Best Utes

D 7:56 AM (0 minutes ago) to me I’m absolutely loving my SsangYong Musso XLV 2024 — such an underrated vehicle in today’s market. Love that KGM has… Read more

a longstanding heritage with Mercedes-Benz which makes the brand a better choice of vehicle shaping their build quality, durability and engineering standards. It's a win, win for me so thanks for that!!

It drives beautifully, feels solid on the road, and has been completely reliable with regular servicing. For the price point, it genuinely competes with the bigger names and holds its own — definitely a dark horse in the marketplace!!!

The interior surprised me too — the Apple CarPlay and screen clarity are excellent, giving it a really modern, premium feel.

If you’re considering a dual cab, I’d highly recommend giving the Musso a look. It offers great value, comfort, and drivability without the hefty price tag.

Roller Cover CSE: Toyota knew about the fault and still charged me to fix it Bought a 2023 HiLux Rogue for commercial use. The electric Roller Cover… Read more

started malfunctioning — exactly the fault described in Toyota Australia's own Customer Service Exercise (CSE) issued in July 2024, affecting 14,032 HiLux Rogues produced between May 2020 and November 2023. Here's what makes this worse: Toyota never contacted me about the CSE. Not by SMS, email, or mail — nothing. So when the cover failed, I had no idea it was a known manufacturer defect. I took it to Nunawading Toyota, paid $99, and they handed the car back in worse condition than it arrived — completely inoperable. I filmed it failing the moment I stepped outside the service centre. When I contacted Toyota's Customer Assistance Centre, they told me in writing there was "no outstanding recall" on my vehicle. That directly contradicts their own press release. The Roller Cover motor can overheat and continue running, draining your battery and potentially leaving you stranded. Toyota calls this "may cause overheating." I call it a safety issue they buried in corporate language. Vehicle unusable for over a month. Real commercial losses. Now at VCAT (Case C2236/2026). If you own a HiLux Rogue, check your VIN against the CSE range: https://pressroom.toyota.com.au/PressRelease?pr-code=4d013a7a-50d5-408e-80ad-ebb0efe01155 Don't wait for Toyota to contact you. They won't.

I have the pro 4 x warrior with 30000 on the clock and im loving the nav great off road capabilities and is great on the road is great if you get a tune and fuel is at 8.1 -10.4 with trailer no canopy Show details

Bought a new Mitsubishi Triton GLS Premium equivalent last year and ran into an issue that shouldn’t happen on a new vehicle. The plastic panel… Read more

around the driver’s seat controls plastic trim sticks out noticeably (around 1 cm). Because of this, it caught on my clothing or maybe shoes when getting out. In my case, it snagged during normal use and the panel came loose and broke.

I’ve never seen seat trim designed like this. trim should sits recessed, so there’s nothing to catch on.

The bigger issue is the response — the dealer declined to repair it. For a vehicle that’s only a year old, interior parts should not fail from everyday use.

The Triton itself is fine to drive, but this design choice and the lack of support after the issue occurred is disappointing.

Fabulous car 165k never let me down, benlen all over Australia, the big lap, crossed Nullanlbor, Simpson Desert, up the Telegraph Track, Kimberley's including Gibb River Road, Victoria Highlands and much more. Done everything in comfort and ease Show details

Mostly happy with vehicle. Isuzu should be ashamed of the quality of the paint job. Almost scratches everything I look at it. Disgraceful!!

Big claim in the headline — but this is the main selling point of the Toyota Land Cruiser 76 Series Wagon. It’s the only large 4x4 on sale today… Read more

still available with a manual transmission. The interior fit and finish hasn’t changed since the 1990s, and it’s been given just enough modern technology to tick some compliance boxes.

The list of things this car is not is long. It’s like an old family friend you have great memories with. You don’t see them for a while and start to reminisce about the good old days, while the world moves on. Then, finally, you meet them again — and it feels like nothing has changed. And that’s exactly how you want it to be.

The Land Cruiser is a modern-day time machine. It doesn’t play by the rules, and it doesn’t have to. Toyota can’t build enough of them — and that’s why they haven’t changed the formula.

Sadly, many cars have lost their identity. And the Land Cruiser could have been one of them. The nameplate has been stretched across multiple models and variations. But the 76 Series remains the most pure 4x4 utility vehicle on the market.

It’s unapologetically flawed. The front wheels are wider than the rear to make room for a non-existent V8 option in the Australian market. The gear ratios on the five-speed mean you’re sitting far too high in the rev range at simple highway speeds. And you’ve got to love a separate key and remote fob in 2025.

All of these quirks are easy to dismiss with more expensive alternatives like the Land Rover Defender and Ineos Grenadier on the market. But if you’re after a pure driving experience — free of screens, connectivity, and modern creature comforts — Toyota still sells what brands like Singer charge millions for: tactile nostalgia.

Video Review: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0jIKVwj0IZI

Absolutely the worst car that I have owned. I have had numerous electrical issues, oil leaks and dpf problems. I can't express my dissatisfaction… Read more

with this supposedly top of the line ute. Save your self the trouble and never buy a Volkswagen vehicle unless you like to throw money down the pit.

GWM seem to be the poster child of take the money and run. Whilst the Cannon does an adequate job, is comfortable enough for what it is, and is… Read more

pretty feature packed for it's price range, the brand and experience is massively let down by lack of support from GWM and a dealer network who clearly realise their owners will never buy another one, so they make up for it by charging as much as possible.

When you first get in and drive one, they finish and driveability are fairly impressive for it's price point, as are the standard features that many Utes twice the price don't have.

It's when you have been driving it a few months or years you start to realise why they are so cheap.

First up. GWM are woeful, basically once they sell the car, they don't care. They don't update anything, despite a number of the issues being easily fixed with software.

Some of those things are: Lane Keep Assist (LKA) - Overbearing and annoying (like many cars), but on the GWM, LKA overrides the centre dash screen CONSTANTLY - you can hold 'OK' down to get out to the digital speed, trip time, fuel consumption etc, but within seconds it will take over again showing information you don't need to see - Easily fixed with software.

Infotainment - Just buggy, crashes, or decides to not play audio/radio from time to time, until you either hold down track advance on the steering wheel which resets the system (and also re-enables LKA - see above) or you turn the car off, wait about 10 minutes and turn it on. Again, software.

CarPlay (not sure if Android Auto is the same) - The GWM tells Apple it is LHD so all the menus etc for CarPlay are laid out as if the driver is sitting on the other side. Again, software.

Camera system -- You cannot change the stereo volume while the cameras are active, a weird quirk that is way more frustrating than you think, It also means if you are at an intersection and want to change stations/track etc, you need to turn off the setting that brings up the side view camera etc which would be quite useful if it wasn't so poorly implemented, and, like the above, fixable with software,

Moving on from software, the other main issues are turbo lag at take off, this can be downright dangerous if you aren't prepared for it, DPF - It seems to do a burn off sometimes twice within the same trip, I'm curious if the reported fuel consumption takes this into account.

Keyless entry - great feature, really useful. When it works - I can be holding the key up right next to the door and it won't recognise it sometimes.

Oh, and not an issue just an observation - cabin lights - there is a light in the front, at the front, but no light in the rear - who signed off on this to save $3? It is such a huge pain in the ass trying to find something on the backseat at night - if you were too cheap to put a light in the back then you could have at least put the cabin light in the centre,

Let's move on to ownership experience - the dealer. The least interested party in the whole transaction.

Servicing costs are astronomical, and the ute has 10k intervals so it has more frequent servicing than most of its competitors.

My recent costs : 35k - $605 45k - $653 55k - $1216 65k - $500

And the timing belt is due at 75k so I'm sure that will be even worse. I also have a problem with missing/surging when cold, going uphill etc. I have reported this to the dealer 4 times, and every time they drive it around the block and tell me nothing is wrong.

So all in all, if you want to own a cheap ute for a short time, go for it. If you want longer ownership, go elsewhere, the service costs alone will bridge the gap to a more mainstream brand and the user experience of a brand that cares will be well worth the extra cost.

By far the worst vehicle I have ever owned. Bought a T4 1997 2.5 Petrol automatic camper conversion (Trakka) with 88,000 kms. Consistent service… Read more

history, owner changed oils every 10K and had receipts of parts being replaced such as tyres. Only it wasn't driven much, perhaps on a couple trips a year. The camper conversion was fantastic! Even fridge and plumbing still fine after 28 years. Sadly, that's about the best I can say about the vehicle.

Within two months and less than 1,000 kms of driving, I already had to replace these components as they were malfunctioning or irreparably faulty:

Refrigerant, Alternator, Battery, Drive belt, Fuel pump, Fuel filter, MAF sensor, O2 sensor, Catalytic converter (!), Transmission fluid and filter, Transmission had a leak - why?, Timing belt (and water pump with it)

And now, it still isn't fully driveable, because the torque converter seems to be on the way out! So after spending over $5K (that was meant to be for fuel) on diagnostics, parts and labour, it sounds like I have to have a whole new transmission. And the air-con compressor may be on the way out. After all the above, I could live with that in comparison.

Positives: it is comfortable to drive. Lots of space in the cabin, comfortable seats, armrest, steers well, turns well. It has that good 'driving experience' which is perhaps VW's best asset. It's hard to enjoy your drive when you're constantly worrying if that sound you're starting to hear is yet another $2,000 part breaking down.

In comparison, I've had an 'unreliable' 2007 Ford Focus for three years and have had done nothing to it other than CV joints, battery and tyres! What a world of difference. After this experience I would never recommend a German car to anyone unless you are just after the prestige. But even then you should get Audi or Mercedes. VW has none of the prestige but all of the cost after you factor in the constant expensive repairs you will be doing.

I find this Ute to have a lot of safety tec, the cruise control distance control is great, the lane keeping isn’t ideal on narrow roads bouncing… Read more

between the lines very unsafe. I fight it and it abruptly gets you off the white lines. So turning that feature off on narrow roads is a must and for avoiding pot holes. The high beam automatic sensing is always off can’t be trusted! My dual cab has fully enclosed aluminium tool box, with factory suspension would recommend an upgrade to have 300kg suspension upgrade and an extra leaf added for towing trailers. As is now very floaty and wears Tyers out quickly. Automatic gear box shutters some times when charging down in gears Ute has only done 58400kms / I get 10.5 per 100kms Ute is a diesel 4x2 dual cab. It’s used for work long trips, a lot of stop starts around town, get service done at recommend intervals, Ac is ok works best on full ball, no medium setting basically non existent. Heater is great! Easy to drive park, seats are very comfortable. controls on steering wheel useful and easy to navigate. Touch screen is hard to read and lint gets attracted to it a lot, A dial knob for the radio volume would be much better, mute bottom is quicker then pressing the volume button a million times. Overall it’s behaving its self for now hopefully nothing is wrong with the transmission as it shutters changing down gears sometimes.

Great service very helpful and a lot cheaper than the other insurance company I was with I have 2 policies with the Youi family now would highly recommend them

2 Months in and happy as! Over 6000km Comfort, Capability, Refinement and Cost of ownership are all good. We are rural and live on a road with… Read more

corrugation that most cars don't last well on. We use the shark for almost 100% of our running around. Negatives - high beam, but not a deal breaker and granny charging. Installation of a 7kw charger should be factored in to your purchase of your buying one. The vehicle is stock meaning no add ons. I will endeavour to update every service interval.

So far, so good! Duttons GWM were amazing to deal with. The ute is very very good. There are some beeps and bongs but that is a minor inconvenience… Read more

when you compare the savings in fuel. I filled up last week, kept it in EV for the school runs and short trips. Tested it all the way down the freeway in EV mode and it got me from the Hills to Highbury and Newton in peak hour on a single charge. $16 to recharge off-peak, $22 during peak. The intelligent mode is handy.

The ride itself is quiet, and smooth. You can tell Rob Trubiani and his team have made an instant impact. I'm on the tools sometimes as a fridgie but I don't need to haul as much as I used to and I don't tow a caravan or boat - so payload isn't an issue.

The off-road capability is very much in line with the established brands - 800mm wading depth, good approach and departure angles without the tow ball kit. It'll get a proper workout soon and I'll amend to reflect that.

All in all, no real issues yet. My wife and kids love the ute and it's easy to see why. I was opposed to Chinese made utes but in this case I will happily eat my words.

*UPDATE*

I've taken the Cannon Alpha PHEV from my home in the Adelaide Hills to Carrickalinga - a 1hr and 10min drive on undulating roads, steep climbs and descents, long straightaways and tight corners - the ride was sublime and the real world fuel economy for this kind of country expedition saw 4.8L per 100km. I also traversed from Carrickalinga to Second Valley and Carrickalinga to Rapid Bay and back and the economy improved to 3.8L per 100km. Off-road capability update to come soon.

Daily destruction – To be fair, 85% of time is on very poor corrugated, pot holed dirt roads. Its done 140,000. Its a working vehicle and its all done. The mechanics… Read more

removed the tanks to fix some leaks and very strongly advised the company retire the vehicle based on the condition of the cab subframe. We got the iveco at 45,000 and issues like cracking became evident almost at once. Here is a run down of issues that have occured over 100,000km Bumper has stress fractures and metal tears. Low beam adjust assembly fell apart/ off Bonnet latch snapped Cab front left mount snapped off. Other cab mounts fractured. Left fender/front assembly welds fractured ripping the mounting tabs from the headlight assembly. Green death in wiring harness to ABS system. Differential cover plate bolts come loose. $$$ for diff rebuild after oil drops out. Door Window felts dropped out of guides. Door latch d ring plastic covering grooved so metal on metal rattle constantly. Hose brackets rub holes in radiator hoses each 35000km. Cam timer sensor failed. Engine mounts collapsed causing air con compressor to hit chassis and snap drive belt, that took out fan belt and vacuum hose. Gear box and transfer box mounting rubbers replaced.

But apart from that, it has good 4x4 capabilities, nice bouncy seat and legs to pass a road train. Make a good camper if you dont flog to over too many unmaintained roads. Allways carry spare hoses, belts and a sat phone if going out back & beyond. Oh, almost forgot, engine air cleaner bracket snaps constantly. Dont bother welding, as it snaps along side the weld. Battery retaining clamps dont work. A ratchet strap works just fine to hold the battery in place. Warning Horns fell off.

Last shift, damage done to the air con pully, when it was flogged against the chassis, burred the edge belt groove, causing the new belt to fray and break. Cords from the air con belt lashed a groove in the fuel hose that is routed very close to he air con pully, causing the engine bay to be well hosed down with diesel. A corrugated fuel tank breather tube cracked and started leaking too. Plastic fuel hoses are not my favourite.

Getting to mid 2020 the issues with trying to keep the Iveco cab attached to the chassis has continued. After patch welding a medium size hole in the cab sub frame that was the attachment point for the auxiliary tank, we noticed that the same sub frame structure had cracked completely through just behind the cab mount on the right side of the vehicle. Maybe its a good thing in a way.... if i ever hit anything substantial with the Iveco, the cab is likely to separate and auto eject away from the point of impact. Welding up cracks in the front bumper has become a normalised maintenance activity. Earlier in the review I suggested a few items to carry while going out back & beyond, in a Iveco. I would like to add a mig welder to that list. A bit of crunchy sounds are coming from the front springs (I think) so i have referred that one to the mechanics. Rubber bushes were replaced in the springs last service but as stated in the beginning of the review, its all over for this one. We will swap the tray and front differential ofer to the other iveco we have and maybe hold onto this one for spares for a bit. April 2021, second iveco was purchased at 55000km and has done 80405 km now. Entire clutch assembly needed to be replaced, air con died , engine fan shattered damaging intercooler, fan clutch replaced, fan belt idler pulley collapsed, rear brakes fell apart, turbo hose split, cam timer died, low beam housing falling to pieces, tank fuel hose cracked, battery clamp broke (back to the trusty ratchet strap) battery terminals snapped. Drivers door handle became dysfunctional. Bumper fracturing, The up side is the cab is still connected to the chassis. I think that is all so far.

If you live rural, do not buy GWM. GWM INTERESTED? IN HELPING ME ?The closest agent for a GWM vehicle extremely, costly, hundreds of dollars. Why?… Read more

If you have a warranty issue? the GWM agent is Tamworth, (Fosseys) - so you phone this GWM agent, (Sherri), explaining that your vehicle (UTE) is still under warranty, and the two front sensors for the wheels, is problematic, because a loud beeping noise comes on. Take the vehicle in locally to be checked, nothing wrong with tyre pressure or anything else. Told it was a faulty sensor. Now two sensors doing it. So phone GWM agent at Tamworth (Fosseys) - I am told (Sherri) ute been to local mechanic - and its faulty sensors, - Sherri from Fosseys says, to bring vehicle into their workshop (twice on two separate times) firstly to get it checked, secondly to get it fixed. Problem is I live country near Moree, nearly 6 hour round trip, (12 hours travel in total) plus accommodation, and said to 'Sherri' Fosseys agent for GWM at Tamworth, - that I couldn't get there, until earliest 10am due to leaving re kangaroos/pigs problematic etc. Her response? "first in, first served", I explained that I would have to stay over-night and that is expensive, because its over $100 in petrol just travelling and twice that is around $300. Could she please book me in early? twice travelling, - plus accommodation $200 X twice, for reasons I explained to her. She said no. I said, " I recently, had a windscreen replaced, and got an appointment for a new windscreen, (while I waited)". Still no. So, I would never buy GWM again if I knew that warranty was so expensive, and I am posting this - so you understand - that you will be required, to not only big expenses in travel, but to stay in paid accommodation. So it is hardly a free warranty. Look on a map and see the huge wide expanse area of farming, nearly half of NSW in fact, which does NOT have a GWM agent (past Tamworth) thats nearly half of NSW. And in my opinion, a very poor agent, as well, in lieu of the fact they do not take appointments, so you the customer are in fact the loser. big gamble just sitting there hoping and waiting you get your vehicle looked at. If not, go back to paid accommodation and try again the next day. Added to this, I ordered a new Key FOB, (takes 4 hours to get lock copied plus remote into key) and same story, No, - I cannot book an appointment, (so another stay overnight). They will not do the two things either, in one go. Adding up, it all inclusive, of just under $1,000. I brought a new car two years ago from Fosseys, nightmare deal. (another story). Back to GWM agent Tamworth, Fosseys, re ordering a remote key for the ute, it took weeks to get an email reply, on request info for the remote key price - then more weeks followed after I replied to the email on payment and time/method required etc, I finally gave up, then out of the blue a text to contact them, re the remote key. (no sign off name/business, on text - I first thought it was a scam). So GWM do you know how your GWM agent in Tamworth is treating your customer/s? Probably not - your fault, if you don't know. But anyone reading this, be aware, - I am myself right now, in the process of trading in my two year old car, and my GWM ute, for a brand new vehicle, and already been to Inverell car yard, for a new vehicle. Why? because its so much closer to rely on the warranty if I need to get something fixed, plus, I reckon they are in the land of 2025, and book people in, for an appointed time slot, for services, warranties etc, - I do not sit there and be told - - "first in first served" - - very abusive practice, that does not take into account, a customers expense/s and travel circumstances. But certainly looks after Fosseys, methodology, of their inbuilt rigid structure/s. Just thinking of the time I am going to save, not to mention waiting around in a waiting room for hours, and also feeling as though a vehicle manufacturer actually cares about me as a customer. GWM hasnt done its research., they are looking after their agent - not the customer. my rego number is DI84DM. Any chance you can help and have a heart?

INEOS Quartermaster Review I don’t buy a vehicle on a whim. By the time I stepped into the INEOS Quartermaster, I’d done my homework—owners’… Read more

reports, recalls, forums, and the odd grumble from tyre-kickers. My last ute was a Nissan Navara Pro-4X Warrior, and while it did the job, I wanted something sturdier for work across Western Australia. The Quartermaster ticked the boxes.

From the start, the build quality stood out. Shut the door and you notice the heft; look closer and even the hinges seem over-engineered. Inside, the Recaro leather seats are supportive and heated, visibility is excellent, and the infotainment screen is clear and easy to use—either via touch or the BMW iDrive dial. The sound system, with the optional subwoofer, is properly impressive.

On the road, the BMW straight-six diesel and ZF 8-speed auto make for smooth, powerful driving. For a 2.7-tonne ute, 0–100 in around nine seconds is remarkable. It’s quiet, comfortable, and stable—even on twisty roads—yet it feels perfectly at home off-road with Carraro axles, locking diffs, and Eibach coils. Fuel use has averaged between 8.3L and 11.8L/100 km, depending on load and driving style.

A few owners complain about quirks, like the raised floor hump or the steering not fully self-centring. Personally, the hump works nicely as a footrest, and I stopped noticing the steering within a week. As for the turning circle—better than a LandCruiser 70, so no complaints.

What makes this vehicle stand out is the component list: Brembo brakes, BMW’s reliable B57 engine, ZF gearbox, Tremec transfer case, Eaton lockers. It’s a line-up you’d normally expect spread across several high-end brands, not all in one vehicle.

I use it daily for work, but the truth is I find excuses to drive it. It’s not just a tool—it’s a pleasure. If I had to sum it up: the INEOS Quartermaster is tough, comfortable, and confidence-inspiring. Not perfect, but close enough that I can’t wipe the grin off my face.

(And no, before you ask, it won’t be swapped for an Aston this year—apparently practicality matters at home too.)

It's the last of its kind, and if you care about your fuel bill, that's a good thing. The Patrol Warrior is a great out-of-the-box experience for… Read more

those looking for a fully built and engineered 4WD built to factory standards. With help from Premcar, these Nissan Patrols look, drive and sound better than the standard Patrol.

If you're lucky enough to have not bought one early, Nissan have even updated the interior to finally move the Patrol's insides out from the late 2010's. The new screen and instrument cluster make a world of a difference in day-to-day liveability.

It's a car for those who know they need the space, the capacity and the power. It's an awesome option if you plan to spend a lot of time away from the road and big cities. It also doubles as a far more affordable V8 powered alternatives to a Defender V8 or G63 AMG.

The trade-off is the fuel bill. It's massive. You're required to fill with premium to extract all the performance you pay for from the naturally aspirated 5.6L petrol V8 too. The rolling resistance from the all-terrain tyres and ancient auto gearbox increases your fuel consumption compared to some more modern rivals. And it doesn't help that this car is functionally a brick in the world of aerodynamics.

It's a reliable and easy to live with 4x4 for those who can afford to park and fuel. If you're short on European 4x4 SUV money, it's a logical choice if you're chasing V8 power and sounds. Otherwise, it's really a statement piece for those who don't use the Patrol to its full off-road potential.