Toyota HiLux Rogue vs Ford Ranger XLT Bi-turbo vs Mitsubishi Triton GLS Premium 2019 review

Everyone wants a bargain, but that doesn't always equate to good value. So here's a price list to give you an idea how much each of these models will cost, and the price range varies greatly because we have a bit of a mix of trim levels on test here.

The most affordable model – by a huge margin – is the Mitsubishi Triton GLS Premium, which is the top-of-the-range version. The list price (RRP) for this version is $51,990 plus on-road costs, but the brand is already doing drive-away prices, so shop around – hey, why not let CarsGuide be your guide? Whether you're after new or second-hand!

That positions it as a comparative bargain in this test, because the next most affordable model we have is the Ranger XLT Bi-turbo, which lists at $59,790. The 2019 version of the Ranger has seen increased safety and the addition of the new downsized engine –we'll discuss both of those elements in more detail as we move through the test.

The most expensive vehicle in this test is the Toyota HiLux Rogue, which lists at $61,690 plus on-road costs. And while it could be considered a sport edition, can it stack up on features?

To make things simple for us all, we've put the most important information in tables so you can compare how these three models compare to one another – XLT vs GLS Premium vs Rogue.

There's a bit more to it, too, because the HiLux Rogue adds a hard lid with marine carpet lining in the tub – a few grand's worth of value, there. And it arguably looks like it has a sports pack fitted (where its stablemate, the Rugged X, has an off-road pack fitted). And the Toyota and Ford both come with a tow bar kit fitted (with harness, but not with an electric brake controller); to get your Mitsubishi with the same will cost you a little more.

And it's good to see all three utes here have LED headlights – that means there's no HID, xenon or projector lights. Depending on your circumstances, you might want to consider a light bar, driving lights or spot-lights – but we had no serious issues with the lighting on offer.

In the touch-screen battle the Ford rocks an 8.0-inch display with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, plus it has a navigation system built in (but you can't use that in-built system if your phone is hooked up). The Toyota has sat nav, too, but no smartphone mirroring for its smaller 7.0-inch screen. The Mitsubishi has the same size screen as the HiLux but no nav, but it does have GPS location data, and also smartphone mirroring.

While the multimedia stakes are high, none of these models have a DVD player or wifi hotspot, but all have Bluetooth phone and audio streaming with USB connectivity for MP3 playback from your device. The sound system in each of these models consists of six speakers and no subwoofer, and all three had DAB digital radio. If you still look for a radio CD player, the Ford and Toyota will please you more than the Mitsubishi – it doesn't have a CD player, and none have a CD changer.

Weirdly, you have to look at the screen in the Ford for the climate-control settings on the air conditioning – there are manual buttons below, and while it might look more technical, we prefer the standalone air conditioner temp displays in the Mitsubishi and Toyota.

Beyond the stereos, the gadgets and technology on offer is a battle fought in the safety section below, with one of these players falling well short. Look, there's still ESP/VSC/stability control and hill start assist with hill descent control, but it's like two of these models have a tech pack compared to the one that misses out. Don't skip ahead, though – there's a lot more of this model comparison to come before we get there.

Of course you might want to add some accessories, and each of these brands offers extensive lists of goodies including a bull bar, rims, a snorkel, nudge bar (fitted as standard on this spec of Triton), ladder rack, sports bar (another standard-fit item on the Triton, not to mention the HiLux). You might want to shop the aftermarket for an awning, winch, hard-core bash plates and rated recovery points, but none of these utes have a power window in the rear glass, and none come with a sunroof.

Try to get the salesperson to throw in some floor mats (the Ranger has a driver's mat as standard, but none of the others have any included), and you won't need to bargain for window tint in any of them, either – well, unless you want privacy glass front and rear.

No model comes with two tone paint, and the list of colours is pretty limited. You've got black, white, blue, red, grey and silver on all three. The HiLux adds an orange hue, but none have brown, yellow or green available from the factory. Premium paint costs $600 for the HiLux, $650 for the Ford and $690 for the Triton.

How many seats in each of these utes? Five a piece – but see how they compare in terms of interior comfort below.

The interiors of these three utes are surprisingly different in terms of space efficiency, considering that they are pretty close for exterior dimensions.

How does that to translate to interior comfort? Well, somewhat unsurprisingly, the Ford's rear seat is more roomy – a longer wheelbase typically does that.

The amount of leg room, head room and shoulder room is best in the Ford – that's for me, a six-foot (182cm) male with the driver's seat set for myself. So the space is good, but it's the only one of this trio to miss out on rear seat air vents.

The Mitsubishi has extremely effective roof-height vents and a set of USB ports, too, but the comfort levels are a little lower than in the Ford. It's just a touch more cramped.

The Toyota is the least comfortable for backseat occupants, with less room and some poorly thought-out items such as hard grab handles that are located at forehead height for taller occupants – it could be a recipe for stitches during bouncy off-roading. But the Toyota has rear (knee height) vents, but there's a 230-volt powerpoint between the front seats if you need to run a charger.

Under or behind the back seat of each of these utes you'll find a jack and tool kit, and because they're dual-cab models, you can also use the back-seat space for secure storage.

The cup holder count is lead by the Toyota, which has a pair of cup holsters in the outer edges of the dashboard. The rest have a pair between the front seats, and there are dual rear cup holders in a flip-down armrest in each of these utes. All models have bottle holders in their doors, and map pockets in the back.

Up front, all models have driver's seat-height adjustment, but there is no seat-belt extender for shorties. The Ford has manual seat adjustment, where the Mitsubishi and Toyota both have electric driver's-seat adjustment. But only the Mitsubishi has reach-and-rake adjustment for the steering wheel, meaning it's the easiest to find your perfect driving position.

As for cabin design, though, the Ford stands tallest, with better storage locations and a nicer cabin treatment. The Mitsubishi is simple but effective, though it lacks some loose-item storage compared to the other utes here. The Toyota's screen juts out and its plastics impinge more on passenger space, but the digital clock on the top of the Toyota's dashboard will be easier to find when you call to explain why you're running late – the others have digital clocks, too, but built into their media screens.

If you wanted more tray practicality than what a dual-cab can offer you, then you really ought to consider a space-cab / extra-cab (don't consider it a "sleepr cab"), or even a single-cab or cab-chassis – you'd be surprised how much more space you get with a steel tray / aluminium tray / flat tray over what you get with dual-cab tub dimensions.

One thing is for sure – the hard tonneau cover is a space killer, with tray capacity seriously cut down – see below for more. We'd thoroughly recommend a ute canopy instead, if you want to keep things secure. Maybe even invest in a set of drawers!

If you need even more space you can get a roof-rack system to fit the roof rails of each of these utes, but cargo capacity (or boot space, in the case of the HiLux) shouldn't be a barrier to a family weekend away.

Let's talk engine specs.

There's a fair difference in terms of horsepower here, with the Ford clearly hitting highs thanks to its bi-turbo (twin-turbo) diesel four-cylinder engine. It has more power and more torque than the five-cylinder Ranger, and easily accounts for the other two utes here, too.

There's very little splitting the other two: the Triton has good outputs for its smaller-capacity diesel engine size with a single turbocharger, while the HiLux is a bit conservative in its grunt numbers based on its turbo-diesel engine displacement. Some competitors with a 2.8L motor have up to 50Nm more.

So you can see from the table above that the Ranger bi-turbo is fitted with a 10-speed auto gearbox – there is no manual available with that powerplant. All three have a diesel particulate filter.

You can't get a manual version of the Triton GLS Premium or the HiLux Rogue, either. But if manual vs automatic really matters, you can get a Triton with a manual gearbox there's the GLS, and the HiLux SR5 or Rugged X are available in stick shift, too.

All of them are 4WD or 4x4 as tested. You can get rear-wheel drive (4x2) dual-cab versions of each of these utes, but not specced like you see here. There is no front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive option of any of these trucks, and nor are there petrol, EV or LPG options. Wondering if all three of these utes have a timing belt or chain? Here's your answer: all three have a chain.

Now, diesel engine problems or automatic transmission problems are likely the most expensive thing to repair if you encounter them. You could have issues with the turbo, intercooler or an injector. There could be driveshaft vibration. You might have auto gearbox problems, clutch concerns (in a manual), or even transmission failure. It could be blowing black smoke. You might have a faulty oil pump. There are plenty of potential problems you could encounter – so maybe before you attempt to diagnose your suspension or transmission issues, or lift the bonnet to do an oil change, make sure you check out our problems page.

Based on the power statistics and torque specifications, do you think our rating of these engines is correct? Tell us in the comments section.

There's a lot of hubbub in the ute segment around towing capacity. Pulling a work trailer, hauling a caravan – the load capacity varies depending on which pick-up you choose, and the benchmark is 3.5 tonnes for a braked trailer. That's a lot of load-carrying capability.

Here's how our utes stack up, along with some other important figures you might want to consider.

You can see what we attached to our tow bar in the towing review test below.

If you've read any of our previous ute reviews, you'll know there are some common complaints when it comes to the drive experience of these models. And our back-to-back testing showed the same findings, but also highlighted some surprises.

The Toyota was once again the least impressive in terms of ride comfort, both for those in the front seats and passengers in the back. It is too firm at city speeds over typical city streets, bumping and thumping and crunching into potholes where its rivals both have more supple suspension to isolate the road surface below from the backseats of occupants.

Indeed the Ford was the benchmark, with the most pleasant suspension both in terms of comfort and control, at all speeds. The Mitsubishi ran close behind, with a nice amount of composure to it, but just a touch less plushness across the board.

The Ford also stood out for its steering – the electronic system employed by the blue oval brand is excellent, and despite it having the biggest turning circle of these three utes, it has the lightest, easiest steering at low speeds. It really makes a difference after a hard day's work to get into a ute and not be straining your biceps to park the thing.

Not that the other two have bad steering, though. The Triton's tiller offers good response at high and low speeds, but can be a little slow when it comes to changing direction. The Toyota's steering was our second favourite, with a more direct action and good feel to the driver's hands in all road conditions.

None of these utes are 0-100km acceleration speed-record breakers. (Image credit: Brendan Batty)

None of these utes are 0-100km acceleration speed-record breakers, but the Ford was easily the best in terms of aggression from a standing start. It's performance figures suggest it has the advantage, and it certainly felt more sprightly in our testing.

The Ford's downsized, twin-turbocharged diesel engine is a corker, with immense pulling power and a really smart automatic transmission that makes the most of the torque, shuffling between gears almost imperceptibly, with a hint of exhaust brake on steep descents, too. It is easily the best powertrain in the segment for refinement and usability.

The Toyota's engine is gruff, by comparison, with some notable lag down low in the rev range and more aggressive shifts from the six-speed auto.

The Mitsubishi's middle-ground status remains for its engine – it doesn't have as much noise, vibration or harshness as the Toyota, and offers marginally more 'seat of the pants' grunt in daily driving situations. That could be to do with it weighing a fair bit less, especially considering it has a lower peak torque output.

Anyone who is into off-roading knows that the figures and specifications are a big talking point. Beyond wheel arch extensions and all terrain tyres – whether fitted to 15 inch alloy, 16 inch alloy, or 17 inch alloy wheels (or maybe even chrome rims – we'll forgive you) – the ability built in to each of these trucks varies.

All three utes have similar suspension set-ups – independent front suspension with coil springs, and a heavy duty leaf rear suspension. None have the option of a sport set-up for better performance, and nor is there the choice of air suspension.

How does all that translate to off-road ability and capability? Read the off-road review section below to find out.

We all know that there's more to safety than just an ANCAP safety rating. All three of these utes, coincidentally, were awarded the maximum five-star crash rating in 2015, but since then the list of safety features has changed dramatically for two of these three utes.

The HiLux remains behind the pace, and, at the time of writing, it is easily beaten by its rivals in this section of the test. We hope Toyota rectifies this issue soon, and the company has confirmed is looking to implement improved safety tech "in the next update".

All three utes have dual outboard rear seat ISOFIX child seats anchor points, and if your baby car seat is a top tether set-up, there are three of those child restraints per ute, too. Just be sure to do a test fitment if you have young children, as it can be a pain if you need to get your bub's seat in and out regularly.

If you're still of the mindset that it matters where your vehicle is produced, then we've got some news for you: they are all built in Thailand.

After several days and hundreds of kays under the tyres of these three utes – on road, off road, loaded, towing and more – we came to a decision.

In top spot in this test was the Ford Ranger XLT Bi-turbo, which simply felt a class above in most aspects of this test. It isn't cheap, and we understand why you might want to choose a cheaper alternative. But if you can afford it, it's a terrific ute across a broad spectrum of applications.

Second overall was the Mitsubishi Triton GLS Premium, which has value on its side. It's staggering how well it stacks up against its rivals, considering it's the high-spec variant. There's an argument to be made that if the niceties are less important to you, you may find even better value lower in the Triton range, because in top-grade spec it falls just a bit short of class-leadership in most aspects.

And rounding out the pack was the Toyota HiLux Rogue. We reckon the Rogue looks great, but there are limitations to this pack. We tried to get a regular SR5, but we couldn't, and we think. It would have stood a better chance overall – even though we know it doesn't have the on-road comfort, nor the safety equipment, that it really should.

Do you agree with our findings? Tell us your thoughts in the comments section below.

Thanks to our mates at Jayco Nowra for the loan caravan, and also the crew at Agriwest Rural CRT Bomaderry. We couldn't have done it without their help.