What 4WD should I buy?
The dilemma
Claire is a rural-based, part-time winemaker looking for a set of wheels. Her work takes her off the tarmac and around muddy properties, and she needs a cabin that can deal with two young children. She's tempted by the near-new Isuzu MU-X seven-seaters in her budget range but friends are nudging her towards a Toyota Prado. What should she do?
The budget
Up to $40,000
The shortlist
Claire's Toyota-pushing mates aren't offering bad advice – the Prado, like most Toyota four-wheel-drives, is a safe bet for the country work/family-car role.
But the MU-X isn't exactly unfit for the purpose, either. And it does have some tempting advantages over its rival, particularly in this budget range.
The key differences between this duo, and the matter of just which one might be better in this kind of scenario, can all be explored here.
And, while things are still up the air, it wouldn't be silly to at least scan the heavy-duty 4WD landscape for anything that might be as good or better than her preferred pair.
2013-17 Isuzu MU-X 4x4, from $28,300*
This Isuzu is a bargain in large heavy-duty 4WD terms. Base LS-M demos with 2016 build plates can be had for this money or – if you wind the build date back and the odometer up a fraction – middle-tier LS-Us and topline LS-Ts.
Whichever way she goes, Claire should get a good chunk of Isuzu's five-year factory warranty and three-year/60,000km fixed-price servicing deals.
The catch? On the whole, not a lot. It eats up rough roads, can crawl just about anywhere and its 3.0-litre turbo diesel engine is frugal and sufficiently willing. Its seven-seat cabin is roomy and practical.
Just don't expect the last word in sophistication. The MU-X is no paragon of ride comfort or handling poise, and its drivetrain is more agricultural than benchmark donks. Bland design and cheap materials lower the tone inside.
Read Drive's Isuzu MU-X reviews:
First drive: Isuzu MU-X
Road test: Isuzu MU-X LS-T 4x4
2010-15 Toyota LandCruiser Prado, from $23,700*
This Toyota has no answer for the Isuzu's value/ownership tempters. A 2012/13 example is probably the best-case $40k scenario, which means no factory warranty (it runs out after three years) and no fixed-price servicing (ditto).
2015 update models, featuring a 2.8-litre turbodiesel engine with better performance, refinement and economy than its 3.0-litre predecessor, will also be off limits.
But even the Prado's old engine is unburstable and reasonably frugal. Its plush rough-road ride, off-road nous and 150-litre fuel-tank capacity mean it can deal with pretty much anything, anywhere.
Its seven-seat cabin is roomier, more user-friendly than the Isuzu's and has a higher quality feel. While far from the most slick-driving heavy-duty 4WD, there's more polish and refinement there, too.
Read Drive's Toyota LandCruiser Prado reviews:
Road test: Toyota LandCruiser Prado GXL
Road test: Toyota LandCruiser Prado Kakadu diesel
2016-on Mitsubishi Pajero Sport seven-seater, from $36,200*
Holden's Colorado 7 doesn't offer much of a point of difference in this company. Ford's Everest and Toyota's Fortuner, meanwhile, are tough asks with a $40k limit.
This Mitsubishi, contrastingly, is not just doable but has some advantages over the MU-X and Prado. It has a more contemporary design and its 2.4-litre diesel engine is this group's most willing, refined and frugal. Its well-sorted ride and handling, while not quite benchmarks in the current context, make it this group's best drive.
It matches the Isuzu's five-year factory warranty but ups the ante with a longer fixed-price servicing deal (four years/60,000km) and longer intervals than both its rivals (yearly/15,000km versus six-monthly).
But a seven-seat option was only added to the menu in 2016, so pinning one down in this price range might take some patience.
It's not quite as roomy as its rivals here, has a smaller boot and, as a result, tighter final-row accommodation.
Read Drive's Mitsubishi Pajero Sport reviews:
First drive: Mitsubishi Pajero Sport
Road test: Mitsubishi Pajero Sport Exceed
Drive recommends
The Mitsubishi's sharp value, robust ownership/servicing tempters, strong underbonnet/driving credentials and more than reasonable practicality make it this group's most rounded package. If we were Claire we'd try it on for size before committing to either of the other two.
We say size, though, because the other two are potentially still a better fit for buyers who must maximise practicality or have seriously heavy-duty punishment on the agenda.
In that scenario the Toyota is unlikely to lead to anything like a negative outcome but the Isuzu's value/ownership/servicing advantages might just be worth suffering a few rough edges for.
* Values are estimates provided by Redbook based on an example averaging up to 20,000km per annum and in a well-maintained condition relevant to its age.