It’s not just its relentless popularity with new car buyers that makes it obvious why the Ford Ranger has been crowned as the overall winner of Wheels’ Best Dual-Cab Ute award for 2025. It’s available drivetrains – including the new plug-in hybrid – its driving dynamics, interior, practicality, toughness and even its ergonomics mean the Ranger beats its competition hands-down.

Price: From $36,880 plus on-road costs (XL Hi-Rider 4×2 Single Cab), up to $90,440 +ORC (Raptor)
Drivetrain/economy/CO2 emissions:
2.0L turbo-diesel: 125kW/405Nm, 6-speed auto, 2WD or 4WD, 7.6L/100km, 199g/km;
2.0L twin-turbo diesel: 154kW/500Nm, 10-speed auto, 4WD, 7.2L/100km, 189g/km;
3.0L turbo-diesel: 184kW/600Nm, 10-speed auto, 4WD, 8.4L/100km, 222g/km;
3.0L turbo-petrol (Raptor): 292kW/583Nm, 10-speed auto, 4WD, 11.5L/100km, 262g/km;
2.3L turbo-petrol PHEV: 207kW/697Nm, 10-speed auto, 2.9L/100km, 66g/km
Dimensions: Up to 5380mm long, 1918mm wide, 1926mm tall, 3270mm long wheelbase
Towing capacity/GVM/GCM: 2500kg–3500kg/3130kg–3350kg/5370kg–6400kg
Warranty/roadside assistance/service intervals: Five-year/unlimited km, 12 months of roadside assistance with each dealer service up to seven years in total, annually/every 15,000km
Five-year service cost: $1,516 ($303 per year)

Driving
Interior
Practicality
Overall value

Things we like

  • Easily the best ute to drive
  • Wide range of variants and engines
  • Intuitive and practical interior

Not so much

  • No variant is particularly cheap to buy
  • No more manual option
  • Rear seat not huge for adults

One of our favourite things about the Ranger is the way it drives for Australian conditions. Ford Australia were integral to the design and development of the Ranger and that can be seen in the way it drives: for a ute, its ride and handling balance is excellent. It’s also impressively comfortable, no matter which model you choose, and it’s more satisfying to drive than key rivals such as the Toyota HiLux and Isuzu D-Max.

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The number of variants are also a huge attraction – from the entry-level XL to the top-spec fire-breathing Raptor, each Ranger model is well equipped and although it can be more expensive than key rivals, we think it still represents solid value for money. Ford is also adept at reading the market and has added special editions such as the Tremor for even more off-road ability. In addition to that, its five-year capped price servicing is some of the least expensive in the segment.

The interior of the Ranger is among the best in class and full of clever features, such as the genius ‘fries holder’ cut out ahead of the gear selector sculpted for – what else – a packet of Maccas’ fries. Every model has a large portrait touchscreen that’s quite easy to use and features hard buttons for more practicality, while there’s also plenty of storage space. While there are some utes that are larger in the rear seat, the Ranger is still mighty comfortable back there.

Regardless of model chosen, the Ranger’s drivetrains are excellent for the category, particularly the superb 3.0-litre V6 turbo-diesel that also adds a clever four-wheel drive system. But even the 2.0-litre diesels in entry-level models are gusty, and the new plug-in hybrid drivetrain is quick and provides a reasonable electric driving range and, cleverly, power in the rear tray off which to operate tools and camping gear.

With its strong off-road ability, 3.5-tonne braked towing capacity across the mainstream range, excellent driving dynamics for the segment, a whole host of standard features on every model – including a lot of clever towing and off-roading features – and a wide range of specs to choose from, the Ford Ranger is unsurprisingly a winner in market and a worthy victor of this year’s Wheels’ Best Dual-Cab Ute.