Australian 4WD & SUV Buyer's Guide

The Australian Consumer Law says that if your new 4WD, SUV or ute has a major problem you can choose a replacement vehicle or your money back. Quite a few ute owners are probably making that choice right now, because, as our contributor Joshua Dowlin

Our piggybank indicates a 4WD or SUV that we think represents good value for money against the others in its class. It may not necessarily be the cheapest, but taking into account factors such as standard equipment, safety, the way it drives, resale

Joshua Dowling is the National Motoring Editor of News Corp Australia and a World Car of the Year judge. Joshua is renowned for his consumer-first approach and you can also find his roadtests and news stories at news.com.au or read his regular rants

In the Australian 4WD & SUV Buyer’s Guide, we include trade-in values for every model in our Showroom section. These are provided to us by Redbook, Australia’s leading authority on used-car, 4WD and SUV values. Each model we test includes three- and

Remember when there was no such thing as a beautiful SUV? SUVs were spacious, sure. And capable. Even occasionally sporty. But they were never, ever beautiful. But clearly something has changed, because we defy anyone to gaze upon Alfa Romeo’s new St

Today’s Audi Q5 might seem barely changed since the original in 2009, but there’s exciting new stuff underneath its almost the same skin. Kicking off from $65,900 for the 2.0-litre TDI diesel quattro and $73,211 for the 2.0-litre TFSI petrol quattro

Ford’s Escape range opens with the 110kW 1.5-litre turbopetrol/six-speed manual/front-wheel-drive Ambiente, priced at $28,990. The six-speed auto is $30,490. All-wheel-drive models begin with the 134kW 1.5-litre turbopetrol Ambiente, with a six-speed

The Ford Everest is basically a reskinned workhorse one-tonner ute, in this case the Ford Ranger. The Ranger is a good thing in the one-tonner context, but it’s difficult to disguise the primitive chassis engineering and workhorse origins of any onet

Holden’s 4x4 Colorado range opens with the 2.8-litre fourcylinder turbodiesel/six-speed manual LS single cab chassis, priced at $37,490. LS Space cab chassis is $40,990, Crew cab chassis is $43,490 and Crew cab pickup is priced at $44,990. LT Crew ca

Double-cab 4x4 Ford Ranger pickups start at $45,090 for the 118kW/385Nm 2.2-litre turbodiesel/six-speed manual XL. The 147kW/470Nm 3.2-litre five-cylinder/six-speed manuals kick off at $47,590 for XL. XLS is $48,890, XLT is $55,490, FX4 is $58,915 an

Mazda’s CX-9 range starts at $43,890 for the 170kW 2.5-litre four-cylinder turbopetrol/six-speed automatic/front-wheel-drive Sport. CX9 Touring, with the same drivetrain, is $50,290, GT is $58,790 and Azami is $60,790. All-wheel-drive adds $4000 to e

Here comes another King Ute claimant. With its 3.0-litre V6 turbodiesel engine, plus the regal three-pointed star, the Mercedes-Benz X350d will make a strong bid for the class crown when it arrives in December. Mercedes-Benz Australia will offer the

Like Toyota’s Fortuner, Mitsubishi’s Pajero Sport is built on a one-tonner ute chassis — in this case the Triton — topped with a stylish, bespoke body to create a family wagon that, unlike the SUVs that now dominate the market, also has considerable

Think of Toyota’s Fortuner as a seven-seater HiLux wagon and you’re on the money. All models run the 130kW 2.8-litre turbodiesel used in SR HiLux models, matched to six-speed manual and automatic transmissions and a part-time, dual-range 4x4 drivetra

Volvo’s XC40 takes the fight up to well-credentialled competition including Audi’s Q3, BMW’s X1/X2, Jaguar’s E-Pace and the Mercedes GLA. Two-litre turbopetrol T5 and turbodiesel D4 engines are matched with an eight-speed automatic and all-wheel driv

The 2018 XC90 is one of the biggest things out of Sweden since ABBA. This almost fivemetre-long and more than two-metre-wide seven-seater is the first flagship SUV from Volvo since it was bought by Chinese company Geely in 2010. It showcases the comp

The Grand Cherokee Laredo 3.6-litre V6 petrol/eight-speed automatic, offered with rearwheel drive as a base model, is $47,500. The 3.6-litre V6 Laredo 4x4 is $52,500 and the Limited is $62,500. The 3.0-litre V6 turbodiesel Laredo 4x4 is $59,000, Blac

The Renegade, Jeep’s smallest SUV, is made in Italy and shares architecture and many components with the Fiat 500X. Entry point is the $26,290 Sport, powered by the 81kW/152Nm 1.6-litre ‘E-TorQ’ four used in numerous Fiat models, matched with a five-

Kia’s Sorento is comparable in size with Toyota’s Kluger and the Nissan Pathfinder, with vast interior space for seven. Petrol-powered models are front-wheel drive. The range opens with the 206kW 3.5-litre V6/eight-speed automatic Si at $42,990; Spor

The CX-3 gives Mazda an offering in the hotly contested compact SUV segment. With a choice of two four-cylinder engines — 77kW/250Nm 1.5-litre turbodiesel or 109kW/192Nm 2.0-litre naturally aspirated petrol — the CX-3 is up against more than 20 conte

Evolution is the name of the game for Australia’s most popular SUV. Starting from $28,690, the front-wheel drive Mazda CX-5 Maxx has the best safety specification of any base model in this class, with autonomous emergency braking front and rear as st

The Mercedes GLA SUV range starts at $43,900 for the 90kW 1.6-litre turbopetrol front-wheel-drive GLA180. The 100kW 2.1-litre turbodiesel front-wheel-drive GLA220d is $51,200. Opt for the sportier performance and all-wheeldrive grip of the 155kW 2.0-

Mazda’s BT-50 is the same truck as the Ford Ranger, but at a significantly lower price. It misses out on some of the Ford’s high-tech infotainment and safety features, plus the Ford’s recent drivetrain upgrade, but it’s still good value for money and

Mercedes-Benz was the last mainstream German maker to join the booming medium-sized luxury SUV segment. The GLC range kicks off with the 135kW 2.0-litre turbopetrol GLC200, priced at $61,990. Mercedes’ 2.1-litre four-cylinder turbodiesel is offered i

The Mercedes GLS Class is an often overlooked and underrated luxury 4WD. It’s a well-designed, spacious sevenseater and unlike BMW’s X5 and Audi’s Q7, the GL is also equipped to go off-road. Think of it as Germany’s answer to the Range Rover. The 190

The Triton 4x4 range, powered by a 133kW/430Nm 2.4-litre four-cylinder turbodiesel engine, opens with the GLX single cab chassis six-speed manual at $32,500. The GLX Club cab chassis is $35,300. Double cabs start with the GLX at $37,000; a five-speed