2023 4WD utes compared: Ford Everest Rugged vs Isuzu MU-X vs Mitsubishi Pajero

With tough 4WD ute underpinnings and car-like refinement, the Ford Everest, Isuzu MU-X and Mitsubishi Pajero Sport know no bounds. But which goes the extra mile?

Australia’s love affair with 4WDs has been partly forged in their ability to handle conditions that stop just about everything else in its tracks.

Despite most of us rarely venturing off-road, it’s nice to know the capability is there.

In their infancy, 4WDs were no-frills workhorses best suited to the dirt and dust of regional Australia, but as increasing numbers infiltrated suburbia to spend most of their time on bitumen, manufacturers engineered them to be more refined and car-like.

If you’re planning an extended trip, our three featured 4WDs deserve serious consideration.

Each shares its ute cousin’s robust mechanical underpinnings enveloped in a wagon body style that offers up many advantages away from the job site.

And, instead of rear leaf springs (great for carrying heavy loads), these wagons all feature multi-link coil rear suspension, which provides a more supple ride for everyday driving while maintaining off-road prowess.

Ford Everest Platinum 2023

Launched in 2015 as a replacement for the enduring Ford Territory AWD, the Everest quickly won friends in the towing community for its more robust design and higher towing rating (3000kg versus the Territory’s 2700kg).

Ford Everest Platinum 2023 line-up and specs

It’s the only one of the trio here to offer two engines, both diesels, and the four-model line-up starts with the rear-wheel drive 2.0-litre Ambiente ($52,990), with our Platinum 3.0-litre test vehicle priced at $77,690.

The new 3.0-litre powertrain package delivers 184kW and 600Nm, an increase of 47kW and 130Nm over the much-lauded 3.2-litre five-cylinder.

It’s matched to a 10-speed automatic transmission and 4WD models use a full-time electronically controlled two-speed drive system with selectable modes.

The Platinum comes with plastic underbody protection and serious off-roaders can choose the no-cost-option steel protection and 18-inch all terrain tyre package over the highway biased 21-inch package fitted as standard.

Visually the new-generation Everest looks more purposeful thanks in part to a longer wheelbase and wider front and rear track.

The new body design is squarer and more upright, leading to a squarer tailgate aperture and improved access.

Ford Everest Platinum 2023 features and design

The standard features list trumps those on the MU-X and Pajero Sport (which you would expect given its price premium over the pair) and includes niceties such as 10-way driver/eight-way passenger adjustable front seats with memory (they are also heated and cooled), heated second-row seats and electrically folding third-row pews.

The Platinum’s seats are quilted with leather accents, while a 12-speaker Bang & Olufsen audio system handles the beats.

A sidestep and A-pillar grab handles aid climbing into the roomy cabin and a vertical-design dashboard gives the appearance of even more space.

Once you’ve settled into the plush seats, a 12-inch infotainment screen and 12.4-inch digital instrument cluster add some theatre to the ambience, although the engine stop/start button is weirdly mounted where a traditional ignition key would be – on the side of the steering column rather than on the dash.

Space and seat comfort in the second row is generous and the second-row seats tilt and slide forward, allowing access into the third row.

The team clambered in without too much difficulty and the space is reasonable (and includes ventilation), however, like the Pajero and MU-X, is probably best reserved for children and teenagers.

Ford Everest Platinum 2023 performance

Ford’s new 3.0-litre turbo diesel is superior to the previous generation’s more agricultural 3.2-litre five-cylinder and has transformed the Everest’s manners.

It’s quiet in operation and would give the Europeans’ diesel-powered SUVs a run for their money in smoothness and refinement.

The slick 10-speed automatic harnesses the 600Nm and is fast to react when you need to overtake slower vehicles.

Ford’s local engineering team has done a great job at reining in the Everest’s almost 2500kg mass and it’s clearly better than the Pajero Sport and MU-X around the bends.

The tyre and rim package fitted to the Platinum certainly helps, with 275/45R21 Goodyear Wrangler tyres anchoring the Everest to the tarmac and maintaining excellent ride quality.

Even with an all-terrain tyre and rim package, which would bring the Everest in line with those fitted to the MU-X and Pajero Sport, it’s likely the Everest would have an edge dynamically on the bitumen.

Isuzu MU-X LS-T 2023

Introduced to our market almost 10 years ago, the MU-X range doubled Isuzu’s model line-up, selling alongside the D-Max ute.

Isuzu punches above its weight here and currently sits just outside the top 10 brands nationally in sales – not a bad effort considering it’s on the back of just two models.

It has a great footprint around the country, with over 160 dealers authorised to service the product, and Isuzu’s reputation for producing excellent small diesel engines goes back decades.

Bolstered by a six-year warranty, the MU-X has a loyal following.

Isuzu MU-X LS-T line-up and specs

The second-generation MU-X was launched in mid-2021 and featured a re-engineered 3.0-litre turbo diesel producing 140kW and 450Nm, along with an improved six-speed automatic.

Available in 4x2 and 4x4, the line-up starts at $48,900 for the LS-M, with our top-of-the-range LS-T 4x4 offering drive-away pricing of $65,990.

Based on the same rugged ladder frame as the D-Max, it shares its 3500kg braked towing rating and 4WD system.

Like the Everest and Pajero Sport, it has the versatility of seven seats.

The range received an upgrade at the start of the year, which included new design 20-inch alloys for the LS-T and a simplified towing process when using the factory wiring harness plug that automatically disables blind spot monitoring and rear cross traffic alert.

Like the Everest, the LS-T has evolved visually and the external styling is sharper and more dynamic than before.

Isuzu MU-X LS-T features and design

Inside, the design is fresh and centred on practicality, a great example being the traditional gear lever that’s easier to operate than the fiddly slide forward/back arrangement in the Everest.

A nine-inch touchscreen infotainment screen with built-in sat-nav sits centrally in the dash and there are large outlets for the dual-zone climate control, with vents in all three rows.

Standard features include eight-speaker audio, an eight-way adjustable driver’s seat (heated), rear diff lock and an electric tailgate.

Stepping up inside the cabin is made easier with four large pillar-mounted grab handles and the supportive front seats are finished in soft and supple leather accents.

The second-row seats are supportive as well, with plenty of adjustment and similar levels of leg room and foot space to the Everest.

Unique to the MU-X are sliding second-row seats with a tumble function that opens up the floor space, improving access into the third row.

As with the Everest and Pajero Sport, some dexterity is still required and the third row is best suited for children.

The cabin has plenty of storage binnacles for various paraphernalia and drink bottles.

Isuzu MU-X LS-T 2023 performance

Firing up the 3.0-litre turbo diesel reveals a sophisticated engine less noisy than its predecessor, with more power and torque to boot – 140kW and 450Nm produced between 1600rpm and 2600rpm.

Caravanners will love its meaty torque band and smooth six-speed automatic that’s quick to shift when needed.

The Everest would show it a clean pair of heels in a drag race, but the MU-X certainly isn’t disgraced in everyday driving scenarios.

While its off-road prowess was never in question, the old MU-X was a ponderous wallowing beast on the bitumen and this is where the new design shows the most improvement.

The adoption of electric power steering has reduced the turning circle and its speed-sensitive weighting provides lightness at slow speeds, making life easier in the carpark without sacrificing road feel at higher speeds.

Revised coil springs, dampers and stabiliser bars have reduced body roll and pitching, while maintaining its forerunner’s compliant ride.

Mitsubishi Pajero Sport GSR 2023

Mitsubishi has had skin in the family 4x4 game a lot longer than the other combatants, launching the Challenger back in 1998, a model described as a compromise between an “SUV and an out-and-out adventurer”.

Based on the Triton ute, the Challenger was a rugged and somewhat unrefined off-roader for its time. Fast forward to 2014 and the Pajero Sport (again underpinned with Triton mechanicals) has replaced the Challenger nameplate.

Regular upgrades have kept the Pajero Sport competitive and, in 2020, it adopted Mitsubishi’s ‘dynamic shield’ design, effectively squaring up the external silhouette to make it look larger and more upright.

Inside, a redesigned centre console, repositioned AC power outlet and a powered tailgate headed the revamp, while mechanical tweaks to the 2.4-litre turbo diesel and eight-speed auto improved smoothness and NVH levels.

Late 2022 heralded some further spec upgrades, including tyre pressure monitoring.

Mitsubishi Pajero Sport GSR line-up and specs

The range starts at just $44,940 for the 2WD GLX five-seater, with the 4WD range kicking off at $49,940 for the seven-seat GLX.

Our GSR test vehicle tops the line-up at $62,440.

Mitsubishi offers a class-leading 10-year mechanical warranty if the scheduled servicing is carried out by an authorised Mitsubishi outlet.

Like Isuzu, its dealer coverage is extensive, with over 200 outlets covering the country.

The Pajero Sport has the smallest diesel engine of the trio, a 2.4-litre developing 133kW and 430Nm.

Peak torque is at a low 2500rpm and claimed fuel consumption is just 8.0L/100km.

Caravanners and boaties will note the Pajero Sport has a slightly lower maximum braked tow rating of 3100kg, compared to the Everest and MU-X’s 3500kg.

Mitsubishi Pajero Sport GSR features and design

Mitsubishi has thrown everything into the Sport GSR and the standard features include climate control, heated front seats and an eight-inch infotainment screen with built-in sat-nav.

When we last reviewed the Pajero Sport it garnered high praise for its interior presentation and ergonomics.

That was certainly true at the time, but the newer MU-X and Everest interiors have shifted the goalposts and the Sport is starting to show its age.

While all three are close dimensionally, the Sport feels cosier inside the cabin with its thick and rounded rear roof pillars restricting rear vision somewhat.

The cleaner body designs in the MU-X and Everest only serve to emphasise this sensation.

But good ergonomics remain a virtue in the Pajero Sport; it’s comfortable behind the wheel and entry into the third row is still on par with the Everest and MU-X.

Mitsubishi Pajero Sport GSR performance

It’s a similar story on-road.

The Pajero Sport’s diesel engine is a tad noisier under acceleration and, while the eight-speed auto’s proficiency keeps the engine within its torque sweet spot, the MU-X and Everest’s mechanical packages feel slicker.

Fitted with higher profile 265/60R18 tyres the Sport feels a little doughier in the bends, something not helped by the hydraulic power steering that feels lifeless compared to the Everest and MU-X.

The Mitsubishi’s one trump card is an 11.2-metre turning circle, which makes it nimbler in tight spots and carparks.

Final verdict: who wins?

In 2023 there are more 4WD wagons traversing the countryside than ever, many with caravans in tow.

This trio’s tough 4WD ute origins have long enhanced their appeal and, while they’re always going to have compromises, ongoing development has narrowed the gap and the Everest and MU-X feel more refined and car-like on-road.

With Mitsubishi launching the new Triton ute next year, a new Pajero Sport is sure to follow. Until then, the Everest – with its slick mechanical package and superior set of numbers – gets the nod over the MU-X and Pajero Sport.