Top five: Dual-cab 4x4 utes

carsales has done all the hard work for you and pushed, prodded, tested and trialled all the best dual-cab 4WD utes on sale Down Under.

You can read our full rundown on the 2021 Best Dual-Cab 4x4 Ute at the links listed below. Meantime, here are carsales’ Top Five Dual-Cab 4x4 Utes.

We’ve driven them all and compared them head-to-head, scoring them across a range of criteria including safety, off- and on-road performance, towing ability and payload

Significant regular updates have kept the Ford Ranger mid-size pick-up ahead of the curve in a market that demands a ute not only performs well in all key operational attributes but offers almost all of the latest safety and technology features.

Quite simply, there is no other mid-size dual-cab 4x4 ute on the market today that handles, rides and performs as well as the Ranger while also offering an integrated, cohesive package of cutting-edge safety and technology.

Ford Ranger in the new car showroom

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The Isuzu D-MAX is a breath of fresh air in the dual-cab 4x4 ute category, thanks not only to its smart looks but the most comprehensive safety suite yet offered in this segment.

The all-new Isuzu also scores strongly when it comes to cost of ownership. Indeed, the only areas where the D-MAX is not quite as accomplished as the Ford Ranger are its less-than-ideal ride quality, level of engine refinement and towing performance.

Isuzu D-MAX in the new car showroom

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With much shared with the new Isuzu D-MAX, it’s no wonder the new Mazda BT-50 also gets a top spot in our Top Five Dual-Cab 4x4 Ute rankings.

The Mazda BT-50 is bristling with the same comprehensive safety and technology equipment as its D-MAX cousin but it doesn’t quite match the Isuzu’s standard features list, cost of ownership equation or ride quality.

Mazda BT-50 in the new car showroom

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Benefiting from a major update in 2020, the Toyota HiLux has become an even more well-rounded dual-cab ute thanks to slight performance and ride improvements and a step-up in cabin technology. These complement the HiLux’s already strong safety and off-road credentials.

A less-than-supple ride, so-so towing performance and expensive servicing take away some of the top-selling Toyota’s lustre.

Toyota HiLux in the new car showroom

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Improved payload, better looks and more tech and safety have given the latest Nissan Navara a new lease on life.

Alas, the Navara’s new-found safety credentials, solid payload capacity and smooth-road ride are contrasted with its ordinary towing stability, average rough-road ride and overall performance.

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Now see the results of our recent Best Dual-Cab 4x4 Ute for 2021