$40k. New Suv-4x4 or 2008 Prado?

Wow, this should open up a can of worms!

If you're spending $40k, MY vote would be for a new Challenger base model, for around $35k driveaway. Spend $5k on barwork, suspension and tyres and you'd have a nicely capable rig. I wouldn't pay that sort of money for a 6yo Prado which has done those miles. Prado's aren't free of engine niggles either, and if you buy a used one out of warranty, you're on your own.

You were originally looking at $10-20k wagons. What about a similar vintage Pajero? eg. http://www.carsales.com.au/private/details/Mitsubishi-Pajero-2006/SSE-AD-2723949/?Cr=2&sdmvc=1

As I said, just my vote. Good luck with your search. :-)

Prados really do hold there price well

but one things is look at pickles auctions and you will see lots of prados over 300k mark that says a lot to me if some thing with that amount of Ks still sell s then there must be some thing to say about the set up and engine quality
the car has only done 84, 000 miles

it is a hard choice look at if the prado has good service history and such

you have every thing you need duel batteries suspension

the new car you will have to spend a lot on getting it ready

it is all up to money

with the new car you are also tied into a service contract and a vehicle that is new and as yet unproven in a long term compared to prado,s that have a proving history

if you buy the prado and look after it oil changes regular and keep it serviced it will go a long way

I would like to be in the position to have a choice like that but I am not

so good luck and I hope you enjoy what ever car you buy


Not sure why but the government like prados and they own a lot of them

Having belted the engine that's in the mu x for 5 years, there's no way I'd be looking at a second hand anything over it. You stated you have no room to move, so warranty is super important.
All the base models are a bit bland - my ford ranger xl is too, but you get over it pretty quick.
I have no first hand experience with the Mitsubishi but they've been on the market long enough to prove they are no shrinking violet either.
Speaking of bland, have you seen the inside of a prado?

Personally I wouldn't own a D4D Prado out of warranty, too many injector/engine failures. Been there done that, luckily my engine was replaced under extended warranty. If it really must be a common rail diesel buy new, otherwise a petrol Prado is a great option.

I know the Pathfinders are no longer a true 4WD, but hear me out. (The new model is now just an SUV).

We bought our base model Pathfinder in 2011. It's currently done almost 80000km. It had a RRP of $52000 and when we went to negotiate with the dealer, we got it for $42000 with a Thule hullavator (approx $700) and rubber mats throughout and a couple of other things I can't remember. We have just replaced the first set of tyres.

We couldn't be happier with it. It's got plenty of room, plenty of power and is comfortable to cruise on the freeway when we want to. It towed our Jayco OB Eagle like it wasn''t even there, and now it tows our Roma 19'6'' van with ease. It has a towball weight of 300kg, and can tow 3000kg. The only extra thing we have is air bags.

Think a bit further than the Prado - they are very limited in their tow capacity etc (don't know what your towing plans are). There are others out there that maybe be better value. I don't know what the going price for a Pathfinder is now (you can't buy them new now), but you could pick up one in excellent condition for less than $40000.

My mate bought an I-Max, all the screws rattled out of the dash on his frist trip over corrugated tracks, the dash eventually feel apart. Having said that, he refitted all screws with locktite and hasn't had a problem since, the engine's are great, they just lack clearance even with a 2'' lift.

Give the Triton TD a look, a few mates have them plenty of power, reliable if you dont chip them, better clearance than the MU-X and Colorado.
Me, I'd go a country TD 100 series and fit it out for $40K

Landcruiser will out perform a Prado by a country mile, seen it.

Whatever you buy, if you buy a good used vehicle at a good price, the depreciation will be a lot less than if you buy something new. With a new vehicle, warranty is only good if serviced to the book and service costs on 4x4 can be expensive! If you manage servicing on a used vehicle, you can save heaps and you can do some of the simple stuff yourself. Michael

Gday mate.we just towed an offroad coromal camper from adelaide to alice via dirt.then darwin. Then across the top to cairns on dirt. Then cape york. Including the old tele track. Then east coast to the bottom. Snowy mountains. Mt kozzy. Grampians.adelaide. 25000km. With a 2008 prado. One flat tyre. Didnt miss a beatm bought for 36g with 100,000k incl roofrack bullbar liftkit airbags chip etc.bloody fantastic and travelled in luxury.... need I say more...

If you are going to "off road" or any dirt road touring.....do you realy want to beat up a new vehicle.
Every little twig, or flying stone will have you worried about your precious new paint work.

Besides as soon as you drive it off the lot its value will drop $10G.

keep on the look out for a good unmolested usedy.....there are plenty out there that have never seen a dirt road longer the a driveway and only towed a trailer to the tip twice a year.

As for the diesel....yeh.....less and less good reasons to own a diesel these days.

The fuel injected variable valve timimg petrol motors are very well proven, have heaps of power and a pretty good on fuel..and cheaper to service.

Don't be affraid to look at pre 2005 models either.....mostly they will be pre common rail in the diesel...may not go as well or be as lean on fuel...but much less of a concern with the fuel system.

cheers

$31k or less will get you an earlier HDJ100 Landcruiser (pre common rail turbo) with reasonable km and probably set up with b/bar t/bar etc.

Great long distance touring vehicle, good offroad ability and big towing capacity.

Unlike the 1hz powered versions they are no slouches on the road either. Put your foot down and they have heaps of overtaking power.

Just took delivery of new Toyota sr hilux 4x4 duel cab 2 weeks ago, At $39990 drive away a bargain.This vehicle came with 17 inch wheels ,vsc ,Side steps,flares & air/con at no extra charge.

I work in a car dealership & when I saw the nature of your thread I immediately questioned "why on earth would you spend $40,000 on a 6yo car?".

Shop around, there's heaps of bargains to be had around the place.

New cars provide protection in so far as warranties go. Some have capped price servicing, some even have free servicing for a period of time. Not to mention finance offers at dirt cheap interest rates.

Buy a Used Car & your potentailly buying someone elses problems.
$40,000 will get you everything you appear to need & all of the above.

I was in a similar position 12 months ago when looking for our first 4x4.

Buy secondhand or buy new, I decided to buy new, in my case a Dmax Dual cab,
I didn't want the hassle or expense of repairs that may not surface right away. If I was going bush, I wanted to know that I was coming back and that it wasn't going to tun into a nightmare.

Sure you lose on depreciation, but for me the 5 years of trouble free motoring along with 5 year roadside assist is worth it.

You said it yourself, you have no room to move, if you buy secondhand you may very well have to fork out to fix things. Buying new, means trouble free motoring for years.

Not sure if you are going to tow anything or not, but it may pay you to take notice of not only the towing capacity, but also the total weight it can carry as well.

Some pretty good food for thought, thanks to all contributors thus far. Out of this so far i've come to the fact that:

1. New vehicle depreciation is a tough one to swallow but the 'safety' factor of knowing that if/when something goes wrong is appealing.

2. A second hand vehicle has done much it's depreciation especially if you find the sweet spot. I would be less concerned with the 'scratch and dent' factor. But i'd be buggered if things start going wrong that cost a bit.

3. D4D - injector issues are a real concern (new or used). The Challenger dealer said he'd already had a few come back this year after sucking up bad fuel. A good reason to have a warranty vehicle i guess, otherwise for second-hand stick to petrol?

4. Thanks for the advice on vehicles other than those mentioned. As much as a Triton could be a good deal (excluding depreciation), still concerned about reliability of Mitsubishi motors - our brand new work fleet Triton needed the entire engine replaced after just 10,000km. Isuzu engines get a really good wrap so if i could live with i) depreciation and ii) a bland (even blander than prado) inerior the MU-X that wouldn't be too bad. Hmm.

5. For second hand the Prado does indeed have a proven track record. Those older HDJ100 Landcruiser do look good too Peter (without the fuel concerns). I drive a 'lux for work every day Graham and think they're great work trucks, but our family wants a wagon.

6. Perhaps Bantom you are right: 'a good unmolested usedy that has never seen a dirt road'. The thought floated back into my head on the way to work this morning as I passed a very proper well dressed elderly lady driving what looked like a 2010 prado on. Looked like it have never seen the dirt.... must be a few of these around

Summary - I like the idea of 'worry free motoring' (warranty, roadside etc) with a new vehicle but if i could find myself a good unmolested second hander I'd find it equally appealing. Where to now? Not sure, but at least i'm better educated!

For anyone interested, after a bit of tabulation, depreciation and value holding on Prado's looks predictable. Best for retaining value in current market is a 20-30,000 km 2009-2012 model. These roughly hold there proce with little depreciation right through to 90,000-100,000km.

Anything older drops a few $1000 dollars for ever 1000-2000km driven.

All this is you have a handy $50,000 to outlay. At that rate you could sell it in a few years with little loss (not- taking into account servicing and maintenance).

happy motoring

Used Prados are overpriced. And if it has been used off-road be very aware, even if the seller appears genuine. 136,000 on the clock is a considerable amount, and its best years are over.

You can get a brand new base model for about $58K. A dealer in Adelaide last week offered me a new GLX, the next model up, for $64,700 Drive Away with 12 months rego. Toyota salesmen are arrogant though.

I tried a manual Challenger, diesel, but the gear stick vibrated horribly. Maybe it was a dud. Probably the automatic is nicer. Still a good vehicle and gets 9.0 litres combined cycle, diesel.

Mitsubishi and Nissan suffered loss of market share last year and are desperate to sell their 4WD's. The Pajero's second model up, with rear diff lock, was selling for $50K Drive Away, last October. I almost bought one, but prefer the Prado because its engine is quieter.

Test drive them all and hold out for 10% off list price.