2005 Nissan Pathfinder LE 4x4 Test Drive
No Photos? I drove this on a weeknight after work and didn't take my camera. I went back and drove it again that Saturday, but they had sold the 4x4 model, so we drove the only other one they had, a 2x4. We went back the next day, Sunday March 6, to photograph it but it was gone. One week later we found their 4x2 model at a Chrysler/Jeep/Dodge dealer outside of Round Rock. I wonder what it's doing there? |
Tool Time GrunterThe 2005 Pathfinder is completely new for 2005 and looks-wise has nothing in common with the 2004 model. I find it to be a much more aggressive and manly design (insert Tim Allen grunts here) than the previous model.
The 4x4 I drove had every option except for navigation installed, and possibly the extra airbag options (fortunately I didn’t need those on the test drive).
The exterior of the new Pathfinder doesn’t do a whole lot for me. The front end reminds me a lot of the early 90’s Nissans and the large fender flares add too much bulk and detract from the otherwise clean design. I don’t think its bad looking by any means, but I don’t see it and immediately think “ooh!!” It just looks like most of the other large SUVs out there. I don’t care much for the exterior color choices either; I tend to like really bright colors and other than white and light silver, they don’t offer any.
There is only one engine currently offered in the Pathfinder and that’s bad news. It’s a 270hp V6, but it’s a gutless one. It might be due to the automatic transmission, but since that’s the only transmission available we’ll never know. It felt sluggish and more than once I asked the salesman if a V8 were available. Other than the acceleration, or rather lack of it, the Pathfinder rode really well. It was very smooth but without a floating feeling. I took it to a favorite test road in town that involves a lot of rough, jarring pavement and the Pathfinder barely even noticed it. I felt enough to know I was on a bad road, but I never found myself thinking I needed a sports bra like I did when testing Chevy trucks. [I drove this immediately after driving the manual Xterra, which may be why I thought the engine sluggish. Chris drove it and thought it was fine.]
The Pathfinder was easy to drive, and while large I never felt intimidated except when trying to pass a dually who had one tire in my lane. I decided I couldn’t judge the size well enough to pass the dually (there was a guardrail on my other side). I didn’t have any trouble turning corners and it felt very stable.
The Good
The Bad
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The interior was nice looking tan leather, although I find the wood grain a bit over the top (think honey-colored birdseye maple). I like the clean layout of the dash although the radio was placed a bit high for my tastes (but if you get the navigation it moves the radio controls downward). The steering wheel looks odd to me with its two colors and three arms, but once driving I didn’t think about it again, so my hands liked it just fine. The A/C knobs were weird – they look like big dials but you have to rotate them once for each degree you want to adjust. I’m not sure how to describe it, but think of a screwdriver’s motion and how you have to keep re-positioning your hand to turn it – it works sort of like that. There are some nice touches like two powerpoints in the center console, reasonably sized cup holders, and the grab handles close themselves smoothly and quietly when you release them (they fold back up into the roof).
The driver’s seat fit me strangely. It felt like I was sitting in a low-back bucket seat like in my old Mustang. Judging by how it felt, I could have sworn the seat stopped right at my mid back – even though it ended up above my head. It wasn’t uncomfortable, just an odd sensation. The seats have memory which also controls the side mirrors and adjustable pedals. I love the memory feature because Chris and I switch cars quite a bit and adjusting mirrors is just a pain – and memory means we don’t have to.
The front seats were supportive and comfortable, but the second row of seats felt small even for me. I don’t imagine a tall adult would be comfortable in them for long. Access to the third row wasn’t as nice as I expected. You had to pull on the second row which folded it, and then flip it so it sets against the driver seat. Before doing that you’d need to make sure the front seats aren’t reclined much and you’d need to put the second row headrests down. It surprised me that was the only access – it left the hardware on the bottom of the second seats exposed and not much room to access the third row. The third row was way back there and as I was wearing a skirt I opted not to give the salesman a show and didn’t test it out. They are even smaller than the second row but if I ever needed to haul the lunch bunch to Wings-N-More, they’d probably do (plus it’d be entertaining to watch people try to get to them).
Since we’re in the market for a family car, I stood outside and tried to imagine what putting a baby in a car seat would be like. I’ve never done that, so it’s a good thing I have an active imagination. The seats in the Pathfinder seemed a good height for this. High enough that I wouldn’t have to stoop to set the child down, but low enough that I wouldn’t need to climb in (for perspective, I’m 5’1”). The best part, however, was how wide the doors opened. Both the front and rear doors open almost 90 degrees, making for very easy access.
The Pathfinder has an immense storage area with the third row folded flat, but because of the third row there is no cover, retractable or otherwise, for the storage area to keep prying eyes out of your shopping trip or groceries. The liftgate handle was oddly placed and I had to lower the gate partway and then grab it to close it. I’d prefer a setup that would let me close it in one fluid motion.
Overall Impression
While the Pathfinder didn’t do a whole lot for me from the exterior perspective, I found it to be easy to drive and comfortable. It had a ton of storage and could definitely grow with our family. It had a lot of bang for the buck – the 4x4 model I looked at had almost every single option and still only stickered at $37,000.