Yeah i know what its like. It was a tough decision for me also. We have always had a prado. Other family members have always had Toyotas also. So to switch brands was a big decision. For me, I needed a diesel. My budget would let me extend to a 2nd hand Prado or a new Pajero. The only other car that was coming into the equation at one point was the Ford Territory. However it was soon ruled out as we do go offroad, even though not that much, the Prado or Pajero just had the edge here. I didn't want a large 4wd i.e. Landcruiser etc, and i didn't want the spare wheel underneath the car. The prado however has long range tanks which is a big plus in my book. The Pajero's springs are apparently a bit soft, I'm yet to really see that in comparison to my old prado and my father in laws 2008 D4d Prado. I have done nothing to the suspension (Yet) i don't hit bump stops that i can tell and the drop is 18mm at the rear ( i didn't measure the front - should have) when hooking the van on. Our van is a single axle so had a heavier ball weight so the springs were a concern upon purchasing but real world, not so much. I will be installing airbags in a couple of weeks time, all booked in. And i would have done this on a Prado as well.
So for me in the end, my decision was really down to the two vehicles. Get a 2nd hand Prado with the long range tank, or get a brand new Pajero with 5 years warranty and no one else's dirty prints on it.
My biggest issue to date has been getting the dual battery setup working. As you may have seen above, i have a ctek d250s, its installed in the car but yet to be hooked up. The auto sparkys do not understand these smart alternators at all and the amount of conflicting information from them is unreal. However, this issue is with most new vehicles anyway.
Good luck in your decision.
Cheers mate
Ants