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Vehicle Tests > 4WD Comparison - Title Fight
4WD Comparison - Title Fight
Factory claims put the Pajero as the most powerful with a max of 147kW followed by the Disco at 140kW and the Prado with 127kW. But the TDV6, despite being a half-litre smaller than the Pajero, claims the highest peak torque at 445Nm, which is just a tad stronger than the Pajero's 441Nm while the Prado again tails the field with a peak figure of 410Nm.
How these power and torque figures play out on the road is of course affected by many things not least the weight of our three contenders, which varies by over 400kg from the Prado (the lightest) to the Discovery (the heaviest).
On the road you would expect the extra weight of the Discovery to kill its performance relative to the other two. After all it does have the poorest power to weight ratio by a substantial margin. But that's not the way things play out. In fact it's the Prado that tails the field in get-up-and-go by a noticeable margin while the Pajero is the snappiest performer but only by the slimiest of margins from the Discovery.
We have often said that the Discovery TDV6 engine punches well above its weight and this test proves once again just how strong it is. Forget that it has the smallest capacity and is pushing the most weight, as neither of these factors seemingly hold it back.
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Some of the Disco's strong performance can be attributed to its 6-speed 'box. It's not just the extra ratio that counts, but the fact that it shifts more quickly and more decisively than the 5-speeders of the other pair. And this applies not just to pedal-to-the-metal driving but in general give-and take driving as well. The excellent refinement of the Disco's gearbox is matched by the V6 engine and, in combination, this is the smoothest, quietest and most refined powertrain of this trio.
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.
While our measured fuel consumption threw up nothing significant, 12.4L/100km for the Pajero, 12.8 for the Prado and 12.9 for the Disco, the Toyota has a huge advantage in touring range with its monster 180-litre fuel capacity more than the other two (Pajero: 88-litres; Disco-82.3 litres) combined!
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How these power and torque figures play out on the road is of course affected by many things not least the weight of our three contenders, which varies by over 400kg from the Prado (the lightest) to the Discovery (the heaviest).
On the road you would expect the extra weight of the Discovery to kill its performance relative to the other two. After all it does have the poorest power to weight ratio by a substantial margin. But that's not the way things play out. In fact it's the Prado that tails the field in get-up-and-go by a noticeable margin while the Pajero is the snappiest performer but only by the slimiest of margins from the Discovery.
We have often said that the Discovery TDV6 engine punches well above its weight and this test proves once again just how strong it is. Forget that it has the smallest capacity and is pushing the most weight, as neither of these factors seemingly hold it back.
read on below advertisement
Some of the Disco's strong performance can be attributed to its 6-speed 'box. It's not just the extra ratio that counts, but the fact that it shifts more quickly and more decisively than the 5-speeders of the other pair. And this applies not just to pedal-to-the-metal driving but in general give-and take driving as well. The excellent refinement of the Disco's gearbox is matched by the V6 engine and, in combination, this is the smoothest, quietest and most refined powertrain of this trio.
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.
While our measured fuel consumption threw up nothing significant, 12.4L/100km for the Pajero, 12.8 for the Prado and 12.9 for the Disco, the Toyota has a huge advantage in touring range with its monster 180-litre fuel capacity more than the other two (Pajero: 88-litres; Disco-82.3 litres) combined!
next page »
