The 1996-2002 Surf and 90 Series Prado 1996-2002 are way better than Rav4 at the same price, both off-road as Surf is based on Hilux's chassis which is a pure off roader and loader making it's ride less comfortable than Prado which provides comfort and off roading capabilities at the same time. Prado and Surf have widely known engines which are fixable even by the most nikama mechanic and have spare parts availability as well compared to Rav4. Just be sure to avoid the 3RZ FE 2.7L varients in 1996-2002 Surf's and Prado's as they are heavy on fuel, non-vvti and lack power as well. 3.0D 1KZ TE and 5VZ FE 3.4L varients are the way to go in Surf and Prado. Diesel engines might have blow-by issues so be on the lookout for that too.
