Toyota Fortuner vs Mitsubishi Montero Sport vs Ford Everest vs Nissan Terra vs Isuzu mu-X

Who shops for these five

If you need seven seats, a diesel and enough ground clearance for floods and rough provincial roads, these five tend to end up on the same shortlist. Each is built on a pickup truck's ladder frame, so they cope with bad roads and heavy loads better than a car-based crossover. They also feel big in city traffic.

They are closer than you might think: the cheapest versions start within about ₱400,000 of each other. The real differences are in engines, gearboxes, 4x4 pricing and equipment.

Prices and variants

The Montero Sport is the cheapest way in. Mitsubishi's August 2026 list starts at ₱1,568,000 for the GLX 2.4D 2WD M/T and tops out at ₱2,530,000 for the Black Series 2.4D 4WD A/T. The mu-X runs from ₱1,725,000 (RZ4E 4x2 LS AT) to ₱2,670,000 (3.0 4x4 LS-E AT), and the Fortuner from ₱1,775,000 (2.4 G 4x2 MT) to ₱2,656,000 (2.8 GR-S 4x4 AT).

The Everest and Terra start higher. The Everest Active 2.0L Turbo 4x2 costs ₱1,949,000, and the Platinum 3.0L V6 4x4 costs ₱2,849,000, the most expensive SUV in this group. The Terra goes from ₱1,969,000 (2.5 VE AT 4x2) to ₱2,499,000 (2.5 Sport VL 4x4 AT), so even its flagship undercuts every rival's.

Two more prices are worth knowing. The cheapest automatic is the mu-X 1.9 LS at ₱1,725,000, though with the smallest engine of the five. The cheapest 4x4 is the Terra VL 4x4 at ₱2,409,000. The other four ask ₱2,530,000 to ₱2,670,000 for their first four-wheel-drive version.

Paint adds ₱10,000 to ₱15,000 on some Fortuner colors, ₱15,000 for the Montero Sport's White Diamond and ₱20,000 for the Terra's premium colors. The price lists date from August to November 2026 and promos change monthly, so compare final cash prices from dealers, not SRPs.

Engines, gearboxes and economy

The strongest engine here is the Everest Platinum's 3.0-liter V6 turbodiesel, with 247 hp and 600 Nm. The Fortuner 2.8 GR-S follows with 221 hp and 550 Nm, and the same 2.8 makes 201 hp and 500 Nm in the Q and LTD. The Terra's 2.5 and the mu-X 3.0 are evenly matched at 187 hp and 450 Nm. The Montero Sport's 2.4 makes 179 hp, and its torque is given as 430 to 450 Nm because Mitsubishi's own site shows both figures.

The entry versions are a step down. The Fortuner 2.4 (148 hp, 400 Nm), Everest 2.0 (168 hp, 405 Nm) and mu-X 1.9 (148 hp, 350 Nm) are well down on their top trims. The Montero Sport and Terra use one engine across the range, so even a base Terra VE gets the full 450 Nm.

Gearboxes vary more than engines. The Everest has a 10-speed automatic on every trim, the Montero Sport an eight-speed automatic (or a six-speed manual on the GLX), the Terra a seven-speed automatic and the Fortuner a six-speed manual or automatic. Isuzu lists the mu-X gearbox only as an automatic. Want a manual? Only the Fortuner 2.4 G MT and the Montero Sport GLX have one.

None of the five has an official fuel economy figure we can cite, so we won't rank them. Bigger engines and 4x4 hardware generally cost some fuel in city traffic. Tanks are 80 liters on the Fortuner, Everest and mu-X and 78 liters on the Terra; the Montero Sport's isn't confirmed.

Size, ground clearance and 4x4

All five are large for Metro Manila. The Fortuner is the shortest at 4,795 mm, followed by the Montero Sport (4,825 mm), mu-X (4,850 mm), Terra (4,900 mm) and Everest (4,914 mm). The spread is small, so measure your garage or condo slot either way.

Ground clearance is where the Fortuner falls behind, at 193 mm. The Montero Sport has 218 mm, the Terra 225 mm, the Everest 227 mm and the mu-X 230 mm. If your street floods every rainy season, that difference matters more than a bigger screen. Ford also quotes 800 mm of wading depth for the Everest Wildtrak.

Four-wheel drive is mostly kept for upper trims. The Fortuner has it on the 2.8 LTD 4x4 and GR-S, the Everest on the Wildtrak and Platinum, and the Montero Sport and mu-X on one version each. The Terra offers 4x4 on three trims: VL, Sport and Sport VL. The Montero Sport's Super Select 4WD-II can switch between 2H, 4H and 4HLc at up to 100 km/h, and the 4x4 Everests get an electronic rear differential lock with Mud/Ruts and Sand modes.

We have cargo and towing figures only for the Everest: 199 liters with all seats up, 537 liters with the third row folded and a 3,500 kg towing limit. For the others, bring your usual luggage to the showroom.

Features, safety and warranty by trim

The Everest's equipment is the best documented of the five. Even the Active has a 12-inch touchscreen, seven airbags, autonomous emergency braking and front and rear parking sensors, though only a rear camera and simpler cruise control. The Sport+ at ₱2,219,000 adds adaptive cruise, blind-spot monitoring and a 360-degree camera. The Wildtrak and Platinum add matrix LED lights, a panoramic roof and a power-folding third row.

On the mu-X, the LS-A and LS-E get a 360-degree camera, a video recorder, a wireless charger and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and the base 1.9 LS does without them. Isuzu cites a five-star ASEAN NCAP rating, a driver-assist package with a stereo camera and rear radars, and a 3-year or 100,000 km warranty. Nissan gives the Terra a 5-year or 150,000 km warranty, the longest on file here.

We don't have trim-by-trim equipment for the Fortuner, Montero Sport or Terra. At these prices, ask for the official spec sheet and compare airbag counts and driver aids before you sign.

Which one should you buy

For a family that stays on paved and gravel roads, we'd start with the 4x2 automatics around ₱2 million: the Fortuner 2.4 V at ₱2,000,000, the mu-X 3.0 LS-A at ₱2,069,000 and the Terra VL at ₱2,119,000. Add the Everest Sport+ (₱2,219,000) if you want its equipment. Other buyers should weigh things differently:

• If you want seven seats for the least money, the Montero Sport GLX at ₱1,568,000 is the cheapest, but it is a basic manual. For an automatic, the mu-X 1.9 LS at ₱1,725,000 undercuts every rival, though 350 Nm is modest for a full load.
• If you drive mostly in Metro Manila, the Everest Sport+ has the most traffic-friendly kit we can confirm, including adaptive cruise and a 360-degree camera for tight parking. On a smaller budget, the Fortuner 2.4 G AT (₱1,867,000) is the shortest of the five.
• If your area floods or you live at the end of an unpaved road, compare clearance first. The mu-X, Everest and Terra all have 225 mm or more, and the Terra VL 4x4 at ₱2,409,000 is the cheapest four-wheel drive here.
• If you tow, climb mountain roads often or always travel full, the Everest Platinum's V6 has the most torque. The Fortuner GR-S (550 Nm) and the 2.8 Q and LTD (500 Nm) come next.
• If a long warranty matters, the Terra's 5 years or 150,000 km is the best on file here.