Ranking of Australia's most cost-effective one-tonne utility vehicles for the year 2020 unveiled
The annual RACV Driving Your Dollars survey has shed light on the affordability of various vehicles in Australia, including utes and all-terrain wagons. The survey compares the costs of owning and running 79 top-selling cars over a five-year period, considering purchase price, loan repayments, registration, insurance, fuel, servicing, and repairs.
In the category of 4x4 utes, the Mitsubishi Triton GLX is the most affordable option, with a monthly cost of $1340.98. The Isuzu D-Max follows closely, with a monthly cost of $1465.68 for the 4x4 variant. The Triton GLX (ADAS) is the cheapest 4x2 ute to own and run, costing $1242.73 a month.
For all-terrain wagons, the Mitsubishi Pajero Sport GLX emerges as the most affordable, with a monthly cost of $1485.22. The Toyota Fortuner GX is the second-cheapest, with a monthly cost of $1488.66, and the Ford Everest Ambiente is the fourth-cheapest, with a monthly cost of $1617.16.
Interestingly, Australians prefer one-tonne utes, which are now the second-highest-selling vehicle type after medium SUVs. Among these, the Isuzu MU-X LS-M is the third-cheapest all-terrain wagon, with a monthly cost of $1551.94, while 4X4 utes cost an average of $1590.56 per month to own and operate.
The most expensive 4x4 ute surveyed is the Toyota LandCruiser Workmate pick-up, with a monthly cost of $2087.38. The Toyota LandCruiser GX diesel is the second-priciest all-terrain wagon, with a monthly cost of $2320.27. The Nissan Patrol Ti is the most expensive vehicle to own and run in the survey, with a monthly cost of $2447.43.
It's worth noting that Mitsubishi has the most affordable vehicle in each category - 4X2 utes, 4X4 utes, and all-terrain wagons. However, the survey does not specifically list the most affordable 4x2, 4x4, and all-terrain wagon utility vehicles in Australia. The closest relevant information includes the Suzuki Baleno GL and Swift GL hatchbacks, which are among the cheapest cars to run overall, but these are not wagon utility vehicles.
For detailed, vehicle-category-specific affordability rankings for the 2020 RACV Driving Your Dollars survey, further research from the original RACV survey publication or automotive affordability reports focusing on utility wagons and SUVs in Australia from 2020 would be necessary.
Sports enthusiasts exploring the Australian market for 4x4 vehicles might find the Mitsubishi Triton GLX (ADAS) the most affordable 4x2 ute, while for all-terrain wagons, the Mitsubishi Pajero Sport GLX offers the lowest monthly cost.
