Best used utes to buy in 2024

Sales figures show us each month what the most popular used cars are for Australian buyers, but popular doesn't also mean best.

When it comes to the wildly popular ute segment, you should make sure the three models below are high on your list of cars to consider.

JUMP AHEAD

• Near new: Mitsubishi Triton
• Mid range: Nissan Navara N-Trek Warrior
• Budget: Isuzu D-MAX

Near new: Mitsubishi Triton

Relax, you're covered

While the Triton definitely isn’t the last word in refinement, space, or comfort, it’s propelled as much by its strong value proposition as it is by its rugged mechanicals.

And there’s also the appeal of its conditional 10-year warranty, which – provided the previous owner had it serviced within the Mitsubishi dealer network – should leave you with enough warranty coverage to last the rest of the 2020s if you don’t breach the 200,000km distance cap. Yet even if servicing was handled elsewhere, the Triton still gets seven years and 150,000km of warranty regardless. Not bad at all.

Compared to its contemporaries, the MR Triton is a little on the small side in terms of footprint and load-carrying potential (though not by much). But a workman-spec GLX or GLX+ 4x4 auto can be had in the $30-36K region, which represents about a $10K discount on what they cost new. If you’re looking for a ute to last the long term, a fully warranted Triton is tough to beat.

⬆️ Back to top

Mid range: Nissan Navara N-Trek Warrior

Tough as old boots. Priced like 'em too?

Nissan’s first crack at the Warrior formula resulted in a rig that heaped a sizeable measure of off-road mods on top of a range-topping Navara – and it was all covered under warranty too. Developed by performance-car specialist engineering company Premcar, it worked like a dream when steered off the blacktop. Wanted a Ranger Raptor but didn’t have the budget? The Navara N-Trek Warrior was an affordable alternative.

Now, with its facelifted (but mechanically quite similar) replacement – the Navara Pro-4X Warrior – on sale, the N-Trek Warrior is a conspicuous bargain for those looking to take their utes somewhere muddy or dusty.

They tend to be priced in the low-$40K region, but higher-mileage examples can be found in the high-$30K realm. Considering a Toyota HiLux Rugged X or Ford Ranger Raptor of comparable age trades for about $10-15K more than a Navara N-Trek Warrior, that’s a cracking deal for something that’s outback-ready straight out of the box.

⬆️ Back to top

Budget: Isuzu D-MAX

Zero frills, tiny bills.

We love the D-MAX. It seems you do as well, given sales figures of Isuzu’s evergreen ute. The big draw is this vehicle’s proven reliability and both the affordability and availability of spare parts.

The four-cylinder 3.0-litre turbodiesel engine is mated to a bulletproof Aisin five-speed auto ‘box as seen in some old Prado models, so you know it’s not about to let you down.

While the D-MAX’s billygoating abilities may not be quite as athletic as some of its more modern rivals, it’ll mop up corrugated development roads all day without complaint. The interiors are workmanlike, but the plus side is that they’re easy to clean and not a lot goes wrong.

The facelifted D-MAX II LS-U from 2016 through to 2019 can be yours from a good deal less than $30,000, even with fairly modest mileages on the clock.

⬆️ Back to top