mmarshall

By both CL and non-CL request, a review of the 2009 Nissan Pathfinder LE V6 4X4.


http://www.nissanusa.com/pathfinder/


In a Nutshell: A larger, more refined, better-trimmed, and much smoother-riding XTerra.













(Nav Model Shown)











I have both a CL request and a non-CL request (one of my ex co-workers, actually), for a review of the current-generation Nissan Pathfinder, so I decided to get to that today.

The Pathfinder, at one time, generated most of Nissan's SUV sales, at least in the American market. But, since then, it has been somewhat overshadowed, not only by an increasing number of foreign and domestic competitors, but by corporate brothers/sisters as well, including the smaller Nissan XTerra, the same-sized Infiniti QX4, and the larger Nissan Pathfinder Armada (don't confuse the two) and Infiniti QX56. Nissan, however, will discontinue the the Armada and QX56, which are both built on the full-size Titan pickup truck platform....that move will possibly make the Pathfinder a little more attractive as the largest remaining of the Nissan SUV's. The Armada/QX56 have been plagued by many reliability problems; far more so than the Pathfinder, which is built in a different plant (the latest, third-generation Pathfinder has generally been average in reliability).

The Original Pathfinder, when introduced, not only shared the Nissan Frontier pickup truck's platform/chassis, but, like Toyota's original 4Runner back in the 1970s and early 1980s, was basically a pickup with a shell and some crude rear seats to keep rear passengers out of the weather. The second-generaton Pathfinder took a giant step forward, switched to a unibody frame/chassis, and because far more sophisticated and refined. It got a high rating from Consumer Reports for its overall competence, smooth ride, and good build quality/reliability. I remember test-driving a sample and can attest to its smooth ride, especially compared to the Bounce-o-Matic ride of most of its competitors at the time.

But the second-generation model had one serious flaw.....one not shared by much of its competition. Nissan would not offer the full-time 4WD/AWD hardware on the Pathfinder that was not only offered on its own upmarket sister Infiniti QX4 but on direct competitors such as the Toyota 4Runner, Chevy TrailBlazer, and Ford Explorer as well. The Pathfinder's cheap, simple 4WD system, like on pickups of the time, lacked a center differential, and could only be used on slick or non-paved surfaces....at a time when the majority of SUV use was no longer off-road but was becoming like family station wagons. This, IMO, was a serious marketing error, and I repeatedly pointed this out to Nissan officials at auto shows. Then, to add injury to insult, Carlos Ghosn and Renault came in and bought the company, and we all know what happened to the fit/finish of general build quality of subsequent (post-2000) Nissans....that issue has been noted and discussed repeatedly in both this forum and in others, so I don't need to go into it in detail again here.

However, the extreme cost-cutting at Nissan that Ghosn forced did save it from an apparant bankrupcy, even if it did make the company's products less desirable than before. And, after a couple of years of this general cost-cutting, the third-generation model of Pathfinder was introduced. The third-generation Pathfinder, opposite to the trend of most SUVs at that time, switched BACK from unibody to a truck-based body-on-frame. This, of course, made for easier accident repair, and made the new Pathfinder suited for more rugged off-road conditions than the unibody second-generation model had been. It also, of course, cut costs somewhat (no surprise there), and made the Pathfinder (once again) more compatible with the existing Nissan Frontier pickup-truck platform. The third-generation Pathfinder, for several years, shared a rather stark interior and cheap trim/hardware with other Nissan products. On a positive note, however, the third-generation Pathfinder DOES, pretty much, share the smooth ride of the previous model.......one of its strongest points (more on that below). Further, in the last couple of years, Nissan, in response to owner complaints, has worked hard to improve the previously unimpressive interior without a total (and expensive) re-design. And (here is where one of my most persistant complaints also paid off), the Pathfinder now has the 4WD/AWD system and center differential from the sister Infiniti QX4 that IMO, it should have had 10 years ago. Still, in several ways, nicer interior or not, the current Pathfinder is, more or less, just a slightly larger version of the Nissan XTerra, which, itself, is also done on the Frontier pickup-truck platform. (The Armada/QX56 SUVs and Titan pickup are on a different, larger basic platform). But the difference in ride between the Pathfinder and XTerra is like night and day......the XTerra is hard-core, and will bounce you all over the place like an older Jeep Wrangler. The Pathfinder, in comparison, is limo-like.

In the American market, three price lines of the Pathfinder are offered....S, SE, and LE. S and SE models come with a 4.0L V6 with 266 HP and 288 ft-lbs. of torque. LE models have the choice of the V6 or a 5.6L V8 of 310 HP and 388 ft-lbs of torque...a relative stump-puller. All models come with a the choice of 2WD only or switch-actuated 2WD/4WD, Automatic (full-time) AWD, and 4WD LOW for tough conditions off-road. No manual transmissions are available. All models have a 5-speed automatic transmisson standard, unlike the CVTs on some other Nissan products. SE and LE models have a manual sport-shift mode for the transmission.

I chose a Brick-Red, Beige-interior, LE model with the V6 and 4x4 for the review, believing that the V6/4X4 combination would probably appeal to the majority of Pathfinder buyers (basically the same drivetrain, of course, comes in cheaper S and SE versions, although the base S version lacks the Sportshift). But, after driving it, I think that some buyers may want to consider the V8, especially for towing or carrying heavy loads....the V6 has to work pretty hard under some conditions.

Details coming up.




Model Reviewed: 2009 Nissan Pathfinder LE V6 4X4


Base Price: $38,510


Major Options:

Carpeted Floor Mats: $155


Destination/Freight: $780


List price as reviewed: $39,445




Drivetrain: 2WD/AWD/4WD, longitudinally-mounted, 4.0L DOHC V6, 266 HP @ 5600 RPM, Torque 288 Ft-lbs. @ 4000 RPM, 5-speed automatic transmission with manual mode, Front/rear limited-slip differentials.


EPA Mileage Rating: 14 City, 20 Highway



Exterior Color: Red Brick

Interior: Cafe Latte (Beige) Leather





PLUSSES:


Tough, body-on-frame design allows off-roading.

Body-on frame design also allows easier accident repair than unibody.

4WD Low-range for tough off-road situations.

Can be run in 2WD for economy.

Auto AWD (Finally) can be used on dry pavement.

VERY smooth ride for an off-road-capable SUV.

Fairly good noise isolation for an SUV.

Interior trim much nicer than just a few years ago.

Firm, solid, somewhat heavy steering feel (the way I like it).

Relatively nice paint job.

Smooth-sfifting automatic transmission.

Fore-aft transmission shift lever action no (zig-zag).

Up to 7000 lbs. towing capacity with V8....less with V6.

Nice running boards for entry/exit.

Nice stereo sound....but very complex controls.

TV camera-screen for backing up, even on non-NAV-equipped models.

First-aid kit inside rear liftback.

Good exterior hardware/trim.

Good interior fit/finish; comparatively well-done metallic/wood trim.

Clear, simple primary gauges.

Generally well-designed, easy-to-use controls, except for stereo and center-dash.

Solid, dual glove boxes.

Roomy cargo area with seats down.

Real (apparantly), not temporary, spare tire.

Good underhood layout.

Factory incentives (as of this date) available on selected models.






MINUSES:


Not to be confused with the much larger Pathfinder Armada...which will soon be discontinued.

V6 engine, despite good torque, has to work fairly hard.

Slow steering response.

Humpty-Dumpty body roll.

So-so brakes.

Side of liftgate, when up, bangs heads of tall people.

Non-locking gas cap/filler door.

Spare tire underneath rear of vehicle.

Cheap prop-rod for the hood.

Steering column lacks telescoping function.

Very poor paint color choice.

High outside rear-door handles a long reach for children.

Seat leather OK, but not as nice as on Nissan Maxima.

Awkward-folding second-row seats.

Second-row seat height and headrests uncomfortable for tall adults.

Difficult third-row seat access.

Third-row seat unfit for adults.

Very difficult, frustrating stereo controls.

So-so, but not flimsy, exterior sheet metal.

Base prices up significantly for 2009.....but factory incentives may help.





EXTERIOR:

Walking up to the current-generation Pathfinder, the first impression, style-wise, is that it is a slightly larger version of the XTerra, although the grille/lower panel is not quite as bold as the XTerra's, and it lacks the Xterra's slight, Land-Rover-type step-up to the rear roof/beltline. It also appears as a somewhat smaller version of the larger Pathfinder Armada (don't confuse the two names), although the C-pillar on the Armada is raked forward slightly, and the fender flares are not as pronounced as on the Pathfinder. Still, there is a definite Nissan family resemblance in the styling of all three, and, of course, the XTerra and current-generation Pathfinder share more or less the same platform (not exactly), with the Armada on the larger, Titan-based platform. The overall styling can be said to be of the traditional, two-box, SUV type...one smaller box up front containing the engine/front-end components, and a much larger, rectangular box behind it with the cabin and cargo area. I find the design/styling of all three SUV's rather neutral....neither handsome nor ugly.......so I personally didn't list it as either a plus or a minus (the rear end, IMO, looks better than the front, but, of course, styling is a subjective matter).

The body sheet metal is OK, but not the most solid I've seen. The gas cap and gas filler door both apparantly lack a locking mechanism to keep out siphers....an cost-cutting move taken from many domestic vehicles. The paint job is relatively nice....better than some recent, post-2000 Nissans, but the color choice is even more dull and funeral-like than usual....only about six or seven basic colors are offered, and the reddish-brown (Brick Red) of my test car, though not a bright red by any means, was, by far, the brightest of them. Nissan marketers.....you blew it last time on the Pathfinder with the part-time 4WD; IMO, you blew it this time with the paint colors.

The four fender-flares are relatively bold and aggressive, like on some sports cars, but, as mentioned above, not as much as on little brother XTerra. My LE model had nice, step-up running boards on either side that helped entry/exit for smaller and/or older people....something that many XTerras lack, presumably because they are marketed to a younger and more lithe group of customers. Big, wide, two-tone chrome/body-color door mouldings run down both sides, but, like on many vehicles, are mounted a little too low for best parking-lot ding resistance. The LE model lacks the gray/black lower body-cladding some SUVs have for road-debris protection, but the undersides of the running boards help some, and the edges of the wheel wells, where the flares start, have some inside protection as well. The awkward rear outside door handles, like on other Nissan/Infiniti SUVs, are a higher-than-normal reach up the rear edge of the door frame, and pull forward rather then up...perhaps too much for Junior without parental or adult help. The rear of the cargo area, of course, is squared-off, with the traditional two-box design, and makes for a nice cargo loading area (more on that below), but both sides of the rear liftgate hatch curl down in what IMO is a poor design, and bumps tall people in the head......I did it twice. The four doors and hatch close fairly solidly....better than on some other vehicles, but, like the general sheet metal, are not quite the most solid I've seen.




UNDERHOOD:

I was genarally pleased with the underhood layout; it is actually better than the attached image above seems to indicate. The only negative thing was the cheap, hand-operated, prop-rod that holds up the hood itself.....an apparant leftover Ghosn cost-cutting feature way out of place in this near-$40,000 vehicle. But everything else under the hood looks good. The hood has a nice insulation pad underneath that helps absorb some engine noise, but, of course, not necessarily its vibration....more on that below. The longitudinally-mounted 4.0L V6 fits in well, with some room to work on both sides and the front of the block. The whole top of the engine, blessedly, is exposed.....there is no annoying plastic engine cover on the V6 to unnecessarily hide things. The battery, up front and to the left of the engine, is completely exposed, and you can do anything you need to it. All filler caps, reservoirs, and dipsticks are easily and convienently reached. This is the way underhoods SHOULD be......simple and open, with reachable components.





INTERIOR:

Step up on the handy, well-attached running boards and climb inside. The interior styling, like that of the exterior, shows strong signs of being in the Nissan family, especially in the steering wheel, console, and dash. Nissan, in response to customer complaints, has worked on the fit/finish of its interiors in the last couple of years, including the Pathfinder. The steering wheel is the standard Nissan upside-down "T" 3-spoke design with the thick spokes and leather wrapping, but the silver metallic painted-plastic spoke trim is now better-done than before. The wood-tone trim on the console and door panels, chrome door handles, and the other metallic-painted surfaces and trim throughout the cabin are much, and I mean MUCH, better done than on past Pathfinders, and other recent Nissans. The wood, especially, looks nice, is well-done, and adds a touch of warmth. All of the trim, headliner, dash materials, and fit/finish in general is far better done than just a few years ago. The primary gauges are the more-or-less familiar Nissan dual circles which are clear and easy to read, though I didn't particularly like some of smaller bar-graph stuff. The stereo sound quality was OK, but a long way from a Mark Levinson or Harmon Kardon unit (of course, AC/DC sounds great on almost anything). The stereo adjustment controls, however, IMO, were awful....even in this non-NAV model, enormously (IMO) complicated from the Nissan-Infiniti type chrome-ringed dash-****/controller and the dozens of buttons arrayed around it. For those of you who, like me, sometimes have trouble with designs like this (I know some of you have no problems with it), I strongly suggest getting the stereo set up before you take off, and then messing with it as little as possible on the road....anything other than the simple volume/on/off **** or AM/FM buttons can be a chore. The adjacent climate-control *****/buttons, by contrast, are much more intuitive and user-friendly. Though sometimes complex, however, all of the interior *****/buttons/switches seem durable, well-made, and well-attached. The two steering-column stalks are slightly lighter-grade plastic, but, unlike on many German/Sweedish cars, seem basically solid and well-attached. The two gloveboxes (one flips up; the other down) are solid and don't have the flimsy latches seen on some vehicles. The steering column manually tilts, but does not telescope....perhaps an oversight in a $40,000 vehicle.


There is adequate headroom and legroom, in the first and second-row seats, for moderately tall adults, but the sunroof housing, despite the tall SUV roofline, does take up a little headroom in the front seats, unless you adjust the rake or bottoms cushions down low to get under it. The seats themselves, however, leave several things to be desired. The front seats were basically comfortable (no major complaints), but are flat and have very little support. The grade of leather used (my test car had the beige color, but black is also available) was not bad, but was noticeably less smooth/slick than in its own brother Nissan Maxima sedan (I sat in a Maxima and briefly checked its interior out too...that leather was superb). The rear seats had too-low seatback cushion heights and bulging, uncomfortable headrests that were rather uncomfortable for adults (see the accompying image above).... I had to yank the headrests up all the way so they didn't press into the upper part of my back, and then the big gap between the headrest and very low seatback height was uncomfortable as well. Adults can ride in the second-row seats, but a number of them may not be comfortable. Headroom was also fairly good in the smaller third-row seat, but otherwise, it is not fit for normal adults, and access may be difficult.....I'll save that, and the details of the awkward folding mechanisms for the second and third-row seats for the next section, below. A nice touch, however, for second-row passengers are split reading lights built into the ceiling, behind the sunroof.




CARGO AREA/TRUNK:

Open the large, squared-off liftgate (I've already metioned the curl-down edges that can bang tall heads), and you have a nice, roomy cargo area. You probably won't bang your head seriously enough to need the nice First-Aid kit inside a compartment on the inside of the hatch, but it's nice to have it there. In fact, this is one of the first vehicles I've seen, outside of the Mercedes-Lexus-BMW-Infiniti class, to have one....it helps makes up for some of the other cheap features like the hood prop-rod and non-locking gas cap. Also helping to make up for it is the (apparent) real spare tire under the car, not a temporary or a donut-spare, although its mounting, under the rear bumper, is rather hard to reach, and means crawling under the rear of the vehicle. Of course, if you're in your nice clothes and don't want to get them messed up, Nissan Roadside Assistance (with many carmakers, just a contract with AAA), during the warranty period, will come along and do it for you. But, at least, on my test car, it seems to be a real spare tire (which is only fitting, of course, in a $40,000 vehicle), and not one of those infuriating temporary/donuts or a bottle of Fix-a-Flat. A multi-compartmented tray, under the rear floor pull-up panel, lies where the temporary spare does in most vehicles.

The cargo area itself is OK finished.....I didn't list as as either a plus or a minus. The sides of the area are mostly plastic, but the floor itself was, in my test car, covered with a fairly nice grade of beige carpet that matched the interior beige. The tall, squared-off, rear roofline meant, of course, that fairly bulky items could easily be loaded in and carried. Both the third-row seats (which, like many third-row seats in mid-sized SUVs, are generally unfit for adults) and the second-row seats fold down to expand the flat-floor carrying space. But the fold-down mechanisms for the second-row seats are somewhat awkward, multi-step, and the hardware/hinges for the folding bottom-cushions don't seem to operate very smoothly. Both me and the Nissan salespeople there tried, a number of ways, to get the second-row seats, while still raised, far enough forward, out of the way, for reasonable third seat access. But none of us could figure out a way to do it (they didn't go drag out an Owners' Manual). So, without any evidence to the contrary, it's fairly safe to say that you will likely encounter difficult third-seat entry/exit while the second-seat is up (making the third-row seat, of course, even more unfit for adults).




ON THE ROAD:

Start up the 4.0L V6 with a standard, conventional key and dash mounted ignition switch...no push-buttons or built-in twist-*****. The V6 comes to life with a fairly smooth, quiet idle, but is not quite Honda/Toyota turbine-smooth. Warmed up and on the road, the engine's relatively good 288 ft-lbs. of torque has its work cut out for it hauling the Pathfinder's 4810 lb curb weight around (significantly over 5000 lb. with me in the car and a load of gas). Though the engine is not what I would call loud or raspy (and the underhood insulation pad helps), engine noise and vibration both increase as the car picks up speed under acceleration, and any real pickup calls for a strong push on the gas pedal, a forced (or sport-manual) transmission downshift, giving acceleration I would call adequate and no more. For those who plan to use the Pathfinder for regular heavy loads, towing, or on-road hilly terrain, I would consider the 310 HP 5.6L V8, with its much greater, stump-pulling 388 ft-lbs. of torque and 7000-lb. towing capacity.

The 5-speed Sport-shift transmission shifts smoothly, and the transmission shifter is much nicer than before, works smoothly and crisply, and has a nice fore-aft motion rather than the annoying zig-zags on some vehicles. The Sport-manual shift gate is back and over to the right. The firm, (even heavy) power-steering feel is just the way I like it, although it may be too firm for some people, especially those with arthritis in their shoulders, hands, or elbows. It may be heavy for some, but it is just the way I like it (I don't like feathery, overboosted steering), though the "firmness" seems to be simply a result of a low level of power steering-pump boost and not necessarily a superb, tactile-firm feel like on BMWs.

Ride comfort, for a truck-based SUV, was outstanding...easily one of the vehicle's strongest points. The soft suspension, heavy weight, and high-profile tires combine to eat up pavement bumps and imperfections almost like a traditional luxury car. I felt more comfortable in the Pathfinder on bumpy roads than in a lot of sophisticated sedans...even Nissan's own Altima and Maxima sedans. There was also no noticeable porpoising back-and-forth like you get with many SUV's, quite unusual, especially, for a truck-based, off-road-capable one like this. The high seating position, however, combined with the riding comfort, combines to create an illusion of slow speed when you are actually going faster than you are....60 MPH in the Pathfinder felt like about 40-45 in many other vehicles, so you have to be careful with speed limits.

The high center of gravity, though, heavy weight, and soft suspension/tires combine to give relatively poor handling. There are copious amounts of both understeer and body roll, and care and attention must be given to driving on narrow, winding roads. You can't just flick through corners like with a sports car. The high incidence of SUV rollovers indicates that too many people still don't understand this. The standard stability-control system, of course, will help with extreme amounts of oversteer or understeer, but, unlike Volvo-derived systems, doesn't have roll-control sensors.....they only correct for yaw. Still, if you have to make a sudden manuver to avoid something, it is indeed a help compared to no stability control at all. Wind noise was not luxury-car quiet, but generaly well-controlled, as was tire noise, despite the off-road-rated capability of the tires, which can sometimes mean a noisy tread pattern.

Brakes were not one of the vehicles' strong points,as is the case in most mid-to-large size SUVs. There were no pedal-spacing problems for my big size-15 shoe, but the pedal had some mushiness and slow initial response. Response was also not particularly linear...you did not necessarily get response in proportion to the amount of pedal travel.

The Pathfinder, of course, is off-road-rated, though not to quite as rugged an extent as its brother XTerra. It comes with a disconnectable switch for the stability system, a rotary-position switch for 2WD, auto AWD for slick, on-road pavement driving, and 4WD or 4WD LOW range for slow, tough stuff in the boonies. There is the now-common (for SUV's) Hill Descent Control system that monitors fuel-injection, transmission, and brake pressure for added control on steep descents. The approach, breakover, and departure angles for clearing off-road obstacles are fairly good, though not as mountain-goat-like as the XTerra. And, of course, there are a number of dealer-approved and aftermarket accessories for off-road driving, although, again, probably not quite as many as for the more purpose-designed, Jeeplike XTerra.






THE VERDICT:

For 2008-2009, Nissan has not a pretty nice job of making the Pathfinder more attractive over earlier versions of the same-generation model, and accomplished it, of course, without the expense or commitment of a major redesign. Major improvements are now seen in interior trim quality, fit/finish, paint-job quality, and the apparant general care with which the vehicle seems to be assembled. The underhood layout is relatively nice for do-it-yourselfers. Ride quality is outstanding for a truck-based SUV. It's off-road capabilities (though I didn't have a chance to try them) should be pretty good.

But there are still some flies in the ointment. The V6 engine gets a good workout dragging all that weight around. The brakes are too mushy for my tastes. The Roly-Poly handling/understeer, despite stability control, does not inspire confidence. Several functions on the seats, especially in the second-row, need improvement or a redesign. The hood heeds gas struts to hold it up.....that prop-rod is insulting in a $40,000 vehicle. The stereo controls need to be made much simpler, even on the non-NAV versions. And, tall people.....watch your heads under that rear liftgate when it's up.

If you don't mind a much rougher ride, and want a more rugged off-roader, then consider the smaller and less-expensive XTerra. Otherwise, most people would be happier with the Pathfinder, and there is no question that the Pathfinder, even with its remaining faults, is far nicer than just a few years ago, in the heyday of the Ghosn cost-cutting era. But the Pathfinder is only one of many of this type of vehicle available in this size/price range, and there are others, like the Toyota 4Runner, Ford Explorer, Mitsubishi Endeavor, etc....that offer not only fierce competition, but just as good value as well.

LexusChris

iTrader: (1)

hey mmarshall, thanks for the review of the Pathfinder.

I actually took a second gen Pathfinder back in 2005 because I didn't feel the third gen at the time was any better than the 2002 model I checked out at the same time. To me the new Pathfinder wasn't any bigger inside and the third row was useless for my family so I couldn't see the justification at the time to spend $15,000 more and I really liked the looks of the previous model much more. Also I found the interior of the newer one at the time to feel kinda of cheap which you did state and was upgraded recently and looks much better I must say than the earlier models of the third-gen.

I should mention the 02-04 LE models were actually available with the same full-time 4WD that was in the QX4 when it was upgraded to the 3.5L from the previous 3.3L.

pagemaster

yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaawn.

The pathfinder has now been out forever!

mmarshall

Sure. Glad it helped.

Yes, Nissan has done a lot with the interior trim in the last couple of years. The first of the third-generation models, like other Nissan products of the time, were clearly second-rate inside.

Yes, some later second-gen models offered full-time AWD, but it came out several years (at least IMO), after Nissan should have started offering it. Nissan dragged their feet for awhile.....and there was no need to. The hardware for it was already there in the QX4.

One other thing I DO remember about the second-generation model, though.....the silky-smooth ride (by SUV standards), perhaps even more so than the current model. The Toyota 4Runner of the time, perhaps its closest competitor, was a bounce-machine in comparison.

Another area where Nissan dragged their feet (along the same lines) is with the Infiniti G35 coupe. The G35 sedan offered the X AWD system virtually from day one....but it was never offered on the otherwise mechanically similiar coupe (despite numerous customer requests). Now, with the new G37 coupe, it is finally available.

Auto manufacturers sometimes are hesitant to offer AWD on coupes and convertibles, figuring that they are not often driven in bad-weather conditions where AWD would be most beneficial.....but that is actually a misnomer. AWD helps out in rain and, to an extent, even in dry-weather cornering.

mmarshall

Forever? Hardly.

Land Rovers have been out since 1948, Jeep Wranglers since 1941, and Chevy Suburbans since 1936. THAT is forever.

LexFather

Good review Mike. The Pathfinder is a Japanese SUV OG that has been passed by just about everyone. The 40k asking price just makes me scratch my head.

We both have tested the Kia Borrego and this and I can't find much any reason to pick the Pathfinder over the Kia.

mmarshall

Thanks.

People still show some interest in it. That's why I got review requests on it.

Yes....agreed, to some extent. As daily drivers, I'd rate them both about even, though the Borrego gives you a little more value for the money, and I like the Borrego's tank-solid construction/sheet metal. It also has a far more comfortable rear seat. The Borrego's 4.6L V8, though, can't match the grunt of the Pathfinder's 5.6L V8 and its 388 ft-lbs. of torque.

mmarshall

Next planned review: Toyota Venza

PhilipMSPT

iTrader: (5)

I don't particularly find the Pathfinder as a leader in anything. I just see it as an extra offering by Nissan to appease the competitive nature of the automotive market.

With so much competition, should Nissan focus on what they do best: sporty cars for less (which they are achieving with the 370Z, G37 sedan/coupe, Maxima, and (of course) the GT-R)? Or should they play with the big boys (who do it better) and further progress their SUV niche, even though it's slowly shrinking due to market conditions?

mmarshall

I agree. It's not much of a standout vehicle in this class, except for its unusually smooth, pleasant ride. But, then, most of its competitors aren't either. That's exactly what makes this class so competitive to start with....most of them, in general, aren't really that much different from each other. And, up until recently, some of the vehicles in this class, like the Explorer and Grand Cherokee, were running up some huge sales figures.

I did this specific Pathfinder review from specific requests, not because I thought it a particularly special vehicle myself. My findings were more or less what I expected....and pretty much what Mike (1SICKLEX) also came up with.




Nissan isn't going to make much, if any money, on the GT-R, despite its high price. They don't produce enough of them, and it doesn't sell enough. Same with the dealerships...they will profit from mark-ups on it, but there just aren't enough of them.

Though I usually believe in as much market choice as possible, I agree with the decision to ax the Armada and QX56...they have a poor reliability reputation and have never really competed with the full-size domestic SUV competition from Ford and GM. It is probably a waste of money and resources for Nissan to produce them. The XTerra, IMO, should hang around...it is good Japanese competition for the 4-door Jeep Wrangler. The Pathfinder? An interesting question. You could almost toss a coin on that one.....but in the end, I'd say keep it. It has a riding-comfort level that few, if any, others in its category can match, and comfort-oriented buyers who want something more rugged than, say, a Lexus RX350, and less expensive than a GX470 would be a good customer base. The Titan? Might as well keep it. Though the Tundra has a smoother powertrain, the Titan, IMO, is a better overall alternative to the domestic full-size pickup market....but Nissan has to up the reliability level some and incorporate some of the interior trim improvements it did on the Pathfinder. The big question, though, with the Titan will be: with the axing of the Armada/QX56, is it worth keeping the Canton, MS plant open just to produce one remaining vehicle? That, of course, will be a decision that Nissan management will have to make.

plex

iTrader: (11)

Good Review mmarshall, one of my friends had one of these and she hated the mpg and traded down for a 4 cyl Altima.

mmarshall

Thanks.

Fuel economy, for many reasons, has never been the forte of truck-based SUV's. Even diesel and hybrid models, though slightly better than all-gas versions, are far from econobox mileage. That's one reason why sales suffered so badly earlier this year when gas was $4.20 a gallon......and diesel fuel was over $5.

I hope your friend likes her new Altima .......like the Pathfinder, its interior trim and fit/finish is far better than just a few years ago.

rdgdawg

Kudos Mike (broken record )... seems the Honda Pilot would also be much better value?

Shoyuu

Nice review! I remember when the pathfinder used to be smaller. It got all bloated now and it looks like the Armada to me.

J.P.

Same thing I was thinking.

Hell add a foot to my FJ and throw in some leather, raise the sticker 10k......