2005 Nissan Pathfinder: In The Autoblog Garage Day 1
In the past year or so I think I've only reviewed a few SUVs, the Cadillac SRX, Mitsubishi Outlander and the BMW X3. For some reason there's always been a car coming in and not an SUV that interested me enough to review it. Then of course it is also winter now and the desire for some more suitable vehicles to tackle sub-zero weather makes a bit more sense. So in comes the all-new Nissan Pathfinder.
Even though I like the redesign of this SUV theres nothing about the genre itself that gets you excited to go for a drive. Unless of course you re in a Cayenne Turbo. Thats the unfortunate realization I have at the start of my holiday week in the Pathfinder, no matter how good it is at its job I wont be white knuckling it around curves or flooring it from a dead stop. Instead Ill be safely cruising through some of the worst winter weather in recent years. Maybe I have good timing getting this thing in the garage for this particular five days.
First impression of the seven-seater is that the interior is
nicely done for an SUV. It feels rugged without the sense that anything is missing (unlike the Xterra). My favorite
parts of the cockpit, strangely, enough are the two stubby stalks on either side of the steering wheel to control the
standard lights, signals and wipers. Theyre just very cool and extremely ergonomic and easy to use. Ill post pictures
of them later.
I also think the dual climate control is nicely done and if I wasnt wearing gloves when entering the car theyd be
easier to adjust Im sure. I even like the placement and small window for the environmental information, its neat and
military-esque. The seats are also quite comfortable and look rugged enough to repel lots of stains.
The 270 horsepower and 291 lb-ft of torque is plenty even for the considerable bulk it has to propel but the engine
is also quite loud. Road noise is kept down for the most part if not in 4WD. So far I have been pretty mindlessly
driving along taking as many bumps
as the city can throw at it. More observations coming tomorrow.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
sparc 10:58PM (12/18/2005)
I've read they have a pretty wide minimum turning circle. Any thoughts? Is it hard to park (both parallel and regular)?
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David Thomas 10:58PM (12/18/2005)
so far I've done parallel twice pretty easily. easier to maneuver than our cherokee considering the size difference. I like the way it turns. Very solid/tight steering. I prefer that.
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Steven Diver 10:58PM (12/18/2005)
Interior pics look alright, but that exterior view isn't particularly flattering.
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David Thomas 10:58PM (12/18/2005)
it's a good looking truck i just don't get the size of the rear window. shouldn't it be bigger? to match the other two windows? throws off the whole profile.
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sparc 10:58PM (12/18/2005)
Personally I think it's just a touch too long (emphasized by that rear window). If they chopped 6-8 inches off the back I think it would look a lot better. Then again, if they did that it probably wouldn't seat seven (or is it 6). I guess I'll just have to wait for the new X-terra for a shorter vehicle with the same engine and chassis.
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David Thomas 10:58PM (12/18/2005)
well if i shot it fromt he front it might not have that perspective etc. I have to think it's a seven seater. How could it be 6?
I have to go look now!
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David Thomas 10:58PM (12/18/2005)
7
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sparc 10:58PM (12/18/2005)
I wasn't sure how wide it was. I figured it might be only 2 people per row.
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David Thomas 10:58PM (12/18/2005)
it's pretty freakin' wide man. this thing is big.
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Chris K 10:58PM (12/18/2005)
Looking at the first pic, I can't help but wonder what the heck Nissan was thinking when they designed the door handles for the rear doors. How the heck are the kids going to open those things when they're way up there? For a vehicle whose sole purpose is to move a bunch of people, it seems a big oversight to make it difficult to shuffle kids to soccer practice or whatnot.
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TL 10:58PM (12/18/2005)
nissan has always put the handles there its one of the things that distinguishes the pathfinder from everyone else it has been like that since the first model.
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Michael Smith 10:58PM (12/18/2005)
In the first generation Pathfinder, the rear door handles were fared into the C-pillar window-surround in order to hide them -- to make it look more like the 2-door model. The new Pathfinder's handles are hardly hidden, defeating the point of the design. While I agree that it is an important element of the vehicle's branding, perhaps they should reconsider their execution of it.
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monsieur fussy pamts 10:58PM (12/18/2005)
so where's the x3 review?
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monsieur fussy pamts 10:58PM (12/18/2005)
you just lost a reader
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Tom 10:58PM (12/18/2005)
Applause!
Go Nissan!
Dare to be different! Go your own way... March to the tune of a different design drummer. The world is a better place.
This one has all the allure of a really nice refrigerator, however, it looks like it would be a good, dependable appliance, day after day, year after year.
Once the new car smell wears off you can take it for granted. When you're worried about the kids and groceries and snow and ice, that's a good thing.
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robofunk 10:58PM (12/18/2005)
i'm not too sure if i'm a fan of this new nissan pathclogger....
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David Thomas 10:58PM (12/18/2005)
Fussy,
X3 was B.A.
Before Autoblog
Sorry.
But to satiate your curiosity go here
http://www.deadlinepublishing.com/images/x3.jpg
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