Oppinions: Which old 4x4?

"Distraxi's idea of perfection is a Jagroen" (distraxi)
03/06/2018 at 19:55 • Filed to: None

As I mentioned recently, I just !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! (so to speak): 10 acres complete with large fixer-upper house and massively overgrown garden. This means I need a junk hauler (and once the property’s under control, racecar hauler).

I’ve settled on either a early 2000s Mitsubishi Pajero V60 (aka Shogun or Montero) or a late 90s Toyota Landcruiser Prado J90 (aka Colorado in the UK: I don’t think the US got it till the next generation (as the Lexus GX)).

Criteria that got me there were:

SUV not truck, because I need to be able to keep stuff secure and dry inside for a few days, and trucks with canopies are a PITA to load/unload vs an SUV’s tailgate and side doors. Plus it’d be nice to have occasional people-mover capability. Anything dirty I’ll throw on a trailer.

As cavernous an interior as I can get.

At least 2 tons braked towing capacity and enough power to actually pull that without embarrassing itself

Nothing LHD, because I live in NZ (so everyone about to tell me to buy an American SUV can forget it - all we get here is Jeeps, Explorers, and about 2 years of Blazers)

Gas not diesel, because it’ll only do a couple of thousand miles a year and diesels are a lot more expensive here and generally have much higher miles.

Auto, because my wife will need to drive it at times, and while she can drive stick she’s not going to be comfortable doing so in something this size.

4WD for soft-roading and the ability to pull the odd stump, but doesn’t need serious offroad capability: most of my property that’s not the driveway is too steep for any on-road-sensible vehicle anyway.

Acceptable on-road behaviour: it’ll do the occasional 50 mile commute and the roads round the new place are fast and curvy.

Modern enough to have at least the basic safety stuff like airbags and ABS: I like living

Reliable (given age and mileage): it’s to help me work on projects, not BE a project.

The Pajero and the Prado (both in 3.5l-ish V6 LWB version) are the only things that made it through that filter at a price I want to pay.

All other things being equal, it’d be a no-brainer: 90s Toyota FTW. BUT...

For similar money I’ll get a Pajero that’s 5 years younger and has 50k miles less on the clock than the Prado

Whatever it says on the badge, a Prado’s not an actual outlast-the-cockroaches Landcruiser, it’s a medium duty schoolrun assa ult vehicle .

Ads for Prados in my price range tend to have a big list of “just replaced” items. And what gets replaced isn’t too consistent from ca r to car. Which makes me think that at 20 years & 150k miles they’re generally approaching their use-by date. I suspect, given their rep, Toyotas are more likely to be bought by people who’ll give them a beating, too

I haven’t actually looked at either yet, so the decision may be made as soon as I drive a couple. But assuming they both pass the sniff test, does anyone with experience of both have any guidance to give? What say you, Oppo?

DISCUSSION (15)

Nibby > Distraxi's idea of perfection is a Jagroen
03/06/2018 at 19:59

toyota

HammerheadFistpunch > Distraxi's idea of perfection is a Jagroen
03/06/2018 at 20:03

Your assessment seems pretty on it. The prado is probably more dumb tough. The Pajero probably a better value

average user > Distraxi's idea of perfection is a Jagroen
03/06/2018 at 20:03

Pajero.

RallyDarkstrike - Fan of 2-cyl FIATs, Eastern Bloc & Kei cars > Distraxi's idea of perfection is a Jagroen
03/06/2018 at 20:16

We never got the Pajero here, but I always liked them!

RPM esq. > Distraxi's idea of perfection is a Jagroen
03/06/2018 at 20:17

I think you’ve already done all the analysis you need. Get the Pajero, silently doubt your decision the first time something breaks, but then go back to reveling in its newer/nicer-ness.

Noah - Now with more boost. > Distraxi's idea of perfection is a Jagroen
03/06/2018 at 20:32

Do you guys have/import those Nissan Patrols with massive straight sixes?

Distraxi's idea of perfection is a Jagroen > Noah - Now with more boost.
03/06/2018 at 20:45

Yes, but that’s a step up in price - more like “proper” Landcruiser money. I don’t need the offroad capability and one I could afford would be an early 90s beat-to-shit one.

vicali > RPM esq.
03/06/2018 at 20:49

Or get the Prado and be happy until it starts to nickel and dime you to death..

Textured Soy Protein > Distraxi's idea of perfection is a Jagroen
03/06/2018 at 21:00

The Pajero is unibody, the Prado is not. It’s also larger overall so both of those give you more room inside.

Not sure what drivetrain options you have there but here in the US the top spec Montero has an LSD in the transfer case for awd mode and also a rear LSD in the 2001-02. In 2003 it lost the rear LSD in favor of an off-road biased traction control system.

Noah - Now with more boost. > Distraxi's idea of perfection is a Jagroen
03/06/2018 at 21:25

Ahhh okay. I really like the Mitsu too

Distraxi's idea of perfection is a Jagroen > Textured Soy Protein
03/06/2018 at 21:35

Pretty much the same here. All models have the lockable LSD in the transfer case, some early ones have a rear LSD, later ones have traction control across the board. We also get JDM imports - I haven’t decoded the specs for them but i assume it’s much the same.

CompactLuxuryFan > Distraxi's idea of perfection is a Jagroen
03/06/2018 at 21:56

The Prado would definitely be a better choice at the same price and mileage, but the big difference gives the Pajero the edge I’d say. It definitely looks better inside and out, and should more than do the job. Also, the 3.4 in those Prados is an absolute *dog*.

If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent > Distraxi's idea of perfection is a Jagroen
03/06/2018 at 22:23

Kinja'd!!!

I’m not sure how common they are but GM built RHD Suburbans for a few years for the AUS and NZ markets. They sold it as a Holden. If you can find one for a good price it’s worth checking it out. That generation is widely considered the high-water mark for the nameplate.

Distraxi's idea of perfection is a Jagroen > If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent
03/06/2018 at 22:40

Interesting. Never seen one, and there’s none for sale on trademe right now. Going by the price of RHD-converted Chev Suburbans though, they’d be too expensive anyway. Plus there’s the orphan factor - engine bits for Chev motors are readily available, but any other spares would need to come from the US.

pip bip - choose Corrour > Distraxi's idea of perfection is a Jagroen
03/07/2018 at 04:52

Pajero