Should I buy a 2023 Ford Everest Platinum or a 2023 Isuzu MU-X LS-T?

While neither the Isuzu MU-X nor Ford Everest tops Australia's large SUV segment, in the dedicated off-road-ready offshoot of that segment, they landed in second and third place respectively behind the Toyota Prado.

You need only look outside the confines of Australia's capital cities to see that buyers, from the rural to the truly remote, depend on vehicles like these to move their families in safety and comfort – not to mention practicality.

Isuzu has built a reputation on quality and longevity, while Ford has honed its offering with Australian-developed engineering and a focus on technology over the years.

For 2023, Isuzu has sharpened the MU-X just a little. Trainspotters may notice minor exterior trim revisions, while changes to the blind spot and rear cross-traffic alert systems for ease of towing will be welcomed by users.

Ford's new Everest, which debuted in 2022, fronts up to the large SUV party by being the only current class competitor to offer V6 diesel power. Once again, its development has been led by Australian engineers for a global audience, with a range of modern car-like features into the mix.

The 2023 Ford Everest is available in four trim levels: Ambiente, Trend, Sport and Platinum, with prices ranging from $59K to $86K drive-away. The Ambiente and Trend are powered by a 2.0-litre bi-turbo diesel four-cylinder engine and the choice of rear- or all-wheel drive. The Sport and Platinum are all-wheel drive only and have a more powerful 3.0-litre turbo diesel V6 engine. 

All Everests have a 10-speed automatic transmission.

The Everest Ambiente comes with two rows of seating (five seats) and can be optioned with a folding third row for $950 taking total seating capacity to seven. All other Everests come with three rows fitted as standard, and the third row can be folded away to prioritise luggage capacity. 

All Ford Everest variants have alloy wheels of 17 inches or larger and carry a full-size spare. LED headlights are also standard across the range, as are side-steps and roof rails. Remote central locking includes a proximity sensor that unlocks the car on approach.    

The Everest Platinum is priced from $76,880 plus on-road costs and wears 21-inch alloy wheels, matrix LED headlights that can ‘channel’ the light at night to provide superior visibility that also is less blinding to other road users, and finished steel side-steps. The Platinum also has a hands-free power tailgate and a panoramic sunroof with power blind.

Buyers with off-road intentions can option 18-inch wheels with all-terrain tyres at no additional cost, while a tow pack, including tow bar and integrated brake controller, is available for $2210.

The 2023 Isuzu MU-X reinserts into the large off-road SUV category to battle it out with rivals such as the Mitsubishi Pajero Sport, Toyota Fortuner and Prado, and the all-new Ford Everest.

Isuzu has brought new cosmetic touches such as darkened grille trim pieces to the front fascia and dark surrounds to the tail-lights.

There are also running updates under the skin, including a tweak that sees the blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert systems automatically switch off if the vehicle is towing a trailer using a genuine Isuzu wiring harness.

It’s still a three-strong range that kicks off from $48,900 before on-road costs for the entry-level 4x2 LS-M variant, and extends to $67,400 for the LS-T 4x4. At the moment Isuzu is running a drive-away deal on the top-spec MU-X LS-T 4x4 which costs $65,990 drive-away. All three can be had in either 4x2 or 4x4 configuration.

Other changes to the range for 2023 include new 17-inch alloy wheels for the entry-level LS-M – with Dunlop all-terrain tyres.

The upper-spec LS-U and LS-T score a tyre pressure monitoring system, hands-free electric boot release, and Magnetite-coloured trim pieces for the dash and door cards.

Common across the range is the familiar 3.0-litre turbo diesel four-cylinder engine that outputs 140kW/450Nm through a six-speed automatic transmission. It retains its impressive 3.5-tonne tow rating.

Getting more specific, at launch we spent the most time in the range-topping spec, the Isuzu MU-X LS-T. Equipment adds for the 2023 model-year MU-X LS-T include new-design 20-inch two-tone alloy wheels with Bridgestone highway-terrain tyres, while portions of the front bar include Magnetite (dark grey) accents.

The Ford Everest Platinum is a seven-seater that will actually fit adults in all three rows. Space at the very back is not generous, that’s for sure, but adult occupation is possible. More on that in a moment. Let’s start up front for now. 

The Everest Platinum has a full leather interior with a quilting treatment on the seats that adds an air of luxury. 

The front seats are electrically adjustable, heated and ventilated. The steering wheel is manually adjustable for reach and tilt, which means 99 per cent of drivers will find a good driving position. 

The dashboard is quite high, which makes the Everest feel a touch claustrophobic inside. It also has a weird side-effect of making the Everest feel large and intimidating to drive, especially for smaller adults. But it’s not at all intimidating to drive, as I detail below. It just imparts that vibe because of the high trimline and dashboard. 

Both front doors have bottle holders, and there are two cupholders on the centre console, as well as a smartphone charger and a specially designed McDonald’s fries holder. Because, well just because.  

The dashboard is dominated by a 12-inch infotainment screen that has been mounted in portrait mode, unlike many rivals that favour a landscape orientation. It’s partnered with a 12.4-inch digital instrument display in front of the driver, which only the Platinum gets. Other Everest models get a smaller 8.0-inch version that does the job but can’t match the flash of the Platinum’s larger screen. 

Ford believes that towing is likely to play a role in owners’ lives, so it has integrated the optional trailer braking controls fitted to our test car into the dashboard layout. I would assume this is a positive because it makes the controls look consistent with the rest of the cabin and not like an aftermarket add-on. But not being a regular tow-er, I don’t know if there are downsides to this approach. 

Climbing up into the second row of seats is made easier by the side steps and a prominent grab rail on the B-pillar. Once ensconced, there is plenty of leg, foot and headroom for adults, and the seat base slides fore and aft by 20cm if you need to give some of that space to the third row. 

The two outboard seats have seat heating, and there are bottle holders in the door pockets as well as cupholders in the fold-down armrest. 

There are air vents in the second row for airflow, and the panoramic sunroof allows plenty of light in as well. 

Getting into the third row is straightforward thanks to a single lever that folds the second-row backrest and slides the base forward. There are porthole windows back there to provide some light, vents in the roof for airflow, and cupholders for both seats. One seat also has an iPad storage slot.  

Into the boot now, and as I mentioned before, the Everest Platinum has a hands-free power tailgate that opens to reveal an 898L boot, assuming the third row is stowed away. If the third row is in use there’s still a decent 259L of space, both of which measurements are among the best in class. 

Fold both the second and third rows away and the Everest has a cavernous 1818L of space with a mostly flat floor.

The LS-T model grade continues to specify leatherette upholstery inside the cabin and owners can also expect heated seating. The seats adjust electrically for front row occupants and the entire space is illuminated by LED interior lighting.

In terms of actually using the space, the MU-X’s cabin is hugely spacious and very comfortable – ripe for the impromptu road trip if need be. Stitched portions of the trim coverings adorn the dash and door cards, which make the cabin feel nicer than its ute-based counterpart.

The tops of the door cards still contain a sharp plastic join-line that belies this SUV’s otherwise impressive array of materials.  

Ergonomics-wise, it’s a functional space, and you’re never caught stretching over to operate various bits and pieces such as the infotainment or switchgear.

Thankfully, Isuzu’s left the control of the air-conditioning to physical dials and switches, whereas other manufacturers are progressively moving towards infotainment-based operation.

There’s an adequate amount of storage options in the front row between the large cupholders, centre console bin, a tray in front of the gear selector, a dual-open glovebox, and a set of bottle holders in the doors. However, it is a shame they’re so thin for such a large vehicle.

In the second row there’s a commodious amount of space, no matter how big or small your occupants may be. The seats recline for ultimate laid-back comfort, while the air vents are located within the roof. Unfortunately, the second row doesn’t slide forward and back to help out third-row passengers.

Speaking of which, those two third-row passengers have a decent amount of space for a large SUV. Big knees and long legs are surprisingly well catered for, though headroom is tight for taller occupants.

The boot now opens hands-free in LS-U specifications and above. Boot space stays the same between model years, meaning it’ll carry 311L with the third row up, 1119L with the third row down, and 2138L with third and second rows folded.

The Ford Everest has wired and wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, and Bluetooth smartphone connectivity if you have something else. 

All smartphone functions are accessed through the centrally mounted 12-inch infotainment screen, which has high-quality graphics, an intuitive interface and is generally easy to use… Except on the move. The Everest Platinum on 21-inch wheels has a stiffer and more reactive ride. This in turn makes it hard to aim your finger when touching the screen. 

If you’re not following me, imagine sitting on a waterbed and reaching for your piping hot morning coffee on the side table. Now picture your two young kids bouncing on the bed… Not so easy to grab that cuppa now, is it? That’s what it’s like trying to stab a small onscreen button while driving. 

In fact, I’d suggest that the Platinum’s ride needs more attention from Ford’s engineers, and not just to make touchscreen interaction easier. It’s out of character for a flagship model, but more on that in the Driving section below. 

Of course, you can ‘anchor’ your hand by resting part of it on the dashboard surrounding the screen, but that shouldn’t be necessary. I suppose you could also resort to the vehicle’s voice control, the key phrases for which need to be learned first. Anyway, moving on… And no, I don’t own a waterbed. 

All Everests have satellite navigation with live traffic functionality free for the first year. DAB+ digital radio is also part of the package, playing through the Platinum’s 12-speaker Bang and Olufsen sound system that has very good audio quality.

The infotainment screen also has functions for adjusting the climate-control settings, which in turn are supplemented by some real-world buttons and dials just below the screen. During our test week, I found some of the air-con functionality – via the onscreen virtual buttons – to be hit-and-miss. For example, the ability to adjust fan speed and temperature by moving the onscreen slider wouldn’t work on one drive but did on the next. 

There has been no update to Isuzu’s 9.0-inch infotainment system, which it could well have used. The system, while wholly capable, presents as an aftermarket solution and looks ordinary in comparison to its rivals.

It also doesn’t have handy app-based phone integration where you can check certain things about your car from your phone, à la Ford Everest and the FordPass Connect services.

Handily, it does have the ability to run wireless Apple CarPlay and wired Android Auto, if you don’t like the car’s native satellite navigation or digital radio connectivity.

There’s a small screen within the instrument cluster that shows pertinent information about the car’s driving metrics, such as fuel economy, what status the part-time 4x4 system is in, and a digital speed readout.

The Ford Everest was been assessed by the independent crash safety body, Australasian New Car Assessment Program (ANCAP), in 2022 and awarded five stars. 

The Everest scored highly for adult occupant protection (86 per cent), child occupant protection (93 per cent), and safety assist (86 per cent). The Everest’s vulnerable road user rating of 74 per cent is also good. 

The Everest has a class-leading airbag inventory: dual front and front-side airbags, knee-protecting airbags for both front-seat occupants, a front-centre airbag to reduce head-clash injuries, and curtain airbags covering all three rows. 

The Isuzu MU-X carries a five-star safety rating recently refreshed in September 2022. This test is based on crash test data from the structurally similar D-Max.

The MU-X range carries an 86 per cent rating for adult occupant protection, 85 per cent child occupant protection rating, 69 per cent vulnerable road user (pedestrian) protection, and an 84 per cent safety assist systems rating.

All Ford Everest variants come with an impressive and almost class-leading array of active safety features. This includes intelligent adaptive cruise control with stop-and-go functionality, traffic sign recognition and lane centring. 

Autonomous emergency braking that is pedestrian, cyclist and junction-aware is also fitted across the range, as is lane-departure warning with lane-keeping assist, evasive steering assist and blind-spot monitoring. The Everest does not have the blind-spot active assist functionality that seeks to prevent you from changing lanes into another car.

All Everests have front and rear parking sensors and a reversing camera. 

The Everest Platinum upgrades that to a 360-degree surround vision set-up. It also has active park assist and an individual tyre pressure monitoring system. 

New equipment for the 2023 MU-X is tyre pressure monitoring which is viewed inside the digital instrument display.

The MU-X also features a full suite of advanced safety tech and speed sign recognition cameras. It continues to stock important active safety features like autonomous emergency braking, forward collision warning, lane-departure warning, and lane-keep assistance.

New for 2023 is the ability for the car to automatically turn off the blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert systems when towing with a genuine Isuzu trailer harness.

Put into practice, the above active safety measures reliably worked with the driver rather than hindered by needlessly alerting to ghost cars or dangers.

Servicing a 2023 Ford Everest is a very affordable $329 per visit right now, for the first four years or 60,000km. The fifth year costs $350.

Servicing your Ford at a Ford service centre brings with it national roadside assist cover for the next 12 months, up to and including the vehicle’s seventh year. 

Ford’s standard warranty is five years and unlimited kilometres. 

Comprehensive insurance comes in at $1879 a year based on a comparative quote for a 35-year-old male driver living in Chatswood, NSW. That’s about $350 dearer than the quote we got for the less expensive Everest Sport. Insurance estimates may vary based on your location, driving history, and personal circumstances.

Isuzu offers a six-year/150,000km warranty on its vehicles. Service intervals take place at every 15,000km interval or every 12 months, whichever occurs sooner.

Isuzu also provides seven years of roadside assistance and seven years of capped-price servicing. Common across all variants is service pricing: three years of maintenance costs $1545 and five years costs $2435.

The Isuzu MU-X LS-T will cost $1726.83 to insure per year based on a comparative quote for a 35-year-old male driver living in Chatswood, NSW. Insurance estimates may vary based on your location, driving history, and personal circumstances.

This one’s a mixed bag. In general, the Ford Everest is an easy car to drive, and is quiet and enjoyable if the road is smooth. But the Ford Everest Platinum has a firmer ride than its less expensive brothers, which in my opinion is unnecessary and unwarranted. 

The Platinum is noticeably more reactive to lumps and bumps in the road, and that translates into jostling and jouncing inside the cabin, which is far from enjoyable. 

Whether the Platinum was deliberately tuned that way by Ford to impart a sense of sportiness, or whether it’s a byproduct of the larger 21-inch Goodyear Wrangler all-terrain tyres (275/45s), it makes the Everest Platinum a less composed and less relaxing car to drive. Ford does offer the option of 18-inch wheels and all-terrain tyres for those more likely to head off-road.

The Everest Platinum is a 2492kg five-door wagon powered by a muscular and relaxed 3.0-litre turbo diesel engine, so it’s never going to be anybody’s definition of sporty. So why Ford has endowed this vehicle with a sporty ride is beyond me. It’s jarring, both physically and holistically. 

Look beyond the overly reactive ride and there’s a lot to like about the Everest Platinum. The engine is a gem, so generous with its torque and never short of breath. It’s easy to imagine this successor to the Ford Territory’s then-impressive 2.7-litre unit towing close to the gazetted 3.5-tonne maximum, and doing it with relative ease. 

I’m not a fan of 10-speed transmissions – they’re at least two gears more than anyone needs, and I reckon Ford developed it simply to win barroom bragging rights – and this one can at times be caught in the wrong ratio, or take too long to shuffle to the right gear for the occasion. In general, though, it’s a smooth cog-swapper that moves you quickly to the highest ratio for fuel economy reasons. 

The buttons on the gear selector allow you to either shift manually or reduce the operating range. Press the minus three times and you now have a seven-speed transmission. Press it two more times and it’s a five-speed. With overdriven gears from eighth and above, this can be handy when towing in hilly terrain.

Alternatively, press the M for manual mode and you can use the plus and minus controls to shuffle through gears manually.  

In everyday driving, the Everest is a willing and able companion. The active cruise control with full stop/go capability is a godsend in peak-hour traffic, and the high driving position provides good visibility.

Aurally, the cabin is a quiet oasis with barely any intrusion from tyre rumble or engine noise. 

Ford’s turning circle claim of 11.8m is believable, giving the Everest manoeuvrability in tight spaces that belies its overall size. 

In fact, despite what I said above about the high dashboard making the car feel claustrophobic and cumbersome, the Everest is enjoyable to pilot in pretty much any condition on any terrain. I just wish the ride would calm down. 

With its carryover 3.0-litre four-cylinder turbo diesel engine producing an identical 140kW/450Nm to its predecessor and all the same mechanicals underfoot, there’s nothing revolutionary about the MU-X’s drive experience.

But that’s no bad thing. The MU-X is a great SUV to drive whether you’re travelling through suburbia or more open bushland. The powertrain feels strong on overtakes and rumbles away without too many vibrations sent through to the cabin.

However, it’s not the last word in refinement overall. Driveline noises do permeate the cabin under throttle, which would be fair for a dual-cab ute, but should be toned down in an SUV wagon. The six-speed auto transmission works well in unison with the engine and serves up appropriate power when requested. There is no awkward shunting on kick-down pedal inputs, which I have experienced with the Ford Everest’s 10-speed.

The ride is generally very good over speed humps and potholes, eating up impacts with impressive effect. Over sustained corrugations, the body can tend to jitter more than you’d expect from an SUV.

In lieu of hardcore off-roading, we spent some time on the sandy beaches of Noosa’s North Shore on launch and nothing could faze the four-wheel-drive system. A Rough Terrain Mode is available on the console if the going gets really tricky, though you’d have to be doing some hardcore trekking to utilise that specific mode.

You may have a favourite finisher in mind for this race, but in reality every use case is different, and each of these models has a long list of positives making them both easy to recommend.

As range-toppers in their respective line-ups, both showcase the best of what each brand has to offer. In the Isuzu's case there's a much lower price – in part because Isuzu's long-running drive-away deal helps the LS-T undercut even the mid-spec LS-U model in the line-up.

Ford counters with a plusher interior in the Everest Platinum, tech like a larger (and more user-friendly) infotainment system, and fully digital instrument display.

In terms of interior space, both offer roomy and comfortable first- and second-row seating with a wealth of adjustability. You could just about toss a coin to pick a winner here, and most family buyers will find plenty of space and practicality. As is so often the case for the segment, third-row space is a little less generous, but even still, there's useable room for kids or young teenagers.

Ford takes the lead on service costs, but Isuzu delivers cheaper fuel bills, and how you use your vehicle (not to mention how much you use it) could tip favour towards one or the other. Official safety scores see both perform equally well; however, in practice there appears to be an extra layer of polish to how the Everest's safety systems react to real-world situations, despite improvements to Isuzu's safety suite since launch.

Despite both engines measuring in at 3.0 litres, there's better refinement from the Everest's V6 and the extra power and torque – available low in the rev range – make the process of loading up with passengers, towing or tackling the rough stuff just that bit easier.

Admittedly, you have to pay for the Everest Platinum's niceties, but from a more upmarket interior look and feel to dynamics that feel like they grew up here, the Everest ticks so many boxes for Aussies after safe and sturdy family transport to travel beyond towns and cities into the reaches of 'real' Australia.

It's fair to say that value-oriented buyers are unlikely to feel hard done by in the MU-X. It takes a more pragmatic approach but still delivers a safe and dependable large SUV. What it lacks in outright power, the MU-X more than makes up for in all-round ability at a more budget-friendly price.