We have a Patrol and it's great having so much more room than a sedan! Definitely get a diesel if you can, petrol 4wd have no guts, and depending on where you live (i.e hilly area or somewhere you are going to need power) you may need to consider getting one with a turbo. We picked ours up quite cheaply from the Nissan dealer (car is second hand).

My parents had a couple of Pajero's when we were kids, then moved onto the Toyota Prado, I don't think they would get anything else now.