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Vehicle Tests > Holden Jackaroo v Mitsubishi Pajero v Toyota Prado
Holden Jackaroo v Mitsubishi Pajero v Toyota Prado
Words by Fraser Stronach Photos by Tim Munro
Long known as the 'darling of the suburban mum', Mitsubishi's Pajero was so successful that Toyota decided to build its own Pajero, the Prado. The Prado quickly knocked the Pajero off as the top-selling mid-sized 4WD but now has to contend with an all-new Pajero, a vehicle that many see as the blueprint of future 4WD design. In the meantime Holden has soldiered on with its ageing Jackaroo, a vehicle that was very good when first released nine years ago and still competitive today. A recent revamp of the suspension including a slight widening of the wheel track has helped to keep things rolling along until its replacement arrives in a few years time. The Prado, Pajero and the Jackaroo - in their popular petrol automatic guise - make much sense for an urban-based lifestyle where off-road driving is restricted to weekends or holidays. They are all easy to drive and relatively easy to park in the urban jungle yet have sufficient 4WD ability to enjoy a dirty weekend. Ok, they all do the job but which is best?
Prices, equipment & options
At $48,000 plus on-road costs the automatic SE Jackaroo is the least expensive of these three and for the money comes reasonably well equipped. That price includes the dual airbags, air-conditioning, alloy wheels, electric adjustment and heating for both the driver's and passenger's seat, cruise control, leather bound steering wheel and a single disc CD player. ABS brakes are optional. The automatic Prado starts at $49,950 but air-conditioning adds $2470 and if you want dual air-bags they're part of a $3330 option package that also includes ABS brakes and electronic traction control. Our test vehicle included all these options plus $215 metallic paint. Standard equipment includes cruise control, single disc CD player, side steps, a long-range fuel tank. Steel wheels are standard. For $51,800 the Pajero offers automatic transmission, air-conditioning, a single air-bag, a single disc CD player, cruise control and alloy wheels. ABS brakes are optional.
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Power wars
Similar capacity engines power all three although the claimed power outputs vary from 132kW for the slightly smaller capacity Toyota up to 158kW for the Jackaroo, with the Mitsubishi sitting midway at 140kW. On-road performance reflects these figures with the Jackaroo offering the best full-throttle acceleration from 80km/h (typical overtaking speed) while the Toyota is the slowest. Mind you there's not much in it, especially between the Jackaroo and the Mitsubishi where the Pajero's five-speed auto helps compensate for the power difference. In normal driving however and particularly in hilly give-and-take conditions, it's the Toyota which is the nicer vehicle to drive. It offers the best engine and gearbox match and its four-speed automatic hunts less between the gears. The engine, gearbox and driveline also feels to be the smoothest and most refined.
There's not much between the other two and even though the Jackaroo feels to have more mid-range urge, again the Pajero's five-speed 'box comes to the rescue providing the 'right' gear more of the time. We're also happy to report the driveline vibration we found in other Pajero test vehicles wasn't present in this particular example. The feeling that the Prado does things a little bit easier is backed up at the fuel bowser where for the duration of our test it used an average of 13.4 litres/100km, which compares more than favourably with the Pajero's 15.6 litres/100km and the Jackaroo's 15.9 litres/100km. Given that the Prado's fuel capacity via its twin tanks is 159 litres while the Pajero and Jackaroo have 90 and 85 litres respectively it's no contest when it comes to touring range. At that consumption rate and leaving a 50km 'safety' margin the Prado will go 1136km between stops, the Pajero 527km and the Jackaroo 485km.
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Long known as the 'darling of the suburban mum', Mitsubishi's Pajero was so successful that Toyota decided to build its own Pajero, the Prado. The Prado quickly knocked the Pajero off as the top-selling mid-sized 4WD but now has to contend with an all-new Pajero, a vehicle that many see as the blueprint of future 4WD design. In the meantime Holden has soldiered on with its ageing Jackaroo, a vehicle that was very good when first released nine years ago and still competitive today. A recent revamp of the suspension including a slight widening of the wheel track has helped to keep things rolling along until its replacement arrives in a few years time. The Prado, Pajero and the Jackaroo - in their popular petrol automatic guise - make much sense for an urban-based lifestyle where off-road driving is restricted to weekends or holidays. They are all easy to drive and relatively easy to park in the urban jungle yet have sufficient 4WD ability to enjoy a dirty weekend. Ok, they all do the job but which is best?
Prices, equipment & options
At $48,000 plus on-road costs the automatic SE Jackaroo is the least expensive of these three and for the money comes reasonably well equipped. That price includes the dual airbags, air-conditioning, alloy wheels, electric adjustment and heating for both the driver's and passenger's seat, cruise control, leather bound steering wheel and a single disc CD player. ABS brakes are optional. The automatic Prado starts at $49,950 but air-conditioning adds $2470 and if you want dual air-bags they're part of a $3330 option package that also includes ABS brakes and electronic traction control. Our test vehicle included all these options plus $215 metallic paint. Standard equipment includes cruise control, single disc CD player, side steps, a long-range fuel tank. Steel wheels are standard. For $51,800 the Pajero offers automatic transmission, air-conditioning, a single air-bag, a single disc CD player, cruise control and alloy wheels. ABS brakes are optional.
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Power wars
Similar capacity engines power all three although the claimed power outputs vary from 132kW for the slightly smaller capacity Toyota up to 158kW for the Jackaroo, with the Mitsubishi sitting midway at 140kW. On-road performance reflects these figures with the Jackaroo offering the best full-throttle acceleration from 80km/h (typical overtaking speed) while the Toyota is the slowest. Mind you there's not much in it, especially between the Jackaroo and the Mitsubishi where the Pajero's five-speed auto helps compensate for the power difference. In normal driving however and particularly in hilly give-and-take conditions, it's the Toyota which is the nicer vehicle to drive. It offers the best engine and gearbox match and its four-speed automatic hunts less between the gears. The engine, gearbox and driveline also feels to be the smoothest and most refined.
There's not much between the other two and even though the Jackaroo feels to have more mid-range urge, again the Pajero's five-speed 'box comes to the rescue providing the 'right' gear more of the time. We're also happy to report the driveline vibration we found in other Pajero test vehicles wasn't present in this particular example. The feeling that the Prado does things a little bit easier is backed up at the fuel bowser where for the duration of our test it used an average of 13.4 litres/100km, which compares more than favourably with the Pajero's 15.6 litres/100km and the Jackaroo's 15.9 litres/100km. Given that the Prado's fuel capacity via its twin tanks is 159 litres while the Pajero and Jackaroo have 90 and 85 litres respectively it's no contest when it comes to touring range. At that consumption rate and leaving a 50km 'safety' margin the Prado will go 1136km between stops, the Pajero 527km and the Jackaroo 485km.
next page »
