2005 Nissan Pathfinder

[aljodoro]

Qucik once over at the dealer

I ahve been waiting for months for the new v8 4runner. Today I went into the local Nixxan dealer and looked at a new LE in the showroom. Well I really liked the vehicle. To me if is going to be a direct compariosn vehicle to the 4runner. I feel the 4runner is more capable off raod but my use is sking, back roads and limited off road. I am not sure how the reliablility is going to be. New vehicle and the slip in Nissan quality but hey Toyota isn't a jewel with the front end vibration, stinky exhaust and a driver seat that drives people nuts. The 4 unner is also getting very expensive. Look at a v8 Limited and the price it can get to be. I hope others go to the Nissan dealer and give thier impression. I did not drive the vehicle so who knows. To me it just looked like a well thought and finished vehicle. It needs a good through pros adn cons. Al

.

 

[slowginjoe]

Nissans are not bad vehicles but there's a reason why they're not as successful as Honda and Toyota. One of my last cars was a 2000 Nissan Maxima. I won't go into the details of the problems I had since all cars have problems. The thing is that Nissan North America's warranty department is just plain cheap and will avoid admitting mistakes and warranty work until you prove them wrong beyond a shadow of a doubt with your own mechanic or take them to court (which I did). Honda however is the complete opposite. At the last maintenance service I mentioned that my accord's extended warranty was about to run out so I would appreciate it if they could look over the car and find any problems. Well they replaced my alternator because it was a 'little weak' and my power steering pump because the steering was a little heavier than normal even after fluid change. That probably saved my about $1,000 down the road when I wouldn't have warranty anymore. my extended warranty paid for itself right there! I couldn't tell you how happy and appreciative I was.

Anyways, Having owned all 3 japanese brands, even though the Nissan looks good, it just didn't feel and drive as well built as Honda or Toyota, and their warranty dept. was the reason I swore I would never buy another Nissan again! I guess it's hard to give the kind of service Honda and Toyota does without having the same sales figures.

 

[Thai]

Link:

USA Today Review of '05 Pathfinder

2005 Nissan Pathfinder

• What is it? Complete makeover of the company's midsize, four-door, sport-utility vehicle. Available with two-wheel drive (4x2) or four-wheel drive (4x4); manufactured at Smyrna, Tenn.

• How soon? On sale since October.

• How much? Base XE 4x4 starts at $25,210 including destination charge. High-end LE 4x4 with all factory options is $39,920. Typically equipped model is about $32,000.

Online pricing services say discounts ranging from a few hundred dollars to as much as $2,000 are available, depending on model, dealer and location.

• What's the drivetrain? 4-liter V-6 rated 270 horsepower at 5,600 rpm, 291 pounds-feet of torque at 4,000 rpm on premium fuel (expect to lose 5-10 hp on regular), five-speed automatic transmission.

4x4 system has part-time and automatic full-time modes, plus low range. Auto full-time setting sends 100% of power to the rear wheels, shifts up to 50% of power to the fronts if rears slip.

Side-to-side power distribution is controlled by anti-lock-brake-based limited-slip feature.

• What's the safety gear? Normal belts and bags, plus anti-lock brakes, vehicle stability control. Optional air bag package consists of side-impact bags for front occupants and head-curtain/rollover bags for all three rows.

• What's the rest? All models have climate control; AM/FM/CD stereo; power steering, brakes, mirrors, windows, locks; cruise control; tilt-adjustable steering wheel; trip computer; remote-control locks; rear widow defroster; full-size spare tire.

Other standard features and options vary by model. Details at www.nissanusa.com.

• Who'll buy? Nissan describes a typical buyer as a married college grad, age 37, with $80,000 annual household income, two kids younger than 6.

• How big? Similar to Ford Explorer and Toyota 4Runner. Pathfinder is 187.6 inches long, 72.8 inches wide, about 73 inches tall, depending on model, on a 112.2-inch wheelbase. Weight ranges from 4,376 to 4,815 pounds, depending on model. Rated to carry 1,186 to 1,424 pounds, depending on model. Tows up to 6,000 pounds.

Cargo space is listed as 13.8 cubic feet behind third row, 49.2 cubic feet with third row folded, 79.2 cubic feet with second and third rows folded.

• How thirsty? 4x2 is rated 16 miles per gallon in town, 23 on the highway. 4x4 is rated 15/21. Test truck trip computer showed 13.4 mpg around town.

• Overall: Seductive. Looks cool, drives well; could use a little more room inside and a lower price.

 

[Thai]

Link:

CanadianDriver Review of '05 Pathfinder

 

[Koz]

Re: Qucik once over at the dealer

I ahve been waiting for months for the new v8 4runner. Today I went into the local Nixxan dealer and looked at a new LE in the showroom. Well I really liked the vehicle. To me if is going to be a direct compariosn vehicle to the 4runner. I feel the 4runner is more capable off raod but my use is sking, back roads and limited off road. I am not sure how the reliablility is going to be. New vehicle and the slip in Nissan quality but hey Toyota isn't a jewel with the front end vibration, stinky exhaust and a driver seat that drives people nuts. The 4 unner is also getting very expensive. Look at a v8 Limited and the price it can get to be. I hope others go to the Nissan dealer and give thier impression. I did not drive the vehicle so who knows. To me it just looked like a well thought and finished vehicle. It needs a good through pros adn cons. Al

.

If appearance and price are the criteria for you then the Pathfinder is going to be a good choice. For that matter, you may want to look at other vehicles, like the Grand Cherokee. Shit you could probably get $10,000 off and 0% financing. The problem is in this case you pretty much get what you pay for. You need to look at the opinions of buyers and the manufactures quality and reliability history. Nissan's history is nowhere near Toyota's, forget about Jeep. I can live with a smelly exhaust when hitting full throttle, with the rear window open. The vibration and seat problems are brought up by people justifying their decision for buying other vehicles. As far as the price of the Limited, again, YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR! With the Limited, you get ALLOT of truck for that money. I feel it's worth every penny!

Here's the deal, if you want the mid-class SUV LEADER you'll buy the 4Runner. If you can settle for less, you can buy something else. To this day I haven't heard ONE person say they regret buying a 4Runner, not one.

Koz

 

[Solice]

Re: Re: Qucik once over at the dealer

To this day I haven't heard ONE person say they regret buying a 4Runner, not one.

Koz

I regret not getting the Navigation System when I bought my 4Runner

 

[Koz]

I can tell you, it is the best laid out system I've used/seen so far. You really don't even need the voice activation feature.

Koz

 

[Brewster]

Koz said, "...The vibration and seat problems are brought up by people justifying their decision for buying other vehicles..."

Many of us that are stuck with 4WD V8s with a drivetrain vibration that Toyota won't fix don't see it as all that minor.

I love my 4Rrunner except for the vibration. I have looked at the Pathfinder but haven't quite given up on Toyota - yet.

 

[Koz]

Koz said, "...The vibration and seat problems are brought up by people justifying their decision for buying other vehicles..."

Many of us that are stuck with 4WD V8s with a drivetrain vibration that Toyota won't fix don't see it as all that minor.

I love my 4Rrunner except for the vibration. I have looked at the Pathfinder but haven't quite given up on Toyota - yet.

I stand corrected; I see that there are several people (looks like a very small percentage) with a harmonic vibration at certain RPMs in top gear. For those who have this problem, and can not live with it, I suggest they look into the lemon law. If it is still the same, you have to document three attempts by the stealer, to fix the problem within one year and Toyota may have to buy back the vehicle at the FULL purchase price.

Koz

 

[snap315]

Howdy everyone... I'm back after a long absence.

Well, it was actually the 2005 Nissan Pathfinder that brought me back to Toyota and the 4Runner. :

I saw the new pathfinder and decided to check it out. I really like the interior layout (even more than the 4Runner) and the exterior design (well... the front and sides at least).

I was reading some reviews and I had just about decided to buy a 4x4 LE fully loaded Pathfinder. As part of my research i checked several Nissan forums for comments from current owners. What I found was not good. :upset:

Many 05 Pathfinder owners were complaining about the poor quality, (creaks, cracks, leaks) on brand new vehicles. :awais:

I also read some comments and reviews that said the 4Runner had better rear seat room. Now, you have to understand... I had decided NOT to buy a 4Runner because I remember thinking it had POOR rear seat room (I'm 6'1 @ 200lbs.) compared to some other vehicles I looked at. I also had to position the drivers seat all the way back and all the way down in order to get comfortable.

When I sat in the 05 Pathfinder I thought the rear seating room was pretty good for a mid-sized SUV. After reading about the 4Runner being better in that area I decided to retest it.

Well, the 4Runner DOES have more rear seat room (both hip & leg) than the 05 Pathfinder!

During my comparision I tested several other SUV's, both mid and fullsized. On almost ALL of them I had to put the drivers seat all the way back in order to get comfortable!
I guess my long legs are a BAD thing when it comes to vehicle selection.

With this new data I re-evaluated the 4Runner. It was the most fun to drive and had all the features and performance I wanted. That and Toyota's proven reliabilty have sold me on the 4Runner and I'll be picking one in a month or 2 (I don't want to spend alot of $$ since I'm going over the big 40 soon. :happy bda

Hopefully I'll be able to find the vehicle I want locally in Southern California (V8, 4x4 Limited, Black/Tan, FULLY Loaded - NAV, Rear Seat DVD, Side Airbags, X-REAS, etc.). I really don't want to put in a build order and wait once I'm ready to buy. :bouncy2:

 

[Koz]

We knew you'd be back, they all come back.:hello:

Koz

 

[skoobz]

i had the 05 p'finder BEFORE it got stolen and then my wife wanted a toyota 4runner because she thought theives wouldn't want to steal. so far, she's right.

i miss that p'finder.

 

[pepco]

Mini Van rear??

 

[pepco]

Wow

 

[Mr. Lambdebois]

my wife wanted a toyota 4runner because she thought theives wouldn't want to steal. so far, she's right.

:jester: :FOS:

If thats the case then this is
your wife-->:whipping2 <----you

In reality your wife has excellent taste. She made a good decision picking out your replacement.:

 

[slimjim]

wow, the nissan pathfinder is a really nice mini-van.

oh, it's an suv...

they need to re-design it then.

oh, they just did...

oh, ok then.

 

[mikedpsych]

For those looking at a 05 4Runner and Pathfinder here are some things to consider. Before there is any backlash I have been a Nissan owner for many years (Maxima and Titan).
The 4Runner has a better ride, fuel economy (by far), looks, fit and finish.

Pathfinder is more responsive has more creature comforts that are a premium for Toyotas. For the money you get a little more standard with the Pathfinder but what they give in "extras" is sacrificed in overall quality.

Since most of my driving is in the city and very little on the path I went with the 4Runner.

 

[DigableKid]

I like the Bose sound system, but does anyone else think the new Pathfinders look like a Spam can on wheels?...

 

[DigableKid]

I like the Bose sound system, but does anyone else think the new Pathfinders look like a Spam can on wheels?...

I thought it was a good comparison :0)