Anyone regretting buying a 4Runner with the new Pathfinder out now?

[tkr128]

Definately not!

I do like the new Pathfinder, but not enough to make me regret my purchase. I don't need a third row, it's just wasted space and weight to me. I do like some of the features on it, but I'm more impressed with the small things that Toyota included in the 4Runner. Nice truck, but not for me.

IMO, Toyota's are just simply made better. If I'm not mistaken, the new Pathfinder is built on the same plant as the Titan/Armada, which was having some problems. I get the pleasure of knowing my 4Runner was made in one of the top ranking automobile plants in the world.

 

[Hank]

Here's a copy & paste from my previous post:


Hi everyone, I'm new on the forum, but I guess I'll put in my 2 cents. I got my '04 V6 Ltd 4x4 5 months ago & I've been loving my 4R ever since. Just out of curiosity ( & some spare time in b/t appointments) I decided to test drive the '05 Pathfinder. The following are my impression of the Pathfinder and my opinions:

PERFORMANCE:
The one I test drove was the SE 4x4 (in 2wd mode). In comparison to my 4R, the Pathfinder's V6 does seem to have a bit more oomph (obviously, 245hp vs. 270hp) and has a stiffer ride. In this month's issue of Motor Trend, the Pathfinder did 0-60mph in 7.3 sec., of course any performance figures vary based on track & weather conditions. So far, I haven't found any publication on the 0-60 times for the '03-'04 V6 4R, just the V8 (7.8secs). I would guessimate my '04 V6 0-60 might be around 8 secs, but keep in mind that the '05 V6 4Rs now come w/a 5spd auto, so 0-60 should be improved (as with the new VVT-i V8s too, which trumps the Nissan's V6 as there's no V8).

RIDE:
The Path SE's ride was a tad stiffer than my Ltd 4R (w/o X-Reas) & did have a bit less body roll during cornering. The Path's XE, SE & LE all have the same suspension setup except for the SE OFFROAD trim which comes w/Rancho shocks and upsized tires. It surprised me that Nissan withheld DAC & HAC from all the other trims and had it only on the SE OFFROAD trim. I would assume that ppl who plan on going off road would buy the SE OFFROAD instead of the other trims. Another big issue is that the Path doesn't have any locking diffs (center), as Motor Trend discovered it had trouble going up a particular hill climb. Anyhow, I wonder how the 4R w/X-REAS ride in comparision to the Path's SE OFFROAD. BTW, does anyone know if X-REAS can be retrofitted on 4Rs that doesn't have it (I might want to add it to my Ltd to improve the handling).

EXTERIOR:
The Path wasn't really all that big (at least visually) as I was expecting it to be. The fact that it is based off of the Armada/Titan and that it looks almost like the Armada misled me to think that it had proportions similar to the Armada. In other words, it is kinda like the Lincoln Aviator vs Navigator size difference. The Path's runningboard seems to be even lower to the ground than the 4R which most ppl think is low already. Both the 4R & the Path has similar ground clearance, but it looks like the Path's body sits/integrated better (lower) onto the frame than the 4R (not really a plus, imo for the addition of sliders). The Path's front end has a shorter overhang vs the 4R & had a front lip spoiler too, (imo, has to go).

INTERIOR:
The Path's interior for some reason doesn't seem very large to me. The floor is lower than the 4R, but the seats are situated much higher off the ground. It doesn't appear to have much knee room either in the 2nd & 3rd rows (especially 2nd). IMO, the bad thing is, is that the Path only comes w/3 rows for 7pass & you can't get it w/just the 2nd row seats (correct me if I'm wrong). At least in the 4R, if you want the extra cargo space, you can fore go the 3 row seating option (optional). Basically, I would be prefer to seat 5 comfortably instead of 7 in a more cramped space, but the Path doesn't give you that option. The seats in the Path is alot flatter & less supportive, imo, than the 4R, although it has perforated leather. It also lack a power lumbar adjustment (manual). I also noticed that the Path has a more traditional shifter w/an overdrive on/off button (I prefer the 4R's setup). Props for the Path are the following: nicer sounding Bose audio system (9 speakers: no center) vs JBL Synthesis (10 speakers) & power adjustable pedals. One last thing, it has a smaller sunroof than the 4R.

PRICING:
Overall pricing for the Path seems to be about $2k-$3k less than the counterpart trims for the 4R, but then again, the 4R has items (i.e- DAC, HAC) standard on all trims. So basically, you get what you pay for on both vehicles except the Path has more trim configurations than the 4R so that you can buy the trim that best suit your need. In comparison, for the amount of $$ I paid for my V6 LTD 4x4, I could've (but wouldn't) purchased a Path LE 4x4, but w/DVD entertainment system & NAV included in the price.

SUMMARY: (NOT TO BE TAKEN TOO SERIOUSLY, JUST MY PERSONAL SUBJECTIVE OPINION. HOPEFULLY I DIDN'T OFFEND ANYONE OR DISCOURAGED ANYONE FROM PURCHASING A PATHFINDER DUE TO ANY OF MY OPINION)
IMO, I am really glad that I bought my 4R, it rocks! No regrets whatsoever even after the intro of the Pathfinder (just wished Toyota made the '03-'04 V6 w/5spd auto in the first place). I love my 4R even more now after test driving & checking out the '05 Pathfinder. I might've liked and bought the Pathfinder had I not experienced the 4R (going back in time). All of the preceding comments are based on my personal opinion. For anyone who is shopping for a mid-sized SUV and are considering the 4R & PATHFINDER, I urge you to go check out both vehicles for yourself. Test drive each one in different trim levels and drivetrain configurations. Check out the specs for each vehicle and don't rely too much on 3rd party companies who post specs on the internet as many are inaccurate as I discovered recently. Make sure you choose the right vehicle for yourself and don't let other influence your decision (e.g- my girlfriend & my dad really wanted me to get the Lexus RX330 and I even briefly considered buying it, but ultimately, I just didn't like it at all. GX470 would've been nice, but I noticed more females driving them than males. Besides, the 4R has more rugged looks). Be patient if you want yours in a particular trim/config & don't let the stealerships try to sell you just any model they have on the lot. Believe me, it took me awhile to find just the exact one I wanted: '04 Black V6 LTD 4x4 w/sunroof, no 3rd row, no NAV. Because of this the stealership got me for a couple hundred $$$ over what edmunds.com was listing it for, but I didn't care because I finally found the right one & I was tired of haggling $ w/the salesmen and paid it (should've proceeded to walk out of the showroom to have the sales guy drop the price by $100 or at the very least throw in the all season mats). Anyways, lol to those shopping for a new vehicle & I hope I didn't bored anyone reading this long message!

 

[mpapi]

I just spent a month or too weighing my options with getting either a 4runner or a pathfinder. Believe me, I spent about everyday thinking about it for a good month. In the end I went with the 4runner due to reliability and the little things like the quality of the interior parts.
It has a better 4WD system than the Nissan. The Pathfinders are now being built in the US with a new style, so I figured there might be some initial bugs they need to work out. Everyone I've talked to with a 4Runner seems to love it, so I figured I can't go wrong. There were a few things I like on the Pathy over the 4Runner like the increased hp and what seems to be more space on the inside.
I've had the 4Runner for a week (V6 sport model) and love it!!!

 

[olliebear]

The consensus seems to be

while you COULD be QUITE SATISFIED with the Pathrinder, and would very likely do well with it, you would much more likely to be VERY STASIFIED if not ecstatic with the 4Runner based on better quality, better appointmenmts, nicer ride, etc.

 

[Loki]

having recently sold a nissan 350z i can tell you the quality difference between toyota and nissan is not insignificant. my 350 was riddled with problems. at 6k miles the car was a rattle bucket.

 

[V8Limited4wd]

i don't want to being badmouthing nissan and their quality...

so i'll just say that the 4runner is the suv to beat, and the pathfinder has yet to actually do that. its nice that they have the standard 3rd row seats(b/c i realize now i shouldve gotten it with all the friends i drive around), but thats the ONLY appeal the pathfinder has to me.

i did see one up close and was pretty disappointed with the design... the back looked like a minivan. do they come with a tow package?

 

[xpdnrunner]

Disregarding the inherant bias of all of us, a Nissan Pathfinder? ...Please. Just check back with those Nissan buyers 10 years from now and none of them will still own their trucks. Their soccer playing kids will be in college. Instead of going where old Patherfinders, Ford Exploders, and other 4 wheel drive station wagons go to die, My 4runner is probably going to driven by some 20 year old (my kid) whose put 37" rockcrawlers on it and is doing the Rubicon for the first time with the OEM timing belt still on it! That's the difference.
Thank you and goodnight.

 

[haro]

I don't like that new pathfinder

 

[Satman]

In one word, Hellno :soapbox:

 

[gonzo]

if you are looking for a third row seat, i think the nissan is the better option.

with regard to quality, i have owned several nissans and toyotas. while neither compare to the build quality of a honda, i do believe that toyota has better overall quality. of course that comes at a hefty price.

one big plus for nissan is the fantastic engine. Their "VQ" design has won numerous awards, i would take the nissan V6 over the toyota V6 anyday.

remember to take the opinions of t4r.org members with a grain of salt. some people will vividly remember the one time that their buddy's nissan blew the alternator at 120,000, but mysteriously forget that their V6 toyota went through 3 head gaskets, or that their front seat is forever shifting, a constant 'clicking' sound is emitted from the sunroof, their interior smells like egg everytime they exercise the engine, their brakes pulsate without warning, their engine makes a distinct piston slapping noise, 4wd does not always easily engage/disengage, the alarm malfunctions, there are unidentifiable squeaks and squaks throughout the vehicle, the front end vibrates, the tire pressure sensor indicator trips constantly, the moonroof leaks, the dealer is awful, etc . . .

i think you get my point, if your question is quality, check out consumer reports, if it is drivability, get in and drive them both, if it is offroadability, take our word for it – the 4runner is much better.

to answer your question, i do not regret getting my 4runner, but i take mine offroad. i suspect that there are many out there who should regret it, but they will never know.

 

[mjfrank]

Regrets, none. I seldom mull over decisions once I have made them, that's my wife's thing. Besides, how could I regret the 4Runner, it is a fantastic truck, and I like it more every day.

I also like Nissan, I've owned two of them, and they were both great trucks. I bought my 92 over a similar Toyota truck because it was cheaper and had more options. Nissan has rock solid engines and transmissions. Their interiors are slightly below what you get in a Toyota or Honda, but they are still a good vehicle.

That said, I don't like most of Nissans exterior designs anymore (350Z excluded), and therefore the Pathfinder wasn't even on my short list. It didn't help much that it was a new model either, I never buy first model year vehicles.

Whether or not it was made in the US or Japan didn't really figure in for me though, Nissan has been making vehicles here for many years, my '92 was built in Smyrna, TN, and I never had a problem with it. The issues they had in Canton were probably related to having a new vehicle being made in a brand new plant, and I'm sure they'll get the problems worked out. My neighbor has a new Armada, and hasn't had any problems with it, so they must have straightened out a few things already.

At any rate, I'd buy the 4Runner again in a heartbeat. I may even buy my wife one, since she keeps lustily eyeing mine.

--Mike

 

[Scout Av8er]

Nope!

NOPE!

 

[emtp579]

Both nice, but 4R wins

I had a 1998 Pathfinder before I bought my 2003 4R. While both are great vehicles, the 4R wins in my book. Better ride and better overall quality of materials with one exception . . . the 4R paint scratches easier.

Since I loved my Pathfinder I went and looked at the 2005, but still feel the 4R is overall more quality for the money.

Dan

 

[khadux]

When I first saw the new styling of the pathfinder, I really liked it so I went for a test drive the other day and thought the interior quality feels quite cheap and a bit narrow or not as spacious as the 4runner. Road noise was noticeable more but the steering response and handling was good. Overall, made me love my runner even more. NO REGRETS!

 

[toyo]

I b elieve Nissan is going down the wrong road in thier design dept. All of the vehicles except for the 350 and some of the Titans look awful. I think that Armada is the ugliest car since the Azteck came out. When I went to the Auto show, I was like oh great a new Titan. Man was I dissapointed when I got inside that thing. Very Very cheap. My bro in law just bought a new Titan. He has had it for 3k miles. New brake rotors and other stuff. I work on alot of Nissan's in my business, they are on the same qaulity level as a Mazda in my opinion. When you work on a car, you can start seeing where a manufacture starts to cut corners.

 

[gonzo]

went to the dealership yesterday and must say that i am quite impressed with the new pathfinder. they have made good use of the nooks and cranies and used some interesting materials throughout the vehicle. the third row kicks butt on the 4runner's, but this results in the loss of a solid rear axel.

it has the same ground clearance as the 4runner, with better approach/departure angles. while it may not be the best off-road vehicle, it certainly is no slouch. some people critisize nissan's styling cues, but that is simply a matter of taste. in terms of the off-roadable suv market, this thing certainly will be a contender.

 

[GRIMACE]

freshalloy.com

Check this site out. They 've got some experiences about the pathfinder.

 

[Skyline]

I currently have a G35( kind of a Nissan) and previously a Maxima, and both have been completely trouble free. Both, unlike the Pathfinder, however, are Japanese made. I still wouldn't worry much about Nissan quality...even if it's not quite Toyota level, it's leagues ahead of any Dodge, Chevy, Ford or even BMW SUV.

That said, I think Nissan has taken a horrible turn for the worse in the design department. About the only company that has gone further astray is BMW. Wait 'till you see how ugly the 2006 X5 is. For BMW, this is explained by one man....head of design Chris Bangle. For Nissan, it's harder to figure; perhaps it's the Renault ownership, (now THERE's a company that makes some wierd/ugly cars). But there seems to be several good looking exceptions in the Nissan/Infiniti stable as well, (like my G35, and especially the upcoming M45). Perhaps with the Titan/Armada/Pathfinder, Nissan wants to appeal to the Dodge Ram mentality. Not for me though.

 

[J_W_Speed]

I owned a new 03 Pathfinder LE on 03. It was ok on power, a little sloppy in the shifting department. The 0 – 60 was in around 8.5 sec. Mechanically, it was ok but after 6 months, things started going wrong. The rear drums, YES DRUMS ON AN LE started warping and I traded it 6 months later. The whole time I tried over and over to get Nissan to turn the drums or do whatever warrantee work was required. They refused. So to make a long story short, no. I would never be sorry for buying a Toyota product over a Nissan product.

 

[leftyrb]

I owned two Pathfinders before my 4Runner. The 95 was a 5 speed, with a 150 hp V6. It was a solid vehicle, but lacking in power - you could feel the effect of the air conditioning compressor. I also had a 2001, with the 250 hp engine. It was quite snappy, liked premium gas, and road well. I traded it for the 2004 4Runner.

The 4Runner rides as well as the Nissan. I like the shifter a lot more with the 4Runner, but miss the standard heated mirrors on the Nissan. I lost considerable money on the Nissan, and I think the trade-in value is greater with the 4Runner. I have no regrets.