Ford Ranger v Isuzu D-MAX v Toyota HiLux 2020 Comparison

If you’re in the market for a new dual-cab 4x4 ute, there’s a lot of fresh metal arriving this year. The segment has already seen minor updates for our incumbent Best Dual-Cab 4x4 Ute, the Ford Ranger, a mid-cycle upgrade for top-selling Toyota HiLux and all-new models such as the Isuzu D-MAX and the upcoming Mazda BT-50 and Great Wall Steed replacement.

Causing a frisson of excitement in the industry this week is the arrival in showrooms of the redesigned 2021 Isuzu D-MAX.

This is a game-changer for Isuzu. The D-MAX has always been known for being simple and durable and its excellent fuel economy and solid towing and off-road capabilities have earned it a solid following.

Now it has been replaced with a clean-sheet design bringing not only a sharp new body and interior, a new chassis and a heavily revised engine, but also a raft of new safety and infotainment technologies.

Ford has updated the Ranger every year since the current generation’s 2011 debut. This year’s key improvement for the ‘2020.75’ Ranger update is Ford Pass, which is embedded modem tech as standard across the range that permits new connected services and features such as remote engine start, accessed from a phone app.

Changes for 2021 Toyota HiLux are more significant, with a more powerful engine, revised suspension, upgraded towing capacity for the auto (now 3500kg) new front-end treatment and an upgraded dash and infotainment system.

High-end one-tonne utes are now relatively expensive machines; for many of them, you won’t get change from $60K-plus.

That makes them highly lucrative and when the top-selling individual HiLux and Ranger variants are the SR5 and XLT respectively, it’s easy to see why Isuzu has gone upmarket with its classy new D-MAX X-Terrain range-topper – a direct rival for the SR5+ and Wildtrak, the flagship of the top-selling Ranger 4x4 line-up (excluding the $77K Raptor).

As you’d expect, the big prices are accompanied by a big lift in features. All the utes here are appointed with LED headlights, adaptive radar cruise control, dusk-sensing lights, a powered driver’s seat, height and reach adjustable steering column (height only in Ranger) and leather interiors (plus heated front seats in Ranger and HiLux).

All of them also come with Apple CarPlay (wireless in D-MAX) and Android Auto, climate-control air-conditioning (dual-zone in Ranger and D-MAX), five 18-inch alloy wheels (except D-MAX, with a steel spare), native sat-nav, digital radio, keyless entry and start, power-folding and heated mirrors, ISOFIX child-seat anchors, hill descent control and rear diff lock.

The Ford Ranger Wildtrak is arguably better-featured than the others, with its engine idle-stop, remote engine start and unlock/locking via the FordPass app, self-parking, CD player, auto-dimming rear-vision mirror, powered roller tonneau cover and a 12-volt auxiliary port in the tub.

The Isuzu D-MAX X-Terrain also has remote engine start (operated by the keyfob) and a (manually-operated) roller tonneau cover. And like the Ranger, the D-MAX comes with a load liner.

The unique convenience feature of the Toyota HiLux SR5+ is one-touch power windows on all doors (driver’s door only for Ranger and D-MAX). But while it has four lash-down points in the tray like the others, it lacks a tonneau cover or tub liner.

The most expensive ute here is the (automatic-only) Ford Ranger Wildtrak 2.0 Bi-Turbo at $65,790 plus on-road costs. At least the towbar kit is standard on Wildtrak, and while it includes 12-pin electrics and a tongue, it doesn’t come with a towball.

With the optional $650 metallic paint, the Wildtrak Bi-Turbo as tested here was $66,440 (plus ORCs). Oh, and if you want to use the towbar, you’ll have to find 25 bucks or so for a shiny chrome ball.

Of course the Ranger Wildtrak is also still offered with the trusty 3.2-litre inline five-cylinder turbo-diesel (manual $62,090, auto $64,290, plus ORCs), although the 3.2 is likely to be retired when the new Ranger arrives by 2022.

The auto-only Isuzu D-MAX X-Terrain costs $62,900 plus ORCs, but as tested here has the $500 option of metallic paint, the $1164 towbar kit (including a 12-pin plug; a seven-pin is $100 less) and the $820 electric brake controller, bringing the total to $65,384 plus ORCs.

The Toyota HiLux SR5+ auto is $62,420 plus ORCs, but as-tested with metallic paint ($600), towbar tongue ($175), towball ($43) and electric brake controller ($800 estimated), it comes to $64,038 plus ORCs.

Warranty is five years/unlimited-km for the Ford and Toyota, while Isuzu offers six years/150,000km. While the Ford and Isuzu have 15,000km/12-month service intervals, you’ll have to service the Toyota every 10,000km or six months. Capped price servicing over a five-year period costs $1676 for the Ranger, $2215 for the D-MAX and $3539 for the HiLux.

All three utes have relatively advanced safety features, with the expected anti-lock braking (ABS) and electronic stability control (ESC) systems augmented by forward collision warning and autonomous emergency braking (AEB) – with day and night vehicle and pedestrian detection plus daytime cyclist detection.

Also marking the advance in ute safety in recent years, each of them also offers lane departure assist, lane departure warning, high-speed active cruise control, speed sign recognition, trailer sway control, reversing camera, front/rear parking sensors and seven airbags including full-length side curtains and driver’s knee bags.

Unique safety features in the Isuzu D-MAX X-Terrain include a turn assist function for its AEB (which automatically brakes the vehicle when turning left or right if it detects a potential collision with an oncoming vehicle), plus emergency lane keeping, rear cross traffic alert, blind-spot monitoring and an extra front centre airbag to prevent occupants’ heads clashing together in the event of a side impact.

The Ford Ranger Wildtrak is the only vehicle here to have emergency call assist and individual tyre pressure monitoring, while auto high-beam is standard on both Ranger and D-MAX.

The Ford has only two outboard top-tether points for child seats while the others have three. At least the Ford has two steel tethers, making it much easier to cinch up child seats; while the Isuzu and HiLux have a steel centre tether point, the outboard securing points are less satisfactory nylon loops.

Ford’s SYNC3 8.0-inch touch-screen infotainment system is a simple, easy to use set-up with straight-forward menus, a generally responsive screen and now connectivity via the new Ford Pass phone app.

The Ranger also has three USB ports up front (including one behind the rear-vision mirror to power a dash-cam) and a 12V port and AC socket at the rear.

The improved 8.0-inch centre screen in the Toyota HiLux SR5+ works well, although it isn’t as intuitive as the Ford’s. Toyota is famed for its large, easy-to-see and use dash buttons – yet the HiLux’s welcome new volume and tuning knobs seem too small and too close to the touch-screen.

Turn the volume knob during a phone call and, like us, you may inadvertently brush your fingers across the ‘Exit call’ touch-screen icon. There’s just one USB port up front, though the centre cubby houses an AC socket.

While the Isuzu’s new 9.0-inch infotainment screen is a revelation for previous D-MAX owners with its size and scope of features, it is not the most well thought-out set-up. The touch-button responses can be slow, the screen hard to see in bright conditions and the menus unintuitive.

The X-Terrain’s voice control system is also a little undeveloped in that it didn’t understand simple commands on occasion, saying that we spoke too loudly. Speaking more clearly and quietly – and yes, finally shouting obscenities – didn’t help.

The Ford Ranger Wildtrak Bi-Turbo has the best off-the-line response and is overall the quickest ute here and also the happiest to rev if needed.

Unlike some passenger car diesels, you won’t mistake this 2.0-litre twin-turbo diesel for anything else, yet it is the quietest and smoothest of these three and, teamed up with a 10-speed auto that can be tripped up with the occasional abrupt shift, is usually very smooth and quick-witted.

The 3.0-litre Isuzu D-MAX X-Terrain and 2.8-litre Toyota HiLux SR5+ are close in terms of engine performance but when unladen at least, the D-MAX feels a little more responsive than the HiLux.

The single-turbo diesel engines in both these vehicles also sound and feel more truck-like than the Ranger’s 2.0-litre, especially when pushed hard.

On test, the D-MAX averaged fuel consumption of 8.6L/100km, the Ranger 8.8L/100km and the HiLux 9.8L/100km. But unlike the other two, the Toyota ended up in a conga line of stop-start traffic, which negatively affected its overall figure. We have no reason to believe it is much if any thirstier than the other two, if its trip computer reading earlier in the test is anything to go by.

We conducted a brief towing ‘taste test’ with a 2852kg tare (178kg towball mass) Avida Topaz bunk van we picked up from Avida at Emu Plains in Sydney.

The Ford Ranger Wildtrak was the most comfortable-riding and stable (with just a little fore-aft pitching on bumpy roads) and was also the quickest up our test hill from a 90km/h starting speed, showing 82km/h at its peak.

The Toyota HiLux SR5+ was more nervous when towing with a little sway, and a little brittle in its ride, but scored the next-best hill-climbing speed of 77km/h.

The previous Isuzu D-MAX was a rock-solid towing platform so we were a little surprised that the new model felt more prone to sway than the others. We need to conduct a more comprehensive tow test before making a definitive call on the D-MAX’s towing stability.

However, the D-MAX was a willing towing performer and rode well with the van hooked up, even if its speed up the hill peaked at just 72km/h.

Of note with all three utes is that, like most of their competitors, you can’t carry a full payload and tow the full 3500kg stated capacity at the same time. Realistically all three utes have to shed about 700kg in either vehicle or van to ensure GCM is not exceeded.

Now that all three utes have a rear diff lock there’s not a lot between them for off-road grip. The Toyota HiLux SR5+ has slightly more ground clearance than the other two and the best departure angle, but the lowest wading depth (by 100mm).

The HiLux is the easiest to prep for off-road touring thanks to, for example, a large space for a second battery under the bonnet and if fitting lights, a fridge and so on there’s even an accessory fuse box.

Elsewhere, the Toyota overall provides the simplest workstation to just in and get going, and offers plenty of comfort in the front pews. The rear seat is a little tight on headroom and under-thigh support, but is acceptable for sub-six-footers.

The new 4.2-inch instrument cluster screen is simple to operate – and thankfully now has a digital speedo – and aside from some fiddly central touch-screen elements already mentioned, the HiLux’s controls and instruments all work well.

While the cabin has a sense of quality fit to it, there are not as many soft-touch points or any of the flair you might expect from a premium ute.

The HiLux has made a clear step forward with its suspension changes but in this company, the ride is still afflicted by wobble and flexing over bumps. There’s not only vertical movement to contend with but lateral movement as the body shimmies over bumps.

In contrast, the Isuzu D-MAX X-Terrain’s new interior looks the part and is comfortable to sit in, front and rear, although the rear seat is lower to the floor than the others and also lacks under-thigh support.

While it all seems well put together, you can’t help but feel Isuzu could have used better quality materials on, for example, the ‘leather’ steering wheel, which had a too-smooth vinyl feel to it.

The instrument cluster centre screen is clear and offers plenty of info in a fairly logical layout but, like the centre screen, seems a little underdeveloped. For example, cancelling the speed recognition warning chime is incredibly difficult, requiring a deep dive into several layers of menu to find and disable. And the odometer reading is so small on the centre screen that most will miss it altogether.

The HiLux’s tray is marginally longer and wider than the others, although the Ranger narrowly trumps both the Isuzu and Toyota for measured tub depth and width between wheel-arches. The Ford’s tailgate also feels much lighter than the others when lowering or lifting.

The D-MAX feels more composed on-road than before with more direct steering and a more refined ride. Of these three it’s still the most sensitive over bumps, however, with pitter-patter road imperfections tremoring through the cabin and sharper hits making a larger impression.

The Ford Ranger Wildtrak offers the biggest interior with great seating comfort front and rear. The interior still looks contemporary and feels a little more luxurious than the others with its orange contrast seat stitching, piano-black and brushed silver finishes and plenty of soft-touch points. The Ranger is the quietest to ride in, too.

But Ford was too ambitious when designing its instrument cluster, the right LCD panel in particular. For example, if you like to see the tacho, you can’t also see the trip computer, and there’s a lot of thumbing around on steering wheel control buttons to change between the modes.

The Ford has a clear advantage in steering response and feel as well as ride quality in this group. Its initial bump absorption is more supple and while you won’t confuse it for anything but a rear leaf-sprung ute, bigger hits are more confidently dispatched.

The current Ford Ranger has been on the market for so long now that you almost expect it to wearily slump to the bottom of the ute pecking order. It hasn’t.

Quite simply, the Ranger Bi-Turbo’s engine performance, ride quality, handling dynamics, interior space, general comfort and overall refinement are a clear notch above the Isuzu’s and Toyota’s.

You might suspect this after solo drives of these three utes on different days but, proving there’s no substitute for a direct back-to-back comparison, the Ranger’s superiority in these key attributes is obvious when you jump from one vehicle to the next on the same on- and off-road loops on the same day in identical conditions.

Coming second is the Isuzu. To say that the new D-MAX is an improvement over the last model is an understatement. Its overall presentation, ride/handling and especially safety and technology improvements are significant.

However, ride quality, infotainment niggles and interior quality could be better. And the engine, despite its newness, is suspiciously similar to the old one. Many will say that’s not a bad thing, but it is not a clear step ahead of the previous 3.0-litre for performance or refinement, and certainly not of the Ford 2.0-litre’s calibre.

The 2021 Toyota HiLux SR5+ brings many subtle updates to round out its reputation as the go-to ute for many Aussie ute buyers. Although it’s not perfect, the new infotainment set-up is better and the boost to engine power and torque and the auto’s towing capacity are welcome.

Yet its ride quality is not resolved, service intervals remain too frequent and there remain question marks over its long-running DPF and dusting issues.

How much does the 2021 Ford Ranger Wildtrak Bi-Turbo cost?
Price: $65,790 ($66,440 as tested), plus ORCs
Available: Now
Engine: 2.0-litre four-cylinder twin-turbo diesel
Output: 157kW/500Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Fuel: 8.2L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 212g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Five-star (ANCAP 2015)

How much does the 2021 Isuzu D-MAX X-Terrain cost?
Price: $62,990 ($65,474 as tested), plus ORCs
Available: Now
Engine: 3.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel
Output: 140kW/450Nm
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Fuel: 8.0L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 207g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Not yet tested

How much does the 2021 Toyota HiLux SR5+ cost?
Price: $62,420 ($63,438 as tested), plus ORCs
Available: Now
Engine: 2.8-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel
Output: 150kW/500Nm
Transmission: Six-speed automatic
Fuel: 7.9L/100km (ADR Combined)
CO2: 207g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Five-star (ANCAP 2019)