Which utes have the best servicing cover?

What you think of as “best servicing cover” is going to depend on your expectations. 

• Servicing intervals are lengthiest for the Nissan Navara, VW Amarok (first-gen)
• Shortest / most frequent intervals are six-monthly/10,000km
• VW, Nissan offer buyers the choice to prepay maintenance

Is it the best cover if it’s the cheapest? Is it the best cover if it’s the longest in terms of years? Or mileage? Or is it best if it has the lengthiest service intervals?

It’s complex, that’s for sure, but to help clear things up, we’ve got a breakdown of the servicing standards for each of the big selling utes on the market. 

This is simply a guide to the current status of each of the following vehicles, at the time of publishing, and it is recommended that you do the work and check the documentation applicable to your vehicle of choice. 

It is also critical that you check what is or is not included in the capped-price service regime for each brand. You might be surprised what the rate you pay doesn’t include, but it’s too complex to list all the minutiae here.

Below you will find the make model of the ute, the servicing intervals, the capped price service plan duration and average cost per service for the duration of the capped-price plan.

Toyota HiLux

• 6 months/10,000km
• 3 years/60,000km
• Petrol - $245 per service
• Diesel - $290 per service

Toyota LandCruiser 70

• 6 months/10,000km
• 3 years/60,000km
• Diesel - $425 per service

Ford Ranger

• 12 months/15,000km
• 4 years/60,000km
• Diesel - $329 per service 

Mitsubishi Triton

• 12 months/15,000km 
• 10 years/150,000km
• Diesel - $674 per service (average over capped-price period)

Isuzu D-Max

• 12 months/15,000km
• 7 years/105,000km
• Diesel 3.0L - $527 (average over capped-price period)
• Diesel 1.9L - $480 (avereage over capped-price period)

Mazda BT-50

• 12 months/15,000km
• 5 years/75,000km
• Diesel 3.0L - $481 (average over capped-price period)
• Diesel 1.9L - $417 (average over capped-price period)

Nissan Navara

• 12 months/20,000km
• NOTE: Option to pre-pay servicing. Details below.
• 6 years/120,000km 
• Diesel auto - $607 (average over capped-price period)
• Diesel manual - $614 (average over capped-price period)

GWM Cannon Ute

• First service - 6 months/5000km
• Next four services - 12 months/10,000km
• 5 years/45,000km 
• Diesel - $340 (average over capped-price period)

LDV T60

• 12 months/15,000km 
• No capped-price servicing

VW Amarok

• 12 months/20,000km -

NOTE: Option to pre-pay servicing. Details below.

• 5 years/100,000km
• Diesel 4-cyl - $732 (average over capped-price period)
• Diesel V6 165kW auto - $775 (average over capped-price period)
• Diesel V6 190kW auto - $775 (average over capped-price period)
• Diesel V6 165kW manual - $783 (average over capped-price period)

SsangYong Musso

• 12 months/15,000km
• 7 years/105,000km
• Diesel - $375 per service

Ram 1500

• 12 months/12,000km
• No capped-price servicing

A couple of things to call out here. The lack of capped-price servicing plans whatsoever from Ram and LDV - both brands distributed by Ateco Automotive - is a serious consideration for potential customers.

Further, there is something you should consider if you’re looking at the VW Amarok pricing and trying to stay seated, as those prices could make one fall from one’s chair. The thing with the Volksy ute is that it can be had with what the brand calls its Care Plans.

As such, if you choose an Amarok 4-cylinder you are eligible to pay a $1900 fee for all five years/75,000km of maintenance, which the brand equates to offering two services for free (not to mention a saving of $1761 off the pay-as-you-go rate. The same is the case for the V6 Amarok, which has a five-year Care Plan cost of $2050, saving you at least $1825 off the year-by-year maintenance price.

Further, Nissan has a pre-paid servicing plan available for Navara, with a choice of three years ($1744 for auto, $1765 for manual), four years ($2304 auto, $2332 manual) or five years ($2847 auto, $2883 manual).

It is also worth reiterating that the Toyota six-month intervals might look cheap on paper, but if you do the maths, you will pay twice the listed price - because you have to service the vehicle twice a year. So, don’t think $290 capped price servicing for a HiLux diesel - think $580. That’s the more realistic figure.

Tell us your thoughts in the comments section about which one of the above brands nails it best when it comes to capped-price servicing.