Patrol GR/GU vs Pajero DID

[jovem]

Hello to all,

I own a Pajero DID since 2016, have done some serious offroad here in PT but also notice the main handicap of the model is its low free height and also its very good handling in the road is a severe constrain to improve the offroad capability, i.e., increasing the height.

I am dealing with a problem, I can't have both models, I do know the Pajero and I am trying to gather as much info as I can for the eventual future purchase of the Patrol GR (GU).

What I want to ask to the members of this valuable forum that have experience with both models is this:

What will I gain with trading a Pajero DID for a Patrol GR (GU)?

And:

What I will loose if I trade a Pajero for a Patrol?

Thanks.

[drgtr]

Surprisingly the Pajero is one of the few modern diesels with no great common issues.
Besides the EGR blocking up big time but that's manageable.

I personally believe if you are a true 4wd enthusiast then go with the GU patrol.
Find a clean 4.2TDi and don't look back.

-Strongest drivetrains
-Live Axel front and rear so you can increase height
-Run much larger tyres
-The Patrol is sooooo popular the after market part is probably the most extensive and some parts are so heacp
-You have a ladder chassis so you can mount bullbars and stuff to them better compared to the pajeros Monocoque design
-Factory larger fuel tanks
-Larger 7 seater car
- The Nissan LSD on the rear is pretty close to perfect if you don't want a diff locker
-The TD42Ti is an amazing motor. Really is. Not a sports engine but simple and reliable and goes forever.


Now onto the bad stuff:

-up to 2001 Models had short splines on the input shaft and this broke under heavy towing or hard life. 5th gear goes with it. You can still drive up to 4th. You can tell by checking the gearbox fluid. It will be rusty in colour when its on its way out.
-Door locks play up and you cant open the drivers door. There is a proactive fix before It happens
-Death wobbles but this is common to any live axel vehicle when a radius arm,panhard rod bush goes.
-Early 3 litres are potential grenades
-CRD 3 litres are thirsty and have a coolant leak at the timing case where the whole engine has to be dropped to change (expensive)
-Possible Crack in rear spring tower from heavy rear weight and hard life
-Radiator support rust if the patrol seen too much water crossings
-Sub tank Light (easy fix. Fix the main ground and/or disconnect battery for 10 minutes)


As I tell people. There are thousands of patrols out there and most of them are fine.

These are just the idiosyncrasies that they can potentially have if not taken care of



I would still go the patrol for Longevity.
I was in the same boat.
Had a prado 120 and it was limited but was too lazy to sell and move over to a patrol

Then one day my rear diff broke.
Had enough

Now in a 2003 GU td42ti and loving it.

[jovem]

Hi drgtr, thanks.

The problem is that the PT tax plan has severely penalized 4wd vehicles since the year 2000 (they excess double their price due to the increase in taxes), so the majority of our 4wd vehicles was built before the year 2001.

So, the Patrol GR here have two engines, 2.8TD and 3.0di.

The 2.8TD is a robust old design with a great engine noise but also with temperature problems and the 3.0di is what you guys call a "grenade".

My 3.2did, so far, has been a good powerful engine.

Sometimes I think that a 3.2did in a Patrol GR could be the best of both worlds...

[drgtr]

Ahh. I see
What country you from?


the 2.8TD is a car. Just keep them cool and head wont crack and you need to fix the Main Pulley Bolt properly and shes good to go.

Still stay way from 3 litres. I mean a lot get through life with not one issue .
Some even with NAD kit still blow a hole in piston 4.


If your options are limited look at the 2.8td and do preventative maintenance or stick with the pajero.
Go 2 inch lift and a body lift and larger tyres.

[jovem]

PT - Portugal, europe.

In regard to the 2.8TD engine, I read that the 6th cylinder has to be cooled, how do they do it?

In regard to the 3.0di, this is the engine I would buy, they are similar in power to the did, but being built around 2000, they seem to be prone to problems.

Maybe blocking the EGR and keeping the admission clean can avoid the grenade effect?

[stevemc181]

I've got both, an NW 2012 3.2DiD Pajero and a 2016 3.0 CRD GU Patrol. The Pajero is a far better daily driver and is also much better handling on corrugations, but the dash shake has to be seen to be believed. In comparison the Patrol dash is rock solid over the rough stuff. For any full on rock hopping type stuff, the patrol will win hands down, but for mainly touring type stuff the Pajero is a better driver.

Both of mine are auto, but I feel like I've stepped back 20 years when I use the patrol transmission. The Pajero super select system leaves it for dead with central diff etc, but this can also be prone to electrical gremlins. The Patrol was a slug when I drove it off the showroom floor and is slowly being improved, but I am having issues with a remap at the moment throwing it into limp.
The bottom line is to be honest with what type of 4wd you will do, if it is rock hopping or severe 4wd work, go the Patrol. If its going to be mainly touring type work go the Pajero. I've driven both on extended trips across the country, Anne Beadell, Simpson, Fraser, Vic High Country and they both handled the job well, but the Pajero was tested on the CSR, it went through numerous shock absorbers, as did another Pajero on teh same trip and they both cracked the small cross memberat the front, due to the way the ARB bullbar is mounted.

If I can get some more ponies out of the Patrol or do an engine conversion down the track, I'll be a lot happier with it. The Missus drives the Pajero now and it rarely goes offroad, so say no more I guess. ;)

[drgtr]

Steve how awesome is the legend Edition though.

The final Salute to a great vehicle.

You say the 3 litre was a slug off the showroom floor?

I only ever driven td42ti and that's slower than the 3 litre and Im happy with it .
Cant be that bad? :D

[garett]

Steve how awesome is the legend Edition though.

The final Salute to a great vehicle.

You say the 3 litre was a slug off the showroom floor?

I only ever driven td42ti and that's slower than the 3 litre and Im happy with it .
Cant be that bad? :D

pfttt you want slow ? come drive mine. NA td42. i'll show you slow :P would i sell it ? no way.
the pajero with DPF and egr's require some more love every so often. both cars work well, but i agree pajero is nicer on the black stuff patrol to play in the hard stuff

[drgtr]

Garret? Na TD ? I cant imagine.
TD42Ti is slow enough for me already.

I drove my uncles 80s Hilux. 2L motor? 2.4Na Diesel.
Now that's a slug but it goes and goes forever. 800 000kms. Still going :D

[stevemc181]

Steve how awesome is the legend Edition though.

The final Salute to a great vehicle.

You say the 3 litre was a slug off the showroom floor?

I only ever driven td42ti and that's slower than the 3 litre and Im happy with it .
Cant be that bad? :D


Actually I couldn't believe how much of a slug it was on my first country drive to Northam (about an hour east of Perth) It was hunting up and down gears all over the place and I actually thought my god, what have I done! LOL

Now I've added a 3" exhaust and had a remap, (the remap added power, but I have ongoing issues with it, being discussed in other forums) Once the limp mode issues are sorted, she will be a lot better to drive. It is also a thirsty beast and has been since new, my last trip of 1000km's, with roughly 200km or so of beach and coastal dunes, she consumed 17.1lph on 33's. I am lucky if I can get my average below 16lph for normal driving. I used 25lph across the Madigan line last year, which was a bit of a shock! I was expecting 20-21lph, but anyway, it is what it is. The fuel figures are calculated using GPS km travelled vs fuel put in at the bowse

It has taken me awhile to find some love for the Patrol, but finally I am getting there. She performs where it counts for me, which is mainly heavy touring and desert type stuff. The main reason I bought it was I couldn't do a GVM upgrade on the Pajero, but with the Patrol I had it upgraded to 3505kg prior to first rego. I also wanted something a bit tougher for some trips I have planned in the future, (Carson river track etc) I actually went into the dealership to buy a Renault van for the missus's market work and drove out in a Patrol! Hahaha. So she got the Pajero instead and I started a new modding journey.

[drgtr]

lol That's a good story.

Don't worry. I came from Toyotas. I was scared of buying a patrol. heard horror stories left right and centre.
Took me a while to relax. Everytime I drove my butt cheeks clenched thinking is something gonna go wrong?

I love the way it looks now and the way it goes.

I done a dyno tune. Got it to where its reasonable. Not fast but reasonable lol.

Common rail Patrols are thirsty but hey. They are reliable than any other 3 litre patrol.

plus you got the best one. The Legend Edition with factory winch,bullbar, alloy roof rack and lockers.


Im happy with my overweight tank. I actually enjoy driving it like I did when I had my Skyline GTR and Nissan 200s before having a family lol

[jovem]

Thanks folks for your valuable info.

As I said, I enter the 4WD world in 2016 when I bought the Pajero.

I choose the pajero because, at the time, I thought that I was using it for terrain roads mainly and tarmac.

Also here in PT, is easy to do 200 or 300km in tarmac in order to explore 50km or so of tracks, thus back then, I choose the Pajero over the Patrol.

But, and there is always a BUT, I notice the Pajero's limitations almost immediately as try some hard tracks.

I now do mainly what you guys call Overlanding, I adapt my SWB PAjero in to a T0, with all that things from home that we miss when in the bush.

The last addon was a freezer, already tested with success.

This idea of mine, to buy a LWB Patrol, was to allow me to increase the T0 in order to have a full size bed (Pajero's bed is 20cm short for me...) and simultaneously, increase the offroad capability of my ride.

But what I don't know for sure is how much of a improvement is the Patrol over the Pajero, since I don't do hard 4WD...

[drgtr]

Offroad the Patrol is way more capable when you doing more extreme stuff.

The patrol can do some quite high lifts and large tyres.
Not to mention you will have a lot of wheel articulation. An enormous aftermarket scene for it.

The Pajero is more of a Tourer like my prado was.
End of the day its up to you. Every car has its limitations/ pros and cons.

My opinion I would go the patrol. Even though it feels not as refined but it feels like that because its a tough 4wd with live axels on a ladder chassis.

if you love the Pajero and really want to make it more capable just do the following.



- 2 inch lift
- Front Diff E locker
- Rear Diff E locker
- Good set of Mud Terrain Tyres

Choose your lines nicely when offroading.
Then you will have the best of both worlds. A modern car like chassis with very capable off road features.

[jovem]

drgtr,

you summarize it perfectly, thanks.