Ford Everest vs Isuzu MU-X

On the sticker the MU-X looks far cheaper, opening near $49,900 against the Everest's $60,000, but two things close most of that gap. The MU-X's prices are recommended retail before on-road costs, while the Everest's are NSW driveaway, so the Isuzu's real driveaway figure lands several thousand dollars higher. The cheapest MU-X is also a rear-drive 2WD the all-4WD Everest no longer offers. Line up a 4WD MU-X on the road against a 4WD Everest on the road and the advantage shrinks from thousands to hundreds at the entry point, then widens again higher up where the Everest adds its V6.

The two divide the ownership case. The MU-X carries a six-year, 150,000km warranty and seven years of roadside assistance as standard, against the Everest's five-year, unlimited-kilometre cover and one year of roadside that only stretches to seven if you keep servicing at a Ford dealer. The Everest hits back on scheduled servicing, roughly $1,600 across five years to the Isuzu's $2,345, both at 12-month or 15,000km intervals. So high-kilometre drivers lean Ford for the unlimited warranty and cheaper services, while buyers who value the longest cover and standard roadside lean Isuzu.

Only the Everest offers a V6. Its 3.0-litre turbo-diesel makes 184kW and 600Nm, comfortably clear of the MU-X's strongest engine, a 3.0-litre four making 140kW and 450Nm. Lower down they are closer: the Everest's new single-turbo 2.0 makes 125kW and 405Nm, the MU-X's latest 2.2 makes 120kW and 400Nm, and reviewers rate that 2.2 a clear step up on the engine it replaced. If you tow heavy or want effortless overtaking, the V6 Everest is in a class of one here. If you mostly commute, both base fours are up to the job.

Both wear a five-star ANCAP rating dated 2022, valid until the end of 2028, and both were rated with their ute siblings. The Everest scores higher on the detail: 93 per cent for child occupant protection to the MU-X's 85, 74 per cent for vulnerable road users to 69, and 86 for safety assist to 84. Adult occupant protection ties at 86 per cent. The Everest also carries nine airbags to the MU-X's eight. Both include autonomous emergency braking, lane-keep assist and blind-spot monitoring as standard. Note the MU-X Tour Mate special is unrated. On the numbers, the Ford is the safer pick.

Both are rated to 3500kg braked with a 350kg tow ball, so the headline ties. Underneath, the Everest has the stronger hand for heavy work: its V6 makes 600Nm to the MU-X's 450, its gross combination mass is 6250kg against 5900kg, and it carries more payload, 855kg to 715kg. That means the Everest can tow the same trailer while carrying more people and gear before it runs out of legal weight. The MU-X still tows the caravan, and its lighter kerb weight helps economy, but for regular heavy towing the V6 Ford is the more comfortable tool.

The Everest edges it on paper. It brings the better geometry, a 30.4-degree approach angle to the MU-X's 23.4, plus a rear diff lock, terrain modes and a dedicated off-road Tremor grade with raised suspension and all-terrain tyres. The MU-X answers with a better departure angle, part-time dual-range 4x4 and a rear diff lock of its own, and reviewers call it seriously capable for the class. Ground clearance is level at around 230mm. The Everest edges the harder tracks and has the purpose-built grade; the MU-X gets most buyers most places for less, and its cheaper grades on smaller wheels are the better rough-road pick.

The MU-X seats seven in every grade; the Everest seats seven in all but its five-seat base Active. That standard seven-seat layout is a genuine part of the Isuzu's value case. On the Everest, the entry Active is a five-seater as standard with seven available as an option, so a budget Everest buyer has to check the seat count where an MU-X buyer never does. Both fold their rear rows flat for serious cargo, and the Everest is the wider vehicle inside. For a family that needs three usable rows at the lowest price, the standard-seven MU-X removes a decision the base Everest still asks you to make.

The MU-X covers you for six years or 150,000km, whichever comes first. The Everest runs five years but with no kilometre cap at all, and its roadside assistance extends to seven years if you service on schedule at a Ford dealer, matching the Isuzu's standard seven-year roadside. So the better warranty depends on your kilometres: drive under about 25,000km a year and the MU-X's extra year is the bigger benefit, drive more than that and the Everest's unlimited cap pulls ahead. Both are competitive against the mainstream five-year, unlimited-kilometre standard.