The Eternal Grudge Match…4Runner vs. Pathfinder

[LSI]

I recently bought the new 4runner after being a die-hard nissan guy for the last 20 years. I've owned 2 current generation pathfinders and while impressed with the looks and power i'm disappointed with the build quality and lack of accountability from nissan corporate. The build quality has suffered since being built in the U.S. not to mention the cheap quality and defective chinese parts they are using. I know all manufacturer's are making parts in china but the quality control is a major issue. For instance the brake rotors have had an issue with warping since '05 but they continue to put them on their vehicles and deny any fault. I've had the same issues with my 05 and '07 models, you would think they would address these issues for each new model year but nissan has dropped the ball badly! Some of the issues i've had that were recently given voluntary recall status are; faulty fuel sending unit, abs sensor, airbag sensor. Issue that are not being adressed yet include rattling windows, defective transmission,drive belt pulley, misaligned rear seat cushions, corrosion of air con lines and failure of system. I can go on but why bother i don't think they care, otherwise these issues would've already been dealt with!
Now with all the bad press toyota was getting i still went ahead and bought a 4runner based on the belief of toyota being the best built vehicles period. I have to say for the first 2000km i was in heaven but after that the vehicle started to have issues. Firstly the rear defog and wiper stopped working, most likely a fuse but not expected! The paint is too thin showing scratches from common road grime and the plastic trim around the wheel wells scratch too easy! The engine is sounding loud and labouring when accelerating. The gas mileage is terrible averaging 15.3l/100k based on 50/50 city/hwy driving. Certainly the overall feel of quality is way ahead of the pathfinder but i'm starting to think that toyota too has fallen prey to cost cutting measures!

 

[USMC_4runner]

-check to make sure your rear window is all the way up! I bet that'll take care of your rear wiper/defog, as the window has to be ALL the way up for it to function.
-Gas mileage (and power) should get better as the engine gets broken in. I was averaging 21mpg with my stock tires, which is pretty good for a SUV IMO.

 

[LSI]

Thanks, it was slightly ajar and now works! The auto up/down feature should've taken care of this issue but i guess a warning light would help too or just being more careful next time-lol.
When i first got this truck i was averaging 600kms on a tank. I now have 3500kms on the odometer and average just 500km/tank. I know there is a break in period for everything to mesh nicely but i expected the mileage to be better than and not the same as the guzzling pathfinder.

 

[scanny]

I got 13.1 l/100km (about 18mpg), 70% city driving. Have over 10,000km on odometer though. I hope that it should be better in the summer, going to reset fuel consumption counter when winter is fully over.

 

[LSI]

I would love to see 13.1 about what i expect on average going forward. No doubt the summer gas is better than winter gas, so should see a big improvement...hopefully!
I'm in toronto by the way, where are you?

 

[scanny]

I would love to see 13.1 about what i expect on average going forward. No doubt the summer gas is better than winter gas, so should see a big improvement...hopefully!
I'm in toronto by the way, where are you?

I'm close by - in Mississauga. Toronto gas consumption bound to to worse I guess - too much traffic in the city : )

 

[DaveS]

I am going to raise a few eyebrows I am sure but here goes - I have a 4th Gen and my fuel economy has been worse than ever this winter - the winter fuel blend seems to be even more agressive than usual - guess they planned on a particularly hard winter. I switched from Petrocanada to Shell and the economy seemed to improve - I know it all comes from the same fuel depot but its the additives that differ and also impact mileage - it's worth a try for a tankful anyway.

 

[DaveS]

I'm out in Enniskillen, ON north east of Toronto by the way - seriously need the 4Runner out here - the frost heave here now is like driving offroad.

 

[LSI]

I would agree, they are trying to raise the ethanol content which does nothing for better mileage! I usually stay away from shell and esso since they have a higher sulpher content than petrocan but i'll try shell to see if it helps.
Do you guys know of any 4runner clubs in Southern Ontario?

 

[scanny]

Do you guys know of any 4runner clubs in Southern Ontario?

Nope, Not aware of any. Let me know if you find one though : )

 

[LSI]

Thanks, will do!

 

[DennisW]

I was considering the same choice, but it turned out to be a simple one for me. Last Feb 2010 there were like 3 or 4 4WD Pathfinders for sale in Southern California total, and NO Offroad editions. On the other hand, there were plenty of new 4Runners!

Dennis.

 

[RECDOG]

Pathfinder vs.4Runnr.....

I drove my friends 2011 silver edition pathfinder..and wow besides the looks which i think are aweful..and way old by now...it drives much better than my 2011 lmtd....handling..much better!! engine response...muchhhhhh better...WTF..

and dont tell me about toyota build quality blah blah there all the same crap now...totyota hasnt been top notch in many years...there all about equal in that department...perhaps slightly better resale..BUT who cares about that right now....

Im really doubtful i made the right choise now...aww well could always trade hert in..

i cant believe how well it handles(pathfinder) and the steering is waaaayyy tighter that the 4runnr...just food for thought for you new 4runner possible owners

 

[Dispense]

I drove an 09' Pathfinder in Curacao during a "deployment" for 6 months. It doubled as my POV and our FOL's ambulance.

I was impressed with it, fit and finish seemed high quality, roomy. Handled very well and engine response was great. Took it plenty of places for light off-roading and never had any problems or shortfalls.

I didn't buy one over my 4Runner because the 4Runner just looked better. =)

 

[Foques]

if you don't own a nissan, you shouldn't really be dismissing the talk of quality, blah blah blah.. I own two.. and can't wait to get rid of both of them.
granted, they are not trucks, but quality sucks, and I can guarantee you that I will not be going back to nissan ever again...

 

[westwind77]

I drove my friends 2011 silver edition pathfinder...

Have you seen this thread.....

http://www.toyota-4runner.org/5th-gen-t4rs/76273-eternal-grudge-match-4runner-vs-pathfinder.html

I got in a 10' Pathfinder to test drive (was their base model) what a POS IMO. It was a thought to replace my wife's Escape. It was 'broken' on the lot, stuck in 4wd, engine lights on, etc. I'm sure the 'silver edition' might be a great step up, but base to base the 4R blows it away.

 

[Johnny Utah]

pretty cool. I'm sure the quality is/was good. I came from a nissan xterra, and she was great for me. To me, the 4runner looks way better than the pathfinder. (all things being equal)

 

[Canadian144]

We also cross shopped the Pathfinder and the 4Runner. Went with the 4Runner over a Pathfinder LE. I will admit the Pathfinder was the more "fun" to drive vehicle..... but we weren't buying this in order to have fun driving.

Towing for the two was pretty much equal. The 4Runner had a higher MPG rating from the EPA.

IMO the 4Runner fits 4 or 5 people much more comfortably than the Pathfinder. Much more room in the backseat it seems. The 4Runner has nicer gauges too.

What really sold me was two things: first the seats. The Pathfinder seats have NO side support! It's like you're sitting on a park bench. The 4Runner seats feel a lot more like the ones in our STI, so much nicer.

Finally the avaliability of a "trail" or offroad package. The Pathfinder just lacks off-road "ability" compared to the 4Runner. The 4runner also looks much nicer, especially the TE model.

 

[Johnny Utah]

We also cross shopped the Pathfinder and the 4Runner. Went with the 4Runner over a Pathfinder LE. I will admit the Pathfinder was the more "fun" to drive vehicle..... but we weren't buying this in order to have fun driving.

Towing for the two was pretty much equal. The 4Runner had a higher MPG rating from the EPA.

IMO the 4Runner fits 4 or 5 people much more comfortably than the Pathfinder. Much more room in the backseat it seems. The 4Runner has nicer gauges too.

What really sold me was two things: first the seats. The Pathfinder seats have NO side support! It's like you're sitting on a park bench. The 4Runner seats feel a lot more like the ones in our STI, so much nicer.

Finally the avaliability of a "trail" or offroad package. The Pathfinder just lacks off-road "ability" compared to the 4Runner. The 4runner also looks much nicer, especially the TE model.

one huge thing for me is the rear sliding glass . I've always loved it, and i'm glad i finally have it .

 

[RECDOG]

I drove an 09' Pathfinder in Curacao during a "deployment" for 6 months. It doubled as my POV and our FOL's ambulance.

I was impressed with it, fit and finish seemed high quality, roomy. Handled very well and engine response was great. Took it plenty of places for light off-roading and never had any problems or shortfalls.

I didn't buy one over my 4Runner because the 4Runner just looked better. =)

Agreed 4runner does look 100x better and meaner..but