Your questions answered: Should I choose a Prado or Pajero?

It’s a crazy car world at the moment. Fuel prices are at record highs, as are prices of new cars. Oh, and some used cars cost more than new ones.

All of which has carsales readers chasing answers to questions. This week we also delve into the world of accessorised four-wheel drives and have some four-wheeled fun along the way.

Question: I’m looking at a used 4WD – a Toyota Prado is at the top of my list – but I’m also open to alternatives, including the Mitsubishi Pajero. My question is around some of the extras on these cars. I have noticed lots of them on carsales have bull bars, driving lights and all sorts of modifications. I don’t really need any of those but am wondering what the pros and cons are? – Gerard P

Answer: Used off-roaders can be a minefield. There are some generally great options out there. Most of them have been confined to the suburbs and spent their life ferrying kids around. There are others that look like they’ve been on an international mission to seek out every dust hole and mud pit this side of Mars. They’re the ones you need to be careful of.

Get underneath the car and have a good look around. Those cars that have had a hard life will have mud or dust somewhere. They may also have scrapes and scars from their adventurous escapades.

As for the accessories, every one added is another thing that can potentially go wrong. And any accessories add weight to a car, which can impact how much you’re legally and safely allowed to carry and/or tow. Big heavy ones such as a steel bull bar can also subtly change the handling of the car.

As for the choice between Prado and Pajero. The Prado is a more capable off-roader when you’re driving it to the extremes (it has better wheel articulation and a smarter traction control system), but the Pajero is still impressive and tough and has nicer dynamics on a flowing country road. As you’ve no doubt figured out, Pajeros are also more affordable.

Also check out the Ford Everest. It’s a dark horse worthy of consideration, mainly because it’s better than the other two on-road. Plus there’s a new Everest just going on sale now, which typically means there will be more activity on the used market.

Question:

Answer: The first thing you want to do is keep it simple. Stick to predominantly Japanese brands because they have a well-earned reputation for reliability. Plus if anything does go wrong you should be able to get parts and service relatively affordably.

We’d also be aiming to keep the distance travelled to, say, less than 150,000km to try to reduce the chances of a major issue. Make up a shortlist then hit the phones to see what you can learn about those cars on your shortlist. Don’t be too worried about parking dings and some scratches on the wheels. It’s the mechanical condition of the car that should be your biggest concern.

The sorts of things you want to know are:

Also see what you can learn about the owner and the car. It’s a character reference as much as a check of the car and while it’s not a perfect science, it’ll at least help you weed out some you definitely don’t want.

Once you’ve settled on a car we’d recommend a Redbook inspection. Yes, it’ll cost you money, but it should help verify what you’ve already learned or figure out if there are any potential issues. So it’s good peace of mind.

As for cars, on our short list would be the Mazda 2, Suzuki Swift or a Nissan Dualis. You could even pop a Kia Rio on the consideration set; if you can get one less than seven years old (which, admittedly, is a long shot) then it will at least have some factory warranty remaining.

Question: I took possession of my new 2022 Ford Ranger XLT. I was given the Owners Manual and a service Booklet however there is no information / booklet / pamphlet in respect to using the touchscreen or features / information or by using the buttons on the steering wheel. I have made inquiries through the dealer and they were unaware of this issue but have stated that they will get back to me. Thought you might like to warn other buyers of this unacceptable situation of not having a reference / information booklet in respect to perhaps the most comprehensive touchscreen to date. – Murray C

Answer: It looks as though it’s a case of Ford assuming most people will have enough of an idea to navigate their way around a touch-screen. Blame it on smartphones, which have (mostly) tuned us to the touch-and-swipe controls encroaching on other parts of our digital world. We got in touch with Ford, which told us that the controls on how to operate the touch-screen are in the digital owner’s manual, which is in… the touch-screen. Yes, we know what you’re thinking…

To be fair, Ford isn’t alone in burying the nitty-gritty within the screen itself. Bean-counters love it because printing a physical booklet saves a couple of bucks and car company techies love it because they can easily update it if anything changes or needs clarification.

Not that we’re not trying to suggest the digital version is better than real pages. We’ve been just as frustrated as the next person trying to wade through menus to figure out how to adjust the clock!

Question: I’m considering one of the new BYD Atto 3s but don’t know much about the brand. Should I be nervous about buying into a brand that I’ve never heard of?
– Margaret B

Answer: Any new brand faces enormous headwinds coming into any new market – and in the past we’ve seen plenty come and go. They include big names such as Opel, Infiniti, Maybach and Hummer, whereas others have been smaller players like Chery (which is soon to return) and Proton.

Yet at the same time there have been loads of relatively new brands that have made it work in Australia. They include Skoda, LDV and, of course, Tesla.

It’s the instability and lack of brand recognition that hurts new brands early in their life. When buyers don’t know much about them, they tend to shy away, which can then impact their desirability, which flows through to what they’ll likely be worth on the used car market.

In short, most people aren’t prepared to take the risk with something they don’t know a whole lot about. There’s also the unknown about whether the brand will be here for the long run and what the aftersales support will be like with parts and service.

As for BYD specifically, it’s a big brand in China and until 2019 was the world’s largest manufacturer of EVs. Many things have changed with the local importation, including a switch from selling only online to now using a more traditional network of dealers. There have been various delays to the rollout, too.

It’s clear BYD is modelling itself on the success of Tesla. Whether it will enjoy anything like the same following remains to be seen. We’ll obviously report our views on the vehicles themselves once we get behind the wheel.

Question: I need a mid-sized SUV and want a diesel because I do a lot of country kilometres. I’m tossing up between the Kia Sportage and Hyundai Tucson. Any help appreciated! – Tom W

Answer: You’re looking in the right direction because as you’ve probably figured out, most mid-size SUVs from mainstream brands have shifted away from diesel engines. As you probably know, the Sportage and Tucson are the same thing under the skin (Kia and Hyundai are sister companies and share major components).

The different bits are the styling, features, pricing and tuning of things such as suspension and steering. The Kia also gets a seven-year warranty versus five years in the Hyundai. While it’s a close-run race, our money would go to the Kia based on its value and interior presentation.

Another one worth considering is the Mazda CX-5, which has a great diesel engine. However, it misses out on the full-size spare tyre of the Hyundai and Kia – something that could come in handy given the amount of time you’re spending away from major centres.

Question: Should I bother using premium unleaded in my RAV4 Hybrid? I’ve been using it since I got the car last year, but with fuel prices so high I’m looking at any options to reduce my bills. – Jeremy S

Answer: Listen to the fuel retailers and they’ll bombard you with swanky marketing imagery about how premium unleaded will make for a bigger bang. It certainly can on cars designed to run on it. Plus in some vehicles you need to run PULP because it has a lower sulphur content.

But the benefits are less obvious with more mainstream models. You’ll generally get a few more kilometres from a tank when running on PULP, but not enough to justify the extra cost of the fuel. Your best bet is to take detailed fuel use figures over your regular drive route then make the switch to regular unleaded and see what it costs you. Our guess is you’ll be able to buy another coffee each week with the savings of using regular unleaded.

Question: I’ve been searching for used electric cars thinking that I might be able to snap up a bargain. From what I can tell some of them are more expensive than buying a new one. What’s going on? – Andy H

Answer: The used car market is going through an unprecedented upheaval at the moment, especially with some types of vehicles. Utes, off-road SUVs and EVs are at the top of the list. And yes, you’re right that many used cars are selling for more than their new prices. Or, at least, lots of people are trying to sell them for more than they cost when they were brand-new.

Keep in mind that asking prices aren’t always what the cars sell for and there are definitely some opportunists trying to take advantage of the lack of supply in the new-car market. And that’s the crux of the issue. Many big brands have waiting lists for popular models and their factories can’t pump out cars fast enough.

People who don’t want to wait are turning to the used car market and in some cases paying more than the price of a new car. Yep, it’s crazy. The good news is it won’t last. Once supply starts catching up with demand then we’ll begin to see used car prices fall again. The bad news is we can’t tell you when that will happen, but the best guesstimates are it’ll be some time in 2023.

Question: The kids have moved out and it’s time to have a bit of fun. I’ve been looking at hot hatches and have narrowed my choice down to the Volkswagen Golf GTI and Hyundai i30 N. What would you recommend? – Jay N

Answer: The Golf GTI is more sensible, more practical and more luxurious inside. The i30 N is harder-edged and louder, both to look at and to drive. So if it’s raw performance you’re chasing then the Hyundai would be the best choice, but if you want to be pampered a little more and still have lashings of hot hatch briskness then the Volkswagen edges ahead.

For us, the i30 N would be a whisker in front. But both are terrific hot hatches.

You can also check out the carsales Best Hot Hatch for 2022.

Got a question but don’t know where to find the information you need? Email us at editor@carsales.com.au

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