Welcome to the gang Steve, enjoy here and out in the playground.

IMO the Ranger would be a much better choice. Maybe look at 2014 minimum. I drive a 2014 Colorado 4x4 and does the job at hand without any problems.

Yes being 2.5 litre they depend on turbo to spool up to have torque . I had one as work vehicle . As said the 5 cyl Ranger maybe better at towing . From memory ? Have higher weight capability ? Bigger engine would be more durable .

Welcome to the forum Steve1409, I am picking up a new 2225kg van next Tuesday and will be pulling it with a Pajero Sport which as you probably know is based on the Triton platform. The new model Triton and the Sport share the same MVtec 2.4ltr turbo diesel, the Triton has a 5 speed automatic transmission while the Sport has the new 8 speed. I have read lots of towing reviews done on both these vehicles with the latest from Motoring who towed a 3T van 4000kms through the outback with the Triton. Their summary was that although it was capable it would probably be more suited to towing somewhere between 2T to 2.5T as the smaller diesel engine had to work fairly hard with the bigger weight behind it. One of the main criticisms was that the fuel usage dramatically increased when working hard i.e. long climbs, headwinds etc. up around 18ltrs/100km and the standard fuel tank like with the Sports is way too small (you only have an effective range of about 350 to 400km when towing). You are correct both the Sport and the Triton are a bit slower of the mark under load as they achieve their maximum torque at higher revs but they will cruise along comfortably once they get up to speed. The review also suggested that all the 1 tonne utes have more overhang behind the back wheels compared to the wagon versions which can cause them to become a little more twitchy. I knew with the Sport I was going to be on the limit pulling around 2.6T but I'm not intending to push my luck by loading the van anymore than that ..by the way if you had a full load in a Triton you could only legally tow 2.9T. The Sports unloaded with its 8 speed transmission is definitely not slow of the mark around town it actually performs quite well and easily matches the performance of the bigger, old technology oil burners that people often rave about.

My feeling is that the Triton like most 1 ton utes and vehicles based on them are probably close to their limit when pulling a van with a tare of 2300kg and you would need to be very careful about how much you loaded into them.

And is welcome from us two 2 steve1409 you Cary your age very well for someone born in the year (1409) by the way
We have an old patrol 4.2 towing. 24 ft fifth wheeler and it drinks about 18 l /100 k possibly a bit of a tired snail but reliable..
The Rangers seem to have a solid reputation at the moment more than that I cannot say

Woody