Thread: Good starting vehicle

Pajero, as Mikee said if pump has been done, petrol ones can be thirsty, especially the 3.5L ones
Bighorn, 2.8 is a bulletproof motor,
Navara, Terrano, weaker manual boxes due to incorrect filler bung placement, good 2.7 diesel motors though. weak steering components. Terranos used to suffer from Cancer in the rear floorpan.
Hilux or Surf, Surf has weak steering, better than Nissan of same age though. 2.4 diesels are slugs, go ok if treated like your 95 year old Nana. Hilux is a bit agricultural but reliable drivetrain.
Prado, good offroad, but 5K will only get a 2.4 Diesel powered one. (love mine)
Suzuki Escudo/Vitara, small, cheap to run, low ground clearance, restricted tyre size.
5K may get you into a higher km Safari/Patrol, truck engine, solid truck, just larger dimensions, has potential rust issues in roof gutters otherwise a solid bet. Just takes two oil filters and 10 litres of oil every oil change.

Each has their pros and Cons, Bang for buck, Pajero, Safari/Patrol Prado, Suzuki