Best off-road 4x4 SUV: We compare the Toyota Prado, Toyota Fortuner, Ford Everest & Mitsubishi Pajero Sport

Three of these models are based on dual-cab utes - only the Toyota Prado is purpose-built, where the Everest is based on the Ranger, the Pajero Sport is spun off the Triton, and the Fortuner shares a lot of its underpinnings with the HiLux. But can they offer the comfort that families expect?

Well, let's look at their physical dimensions first and foremost, because chances are you mightn't have thought these vehicles were quite as close as they are when it comes to size and space.

It's worth noting that our Prado GXL is the model with the flat tailgate, which is why it's fairly short - when you get the tailgate-mounted spare wheel you'll find the size stretches out to 4995mm. But this version is considerably more family-friendly, with a split-tailgate design that allows you to open the rear glass independent of the side-swinging back door. The others all have conventional tailgate designs with electric boot opening and closing, which is arguably more usable day-to-day.

Now, let's take a look at the boot space and capacity in a bit more detail. You might want to refer to the interior images to get an idea of how they compare for interior dimensions and boot dimensions, because there are some different capacity methodologies used.

Luggage capacity is one thing, but all four of these models have roof-rails so you can fit a roof-rack if you need it. All of them can also be fitted with a cargo barrier, and if you're as adventurous as these vehicles are, you might want to consider a boot liner. None come with a cargo cover, as it'd just get in the way.

When it comes to occupant comfort, all of these SUVs have air vents to all three rows, and all have seven seats capable of fitting adults. But the amount of time an adult might want to spend in the back row isn't equal - see our driving section for more on that.

As tested, all of these models had rear fan controls, but the Everest and Prado had a third climate zone so second- and third-row occupants could set the desired temperature independent to those up front. The Pajero Sport is equipped with dual-zone climate control (two temperature zones for the front-seat occupants), where the Fortuner only has a single-zone climate system.

Access to the third row varies, with the Prado offering the easiest ingress and egress via the left-hand side - it has a wider door opening and is much easier to step into. The Fortuner's third-row access was next best despite its doorway being a bit tight, and the same was the case for the Everest, which doesn't allow the seat base to fold up. Last for third-row access was the Pajero Sport, which doesn't have a sliding second row - it's a flip-and-tumble operation, and while smaller kids will be able to amble in with ease, adults could find it to be a bit of a squeeze.

The same can be said of the second-row occupant space in the Pajero Sport - because the seat doesn't slide fore and aft, the kneeroom for any long-limbed adults isn't as good as the others in this test. Headroom is fine, and it feels wider in the back than the Fortuner. That said, all vehicles here could fit a 182cm tall male adult behind his own driving position with ease.

All of these models have dual ISOFIX second-row child seat anchor points, as well as three top-tether points. But the Pajero Sport's top-tether hooks are mounted in the ceiling of the rear-most cargo space, rather than the back seat - meaning that anyone in the third row will suffer because there'll be straps eating into the space (that's if you can get into the back row at all). It all comes down to the fact the seat tumbles, and doesn't slide.

The Prado was judged best for second-row width, and it was pretty accommodating in most facets. The Fortuner's back seat was a narrower feeling place to be, but leg and head room was okay. And the Everest? It had good headroom in spite of the Titanium's panoramic glass sunroof eating up a few centimetres, but the dark headlining made it feel a bit cocoon-like. The width in the second row was second best, but it had good legroom.

All models have cup holders in a flip-down armrest (some better executed than others), plus each of these models has bottle-holders in all four doors. There are also cup-holders in the third row for each of these SUVs.

All models have cup holders in a flip-down armrest in the second-row (pictured: Ford Everest Titanium).

Now, let's take a look at the front cabins of these models.

The interior of the Prado feels a lot wider and it feels like there's more real estate - that's because there is. It's physically wider, and, as a result, there's a lot more usability to the cabin than in, say, the Fortuner. You even get a broader media screen with hard buttons either side of it, and dials to control the volume and tuner. It's very easy to use and everything is very logically laid-out.

The interior of the Prado feels a lot wider and it feels like there's more real estate (pictured: Toyota Prado GXL).

If you've never sat in a Prado, it won't take much learning. It's very intuitive, and you'll get to know it very well. And the storage is mostly pretty good, aside from the small L-shaped section near the (optional) seat heating and cooling controls, and it has easily the largest centre-console bin with cooling – perfect for road trips.

In the front of the Fortuner, by contrast, you're a bit close to the person next to you because it's quite a narrow cabin. There's not much in the way of loose storage in the front, but you get a pair of cupholders plus a smallish centre bin, and you also get a dual glovebox and dashboard-mounted cup-holders.

The Fortuner has quite a narrow cabin (pictured: Toyota Fortuner Crusade).

The dash design is okay, apart from the fact it eats into the space. However, there is no digital speedometer, and it's the only vehicle in this group that misses out on that important safety feature, which could be the difference between being fine, or being fined. Also, the silver edging of the JBL speakers that sit on top of the dashboard interrupt your peripheral vision, reflect oncoming vehicle head-lights and other light sources onto the windscreen during night-time driving, which affects the driver's forward vision, and they don't look pretty, either.

The seats are heated but there's only a setting for on or off (where the other ones have multiple mode settings), and the touchscreen can be a little bit difficult to use to because it doesn't have the volume knob - it has touch buttons on the side, and they can be finicky.

The front-seat zone of the Pajero Sport Exceed has stepped up a little bit in its latest iteration - the previous one was pretty good, but this one is even better because it now has a bigger media screen with inbuilt sat-nav. It also has the smartphone mirroring tech you would expect, and that just means you can choose whichever way you prefer to see your way to your destination. There's also a nice big digital driver information screen with a huge speedo so you can keep an eye on your pace.

The front-seat zone of the Pajero has stepped up in its latest iteration (pictured: Mitsubishi Pajero Sport Exceed).

Storage could be better - there's a pair of cupholders between the seats, a smallish centre console bin, and a small storage caddy in front of the gear shifter, and there's also a section below the gear selector area which is rendered a little bit useless in day-to-day driving.

The presentation is really nice - there's lots of nice materials, the leather on the seats feels really good, and the seat comfort is the best of this bunch. Plus the steering wheel feels nice in the hand, and it also has paddle shifters so you can get sporty! (The Fortuner does, too).

Up front in the Ford Everest Titanium it certainly feels more upmarket than its competitors - it's more expensive, and it feels it, as well. It doesn't quite have the same width of the cabin as the Prado, but it does feel substantial inside and there are some nice design cues including a section of painted finish on the dashboard, which even spells out that you're in an Everest and not a Ranger – but there are a lot of other Ranger elements inside the cabin because that's the vehicle it's based on.

Up front the Ford Everest Titanium feels more upmarket than its competitors (pictured: Ford Everest Titanium).

Got the same Sync 3 media screen with manual controls below, but we did have some issues with the screen slowness at times. But there's a nice digital driver info screen in front of the driver for the digital speedo, plus for storage there's also cupholders, a storage bin in front of the shifter, and a reasonably sized centre-console bin.

The seats are fairly comfortable, and they're heated in this spec as well. And because you're getting a top spec model, there's also a big panoramic glass sunroof, which is very nice.

The Ford Everest Titanium has a panoramic glass sunroof.

We weren't assessing these models on their exterior style or design. You can make up your own mind as to which would look best with a sport exterior pack with a body kit and rear spoiler, but, if you're considering that, you'll need to remove the side steps.

Righto, now let's get into the nitty gritty of these four. We're talking about diesel engine specifications - we know you absolutely love specs, so we've put the information into a table below. We've even included whether the engine has a timing belt or timing chain!

The engine size differential is marked, but the Ford - which has not one turbocharger attached to its motor, but two (that's where the Bi-Turbo name comes from) - punches well hard for its size, with a clear horsepower advantage and torque that betters its rivals easily. It is heaviest, though, and that weight dulls the overall performance just a tad.

As you may have noticed, there was no point considering manual vs automatic for this test. However, you can get the Prado with a manual gearbox if you want, but all the others are auto-only across their ranges.

The four-wheel drive systems are different between these four vehicles.

And it's worth noting that the four-wheel drive systems are different between these four vehicles. The permanent 4WD system employed in the Prado and Everest might appeal to you, especially if you're stepping up from something with AWD. The other two allow you to run in 4x2 (2H) or 4x4 (4H). We'll get to more on that below.

Likewise, there was no point thinking about petrol vs diesel, and our minds didn't even stray near the topic of LPG or hybrid. Every single one of these models uses diesel exclusively.

While we would have loved to conduct a towing test as part of this review, not all of the vehicles were equipped to do so.

We know there are people out there who may be concerned over all sorts of problems with these vehicles, be it engine problems, automatic transmission problems, suspension problems, clutch, turbo, injector issues, automatic gearbox problems.

You might also be concerned or hesitant to purchase one of these diesel-powered SUVs given the well-reported issues around diesel particulate filters (DPF), particularly in the Toyota stable. Don't worry - we've got your back. CarsGuide has ‘problems' pages for each of these models that will hopefully capture any common issues: Ford Everest problems; Mitsubishi Pajero Sport problems; Toyota Fortuner problems; Toyota Prado problems.

For this test, we took all of these models out for a mixed driving loop, including urban testing with speed humps and roundabouts, as well as highway kilometres and winding roads.

We tested all three rows at once, with each tester sitting in the same spot for each loop to keep things consistent. The aim was to find which struck the right balance of comfort, confidence and control in a mix of driving situations - there was no 0-100 acceleration speed testing or any performance figures being collected. We wanted to do what most family buyers would with these sorts of cars, and here's what we found.

Toyota Fortuner Crusade

The Fortuner ranked last for on-road driving.

The Toyota Fortuner Crusade ranked last for on-road driving.

Its suspension was best described as unpleasant, with a fierce ride compared to the other SUVs here. It was especially bad on coarse chip roads, feeling choppy and unpleasant no matter which row you were sitting in.

Its steering was decently responsive and nicely weighted, though, with good feel through the wheel for the driver. It was an involving SUV to drive, and felt smaller than its rivals as a result.

The steering was decently responsive and nicely weighted (pictured: Toyota Fortuner Crusade).

Its engine was eager too - it's one of the lightest of these four SUVs and certainly felt zestier in its engine response. The six-speed auto was effective at lower speeds, but could be fussy at highway pace, especially in undulating terrain.

It was noisier than the others, though, with more vibrations and harshness evident for all occupants in the cabin. Put it this way: the Fortuner was the one we all wanted to get out of most.

Mitchell Tulk was our third-row tester, and he echoed these thoughts, stating: "The Fortuner had the roughest ride of the group, and that just results in a bad time for anyone stuck in the back."

Toyota Prado GXL

There weren't as many complaints in the Prado, which is wider than its rivals and feels more planted as a result.

The Toyota Prado GXL's wider track gave it a more surefooted feel on all surfaces and at all speeds.

Its wider track gave it a more surefooted feel on all surfaces and at all speeds, and in combination with its permanent four-wheel drive system, it was a very confident feeling vehicle for all passengers present, and for the driver, too.

Its steering is slower than the Fortuner, though, and it can feel a bit bigger when you're trying to negotiate tight streets, too. That's despite it having the same turning circle as the Fortuner (11.6m), which is slightly better than the turning radius of the Everest (11.7m) but not as good as the urban-friendly Pajero Sport (11.2m).

The engine doesn't feel nearly as punchy in the Prado as it does in the Fortuner, too. With the same power and torque outputs, we'd describe progress as more leisurely in the Prado because it weighs a couple of hundred kilograms more than the Fortuner.

The Prado GXL's steering is slower than the Fortuner (pictured: Toyota Prado GXL).

It was considerably more refined than its stablemate, and was a lot more agreeable for our testers in on-road driving conditions.

MItchell said of the Prado: "The Prado was third for me - it has one of the best entry and exits (in terms of access to the third row), but it lacks head room."

Mitsubishi Pajero Sport Exceed

The Mitsubishi Pajero Sport was nicely refined and mostly pleasant in day-to-day driving. It's the sort of vehicle that really grows on you the more time you spend in it, and that's the case for first-, second- and third-row occupants.

The Mitsubishi Pajero Sport Exceed's ride can be a little jittery over some surfaces.

That said, its ride can be a little jittery over some surfaces, but for the most part our testers found the suspension to be well sorted.

For the driver there's nicely weighted steering that offers good response and feel, and it has the tightest turning circle of these four SUVs, too. That helps with U-turns and parking moves, and it has a surround-view camera that made those manoeuvres even simpler.

The Mitsubishi Pajero Sport Exceed has a nicely weighted steering that offers good response and feel.

Its engine was quiet, but its response wasn't as urgent. It doesn't feel slow at all, but it's not as eager to jump away from a standstill. Even so, the eight-speed auto is smooth and smart, and the Pajero Sport was largely very good across the board.

Mitchell on the third-row of the Pajero Sport: "The Mitsubishi has the best head room of the group, but setting up the third-row seats is a bit finicky."

Ford Everest Titanium

The Ford Everest Titanium was the most enjoyable, the most comfortable, the most livable and the most relaxing of these four SUVs to drive.

The Ford Everest Titanium was the most enjoyable ride.

A lot of that comes down to the fact that it's got light and accurate steering, so it's not as tedious as some of the other SUVs in this test - and it never feels like a chore to drive, no matter how long you spend at the wheel.

Its suspension is also a big help in that respect. The suspension comfort and control is excellent, and never felt too choppy or too bouncy. It has bigger wheels than some of the lower models in the Everest range, so the ride is impacted just a little bit over sharp edges and the like - but it was never to the point where we felt uncomfortable, because it was never unsettled.

The Ford Everest Titanium has light and accurate steering.

Other things that we really liked about the Everest was the level of refinement - there's not too much noise from the engine compared to the other vehicles in this test, and there wasn't much road noise or wind noise either.

The bi-turbo four-cylinder engine easily had the most pulling power of these for SUVs, and despite the Everest being a hefty thing, it still felt more urgent. The 10-speed automatic transmission had a lot of gears to play with, and it did a great job of harnessing the power - even if there was a little bit of chopping and changing gears at lower speeds when it probably could just have held onto the gear and kept moving.

Further, some people will hate the engine stop-start system (no other model in this test has start-stop), but thankfully there is a button to turn it off if it annoys you.

On the whole, this was such an impressive vehicle because it did everything we expected, it didn't do anything to offend our testers, and as family transport - if you're just driving around town, or if you're on the highway - it was easily the winner of this part of the test.

That went for Mitchell in the third-row, too: "If I had to spend a few hours in one of them, it would be the Everest. It had the most comfortable seats, and the softest suspension."

The safety offering is different between these four SUVs.

In order to make it easy to understand the safety features fitted to each of the specs tested here, the table below gives you an idea of just how well equipped these models are. It comes down to more than just a safety rating, because over the years the safety features expectations for buyers in this space have stretched a long way from just a reverse camera and park assist.

If you have kids, you might be astonished to learn which is best for baby car-seat usability - it's the Ford, by some margin. The Everest is the only one with child-seat attachment points in the third row (x2 top tether), while all of these models - including the Ford - have three top-tether points and two ISOFIX child seat attachment points in their second rows.

All models have dual ISOFIX second-row child seat anchor points (pictured: Ford Everest Titanium).

One consideration for parents, too, is that the Pajero Sport requires you to attach top tethers to the rear ceiling of the cabin, meaning you could end up with straps interfering with third-row space.

It's surprising to see the Fortuner leading the way for AEB tech standards, being the only one here with cyclist detection. The Pajero Sport falls behind in the AEB stakes, as it's the only one without pedestrian detection. There are other shortcomings and differences between these SUVs, but we had to make a call as to which offered the best mix of stuff across the board - you'll see our ratings below. Disagree? Let us know in the comments.

And, if you're thinking to yourself, "Where is the Ford Everest built?" The answer is Thailand. That's the case for the Mitsubishi Pajero Sport and Toyota Fortuner, too, while the Toyota Prado is built in Japan.

All told it was a close test, this one.

Ultimately, the winner was the Ford Everest Titanium, which shone when it came to its practicality, its engine and on-road driving manners, and its safety and ownership promise. It is more expensive, and we understand that your budget mightn't stretch as far as the Titanium - but the lower grade versions still tick a lot of the boxes, if that's the case for you.

The Ford Everest Titanium shone when it came to its practicality.

The Toyota Prado GXL came in second spot here, with a strong off-road performance, commendable on-road manners and good practicality overall. It was impressive for an ageing vehicle, and proved why it's still so popular with customers looking for a rugged SUV with seven seats.

In third was the Mitsubishi Pajero Sport Exceed. It really does exceed when it comes to value for money, and if that's your key consideration then we could understand exactly why you'd choose it over its rivals. There are some things you need to consider, though, like the child-seat integration - which may matter to you, or you mightn't care about that at all.

And rounding out the group was the Toyota Fortuner Crusade. It's a serious weapon in hard-core off-road terrain, but apart from its peppy engine and reasonably good value for money, it fell short on refinement, comfort and some practical attributes.

You might disagree with these findings, and we accept that - but tell us why in the comments section below.