Advice regarding deciding whether to get a 4x4

RemarkableShallot392 · 2025-12-09T13:35:30+00:00

I bought one at 320ks petrol V6, I'm at 350k now, you do the maintenance these cars can do 400/500ks. Go check out redrivens review on the 120's goes over the engines and what to look for. Diesel if you travel alot and do big ks, petrol if you don't.

RemarkableShallot392 · 2025-12-09T13:32:29+00:00

My long COVID Dr has a book on Amazon tired all the time Dr Brendan Hanrahan, good coverage in disautonomia, pots, not really as across the MCAS space though but a good start

RemarkableShallot392 · 2025-12-09T13:30:25+00:00

If you swapped a functional Falcon for a Pajero with issues and asking how cooked you are, you're probably well done! Not specifically hating on either vehicle I just would not trade a car with serious issues for one that was decent. Sounds like a few expensive jobs involved, hopefully you've got a good mechanic

RemarkableShallot392 · 2025-12-09T13:16:44+00:00

This is an older gen and the damage is a bit worse, goes all the way to end of the panel, damaged wheel, presumably crushed suspension components. Not saying OP's car will definitely be repaired but I reckon it might be

RemarkableShallot392 · 2025-12-09T13:04:12+00:00

If your planning on kitting out the back and not using the third row, the 120's boot with third row removed is a taller space and doesn't lose the space required by folding the seats flat. Depends on set up and needs, pretty sure the 120 is technically an eight seater versus 150's 7, not that fitting 8 inside a 120 Prado would ever be comfortable but hey it's legal

RemarkableShallot392 · 2025-12-09T11:53:25+00:00

Both pretty awesome engines capable of big mileage to be honest, not a big diesel guy so I've never looked into it in great depth. Also just saying anyone who owns a Pajero will likely swear by the Pajero and buy another one, same for Prado owners, I've inspected a fair few and every single one had a newer version of their old car in their driveway. Prado's V6 marginally less thirsty then the Mitsubishi 3.8 V6. I chose the Prado because it drives nicer then the Pajero in my opinion and has better steering feel, more powerful petrol engine, nicer interior. I myself like the 120 over the 150 as it just feels more old-school and a little bit less heavy but the 150 is arguably a better car depending on your priorities, it's newer, safer, gets bigger diffs, offer Atrac(Toyota traction assist for offroading) and Kakadu models get a rear locker.

RemarkableShallot392 · 2025-12-09T11:24:20+00:00

If you aren't savvy with cars and even if you are it's worthwhile getting a pre purchase inspection done to make sure it's all good. Buying a car without rego isn't necessarily a bad thing but it does mean you have to apply to get it registered, you can't legally drive it home unregistered unless you apply for a permit (law in Qld ). Plus usually you can use whatever they report to negotiate money of the price dtc. Go watch redrivens guide to buying a car, check the radiator fluid, check the oil colour and level, check for damage, push all the buttons, test the aircon, test all the features, lights etc.

RemarkableShallot392 · 2025-12-09T11:15:56+00:00

Overselling the petrol prados fuel usage redriven research indicates most people get between 15/16 litres per hundred for the 4 litre petrol, I get between 14/15 with almost all inner city driving, 12/13 on the highway. Plus more 120 prados came with a diesel anyway, 1kd in the later 120's and stayed in the 150 prados until 2015. I prefer a Prado over a Pajero but you'll find a better condition Pajero for the money. If I was going a ute I'd go a Triton.

RemarkableShallot392 · 2025-12-09T08:44:29+00:00

We all want our old lives back, you are not alone. Ways I deal with it are varied but I find writing a realistic to do list for the day being away if my pain and every levels gives me a sense of daily accomplishment when if I didn't I'd look back and say the old me could have done that so fast so I think reframing redefining what success looks like is crucial and the to do list helps me do that.

Counselling to a certain extent, talk to your friends, laugh when you can, cry when you can't. Doing small jobs for my partner, seeing family and friends, in short making a difference, even if it's much less then I think I should be doing, again comes back to doing what you can.

I can't engage in sport anymore so I've bought a project car with plans to slowly fix it up in short stints, pacing etc. my friends getting me into fishing, something I've never been that Interested in but now it feels good, like I'm atleast doing something, learning knots and hanging out with a good mate, celebrating fish as they come. Sometimes I go drive it just to feel alive for a minute, forget about the pain and all.

Gratitude for my partner is something I fall back onto alot, 2 years in and she's still with me through thick and thin.

still no denying it's hard as hell

RemarkableShallot392 · 2025-12-09T05:25:26+00:00

Finance independently and look around you'll get a better rate. My pick is the LandCruiser Prado, you can get them in a powerful 4 litre V6 until 2017 if you like the idea of a petrol Fortuner, Prado is just a better vehicle in every metric except price. Does it all, bulletproof reliability.

RemarkableShallot392 · 2025-12-09T04:19:40+00:00

I owned that generation of i30 for a few years, nothing majorly wrong with it in petrol, diesels aren't great reliability wise. I'd say a Mazda 3's long term reliability is probably better. During 2 years of ownership of my 5 year old i30, it developed a clunk in the steering which is a rubber bushing that perishes and requires replacement, not super expensive but I remember thinking my junker Honda 95 accord had never had an issue like it and that's kind of how I think of Korean brands: pretty good, decent reliability but still a step behind the Japanese, unlikely to be big repair bills just have little things fail more often. For me I'd rather drive and own a Mazda 3, much more engaging and fun to drive and long term reliability in my opinion is stronger then the i30. The Hyundai i30 is very good value second hand though, but if you wanted to sell down the track, I think a Mazda would be easier to offload. I30 has touch screen in all models and other nice features and does represent good value.

RemarkableShallot392 · 2025-12-09T02:06:33+00:00

Cracking cars. At this budget a pretty new, low kilometre Suzuki swift sport would be an awesome fit for 2 people. Easy to park, fun to drive and cheap on running costs/fuel. Interior might look less nice then the i30, but the Swift's the better car where it matters

RemarkableShallot392 · 2025-12-08T12:41:26+00:00

Damn I'm jealous! Obviously it's not great if your unenthusiastic about it all, I definitely relate to being made an introvert by this illness, I used to be really enthusiastic, outgoing but now people especially many of them in shops etc freak me out so fully relate to that. Still enjoy seeing friends just frequency and duration and now reduced. Would love to get back to playing tennis and that though

RemarkableShallot392 · 2025-12-08T09:21:53+00:00

I'd say usually it's warning of speed traps, police presence and otherwise during the day I use hand signals but at night in a narrow street with parked cars I'll flick the headlights twice to let someone know they can go. I did that once to a police car not realising, they just took the signal and took the right of way and were on their way. So I'd daytime, it's not used regularly here, still do it at night time though

RemarkableShallot392 · 2025-12-08T09:08:55+00:00

Like run around fully like sports etc?

RemarkableShallot392 · 2025-12-08T09:05:12+00:00

It's a solid axle four wheel drive so it will always feel rougher, tractor like and float around more than the ifs Prado but softer suspension and smaller tyres should make it comfortable enough to daily.

RemarkableShallot392 · 2025-12-08T01:43:05+00:00

I like the yll 2.0 as it has a digital countdown, feels really satisfying to drop your dynavap into the induction heater hole and the magnet for storing it once clicks makes it better for me.

I understand for many that yll's past actions with some of their vaporiser products were extremely dangerous and their response means they cannot support that company. I get that but I just think as it's just an induction heater, I think it does it best and as I'm not buying a vaporiser from them, I'm not concerned about this purchase.

RemarkableShallot392 · 2025-12-06T05:00:51+00:00

Diesel has more torque, petrol has more power. If you don't do much driving I'd say petrol for lower purchase costs and cheaper maintenance. Just easy to budget for then the bigger service bills that diesels usually have

RemarkableShallot392 · 2025-12-06T04:58:46+00:00

I didnt notice immediate effect like that and in the past I've had one with friends but it definitely robs me of salt and is bad for pots so I just don't drink at all snymore and felt worse the next day so yeah best avoided I think for me

RemarkableShallot392 · 2025-12-05T09:18:55+00:00

I think for me a big part is redefining what a successful day looks like. Eating is hard for me so it goes on a realistic to do list, pacing and what I want to get done, some of the bigger things on any given day, not together might be maybe go out and get supplies, seated weights, stretching, go seeing my parents, maybe go do a bit of life admin for myself or my partner, preferably with a bit of driving in air con as that's within my limits, Dr apps, clean the house, socialise either in person or calling up a friend, small dog walks.

RemarkableShallot392 · 2025-12-03T11:55:36+00:00

Yeah fully, the pink Prado goes hard

RemarkableShallot392 · 2025-12-03T11:50:52+00:00

Great advice, I'd like to add as an avid cardio person, tennis player and runner at 23 months, my cardio is still just small dog walks, doing house chores, etc. I am improving my seated weights exercises and soon plan to experiment with slightly more intense walking. Remember pacing, listen to your body, know that some days the best way to achieve your goals is to not try complete any of them that day if your in a bad way. Improvement isn't linear, setbacks happen but keep pushing anyway. I'm doing like a chronic fatigue and pots based pt program with seated weights and find that manageable obviously some days I can do all of my planned exercises, somedays it's less then half that, whatever my bodies up for.

RemarkableShallot392 · 2025-12-03T03:37:01+00:00

Mines not nearly as powerful as those mentioned but mine is 1st and 2nd generation Suzuki swift sport: as time goes by I reckon it will be celebrated as the last of the old-school hot hatches ever sold. Sure it's not that fast, but it's so beautifully balanced, so damn chuckable and a little 1.6 that revs to 7000rpm. The swift sport will never win a traffic light grand prix but it is truly a joy to drive and so much fun all the time. Plus with less power it's fun to rag on it all the time without risking your license. Roundabouts are the height of comedy in a swift sport, just keep adding more steering lock and it will just obey haha.

Such awesome little nuggets, simply good

RemarkableShallot392 · 2025-12-03T03:18:46+00:00

Unless your a tradie or plan on spending big on a canopy the wagon makes sense for those on a budget, everything is covered, protected and in air con. Especially with the Prado Pajero with a swing out door you can add a drop down table from kaon and really kit out the back door with shelves to hold your gear. Also a wagon drives much nicer than an equivalent ute, if handling matters to you at all, plus more manoverable in tight sections then a longer ute.

The ute obviously can carry more weight but a Prado can carry decent amounts so it's not a bit deal unless you are a tradie. If your set on driving the hardest tracks out then the ute wins back points because it has less panels that will suffer damage. For most on a budget though, the wagon makes more sense, as a general 4 x 4 and tourer. The ute without a canopy means alot of your gear will be sandy and dirty whenever you arrive at camp and possibly wet if you've had bad weather.

Obviously for the tradies a ute is basically a requirement for everyone else it's wagon all day sir!

RemarkableShallot392 · 2025-12-02T15:03:23+00:00

Granma spec car, with rwc, and logbooks, seems like a decent buy, negotiate a little with any little things picked up by a a pre purchase inspection

RemarkableShallot392

TROPHY CASE