Mitsubishi Pajero vs Land Rover Discovery 3 vs Toyota Land Cruiser Prado 2009

What you pay, what you get

The GLS Pajero Di-D is the least expensive of our three contenders and in auto guise lists at $59,790. And for that money you get electronic traction and stability control and side and curtain airbags as standard. At $61,040 the Prado GXL D-4D automatic also has the latter mentioned items but misses out on the electronic driving aids and extra airbags although both are available as an option pack.

The Discovery TDV6 S is a $67,590 ask. While the TDV6 S misses out on third-row seating that's standard on both Prado and Pajero it does come with the aforementioned height-adjustable air suspension, a 6-speed auto (the others both have 5-speeders), electronic traction and stability control, front, side and curtain airbags, cruise and climate control, and 17-inch alloys.

Horses or ponies?

All three contenders are common-rail turbo diesels but where the Prado and Pajero have 4-cylinder engines of 3.0 and 3.2-litres respectively, the Discovery is powered by a 2.7-litre V6. And, as mentioned above, the Disco has a 6-speed auto while the other two have 5-speeders. Both Disco and Pajero have 'manual' control via tip-shift functions whereas the Toyota's box has a dogleg-gated shift (no shift release) that gives good manual control once you learn the layout of the gate.

For its part, the Pajero's winning performance is tarnished by the fact that the engine is noisier and less refined than the other two and its gearbox is not as decisive as it could be. In between is the Prado. For noise control and general running refinement it's a far better prospect than the Pajero but it's still not up to the high standard set by the Land Rover.

A dynamic argument

There are three different schools of thought on chassis design here. The Pajero is a monocoque design with fully independent suspension and, as such, is the most 'car' like. The Discovery also has fully independent suspension but is a separate-chassis design (admittedly a very sophisticated one) while the Prado is the most traditional vehicle here with live rear axle/independent front suspension, and a conventional separate chassis.

And, on the road the Prado doesn't feel as sharp as the other two, but this is not just the fact that it lacks independent rear suspension. Toyota has deliberately opted for a soft suspension tune that puts comfort ahead of sharp dynamics. What's more, and perhaps this is deliberate as well, the Toyota will more readily understeer when pushed. Combine all this with the least accurate and direct steering of the three and the Toyota is far from a 'driver's' car although there is nothing actually 'wrong' with its handing.

The other two are harder to separate with the Discovery having the advantage of height-adjustable suspension and slightly sharper steering than the Pajero. But ultimately, the Disco's weight plays against it and it lacks of agility of the Pajero, a fine handling 4WD by any standards.

The downside of this is that the Pajero has the harshest and noisiest ride.

The Discovery's ride is between the two. Interestingly, despite the fact that we have driven more Discovery 3s then we can remember, this must be one of the very few that we've driven on the standard-spec 235/70R17 tyres. And we are impressed. They are far more forgiving and comfortable than the lower profile hoops on the 18s more commonly fitted to the Discovery 3s driven previously.

A muddy story

All three vehicles here are more than handy off road and all are capable of performing off road feats.There's also an important question here of off road ability verses off road comfort, as the two don't necessarily go hand in hand.

The most comfortable of the three off road (although not by a great margin) is the Toyota. Thanks to its soft springing and decent suspension travel it soaks up the bumps better than the other two. But, despite the on-paper advantage of its live rear axle, its lack of traction control sees it trail the field in terms of off road ability.

Next up the ladder in terms of off road ability, but the poorest in terms of off road comfort by a good margin is the Pajero.

Comfortably ahead of the Pajero, let alone the Prado in off road ability is the Discovery. Mind you, the Disco was fitted with the optional rear locker that we know from previous experience makes a considerable difference. But at just $1050, it hardly makes a difference to the overall cost of the vehicle and, unlike the Pajero where (manual) activation of the optional rear locker negates the traction control, with the Discovery the rear locker engages automatically and leaves the traction control active so it can take care of front axle control.

Summing up

Picking an absolute winner between Pajero and Prado is difficult to say the least although the Pajero does have more points in its favour. Compared to the Prado it's less expensive but still better equipped. It's also a stronger performer and handles better on road. It's also more capable off road, at least at this spec level where traction and stability control isn't standard. It also has a higher towing capacity.

Taken alone you would think all that would be enough to seal the deal. But the Toyota is strong in some very important areas. Most significantly it's far more refined, quieter and more comfortable on road. It's also more comfortable off road. It also has a monster touring range, seats eight not seven and has a higher payload. The choice between Prado and Pajero can only come down to your personal priorities.

As for the Discovery, in many ways it feels twice the vehicle the other two are, and not just something that's $8000 more expensive than the Pajero and only $4000 more expensive than a Prado optioned with the safety gear that's standard on the other two. The real killer with the Discovery is the cost of the third-row seats although this may not matter to you.

What's not diminished however is the huge gap in technology between Discovery, and Prado and Pajero ... and what that technology advantage delivers.

Read the full article, plus more great 4WD and off-roading news in the latest edition of Overlander magazine or visit overlander.com.au