Ford Everest vs Mitsubishi Pajero Sport vs Toyota Fortuner: here's our winner

Even though most bakkie-based SUVs spend their time confined to suburban traffic, school runs and trips to the shopping mall, their abilities stretch much further than that. This is even more applicable to 4×4 derivatives, where genuine off-road abilities are hidden beneath that veneer of luxury and sophistication. We decided to compare three of the top contenders in this market segment, to determine which one really is the best.

If the bakkie is South Africa’s national vehicle, the SUV is rapidly becoming the runner-up to this title. While many buyers prefer the smaller, car-based offerings fielded by just about every manufacturer, there’s also significant demand for “proper” SUVs – the kind with a rugged, bakkie-like chassis and genuine off-road chops.

To this end, we rounded up the three major contenders in this category, selected the least-expensive diesel derivatives equipped with both 4×4 and an automatic gearbox and cast a critical eye on their attributes to find our winner. But before we dive into the comparison, remember that you can sell your car quickly and easily with our Instant Offer tool before you start your search for new or used SUVs on AutoTrader here.

In this comparison, we’ll consider value for money, standard-fit equipment levels, drivetrain sophistication, and practical considerations. If the Haval H9 were available with diesel power, we would have included it in this comparison. But, because it only came with a petrol engine, it has to be sidelined. Also note that you can get pre-owned, off-road-capable SUVs for much less than these new vehicles, but that new-car smell is important to many buyers (as is a fresh service plan and warranty).

This leaves us with the three established players in this market segment: Ford’s Everest in 2.0 BiTurbo 4×4 XLT trim, the mid-level Mitsubishi Pajero Sport 2.4DI-D 4×4, and the ever-popular Toyota Fortuner in 2.4GD-6 4×4 trim.

Facts and Figures

*With 2 seats in use and both the second and third seating rows folded away.

**Manufacturer’s official figures, or estimates gathered from overseas road tests.

Analysis

Power, performance, and drivetrains

The bare output figures point towards a victory for the Everest because of its power (154 kW), and the high torque output (500 Nm). In contrast, the Pajero Sport and Fortuner realise somewhat lower outputs: 133 kW and 430 Nm in the Mitsubishi, and 110 kW and 400 Nm in the Toyota. There are more powerful Everest- and Fortuner diesels available, however.

The Everest can also be had with a new 3.0-litre, V6 turbodiesel paired to a new 10-speed automatic, while the Fortuner is also available in high-spec form with a 2.8-litre turbodiesel. Unfortunately, these higher-output derivatives are a lot more expensive, which would place them in a higher class than these less-expensive variants, and thus fall outside the scope of this comparison.

The output figures of these specific mid-level derivatives only tell a part of the story because the Ford is by far the largest and heaviest vehicle of this trio. Its power-to-weight ratio works out at 65.8 W/kg, while the much lighter Mitsubishi beats it with a power-to-weight ratio of 65 W/kg. The Fortuner is the odd one out in this comparison, with the same ratio working out at only 57 W/kg, so it stands to reason that the Fortuner 2.4GD-6 will be the slowest of this bunch.

They all use torque converter automatics to send their power into their four-wheel drive systems. However, the Everest out-classes both the Fortuner and the Pajero in this regard, by offering a 10-speed gearbox instead of the others’ 6- and 7-speed gearboxes. This gives a wider overall ratio spread, as well as shorter intermediate gearing, which will ensure a snappier take-off, more punch for overtaking, and more relaxed cruising due to a taller top gear ratio.

As a result, the Everest has the snappiest acceleration from rest and better open-road performance. The fact that its gearbox is very well-programmed to make the most of the engine’s punch is a further bonus and ensures that the Ford walks away with an overall victory in the performance department.

Economy

All three manufacturers claim average fuel consumption figures in 8 ℓ/100 km or lower regions, but real-road driving reveals another picture. The Everest and Fortuner are undoubtedly the most economical in normal driving, largely due to their lower kerb weight and clever gearboxes. Still, the Ford walks away with this crown, thanks to that clever gearbox and a very efficient engine.

Even just going on the (very optimistic) official claims, the Ford has (marginally) the lowest average consumption, but this gap grows on road because it’s the only one of this trio to register sub-10 ℓ/100 km figures in daily driving easily. Not super-economical by any means, but it is not too bad for a big, heavy vehicle of this type.

The Fortuner’s relative lack of power plays a similar role to the Pajero Sport’s because their engines simply need to work harder to move them around. This section is another win for the Ford Everest because its hardware and outputs are better matched to the work its driver would require.

Practicality

The Everest makes a strong statement in the practicality stakes, with by far the largest load volumes (with or without the seats in use), and the most spacious cabin. That extra size has gone into creating a truly massive boot, offering 898 litres with 5 seats in use (the rearmost seat fold down into the boot floor).

Being quite a bit smaller than the Everest counts against the Pajero Sport in this department. Its rear seats also fold into the boot floor, but its loading volume maxes out at a comparatively skimpy 673 litres on offer with the third row folded away. Erect their third seating rows, and the Everest still offers a useable luggage compartment, while the others end up with a little shelf behind seats 6 and 7.

The Fortuner is a bit of a mixed bag in this regard, with a larger luggage compartment volume than the Pajero Sport in 5-seater mode, but with intrusive third-row seats which fold up to the sides (instead of into the floor). This restricts the cargo bay’s width, even if it lowers the load floor, and ultimately compromises practicality to a significant degree.

Overall, practicality is a resounding win for the Everest: it has the largest passenger compartment and by far the most carrying capacity, no matter which seat configuration you use. The Pajero Sport comes second because its load bay is much more useable, even if there’s slightly less space than in the Fortuner.

Equipment and safety

There isn’t much to choose between these three contenders in terms of safety kit, because they all come with traction- and stability control, ABS with EBD. While the Toyota and Mitsubishi offer 7 airbags, the Everest comes fitted with 6. Crash testing also yielded similar results, with NCAP testing awarding 5-stars to all three vehicles in South African specification. They’re also all equipped with ISOFIX child seat anchors in their middle seating rows. Suffice it to say that families should be equally safe in all of these three SUVs.

Standard equipment is a bit of a different story, though. Eagle-eyed readers will have noticed that the Fortuner is much less expensive than the Pajero Sport and the Everest – a difference partly explained by the Fortuner’s lower standard specification level. However, they all feature rear-view cameras, air-conditioning (with rear-seat vents), colour infotainment interfaces, leather upholstery, cruise control, and keyless access with pushbutton start.

The Pajero Sport and Everest both expand on this list by upgrading to climate control, and adding automatic controls for their headlights and wipers, and auto-dimming interior mirrors. Overall, the Pajero Sport offers the best-balanced spread of standard convenience features. It quite easily justifies its price premium over the Fortuner just by way of the extra toys in its cabin.

Verdict

It’s difficult to criticise the Fortuner too harshly, given its significant price advantage over the other two in this comparison. However, that bargain price comes with some notable downsides, such as the worst-in-group performance and a relatively barren equipment list. It’s also the least practical of this group and has the least sophisticated running gear. However, if you’re adamant about buying an off-road capable 7-seater 4×4 SUV, the Fortuner 2.4GD-6 is the bargain of the bunch – just be aware of its limitations before you sign on the dotted line.

Separating the Everest and the Pajero Sport is much more difficult, as they each have much that is commendable. They’re both very well-equipped, and very capable both on- and off-road, and they offer similar value propositions. The Ford’s strongest suit is its cavernous interior and massive cargo space. However, this comes with the penalty of excess weight and more difficult manoeuvrability on account of its oversized dimensions.

Ford has undoubtedly made a huge improvement over its previous generation Everest. So much so that the Pajero Sport and Fortuner which both offer a great balance between price, performance, frugality and practicality are starting to be overlooked by buyers in this segment. However, where the Pajero Sport and Fortuner fall short in terms of standard equipment or practicality, they do become available at significantly lower prices.

Thus if the price tag is not a problem, we would wholeheartedly recommend the Ford Everest, however. If you want good levels of practicality, standard equipment and performance, the Mitsubishi Pajero Sport wins this battle.

* Pricing was accurate at the time of writing, but may change without prior notice.

Keyword: Ford Everest vs Mitsubishi Pajero Sport vs Toyota Fortuner: here's our winner