wheels only. Should it rain or you want to drive on gravel, 4H offers drive to all four wheels via the torque sensing central differential.

The next step is to physically lock up the centre diff by selecting 4HL, good for getting extra grip in – say – sand or on snow.

The final setting is 4LL where the centre diff is locked and you get into low-range crawling territory, with a ratio a full 25 percent lower than that of Mitsubishi’s previous Triton.
It’s an impressive system, but one we found wasn’t as user-friendly for our slippery downhill track.
 
Where on other utes we simply pushed the Downhill Assist button, on the Mitsi you had to stop and decide you needed 4LL.
One tester found the system “seemed to take a while to engage and decide what mode it was in,” but another liked the fact that there was a mode indicator (which flashed until a mode was selected) on the dashboard).

It was hard not to warm to the stylish, sharp-suited new Mitsi, too, with its push-button (the only one of the five so equipped) starter, slick sports interior complete with paddle gear shift option, and sleek new high-waisted “fastback” lines.

There’s no getting away from the fact that the new engine is a stunner, either, with a light, revvy very non-diesel feel.
‘Very responsive, nippy vehicle,” was how one tester described it. While another – who rated the Triton his favourite – said that “you forgot very quickly you were in a ute!”
The new’un is by no means perfect, though.

The GLS gets a sports suspension package which, on the road, provides decent enough turn-in through the nicely geared and weighted steering wheel.
Ride, however, is a bit of a mixed bag, with a mix of ever-so-slightly oversprung (read jiggly) and under-damped front end and pretty-darned-good back end. The opposite, in other words, of a Hilux.

On smooth tarmac you barely notice the front end, but on tighter, bumpier back ones you do. And off road you get quite a lot of rocking backwards and forwards as you cross-rut. Not the end of the world, but definitely noticeable when – like us – you were comparing it and contrasting it with the competition.

As one tester said in his summing up; “compliant ride, but pushed over uneven terrain it gets rather bouncy!”
Another thing you only notice when you crawl under the thing is how low-slung the radiator is. This helps keep the bonnet line nice and low, true, and there’s a robust enough bash plate to protect it.

But it’s always there at the back of your mind………

Specifications

• Engine: 2.4-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel
• Transmission: five-speed auto with Super Select & sports mode
• Power: 135kW/3,500rpm
• Torque: 437Nm/2,500rpm
• Economy: 7.6L/100km
• Front suspension: Coil
• Rear suspension: Leaf
• Brakes: Disc front, drum rear
• Tyres: Toyo A28 Open Country 245/65 x 17
• Turning circle: 11.8m
• LxWxH: 5,280x1,815x1,780mm
• Wheelbase: 3,000mm
• App/dep angles: 30/22 degrees
• Ground clearance: 205mm
• Kerb weight: 1,940kg
• Load bed: 1,520x850mm
• Payload: 960kg
• Towing: 3,100/750kg
• Price: $59,490

Toyota Hilux TRD Sportivo
Ah the Hilux, the ute which has reigned supreme on the local market for the last 32 years. So why, when compared with its competitors in a shoot-out like ours, does it always end up overshadowed?

In short, it seems that people buy Hiluxes despite their shortcomings, despite – for instance – the jiggly ride and fact that it was the only model in our line-up that you had to use a lever to move from high to low ratio.

Toyota NZ didn’t have an auto-diesel Hilux on its fleet when we asked, so offered us the TRD Sportivo model used most recently on TV show “The Block”.
TRD is Toyota’s tuning division, so it came with 18-inch alloy wheels and H/T rubber, a deeper front body kit, leather upholstery, reversing camera –.and an air of general boy-racer sportiness.

In isolation you probably wouldn’t notice it, but in company the Toyota is both the least powerful and least torquey of all the utes in our 2015 sample. We’re not talking one or two kW here either. Peak power from the 2,982 cc turbo diesel is 126kW/3,000rpm, 21 less than the 147 of the Ranger, nine less than the Mitsi, and even six less than the 1,968cc VW.

The difference in torque was even more telling,360Nm/1,400rpm compared to a whooping 500Nm/2,000rpm for the 2,776cc Holden Colorado and 470Nm/1,500 for the Ranger.

This manifested itself on and off the road, where the Toyota engine was both harder working and noisier than the others.
Last year one of our testers opined that the Hilux was “not as powerful as others but still performs well; good low end, a bit flat in the middle and top end,” and that description was not bettered this year.

Showing the role terrain selection plays in things, too, was the fact that last year, in the sands of Woodhill Forest, the Hilux topped the testers’ list off-road.
At Tect Park, with its steep, slippery and rather technical downhills the lack of a downhill assist button told. Selecting first gear in Low before you started the Hilux descended well enough, but it actually needed a little throttle to keep the wheels turning.

As one tester said “great for the experienced driver, not so the novice.“

As comfortable enough as the large, airy cabin is, the Hilux was the only one of the five utes to draw criticism for its raised intercooler bonnet scoop..
What most of our testers did like was the fact that traction control has to be manually turned off and goes back on automatically after the vehicle has been stopped and started again, as well as the fact that stability control automatically switches off in Low range.

It’s the ride – one tester labelled it “agricultural” – which is the recurring theme with the Hilux though, the front end now acceptable on and off road but the rear end seemingly oversprung and unyielding, particularly on sharp edged bumps.

Comments were not all bad, mind.

“This is the best Hilux on road I have driven and answers past criticism,” said another tester. “Good unladen now and would come into its own unladen!”

“Very sure-footed, feels planted and car like and not too big or truck like, but definitely showing its age,” said a third tester.

Specifications

• Engine: 3- litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel
• Transmission: five-speed auto
• Power: 126kW/3,600rpm
• Torque: 360Nm/1,400rpm
• Economy: 8.7L/100km
• Front suspension: Coil spring
• Rear suspension: Leaf spring
• Brakes: Disc front, drum rear
• Tyres: Hercules TerraTrac A/T-C 265/60x18
• Turning circle: 12.8m
• LxWxH: 5,260x1,835x1,860mm
• Wheelbase: 3,085mm
• App/dep angles: 30/23 degrees
• Ground clearance: 222mm
• Gross weight: 2,780kg
• Load bed: 1,520x450mm
• Payload: 940kg
• Towing: 2,800/750kg
• Safety: ABS, EBD, VSC & TC
• Safety rating: ANCAP 5-stars
• Price: $58,490

VW Amarok TDI 4WD Highline
Which just leaves us with Volkswagen’s Amarok, a model which continues to win-over buyers with its user-friendly mix of size, features and comfort, full-time 4WD, push-button off-road m ode simplicity and simple, effective single-range (but eight-gear) transmission.

In day-to-day use ride is exceptional, and the combination of SUV-style elevation, medium size car-like dynamics a winner in the suburbs as well as the construction sites and lifestyle blocks.

Handling, on the road, to be fair, isn’t as incisive as the Ranger, with a willingness to change direction but persistent and building understeer whether you are on or off the throttle, but this is really the only indication – bar a panoramic view from what feels like a particularly high-perched driver’s seat – that you are behind the wheel of a plus-size utility vehicle with enough room to carry five adults in comfort and with the biggest and some would say most usable tray in our sample.

For some canny potential customers, price has been an issue, though the introduction of the mid-range Trendline version has helped bridge the gap between the entry-level 2WD TDI manual at $43,990 and the model we ended up with, the auto 4Motion TDI Highline at $65,990.

With its relatively square-rigged architecture and understated interior it’s also easy to think of the Amarok a bit like the Hilux, a bit of a plain Jane, despite the price.
Once behind the height AND reach-adjustable steering wheel though, it’s not hard to see why it is gaining a Hilux-like loyal following.

While die-hards are still quick to open their mouths and let the wind flap their lips about “no low range” and “it’s only a 2-litre” the rest of us simply slow down, push the “off-road” button and let the intelligent 4Motion transmission and associated electronics do the thinking.

Proof of concept came in our slippery downhill track when it descended straight and true every time, no matter who was behind the wheel. No second-guessing, no half measures.

As one tester said; “Brilliant for a novice or experienced driver. Just bung it into Off-Road mode and away you go “

On the way down to Tect Park another tester reckoned the Amarok was “very good, I felt at home straight away, the steering felt great, light and positive with a good turning circle.

“It handled the bumps well and felt planted and comfortable.. The most ‘car-like’ of all of them.”

There were mixed feelings, however, about the performance of the twin-turbo 1,968cc engine. For a 2-litre four it does alright, making more power and torque than the 3-litre Hilux and only 3kW and 37Nm less than the 2.4 -litre Mitsubishi engine.

Off-road, any perceived lack of power wasn’t really an issue, bar the fact that the engine – which to be fair is an admirably free-revving, willing unit – had a snappier, peakier, personality than the others, and you (naturally) tended to keep it spinning a little higher in the rev range than the others by instinct as much as anything else.

On the road though, particularly in traffic, the engine had a tendency to spool up quickly for a burst of acceleration then drop off boost.

To sum up, our testers were unequivocal.

”Very car-like,” said a third tester, “hard to consider it a ute.”

And summing up from a fourth tester: “It offers the best ride on the road (sealed and unsealed) and has the most fool-proof 4WD system for occasional off-roading.”

Specifications

• Engine: 2- litre four-cylinder twin-turbo diesel
• Transmission: eight-speed auto w/ VW 4Motion permanent 4WD
• Power: 132kW/4,000rpm
• Torque: 420Nm/1,750rpm
• Economy: 8.3 L/100km
• Front suspension: Coil
• Rear suspension: Leaf
• Brakes: Disc front, drum rear
• Tyres: Bridgestone Dueler H/T 245/65 x 17
• Turning circle: 12.95m
• LxWxH: 5,354x2,228x1,834mm
• Wheelbase: 3,095mm
• App/dep angles: 28/23.6 degrees
• Ground clearance: 192mm
• Gross weight: 3,040kg
• Load bed: (L x H) 1555 x 508mm
• Payload: 900kg
• Towing: 3,000kg/750kg
• Safety: ABS, ESP, EBD, incl downhill assist
• Safety rating: ANCAP five-stars
• Price: $65,990

The results
And the winner is…

Or as they say in Las Vegas, ‘winner winner, chicken dinner.’

More than enough words have already been written about the five 4WD utes individually for you to get a feel, both for them individually and as a group.
This year I simplified things down by cutting to the chase and asking our testers to rank each ute out of 10 in five categories, On-road, Off-road, Exterior, Interior and Value for Money.

I also asked each tester to rank the five utes 1-5 in order of preference should they find themselves with both the need and means to enter the (booming) ute market.
The winner of this year’s NZ4WD magazine 4WD Ute shootout is (drum roll please) Ford’s Ranger XLT.

Each model has its particular strengths but when the numbers were added up and the opinions evaluated and order the Ranger was a clear and very worthy winner for a second year in a row.

Second was the Volkswagen Amarok Highline, third the all-new Mitsubishi Triton GLS, fourth Holden’s Colorado LTZ and fifth Toyota’s Hilux TRD Sportivo.
That was the order they finished in as far as on-road performance goes as well. But off-road the Colorado tied for second behind the Ranger with the Amarok, pushing the Mitsubishi back to fourth.

Though the numbers backed up the seat-of-the-pants impressions, the reason the Ranger won is that it is better.

It’s got the best engine, the best interior, the best ride/handling compromise and the best (accurate, well-weighted) turn-in and steering feel.

The Amarok matches it for ride quality on and off the road, but it has a more utilitarian interior and its twin-turbo 2-litre engine needs rowing along – yes even in sport mode – to extract the same sort of point-to-point performance in daily use on the road.

Only the Amarok and Triton have full-time 4WD capability on hard surfaces.

The new Triton is a fine addition to the local line-up and in some ways creates its own niche by feeling smaller and more “car-like” than the larger Ford, VW and Holden.
On-road ride quality is not quite of par with that of the Ranger or Amarok, however and the engine is not quite as impressive off the road as it is on.

And what about the Hilux?
It’s obviously still a robust, practical option for the hard-working farmer, rural contractor or tradesman but there’s no disguising the fact that the current model, whatever the iteration, is at the end of its model life.