Vehicle Tests > 4WD Comparison - Title Fight

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. (Many manufacturers deliberately dial in a little understeer for safety reasons.) 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 (lowers for road driving) 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.

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The downside of this is that the Pajero has the harshest and noisiest ride, something that's particularly noticeable at lower speeds on rough, unsealed roads but less of an issue at normal highway speeds. And the faster, you go the better it gets.
The Discovery's ride is between the two. More forgiving than the Pajero, but not as cosseting as the very comfortable Toyota. 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 that are probably beyond what most owners or potential owners would ever expect. 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. Whether in the mud, or on loose, rocky slopes it struggles more than the other two and takes several attempts to negotiate a couple of obstacles that the other two clear the first time. One rutted and loose slope, cleared by the other two, stops the Prado altogether. Of course this shortcoming could be addressed via the optional traction/stability control package.

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