2004 Ford F250 Reviews

The Aussie ute market may have expanded dramatically in terms of choice but has a proliferation of new options upset the established order when it comes to sales?In recent years the Ford Ranger has been the top-selling ute in the country with the Toyota HiLux snapping at its heels and the Isuzu D-Max there or there-abouts.In late 2024 the BYD Shark 6 arrived to mix things up with its petrol-electric hybrid powertrain challenging the traditional dominance of turbo-diesel propulsion.And a few months later, after a high-profile pre-launch teaser campaign, the Kia Tasman hit local showrooms with the aim of muscling past top order players like the Mitsubishi Triton, GWM Cannon, Mazda BT-50 and Nissan Navara.Since then, we’ve seen newcomers like the MG U9, the all-new Foton Tunland and LDV Terron 9. And soon enough they’ll be joined by the Chery Stockman, JAC Hunter and a likely dual-cab from Hyundai.But has the category’s expansion fundamentally changed anything?There are now a staggering 25 ute options in the local new car market, including two- and four-wheel drive models as well as large, US-style pick-ups.And at the half way mark in 2026 the usual suspects remain at the top of the leader board.No big surprise that the podium contenders have shed some volume but the Ford Ranger is still out-selling the BYD Shark 6 by a ratio of three to one. There have been explosive year-on-year gains recorded by selected newcomers, but that’s been from modest starting bases. However, several evergreen models lower down the list have taken a sizable backwards turn, including the Nissan Navara (-46.5 per cent), Toyota LandCruiser 70 Series (-65.5 per cent), JAC T9 (-51.8 per cent) and Jeep Gladiator (-56.3 per cent).In total, year-on-year sales to June 30 this year for 4x2 utes are flat, 4x4s are down just over 11 per cent and the big pick-ups haven’t budged a millimetre.Here’s our rundown of utes sales, using industry statistician VFacts data to combine all ute categories into a single readout comparing H1 2026 to the same period last year.Light commercial, pick-up & cab chassis sales ranking (June 2026 YTD)   

Buyers still love 4WDs in Australia. It remains a big-selling segment, but some of its biggest hitters are suffering losses.China is starting to get a foothold in the market with budget offerings posing a serious threat to established regulars.Emissions-heavy vehicles such as 4WDs are also coming under fire from increasingly stringent rules in Australia.Here is the rundown of the best-selling 4WDs up to June 2026. The Ford Everest large SUV is up front with more than 11,000 sales in 2026 so far, despite a near 10 per cent year-on-year drop. It is based on the Ford Ranger, which is the best-selling ute in Australia.The Toyota Prado takes second place with more than 9000 sales so far this year, but it has experienced an even sharper drop of nearly 42 per cent year-on-year.The Prado is a scaled down version of the LandCruiser 300 Series, using a 2.8-litre four-cylinder turbo-diesel engine, as opposed to the more powerful V6. Isuzu’s MU-X is third, making 7564 sales up to June, but it too experienced a more minor slump of 3.2 per cent. The LandCruiser 300 Series is currently fourth on the standings, and is the only car in the top five to have experienced a substantial growth in sales. Its 6451 sales constitutes a 26.3 per cent rise compared to first six months of 2025.Toyota also released a performance petrol hybrid V6 variant earlier this year.The Suzuki Jimny rounds out the top five as a much smaller and cheaper competitor to those above it. Priced from $31,990, before on-road costs, the Jimny is down 11.1 per cent compared to this time last year, while still amassing 3882 sales. The Nissan Patrol is down nearly 25 per cent compared to its sales result up to June 2025, with 2843 sales so far in 2026. The current Y62 petrol V8 Patrol will cease production next month, and order books for a new twin-turbo V6 will open later. GWM’s Tank 300 mid-size SUV off-roader has continued to surge up the sales charts in 2026, with 2759 sales so far.The Tank 300 is available in petrol, diesel, plug-less hybrid and plug-in hybrid set-ups - more varied than any of its competitors. BYD’s Denza sub-brand is another Chinese rival experiencing a solid sales return in Australia.Its B5 plug-in hybrid SUV has already accumulated 1445 sales this year, having only gone on sale in December 2025.Its bigger sibling the B8 is also approaching the 1000-unit mark midway through this year. The ultra-luxury GMC Yukon Denali from the United States is starting to pick up momentum in Australia. The V8-powered eight-seater Yukon Denali went on sale in the middle of last year, but 2026 has seen sales explode by nearly 190 per cent. It remains a low-volume model with only 202 sales, as it carries a $174,990 price tag. The 4WD segment is about undergo some serious changes in the next few months, including an influx of new models.The Mitsubishi Pajero will return to Australia, along with several new Chinese competitors likely to join it over the next 18 months.The anticipated Geely Galaxy Cruiser is slated for a UK launch, meaning Australia could its next step, while the GAC Yue 7 also seems to be on the way. 

We all secretly knew it, but now it's official: Ute and four-wheel-drive owners rarely use their vehicles as intended.Utes and rough-and-tumble 4WDs are some of the best-selling vehicles in the country, and if you have ever spent any time on the road you'll see it is dominated by Ford Rangers, Toyota HiLuxes and Pradoes and a range of newer vehicles such as the BYD Shark 6, GWM Tank 300 and Denza B5.Now new data from Continental tyres shows most high-riding and rough-road-ready vehicles rarely make it out of the suburbs.The survey polled 2000 Australian ute and 4WD owners across the country aged 18-years-old and above.Only 18 per cent of those surveyed said they had used their vehicle’s off-road capabilities frequently, while 22 per cent said they never went 4WDing.A further 21 per cent said they had gone off-road once or twice, and shockingly two per cent said they weren’t even aware of their car’s off-road ability.Of the drivers surveyed, 33 per cent said they take their vehicle off-road every few months, while 22 per cent said they never take their ute or 4WD off-roading. Twenty one per cent said once a year and only six per cent said every weekend,Surprisingly only 22 per cent of respondents said they bought their ute or 4WD for its off-road ability, with towing capacity (21 per cent) and space for the family (20 per cent) also the main reasons for the purchase.But if people aren't going off-road regularly, what are they using them for?The most common use of the vehicle was for grocery runs, with 57 per cent of those polled stating they do that on a weekly basis.This was followed by commuting to work (52 per cent) and weekend getaways (41 per cent).Only 20 per cent said they used the vehicle for camping or off-roading weekly.And the most common off-roading use in suburban areas was to tackle gravel or dirt carparks followed by grassed areas at local parks or sports fields.And the biggest challenge for utes and 4WDs? That’s parking in tight carparks and driving in poor weather conditions, followed by hitting a pothole.

Just like the dreaded difficult second-album syndrome that can inflict music artists after a smash debut, sometimes carmakers really struggle to replace a successful and/or acclaimed model with something equally so.Arguably history’s first was when the original car to put the world on wheels, the Ford Model T from 1908, was replaced by the Model A. While infinitely better, it also had infinitely more competition in 1927, and so couldn’t hope to replicate the T’s legacy.Here, then, are five of the most infamous in Australian motoring history.Built on a shortened version of the then-new Liberty platform, the original Impreza range barely made a ripple – until the WRX (World Rally Cross) turbo AWD arrived in 1993, redefining small-car performance, dominating rallying for years, and becoming a Sony Playstation superstar along the way. The Subaru came to define the era.But when the hotly anticipated 2000 redesign, leaked online with its buggy round headlights and bulkier proportions, howling disapproval ensued – as did one of the first trials by internet – forcing an unscheduled and embarrassing major facelift within two years.Controversial statement time: the Bugeye is the G2 Impreza to buy, not the Blob-eye or Hawk-eye that followed (and reeked of desperation).Nissan’s Datsun 510 Bluebird – or 1600 as it was known in Australia – was an elegantly minimalist mid-sized sedan from Japan with engine and suspension design engineered by the Prince Motor Company of Skyline fame and inspired by the 1966 BMW 1602/2002 that preceded the original 3 Series.At the time, Japanese cars were still largely dynamically deficient, but the Datsun broke through with buyers and critics alike, while also enjoying enduring motorsport success. This was Nissan’s golden era, with the CSP311 Silvia, B10 Sunny/1000 and Fairlady 240Z highly prized today.However, the 1600’s 180B successor traded all that in for a fussy, dreary and ponderous bore that sold strongly but failed to inspire. Datsun even tried to resurrect the spirit of the 1600 with the similarly styled but dynamically dreadful Stanza of 1978. This was Nissan’s first ‘malaise era’.Dishonourable mention: Datsun B110 1200 to B210 120Y.A facelift of the fourth-generation Commodore, the VE of 2006, the VF has the heartbreaking legacy of being Australia’s last-ever locally designed, engineered and built passenger car.It also spawned all-time greats like the HSV GTS-R, was exported to North America and the UK, and – like Ford’s final Falcon – represented unparalleled value given its performance, front mid-engine/rear-drive layout and sports-sedan (and wagon/ute) styling. A true Aussie legend.Importing the smaller, front-wheel-drive mid-sized Opel Insignia from Germany was never going to cut it as a replacement, but the resulting ZB wouldn’t have been so bad if Holden hadn’t insisted on Commodore badges, infuriating fans in the process.Yet, in key areas and due mainly to its newer development, the ZB was a superior family car to the VF, but it wasn’t a true Commodore. Australians shunned it and the plug was pulled by the end of 2019.The fifth-generation Falcon was the all-Australian EA of 1988. Though considered at the time as one of the best-looking new sedans in the world, it was plagued with quality issues that, to Ford’s credit, were quickly resolved. And by the time the EL facelift arrived in 1996, this Falcon series was considered best in class, and jostled with the VS Commodore for domination.But the AU Falcon bombed. People despised its droopy styling and strange grille, especially against the handsome VT Commodore that consequently surged ahead in popularity.Today, it is the Falcon that is more revered, but the AU’s failure forced its maker down a path of debt that, while leading to the legendary Barra and Territory as this country’s only-ever locally made SUV, eventually also collapsed Ford’s Australian manufacturing division after 91 years. A brutal legacy.With its classy American styling update over the preceding, fussy EJ, the 1963 EH Holden was a monumental success, becoming the fastest-selling local car in history with nearly 257,000 sold in just 18 months.That’s an incredible 14,275 monthly registration average, fanned by the introduction of the all-Australian ‘Red’ engine, replacing the old ‘Grey’ anchor that dated back from 1948. At the time, it was considered one of the most advanced and efficient in the global General Motors empire.As it turned out, compact by today’s standards, the EH also came to represent the perfectly sized and proportioned Australian family car as well – a realisation that came way-too late, because its 1965 HD Holden replacement was too big and awkward-looking to resonate in the same way.While not strictly a failure – initial order numbers set records for GMH – the HD’s sales quickly ran out of puff, dropping the monthly sales rate average to 12,780.This gave the rapidly-evolving Falcon a leg-up with consumers that eventually led to the Ford outselling its Holden rival some years later.That gradual chipping away all began with the HD.

China’s Geely has signed a joint venture with Ford to begin shared production at the American carmaker’s production facility in Spain.The Chinese carmaker has conditionally agreed to acquire a 34 per cent stake in Ford’s Almussafes production plant near Valencia, Spain for €221 million (~A$360 million), per a filing with the Hong Kong Exchange.This newly established joint venture will begin in the first half of 2027, pending regulatory approvals, and allow for renovations to boost annual production capacity to 500,000 vehicles.As it currently stands, this Spanish production facility only produces the Ford Kuga, which was previously offered in Australia as the Escape. Production of this mid-size SUV will continue.Beyond this, Ford has confirmed it will produce a new, European-focused “member of the global Bronco family” at the Spanish production facility in 2028.Little details are known about this new European-focused Bronco model, but previous reports have indicated it will be smaller than the full-sized model and potentially offer both electric and hybrid options.Geely also plans to begin production of two electric SUVs at the Spanish production facility in 2028.At this stage it’s unclear what these models will be as the only electric SUV the Chinese carmaker currently offers in Europe is the E5, which is called the EX5 in Australia.Lastly, a new “multi-energy family crossover” designed by Ford and jointly developed with Geely will launch in 2028.No details about this vehicle have been announced yet, but Ford says it will be engineered with its “signature capabilities and driving dynamics”.Geely over the past few years has been scaling its operations in markets outside of China, including in Australia. In the first half of 2026 it sold a total of 474,228 vehicles in overseas markets, which is up 158 per cent year-on-year.In Australia the Chinese carmarker sold a total of 10,970 vehicles in the first half of 2026, which is up 494.6 per cent year-on-year. It is now the 18th best-selling brand Down Under.Geely is far from the only Chinese carmaker that has been acquiring unused production capacity from legacy carmakers.Chery recently signed a non-binding agreement with Nissan to explore contract manufacturing at the Japanese carmaker’s production facility in Sunderland, UK.Stellantis, which owns brands like Alfa Romeo, Fiat and Ram, among others, decided earlier this year to share its manufacturing plants in Spain and France with its Chinese partners Leapmotor and Dongfend, respectively.

Recently, a realisation from behind the wheel of the current generation of a widely beloved rear-drive two-door coupe raised a question for me.Are sports cars doomed? The question came as I realised that because of the development of the car I was driving, the 2026 Nissan Z (specifically the Heritage Edition), underneath was essentially a Nissan 350Z that had been given enough surgery to be relevant in two decades later.But the last of the ancient platforms won’t be around for much longer, surely, and the cars built on them are, at least in two cases, some of the most-loved sports cars around.The other is the Ford Mustang, which rides on a platform closely related to one older than you might think.Back to the Z for a moment, because the platform it rides on comes from so far back that I was just getting into primary school when it debuted. The 2002 Nissan 350Z was released when I was in grade 2, about a decade and a half ago, when I was only allowed behind the wheel of one if it was on Need for Speed: Underground 2.Nissan recently celebrated 35 years of its Infiniti sub-brand, which kicked off with the G35 Coupe - a sibling car to the V35 Nissan Skyline - and gave the Front Midship (FM) Platform its flowers.The aim was to get a V6 nestled in just behind the front axle, which resulted in a 52:48 front/rear weight distribution. Slightly more weight over the front was a deliberate choice, according to the engineers.The FM platform would go on to carry the Z33 350Z to cultural relevance in the aforementioned Underground 2 and Fast and Furious: Tokyo Drift, before the Z34 370Z came along with a heavily updated version of the platform in 2009 and hung around for 12 years. The FM was just about old enough to vote in Australia when the 370Z was discontinued.The RZ34 is already coming up on four years old, and its platform is 20 years older than that.Even though its chassis feels heavy for something carrying a two-door coupe, it’s not alone in the world of heavy hybrid and electric ‘sports cars’, but it retains a level of engagement and trust in the driver that doesn’t rely on tricks and electronics.If Nissan built another platform for the Z, not only would it have possibly sent the company bankrupt, it might have lost some of its magic.Nissan’s FM platform is not alone in this. In fact, even though Ford probably could afford to create a new Mustang platform, you could argue the platform it rides on is even older than the Z’s. Depends who you ask. While Ford says the S550 Mustang is built on a ‘ground-up’ platform developed just for the Mustang in 2015, it’s to some extent based on the existing D2C platform that the Mustang rode on since 2004, itself an evolution of the DEW98 platform used from the late 1990s.While the Mustang’s platform is now different in a few key areas, including the addition of independent rear suspension for the S550 generation onwards, it’s still related to that of the early 2000s.And it’s still quite capable and really, really fun, just like the Nissan Z.I point all of this out because I’m a little worried about what happens to the other, even more affordable sports cars when it’s time for their next generations. Will the Mazda MX-5 or Toyota GR86 (and Subaru BRZ) hold onto their platforms until it’s no longer possible to release a car on them?We’re going to be waiting until after 2030 for a new Nissan Z according to Nissan Americas’ Senior Vice President Chief Product & Planning Officer Ponz Pandikuthira, though given he says the next GT-R will ride on a new platform the FM Platform might also be outta here.A new Ford Mustang won’t be around until a similar time, though Ford CEO Jim Farley has notably said the V8 would stick around “as long as God and the politicians let us”. The platform might need some more work by then if the brand intends to electrify the pony car, though it won’t go full-EV if Ford can avoid it.If you’re anything like me, you’d probably be okay with the next generations of each of these cars riding on a very similar platform to their predecessors.Of course evolution needs to take place, otherwise the Mustang would still have a solid rear axle and the likes of ANCAP would have thoughts about that.The current Mazda MX-5 and Toyota GR86 are two properly affordable sports cars, and if keeping them within reach of most people means a new generation on the same highly acclaimed platforms as before, I’d be all for it.

Ford’s Escape SUV has had a bit of a chequered past in terms of how it was marketed and what it represented. But, fundamentally, the version we saw launched here in 2020 as the fourth-gen Escape (the ZH model in Ford-speak) was more or less a third-generation Ford Kuga, engineered in Germany and built in Spain.Confused? Wait till you see the model line-up. Ford went against years of tradition by dumping established names such as Ambiente and Trend and kicked the new Escape off with the model simply badged FWD (front-wheel drive). From there, the range flowed through the ST-Line FWD and ST-Line AWD (all-wheel drive), then the rather grandly named Vignale (Ford picked up the Vignale badge as part of its buyout of De Tomaso in the 1970s) in both FWD and AWD forms.And shortly after the initial launch, Ford followed up with a model dubbed ST-Line PHEV which, as the name suggests, featured a plug-in hybrid driveline and was front-wheel drive.The vehicle itself was a five-seat mid-sized SUV that was actually pretty sporty to look at and, even in entry-level form, provided pretty stunning performance thanks to a racy driveline. All variants apart form the PHEV used a 2.0-litre petrol engine with a turbocharger for a rather stirring 183kW of power and lots of torque. Both FWD and AWD versions used the same eight-speed conventional automatic transmission.The PHEV was the odd-one-out, with its normally aspirated 2.5-litre four-cylinder engine and electric motor accounting for 167kW and driving through a continuously variable transmission (CVT).Far and away the biggest compliment the Escape gets is for its performance. That torquey turbo motor puts out plenty of power, meaning performance is pretty impressive as a result. So, if a mid-sized SUV with five seats and some decent straight-line stomp is what you’re after, then the Escape is indeed very possibly what you’re looking for.Beyond that, however, the Escape is a bit me-too and kind of disappeared into a sea of similarly sized, similarly priced SUVs from literally dozens of carmakers.The Escape doesn’t have a perfect reliability record, but it is better than the model it replaced. It’s still a pretty complex piece of machinery, though, so there are a few things to check before buying. A complete service record is also crucial to long-term reliability, as it is with any make or model.The news here is better than for previous Escapes, but still not perfect. That’s mainly because the old EcoBoost 2.0-litre engine was known for catastrophic failures and engine fires due to a flawed basic design. That engine had too little sealing surface area on the head gasket which meant that coolant could leak into the cylinders. When that happened, the engine could overheat to the point of causing a fire, or simply destroy itself in the process.But post-2020 versions of the engine used a more robust crankcase design that eliminated that problem.But the hybrid Escape wasn’t so lucky and has experienced problems with its high-voltage battery which could present a fire risk if it was one of the ones that had an inbuilt flaw in its construction. If you were unlucky enough to buy one of those (and there was no way to tell in the showroom) the flaw could have produced an internal short-circuit that may have caused a fire or complete battery failure down the track. The advice from Ford to owners of these cars was to not charge the battery beyond 80 per cent and to only drive in EV Auto mode until the car could be checked (see recalls section).Aside from that, the Escape has also been known to suffer cracked exhaust manifolds (which mounts the turbocharger) and premature fuel pump failures. Some owners have also experienced carbon build up in the engine’s valves. The Escape’s engine uses direct-injection so the valves are not `rinsed’ off by the fuel as it’s injected into the engine. A build up of carbon is often the result, but to be fair, this is not a Ford-specific thing and many other makes and models are similarly affected.Like a lot of complex vehicles, the Escape has had its share of safety recalls for owners to deal with. For the full story, you can check out https://www.vehiclerecalls.gov.au/ and search for this model, but in the meantime, here’s a thumbnail look at those recalls.The first was for early examples which may have had a fault in the engine-bay airflow management system. Shutters under the nose of the car that were designed to open and close as necessary may not have opened when they should have, and that posed a fire risk if there had been a fuel or oil spill at the same time.A batch of 2021-built cars were recalled to check the bonding of the glass panel of the panoramic sunroof which could detach at speed.PHEV Escapes built until 2024 were recalled to check for a manufacturing fault that could have led to a fire if the engine suddenly blew up (literally). Equally seriously, a batch of 2021 cars were recalled to check for excess play in the steering which could have led to steering failure if unchecked. The Escape was also recalled to check the reversing camera system which could glitch out and leave the screen blank when drivers most needed the system.Then there was the high-voltage battery problem we’ve already touched on. Apparently, a manufacturing flaw in the battery itself could lead to thermal runaway and an intense fire. It’s hard to imagine any Escape PHEV not having been checked for this problem by now, but it’s still worth making sure. You can do that at a Ford dealership.Like a lot of cars, Ford gradually worked the bugs out of the Escape, so the best one now (and the one least affected by recall notices) is a late-model example. The later the build date, the better, more bug-free the car is likely to be.You’ll see the odd Escape for sale with more than 160,000km, but that will definitely be in the minority. Most for sale now have travelled closer to 100,000km or even less, suggesting there’s plenty of life left in them. There are even a few for sale online that are showing super-low mileage, suggesting they may actually be leftover demonstrator models, even though the Escape officially left showrooms back at the end of 2024.As a car ages, the difference between the cheapest and most expensive variants when brand new starts to shrink dramatically. With that in mind, the Vignale is the one to look for now. Do you really need an all-wheel-drive Escape when a front drive will do the job? Not really, but the all-wheel-drive option helps tame that feisty little engine’s power delivery and gives a safety margin on most road surfaces, wet or dry.The one we’d avoid would be the PHEV. Aside from the longer list of potential faults, it just never seemed as resolved or sorted as a modern PHEV should have been. And you’ll be missing out on that ripper little turbo motor which is clearly the highlight of the entire car.Prices start at about $15,000 for cars in good condition and with relatively low kilometres showing. You’ll be buying a front-drive car for that sort of money, although you might get lucky and spot an all-wheel-drive version for under $20,000.A high-spec all-wheel-drive, late-model Escape is yours for about $30,000 or more, and should have fewer than 50,000km on its odometer. The best value is probably somewhere between those two extremes, and look for a car with some factory warranty remaining. That’s great peace of mind.Ford has one of the biggest dealer networks in Australia and, thanks to the long history of Ford vehicles in this country, many of those are situated in regional areas. As such, repair and service parts should never really be a problem, even though the Escape is something of an orphan in this market.Parts are readily available through traditional retailers and there’s good online support, too. Servicing can also be handled by any decent independent workshop which should also be able to stamp the service handbook to protect any remaining new-car warranty.The Escape was largely overlooked by buyers, mainly because the mid-sized SUV market was, and is, such a crowded space. Plenty of competition from other established badges such as Mazda, Toyota and Nissan, as well as the march of the Chinese brands, meant that the Escape was ignored by many.The result was that, even in its best year (2020) Ford sold just over 2000 Escapes; a long way short of the 35,000 sales recorded by the Toyota RAV 4 the same year. And that’s why even the big online sales sites now have less than 100 ZH Escapes for sale right now.

Ford's new base-spec Everest Active has replaced the Ambiente and Trend variants. The Active has a newly offered 2.0-litre four-cylinder single-turbo diesel engine, which produces less power and torque than the twin-turbo engine it replaces, but has been promised to improve fuel economy. So, has the new engine made the Everest any better or worse on- and off-road?

Mini utes are the next big car trend, but could these small SUV-based utilities be a hit in Australia or prove a very big miss?Just like fashion trends our taste in cars goes in cycles, with often the same style coming back just with a bit of a twist. We’ve been through the people-mover phase a few times, the station wagon a couple of times and now it’s utes. Again.Australia has been a ute-loving nation for a hundred years, from the first early 1930s Holden and Ford utilities to the Commodore and Falcon utes of the 80s, 90s and 00s, and on to the raised off-road utes such as the Ford Ranger and Toyota HiLux and then the full-sized American pick-ups such as the Ram 1500 and Chevrolet Silverado.Now we are back to small car-based utes again it seems. The twist is it’s not cars such as the Commodore or Falcon, but small and mid-sized SUVs such as Toyota RAV4 and Ford Escape. The thing is - will Aussies fall over themselves to get into a baby ute one or walk the other way?If the United States is anything to go by, these little utes could be a big hit here.In the US the Ford Escape-based Maverick baby ute launched in 2021 and has sold out every year since. The company’s next little ute will be the Ranchero - a mini electric ute.Meanwhile Toyota’s own little ute, which is based on the Corolla Cross has been spotted testing, and a larger RAV4-based ute has been mooted, too.BYD is even further ahead and will debut its mini hybrid ute - the Mako - by the end of this year.Finally Ram has the Rampage planned for a US launch where it will sit under the RAM 1500.Ford stopped at bringing the Maverick to Australia years ago. I asked Ford Australia in 2021 if there was a possibility the Maverick would be brought here and was told they weren’t sure “if it measured up”, which I took as them not believing it would meet the expectations of Aussie ute buyers in terms of load carrying and towing capacity.But I think Ford might have had that wrong. Yes, utes such as the Ranger are popular because of their one-tonne load carrying ability, off road credentials and their 3500kg braked towing capacity, but neither a Commodore ute or Falcon ute could meet all those requirements.So perhaps we are ready for these new small utes again? Or has the do-anything, go-anywhere Ranger and HiLux spoilt us too much?If any of the baby utes had a chance it’d be the Maverick. If good looks sell cars, then the Maverick would sell out here, as it does in the US.  The Maverick is 5072mm long, which isn’t tiny but smaller than the Ranger that stretches 5370mm in dual-cab SR5 form.The tray in the Maverick is 1380mm x 1235mm, while a Ranger’s is 1547mm x 1584mm.The Maverick comes in hybrid and petrol variants. The hybrid uses a 2.5-litre petrol engine and electric motor and makes 142kW. The petrol variant uses a 2.0-litre turbocharged engine and makes up to 198kW. Braked towing capacity is 907kg or 1800kg with an option towing package fitted to the all-wheel drive variant.As a comparison the VF Commodore ute has a 1600kg braked towing capacity.The Maverick would work in Australia - absolutely.But Ford is probably very unlikely to bring it here. Instead BYD will launch its hybrid ute, which will be a success and so will other Chinese brands such as Chery and Geely.Another indicator the Australian car market is ready for a change it's the sales of off-road utes, which have been in free fall since the start of 2026.The war in Iran and the fuel price spike has definitely contributed to the decline of in ute sales, and the enormous increase in EV sales may suggest buyers are migrating out of their utes into electric cars. So it's likely the new baby ute trend will be electric and hybrid powered. Would Australia get behind that?Well if the utes look good, then they’ll sell. Otherwise it doesn’t matter how great they are - just look at the Kia Tasman…

We are living in an unprecedented era of automotive innovation and change that is constantly reshaping what and how we drive.For that we should be grateful, since the ongoing electrification of everyday cars, SUVs and utes means we have cleaner air, quieter streets, safer vehicles that are cheaper to run and less reliance on petrol stations.But in Australia, we’ve also lost as well as gained due to this relentless march of progress.For proof, look at any new-car guide from 10 years ago. What’s gone is shocking.Here are seven reasons why motoring in 2016 was better than it is today.In 2016, Australians could buy a handful of new small cars costing under $20,000 when converted to today’s money.Sure, we’d steer clear of the Mitsubishi Mirage from $11,990 and Holden Barina Spark from $12,890, but the Suzuki Celerio from $12,990, Nissan Micra from $13,490 and Honda Jazz VTi, Hyundai Accent Active, Mazda 2 Neo and Toyota Yaris Ascent from $14,990 apiece back then all offered comfortable, capable and reliable transport for not much money.But the only new car under $20,000 in 2026 is the Kia Picanto Sport manual from $19,190 (all prices are before on-road costs unless otherwise stated), though the MG 3 Vibe from $21,990 drive-away is actually marginally cheaper in some states after taxes.Plus, all the old entry-level small cars have vanished from Australia except for the Mazda2 (which is essentially exactly the same car) and Yaris (one generation newer), coming in at a rude $27,290 and $29,190 respectively today.It’s worth noting that a number of light SUVs do cost less than the cheapest back in 2016 (Mazda CX-3 Neo manual from $19,990, or nearly $28K today), including the Chery Tiggo 4, MG ZS, Hyundai Venue, Mahindra XUV 3XO, GAC Emzoom, Jaecoo J5 and Haval Jolion, but still cost more than the aforementioned small cars did a decade ago.At the start of 2016, there were 36 small cars of Toyota Corolla size available in Australia; that number has halved today. And they’re hanging around a lot longer than before.Toyota recently announced that it was extending the lifespan of most models from seven to nine years.We’d already noticed. The current Corolla launched in 2018 and is still going. The previous one was done in six years, while four years was common before that.Meanwhile, the Mazda 2, CX-3 and Mazda 3 arrived in 2014, 2015 and 2019 respectively and are still on-going. The Hyundai i30 hatch surfaced in 2017. As did the existing Volkswagen Polo. And even today’s VW Golf 8.5 is a reskin of the 2012 Mk7.What’s happened? Buyers have abandoned passenger cars for SUVs, so carmakers have been forced to keep their models in production longer for a better return on investment. Or, as in Ford’s case with the Fiesta, Focus and Mondeo, they drop them altogether, relying on utes and SUVs instead.In 2016, buyers could purchase a new large, rear-wheel-drive family car designed, developed and built in Australia, like the Ford Falcon or Holden Commodore from under $50,000 in today’s money, or the slightly-smaller, front-drive Toyota Camry-based Aurion as a locally-made alternative.Along with the Skoda Superb that is the only one left standing in 2026, all were defined by their size, space and power.Too large for you? There were another 16 mid-sized sedans that offered almost as much, for a little less. Camry, Honda Accord and Hyundai Sonata are the only names that are hanging on today.Chrysler, meanwhile, imported the 300 series, while in the upper-large segment, the Holden Caprice faced the Hyundai Genesis and, from the following year, the woefully underrated Kia Stinger. Such sedans are now history.Likewise, consumers can no-longer buy a monocoque-bodied workhorse/weekend-plaything ute as defined by the Holden and Ford Falcon utes, though the KGM Musso EV is the start of something new.And there’s more. Where have all the coupes gone since 2016? There were nearly 30 under $100,000. Why are there only four convertibles left under $100K? And from a dozen people movers under $60,000, that number has also plummeted to four, losing icons like Tarago, Odyssey and Stavic along the way.All have been replaced by dozens of EVs in hatchback, liftback/sedan or SUVs of differing sizes, with sleek, homogenised silhouettes, screen-heavy dashboards featuring minimised buttons, silent electric powertrains and every shade of white through black, or silvery blues, greens and browns.Just remember: 20 years ago, your Commodore could be had as a sedan, wagon, Monaro coupe, Adventra crossover wagon, ute, cab-chassis, Crewman dual-cab ute and long-wheelbase Statesman or Caprice, in regular or HSV performance upgrade guises, some with all-wheel drive and all with V8 options to the standard V6, with the latter also offering a liquid petroleum gas alternative. Today Holden is history.Besides the locally-designed and developed Falcon and Commodore, we also had the Falcon-derived Ford Territory to call Australia’s Own (and only-ever) SUV.These vehicles, along with the T6 ute-based Ford Ranger, Ford Everest and Mazda BT-50 made in Thailand and elsewhere, were created and engineered across this country, and were thus better-suited to our environment than their imported alternatives.And many supported Australian suppliers as a result. Most of all that has now since also gone.This one’s heartbreaking for car enthusiasts – or those who want to feel more connected with their vehicle.In 2016, we counted over 170 different makes and models available with a manual gearbox. Today that number is down to around 30 and falling.Both tallies include everything from Morgans to Mahindra Pik-Ups.Earlier we said the least expensive Toyota today – the Yaris – started from nearly twice as much as the 2016 Ascent manual’s $14,990. At least it’s a much better model than back then. And hybrid to boot.But that’s nothing compared to how much the least-expensive new Ford costs today.The 2016 Fiesta Ambiente kicked off from $15,825 (about $21,300 in 2026), while its cheapest passenger vehicle equivalent today is the Everest Active 4WD SUV from $58,990.And if it’s a non-commercial vehicle-based Blue Oval product you desire, that would be the Mustang Mach-E Select from $65,990.The proliferation of touchscreens, with their distracting sub-menus and absorption of buttons that would previously have controlled the climate system, drive modes, side mirrors or even the glove box, has been so widespread – and we have Tesla to thank for starting this craze – that independent safety organisations like EuroNCAP now penalise new vehicles it tests that do not offer clear and unimpeded access to important functions.You wouldn’t read a book whilst driving along a highway. Staring at a screen instead of the road is much the same thing.The 2026 Toyota RAV4, meanwhile, scores highly for its user interface but then drops the ball with an infuriating trigger-happy and never-ending driver-distraction warning. No thanks.Countless other new vehicles suffer from advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) interference technologies. Designed to help, they also serve to harass and annoy the driver, leading to greater fatigue and further risk of distraction.Stupid electronic door handles that just do not work intuitively are another sore point, as is the deletion of a spare wheel because the electrification technology takes precedence over personal security when stranded with a blowout far away from home.Thoughtless excuses to help carmakers save money, this is not progress but the devolution of the car we never saw coming back in 2016.