Tradies Have Spoken: This Ute Is King — But For How Long?

Every site has the same arguments. Best boots. Best tools. Best way to get a slab home on a Friday. And right up there with all of them: which ute actually deserves the crown. Power, towing, resale, comfort — everyone’s got their own reason. So we asked tradies straight up to settle it. No ads, no dealers, no spin. Just blokes and women picking the ute they’d back with their own money. One brand didn’t just win. It walked it. But on site, nothing stays king forever.

Crowns aren’t given on site. They’re earned one breakdown at a time.

There are debates that never die on a job site. Who makes the best coffee. Who cut that corner. And which ute really deserves to lead the pack. Some care about power, some about towing, some about resale, and some just want something that starts every morning without drama. So we put the question straight to the Intrade community and let tradies call it themselves.

One brand didn’t edge ahead. It cleared out.

Why Toyota still wears the crown

With 42% of tradies backing it, Toyota didn’t just win: It dominated. HiLux loyalty in Australia isn’t built on brochures. It’s built on stories. Flooded tracks. Burnt paddocks. Years of abuse that would fold softer rigs. Most tradies don’t even explain why they trust Toyota anymore.

They just do. It’s not always the cheapest and it’s not always the flashiest, but when you want something that turns the key every morning, takes punishment, and still holds value when you sell it, Toyota keeps proving why it’s the default setting on site. The crown isn’t shiny. It’s scarred. And that’s why it stays.

Ford and Isuzu: close enough to keep it honest

Ford came in second at 14%, with Isuzu right behind at 13%. Different crowds, same purpose. Ranger drivers talk about grunt and comfort in the same breath. Strong motors, solid towing and a cabin that doesn’t feel like punishment after ten hours on your feet. It’s for tradies who want muscle but still want to drive home without feeling wrecked.

The D-MAX crowd doesn’t chase flash. They chase reliability. No drama, no gimmicks — just a ute that does the same job every day without asking for attention. That slow-burn trust is exactly why Isuzu keeps creeping closer to the big dogs. Toyota still leads, but Ford and Isuzu are close enough now to make it work for every inch.

“On site, loyalty isn’t about logos. It’s about which ute still shows up when everything else goes wrong.”

Every ute has its own kind of tradie

Not every tradie wants the same thing, and the rest of the field proves it. Some chase value. Some chase size. Some chase comfort. RAM and Silverado pull in blokes who tow big and don’t mind feeding a big tank. Navara and Triton stay alive because people know exactly what they’re getting. Amarok and BT-50 attract tradies who care just as much about how it feels as how it works. None of them are weak, but none of them own the site the way Toyota still does. They survive by knowing their crowd and sticking to it, not by pretending they’re built for everyone.

The crown is heavy… and it’s not glued on

These numbers aren’t about fashion. They’re about risk. Tradies choose what feels safe, what’s proven, and what won’t leave them stranded with a trailer full of gear and a client already blowing up their phone. Toyota wins because it feels like the least risky bet. Ford and Isuzu keep closing the gap by proving, year after year, that they deserve to be trusted just as much. The rest survive by carving out their corner of the yard and owning it properly.

Toyota wears the crown today, but crowns only last as long as the work does. Ford keeps lifting its game. Isuzu keeps earning trust. New players keep making noise. All it takes is one generation of tradies to decide something else feels safer, smarter, or better value.

So here’s the real question: is your ute still earning its spot, or are you driving it out of habit, not trust? On site, nothing stays king forever.