Motoring

Victoria’s cheapest 4x2 and 4x4 utes to own for 2022

Grey Toyota Hilux parked on construction site

Tianna Nadalin

Posted November 07, 2022

Looking for a new work horse? RACV’s annual Car Running Costs survey compares the cheapest 4x2 and 4x4 utes to own and run in 2022.

The Toyota Hilux and Ford Ranger have been the two top-selling cars in Australia since 2017. The Hilux has largely hogged the podium since 2015, after it knocked its sibling, the Toyota Corolla, off the top spot.    

Along with the Mitsubishi Triton and Isuzu D-Max, light commercial vehicles have been steadily gaining popularity over the past decade, now representing nearly a quarter of all new car sales in Australia. 

RACV’s annual Car Running Costs Survey has compared 14 of the highest-selling 4x2, 4x4, crew and dual cab utes to reveal the ownership costs of Australia’s most popular pick-ups.

To do this, the survey takes into account purchase price, loan repayments, fuel consumption, tyres, servicing and on-road costs – including insurance, registration and auto club membership – averaged out over a five-year period.

If you’re keen on a ute, expect it to set you back about $1,602.01 in costs per month. A 4x2 will be slightly more affordable at $1,499.75, about $200 less per month than a 4x4.  

Loan repayments make up about 67 per cent of a ute’s ongoing costs, while fuel is responsible for 13 per cent, combined on-road costs (insurance, registration and auto club membership) account for 16 per cent, and servicing and tyres add up to just four per cent. 

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Australia's Cheapest Cars Survey 2022 | RACV

Most affordable 4x2 utes

This year’s survey compares the average monthly costs of owning and operating the Ford Ranger XL Hi-Rider 4X2 Dual Cab, Isuzu D-Max SX 4X2 Crew Cab, Mazda BT-50 XT 4X2 Dual Cab, Mitsubishi Triton GLX 4X2 Dual Cab, Nissan Navara ST 4X2 Dual Cab and the Toyota Hilux 4X2 Dual Cab.

The Toyota Hilux might be the most popular of the 4x2 utes but, of the light commercial vehicles surveyed, it is the Mitsubishi Triton GLX that has emerged as the most affordable to own. 

The dual cab pick-up, with its 2.4 litre turbo diesel engine is the survey’s most affordable ute with an average monthly running cost of $1,419.23. The ever-popular Ford Ranger trailed just behind at $1,453.24 per month, making it the second most affordable 4x2 ute, while the Mazda BT-50 comes in third at $1,474.61. 

If you’re looking to save on fuel costs, it’s another tick for the country’s top-selling vehicle. The Toyota Hilux was the most efficient of the 4x2s surveyed, averaging a monthly fuel consumption of $192.32, about $20 less that the segment’s thirstiest model – the Mitsubishi Triton – at $219.87. 

It might have the lowest fuel consumption, but when it comes to maintenance, the Hilux is the segment’s most expensive to service, setting owners back $64.45 per month on average. This is nearly double the servicing costs of the Ford Ranger which, at $34.80, is the cheapest of the cars surveyed. 

 

Blue GWM Cannon on dusty outback road

Emerging brand GWM's Cannon ute is the most affordable 4x4 for 2022.

Most affordable 4x4 utes

If you need a work ute with a bit of extra grunt, you’re probably in the market for a 4x4. These are generally heavier and more expensive to buy, making them a little pricier to own and run compared to the 4x2 variants. 

The 4x4 utes included in RACV’s 2022 Car Running Costs Survey are the Mazda BT50 XT 3.0 T/dsl 6sp auto 4x4 Dual Cab Pickup, Ford Ranger XL 4X4 Dual Cab, GWM Cannon 4X4 Dual Cab, Isuzu D-Max SX 4X4 Crew Cab, Mitsubishi Triton GLX 4X4 Dual Cab, Nissan Navara ST 4X4 Dual Cab, Toyota Hilux SR 4X4 Dual Cab and the Toyota Landcruiser 70 Series Workmate 4X4 Dual Cab.

Of the 4x4s surveyed, emerging brand GWM’s Cannon ute is the most affordable, with an average monthly running cost of $1,451.05, which is just slightly less than the segment average for a 4x2.

As well as being the only 4x4 surveyed priced under $40,000 to buy, the Cannon is the only one with an average monthly running cost under $1,500. 

In its 4x4 guise, the Mitsubishi Triton GLX was the second most affordable, with an average monthly cost of $1,524.36. 

Despite being heavier, the 4x4 Ford Ranger proved to be the most fuel-efficient in the category, averaging a monthly fuel consumption cost of $188.46 - that’s $10 less than its high-riding 4x2 sibling, and around $30 less than the 4x4 average.

At $207.84 per month, the Mazda BT-50 was the most affordable of the 4x4s surveyed for on-road costs, while the Triton was the most expensive at $272.70.

Of the utes surveyed, the rugged Toyota Landcruiser 70 Series Workmate was the least affordable all-rounder, with its monthly running cost creeping up to just over $2,200 per month due to high fuel consumption and servicing costs.

 

Click here to view the full 2022 Car Running Cost Survey.

 

The information provided is general advice only. Before making any decisions please consider your own circumstances and the Product Disclosure Statement and Target Market Determinations. For copies, visit racv.com.au. As distributor, RACV Insurance Services Pty Ltd AFS Licence No. 230039 receives commission for each policy sold or renewed. Product(s) issued by Insurance Manufacturers of Australia ABN 93 004 208 084 AFS Licence No. 227678.