The best and most reliable utes in Australia in 2026

Utes are an iconic part of Australian life. One in every five vehicles on our roads is a ute, with tradies and businesses across the country turning to the iconic vehicles in huge numbers. 

Not sure where to start? We look at the best utes (and best-selling utes), average costs and ABN financing options that could help you or your business afford a new ute more easily. 

Best-selling 4×4 utes in Australia

Utes are so popular in Australia that the Ford Ranger was the best-selling vehicle in Australia in both 2025 and 2024. With the Toyota HiLux in at third and the Isuzu D-Max at fourth.

With close to 60,000 sales in 2025, the Ford Ranger outsold its nearest competitor by more than 5000 models.

Like the Ranger, the Toyota HiLux is a hugely popular ute in Australia. For the seven years prior to 2024, it had been Australia’s best-selling vehicle (not just ute). 

Sales for the Triton moved up steadily and BYD appeared in the top five for the first time with the release of the Shark 6 proving very popular across Australia.

How much does a new ute cost?

While there are cheaper options available for second-hand utes, if you want to buy a new ute there’s a good chance you’ll need ABN financing to help you. 

While prices may vary between car yards, in general you’re looking at paying (before on-roads):

Each ute has a range due to the different variations available. For example, the HiLux at the lower end will be a single-cab chassis while the higher end will be a double-cab chassis with higher specs. 

The price of utes may be set to change over the coming years too. Last year, the Albanese government announced a new ute tax. Essentially, it adds extra costs on to utes that emit higher levels of pollution. Every year after that, the target level of emissions gets lower so the fines are likely to get higher. The aim is for cleaner air in Australia and utes will either go up in price or need to be reworked so they have cleaner engines. 

Best utes in Australia

Just because a ute is the best, doesn’t mean it’s the best-selling. The Shark, for example, is the only vehicle in the top five that has an entry point north of $50k. If that was lower, would it sell more? 

So what is the most reliable ute? How you decide the best ute can change depending on where you live, what you need it for and what you’re used to, but there are plenty of awards given out that might help make the decision clear. 

Carsales.com.au tested the higher-spec dual-cab utes in 2024. They compared versions of the Ford Ranger, Volkswagen Amarok, Isuzue D-Max, Mazda BT-50, Toyota HiLux, the Nissan Navara and the Mitsubishi Triton. 

The HiLux and Navara were immediately cut from consideration due to high prices that they felt didn’t bring in the required features, leaving five utes battling it out for best in field. 

The winner, backed up by its impressive sales, was the Ford Ranger, which came first in all five areas tested: comfort, costs, safety, technology and overall driving performance. The Ford Ranger is often thought of as the best farm ute.

The others were ranked like this:

2. Volkswagen Amarok
3. Isuzu D-Max
4. Mitsubishi Triton
5. Mazda BT-50

What new utes are coming to Australia in 2026?

With the high demand for utes here, it’s no surprise that more makers are getting on board. In 2026, we’re expected to see a couple of new and updated models on the market:

• Chery ute
• Ford Ranger Super-Duty
• Isuzu D-MAX EV
• Mahinda Pik-Up
• Nissan Frontier Pro PHEV
• Nissan Navara
• Volkswagen Amarok W-Series

Other potential releases for 2026 (or maybe early 2027) include the JAC T9 EV, the KGM Musso EV and the VinFAst VF Wild ute.

Financing for utes in Australia

The best utes generally come with a high price tag and for many tradies and businesses in Australia it’s not the sort of money you have just lying around. If you need a bit of help buying a new ute, speak to us about ABN loan requirements and see how quickly we can get you the finance you need to get on the road.