Spec battle: 2025 Toyota HiLux v Ford Ranger

Ford Ranger or Toyota HiLux? What was once a humble pub conversation starter has become something of a national topic over the past 10 years, as these two Thai-built utes traded blows at the top of the sales charts. 

Ever since the Toyota HiLux usurped the Toyota Corolla as Australia’s most popular new vehicle in 2016, the HiLux and Ranger shared the spoils of Australia’s best-selling new vehicle gong, with the Ranger currently holding the upper hand.  

With the HiLux due for an as-yet unconfirmed facelift sometime in 2026 – its last major change materialised in 2015 – and the Ranger receiving its last major overhaul in 2022, which of these two hay haulers is strongest on paper?  

Let the spec battle begin. 

Pricing and variants 

You can have your new Ford Ranger and Toyota HiLux in many different flavours, sizes and shapes in 2025, which is great for the masses purchasing a utility for work, play or something in between. 

Both models are offered in single cab, super cab and double cab guises, in a choice of two-wheel drive and four-wheel drive. 

Engine choices are quite varied, too. The HiLux comes with either a 2.7-litre petrol and a 2.4-litre turbo-diesel (in WorkMate form only) or 2.8L turbo-diesel across its SR, SR5, Rogue and GR Sport grades. 

The Ford Ranger model walk is a little more dense, with XL, XLS, XLT, Sport, Wildtrak, Platinum, and Raptor models available, a Plug-In Hybrid (PHEV) variant joining the range in 2025 and a work-focused Ranger Super Duty slated for launch in early 2026. 

The Ranger line-up offers various engine options, including 2.0-litre single and bi-turbo diesels, a 3.0-litre V6 turbo-diesel, and a 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6 petrol for the Raptor. 

Only the HiLux offers the choice of a manual transmission in 2025, with the Ranger line-up auto only. 

As for all-important pricing, the HiLux range opens at $27,730 plus on-road costs at the time of writing for the HiLux Workmate manual 4x2 and peaks at $74,310 plus on-road costs for the HiLux GR Sport auto 4x4 double cab. 

The Ford Ranger line-up pushes pricing north in many respects, opening at $37,130 (plus on-road costs) for the Ranger XL Hi-Rider auto 4x2, and topping out at $90,690 (plus on-road costs) for the Ford Ranger Raptor. 

Performance and economy 

With Toyota purportedly sticking with its tried-and-tested 2.8-litre turbo-diesel engine for the facelifted HiLux in 2026, this drivetrain comparison will likely stay relevant for some years – and it tips mostly in favour of the Ranger. 

Whereas the HiLux offers essentially a solitary engine option for all HiLux models save for the work-orientated WorkMate, the Ranger now gives you two alternative choices to diesel: a plug-in hybrid grade and the high-performance Raptor twin-turbo V6 petrol. 

Beginning with the HiLux, the do-it-all 2.8-litre turbo-diesel outputs 150kW and 500Nm, and claims a combined fuel consumption figure of 7.8L/100km in Australia. 

Over in the blue camp, the Ranger offers a choice of a 150kW/500Nm 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel, or a 184kW/600Nm 3.0-litre turbo-diesel V6. The larger oiler is more miserly around claimed fuel consumption, pegged at 8.4L/100km claimed on the combined cycle versus 8.7L/100km for the 2.0-litre engine. 

Elsewhere the Ranger PHEV combines a 2.3-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder engine with an electric motor to produce the best claimed fuel economy of the line-up, at 2.9L/100km. 

The Ranger line-up concludes with the colossal 3.0-litre twin-turbo V6 engine fitted to the Raptor, belting out a formidable 292kW and 583Nm. 

Practicality and towing 

The Ford Ranger and Toyota HiLux come equipped with formidable practicality, payload and towing characteristics, as you’d expect from circa two-tonne utes. 

Both have a 3.5-tonne braked towing capacity, the caveat being the Toyota will require an aftermarket brake controller for most trailers, while the Ranger has the job covered thanks to integrated trailer brakes – a boon only matched by the new Kia Tasman in this category. 

The maximum payload for the 2025 Toyota Hilux ranges from approximately 780kg to 1310kg, depending on the specific variant and configuration. For the Ranger, payload varies from 717kg in the coil-sprung Raptor to more than 1900kg for the upcoming Ranger Super Duty. 

Toyota HiLux tray dimensions vary by model, but a common dual cab SR5 tub has approximate dimensions of 1570mm long, 1645mm wide, 1109mm between the wheel arches and 481mm deep. extra-cab and single-cab models will have longer trays but a similar width. 

For the Ranger, ordinary dual-cab tray dimensions measure 1547mm long, 1584mm wide, 1224mm wide between wheel arches, and 529mm high – meaning it can fit an Australian pallet between the wheel arches, unlike the HiLux. 

Size  

The Toyota HiLux and Ford Ranger are quite similar where size is concerned, each measuring a touch over five metres long and around 1.9 metres high – ensuring they will fit under most (but not all) underground car parks. 

Comfort 

Inside, both utes offer similar interior dimensions and amenity for five passengers, with hard-wearing materials adorning some of the contact points and a utilitarian veneer to cabin fit out.  

Ultimately, it’s the Ranger that gets the edge for interior comfort and styling, fit with superior storage and thoughtfulness that owners will appreciate over the long haul, plus a more appealing use of materials. The HiLux matches the Ranger with rear air vents and rear Isofix attachment points, ensuring a modicum of family friendliness. 

On the infotainment front it’s another clear win to the Ranger, with its superior infotainment screen and, in certain models, digital instrument cluster, comfortably covering the Toyota’s antiquated systems. 

Both models offer Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, plus digital radio and sat nav. 

Warranty and ownership costs 

Both Ford and Toyota offer a five-year/unlimited kilometre new car warranty in Australia, which is now considered par for the course in the mainstream space. 

Which is the more affordable to service? There are multiple ways you can spin this.   

The Toyota is generally cheaper if you go by each individual service – capped between $245 and $290 for the first six visits, according to Toyota – but the big caveat is that servicing intervals are set every six months or 10,000km, which is more frequent than rival brands. 

For the Ranger, the annual average capped price servicing cost is $379, with more generous 12-month/15,000km provisions set from new – meaning you won’t be required at your dealership service centre anywhere near as much. 

Verdict: Which one should you buy? 

There is a case for both these utes, depending on how much you intend to spend, what style/configuration of utility you’re after, and what you’ll be using it for. 

Ultimately, it is the Ranger with a seemingly unassailable victory in this instance, at least until the facelifted HiLux surfaces sometime in 2026. The Ford is newer, offers a greater breadth of variants, superior drivetrains and technology. 

The Toyota is long in the tooth, even in ute terms, but we wouldn’t dare call it old hat. It has formidable off-road and load-carrying abilities, excellent resale values, and you know exactly what you’re getting.