A JAck or Prado

Jackeroo - by a mile - great car and you will get them for a steal

Cheers Tony

Prados have twin tanks for all V6 and TD - 159Litres all up.
Prados have 8 seats
Prados have more clearance - the Jackaroos have a very low slung transfer case that tends to get hung up.
Jackaroo TD's had a few problems with injectors etc and are fussy with oil - they need 5W30. They also got twin batteries to crank easier in the later versions.
Better Prados are the GXL and VX/TX - good list of standard features like Cruise Control, remotes, electric windows.
The 4 cylinder Prados and RV models had skinny wheels, and not many modcons.

Quick look on carpoint 2003 Pardo 4.0 petrol $29,990 2003 Jacaroo 3.5 petrol $10,000 Pardo 2003 diesel $35k/$40k Jackaroo $17k/$21k

A 3.5 V6 Jack is the most 4WD you can get for your buck, & yes I drive one.
Nothing against Prados...great vehicle. Mine is bog standard, apart from LR tank
& had no problem doing Ood, Tanami, Mereenie, Bungles & GRR towing C/t.
LR tank is 140L, gives me safe range of 800k. Mods are a matter of taste but
not required for any of above roads. If kept under 100kph mine returns 15L to
100k,towing a light C/t & its an auto......oldbaz.

The Jackaroos are very good value for money and certainly up to the task for touring: I've had mine up the Strzelecki, Birdsville & Oodnadatta Tracks (even up through the rough roads around Dalhousie, Finke, Chambers Pillar etc.) and up the Tanami Tk/Rd/Hwy to and around the Kimberley (including Cape Leveque, Mitchell Plateau & Bungle Bungles).

My Jack's pretty well stock standard except for a bullbar, cargo barrier and UHF CB radio. The standard suspension started to feel a little soggy when loaded up for trips like that but Jack are very comfortable tourers (even had passengers comment to me how comfortable it was for travelling).

The additional fuel storage of the Prados is a big advantage and, due to their popularity, spare bits may also be easier to come by in remote areas (not that I ever really needed anything other than a new tyre). The Prados come with two tanks for total of 159L (unless you get the pleb-pack 2.7L 4cyl petrol RV) while the Jackaroos have only a single 85L tank.Mine was a 3.2L V6 and I could generally get around 500km on a tank but for long stretches like the Tanami, I carried 4 jerries which gave me up to 1000km range.

I sold mine at the end of last year with 396,000km on the odo (it already had 226,000km on it when I bought it) and I never had to do any major work on it during that time - apart from changing the timing belt (that just about counted as major work!). The bigger 3.5L V6 had more power for better acceleration etc. and I'd expect you should get a good run out of one of those engines as well if regularly serviced (I've heard if the oil isn't changed regularly, it can sludge up and block some critical 'arteries'!).

I found the 3.2L V6 was adequate for maintaining speed limit on all but the biggest hills on the highway and was plenty torquey enough for offroad work including deep soft sand and was well matched to the gearing and lo-range. (The 3.5L V6 was in Jacks from 1998-on).

The only other mod I'd suggest before venturing out onto endless corrugations is reinforcement of the fuel pump assembly (see my blog here about Jackaroos, corrugations and fuel pumps!)

Anything else you'd like to know, just ask...!

Probably comes down to his budget, as others have said. The Prados are far more reliable than Jacks (sorry Jack owners, but it really is true, and no, I don't own a prado) but that reliability will cost you a lot more. As others have stated, the V6s and TDs have the massive fuel capacity. Larger capacity than a Landcruiser, incidently. But the 2.7 petrols only have one tank. Be aware that the V6 drinks fuel like it's going out of fashion. The TD is definitely the pick of the engines but you will pay more, and the V6s are far more common.

The Jacks are very good value though, so I think the bank balance will make the final decision.

Just a suggestion. He would probably get a dual cab 4x4 hilux the same age cheaper than a prado, if that interests him. Basically the same engine choices, except a 3.0 litre non-turbo diesel was also available. And diesel hiluxes are far more common than petrol ones, so could be easier to find a good diesel hilux than a good diesel prado. Chassis' are very similar. Just a thought.

Hope that helps.

matt

Hi Jeff

Good move taking the son - both of those cars have more wheel travel than the Troppy !

Jeff

If he likes Jap cars, why not include the Pajero. Probably a better car than either and at a price somewhere in between. Also, more than capable of handling outback touring without mods.

In my experience, an oversize fuel tank is unnecessary. Simpson can be crossed on a tank.

Jeff,

I'd throw the Hyundai Terracan into the equation as well. Ironman do a lift kit for them which makes them very capable.

Fuel tank is only 75 L but there is an aftermarket 120 L tank available.

Jim.

Its an interesting question, initially I would say Prado, as they are very capable and very car like to drive, but so is the Jack. Once you take price into it, the Prado wiould also have a higher resale as well as purchase price, and they'd probably cost you the same all up over the life of the vehicle.

I think with 159 l on board I would go the Prado.

Remember auto Jacks have less clearance them manuals , and it is a shape that does not easily slide over obstacles. Wide track models have a 1 in lift at the back already but no free wheeling hubs.
Cheers Pete

I sold my Jack because it was not reliable on remote tracks, when things go wrong spare parts are not available, and when things go wrong in the city then spare parts cost a small fortune.
Service yards do not know how to fix any small engine problem (diesel)

So yes they are much cheaper, but the service and maintenance will cost you. $79 for one oil filter... very particular on the oil choice, many recalls when it was still in production, roof rack carry capacity was approx 120kg when I bought it, then downgraded to 30kg - cheese the rtack itself weighs that much

Too much trouble, It felt like a noose was removed from my neck when I sold it