ATN #418

Jeep warranties
the Gladiator
Rubicon for five
years/100,000km
THE VERDICT
FINAL THOUGHTS
When all said and done, the Toyota
HiLux Rugged X is the winner of this
test, but let us start from the bottom.
The Jeep Gladiator Rubicon scores
the wooden spoon but then, given
its focus, this is not surprising. It is
designed to dominate off-road and
that is exactly what it does, but just
be aware that there are sacrifices
to be made in terms of on-road
dynamics, practicality and safety.
Cool thing, though.
Again, a holistic dual-cab view
does not play to the Ranger Raptor’s
strengths. If you want a workhorse,
you will be much better served with
a regular Ranger like an XLT or a
Wildtrak, but if you want a weekender
to tow a jetski and carry a family,
then the Raptor is brilliant. It offers
unparalleled ride comfort, plenty
of kit, solid on-road dynamics and
unbeatable high-speed, loose-surface
behaviour. If only it had a beefier
engine, but for that we will need to
wait for next year’s all-new Ranger.
Best of the rest is the Thunder,
but this position is more down to
the fundamental excellence of the
BT-50 package rather than any
Thunder-specific attributes.
In fact, you could argue that
the Thunder is Mazda’s ute at its
weakest. The accessories might
(MIGHT!) add some street-cred
but they also negatively impact
performance, dynamics, economy and
value. We would stick with an XTR or
GT and add your own accessories.
This leaves the Toyota HiLux
Rugged X as the top dog but it is
not a spot it occupies by default. It
could, and should, be better in terms
of dynamics, comfort and equipment,
but it is brilliant off-road, the new
engine is a powerful unit, it is unfazed
by payloads or towing and has
outstanding resale. The tweaks made
as part of the recent update have
elevated it to a level that is worthy
of its reputation.
Toyota’s HiLux Rugged X came out top in the comparison
1st
TOYOTA HILUX RUGGED X
Likes: great off-road; powerful engine;
workhorse ability
Dislikes: under-specced; on-road dynamics
Score: 7.5/10
2nd
MAZDA BT-50 THUNDER
Likes: impressive all-rounder
Dislikes: Thunder additions subtract more
than they add
Score: 7.5/10
3rd
FORD RANGER RAPTOR
Likes: ride quality; fun factor; looks
Dislikes: needs more engine; towing
payload struggles
Score: 7.5/10
4th
JEEP GLADIATOR RUBICON
Likes: unbelievable off-road; cool factor;
grunty engine
Dislikes: heavily compromised on road;
safety
Score: 6.5/10
FULLYLOADED.COM.AU July 2021 ATN 91