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| 2006 Nissan Pathfinder Review | |||
| Whether you're about to spend $40K on a brand new car, or half that on a used car, it is always important to learn as much as you can about the used car. Read these car reviews to learn about all aspects of the vehicle. Each of the usedcar reviews cover interior and exterior features, options, road tests, and more. | |||
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Introduction
| Road Test
| Inside & Out
| Other Thoughts
| Last Word
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| Road Test | |||
First, note the change of camps. After spending a whole generation in its own unibody universe, the Pathfinder got absorbed into the "F-Alpha" family of traditional body-on-frame designs - the same mold that formed the XTerra, Armada, Frontier, and Titan. So unless you're the type to define a truck as "something you can use to sell fruit out of the back," let's all warmly welcome the Pathfinder back to truck-land.On the other hand, get down on all fours and underneath the body you'll see the Pathfinder resting on its first-ever all-independent suspension - comprised of no less than a double-wishbone setup at each corner. Not only did that rescue the Pathfinder from its struts-and-live-axle ghetto, it elevated it to a plane higher than most cars will ever know. The roadgoing attitude is a mix of the two. With the soft tires and soft suspension tuning, those four wheels smother irregularities with nearly the excellence and ease of a luxury car, despite the problematic freeway wind noise. The Pathfinder has also inherited the eager behavior of its chassis-mates, taking turns with most of the same poise that makes the Frontier and XTerra so endearing. The steering reacts naturally, feels set at the right speed (it's slower than the last Pathfinder's) and is quite adept at communication, all of which builds trust. Also, the balanced weight distribution (a perfect 50/50 on some models) explains why the front and back ends of this SUV skid to roughly equal degrees. The Pathfinder has that essential Nissan harmony. It also has a lot of that deliberate sportiness Nissan has been forcefully packing into most of its cars. The 3.5-liter V6 that was once a big deal is now an even bigger deal at 4.0 liters thanks to a significant stroke extension (yet the bore remains bigger still). The Pathfinder's one of the few to not offer a V8, but with its 270 horsepower shaming the 240, 236, 215, 210, and 210 of the V6 Touareg, 4Runner, Montero, Explorer, and Grand Cherokee/Commander (trailing only the TrailBlazer), who needs one? The Pathfinder is about as fast as a last-generation Maxima, and going by that thundering engine racket under acceleration and a touchy gas pedal that's stuck in drag race mode, Nissan wants to drive the message home. But the trucky ladder frame packed on more poundage than this SUV has ever seen. Weighed down with nearly 500 more than the last Pathfinder, the added inertia in every move is especially obvious in the dive-happy braking (compounded by a soft pedal) and tippy handling. Coupled with the power and the aforementioned friskiness in the chassis, driving adventurously makes the Pathfinder feel kind of like a quarterback trying to figure-skate. Abysmal tire grip will make you believe you're on ice, too. Yeah, it's safe to say most of the Pathfinder's sportiness is limited to straight lines. It doesn't help that all this takes place 9.2 inches off the pavement in this SE Off-Road model, which also throws in Rancho off-road performance shocks, skid plates, and these compromised P265/75R16 BFGoodrich Rugged Trail tires. Of course, they were compromised for a reason - to tackle the wilderness - and despite the un-rugged independent suspension and lowered approach and departure angles, you could argue the Pathfinder's got more going for it than before. First, you've got your real 4-wheel-drive system with High range and 2.625 Low range. Second, there's Hill Start Assist to keep you from rolling back when starting uphill, and third is Hill Descent Control to let you roll down a hill slowly and safely. So the Pathfinder's legit. The LE model goes one better by offering full-time all-wheel-drive for use on city streets, obviously the place where most Pathfinders will spend all of their lives. Fortunately, they've been well-prepared. |
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