You could not pay me enough to live with the Prado. It's hopeless. The Pajero that is a 10y older car outclasses it as a engineering piece, tech is obviously outdated but they are far more reliable.
Pavement hopping SUV's like the X5 are not great for practicality. All that bulk and it is still cramped inside and the boot is still decidedly useless. I could load a pram with the baby inside fully assembled into the boot of my old ML (and my departed fathers Pajero) go do that in a X5 and tell me how massive the boot is. This goes for the toureg and anything else that is german and fancy. Bulky outside, teensy inside. 7 seats, nope its 5+2.
Bakkies, are bakkies. She might like it she might hate it.
Kombi's are generally abolsutly awesome. Generally more fuel efficent thank a bakkie, bigger than a SUV and about as capable offroad as you are willing for it to be (read the VW 4motion ones)
If a old school SUV you want i would try and find the last of the last Pajero's. More poke than a Prado, equally stout without the theft risk.
If a pavement hopper you need, Volvo XC90 of sorts is the best at being a family car (or you can try the Hyundiani Pallisade)
Vans - VW Kombi 4Motion will get your far, just know its a VW and will find interesting ways to make you become besties with the mechanic of its choice. Vito is decent, but it's a minefield of abused and repo'd models out there. Staria can be a option as well.
But frankly what you should do, keep the Mazda, and just buy a Kombi for the odd use out of town. Right tool, right job. Asking something to be small for daily use, fuel efficent, but also big enough and venture offroad just adds cost and complexity.
www.autotrader.co.za
