I had the 2008 with the 5.6L V 8 with 4WD. It was exceptionally capable, handled our trips into the Ozarks like nothing. Amazing torque, good low-end for slow climbs up questionably slippery slopes, solid and comfortable.
I get a light I think it says cvt slip then the gas padel stops working I have to turn it off wait 7sec then it goes away is this bad it's a 05 I got offered a mustang trade should I do it
CVTs are only good for hybrids and 4 cylinder, low HP small cars.. the Pathfinder is meant to be driven for light off-roading and power oriented The low sales figures of the previous generation steered Nissan away from using CVT in this Pathfinder. The ZF 9-speed transmission was the best decision ever and they're selling like hot cakes
My vote goes to the 2nd gen that's not shown. They're pretty peppy and reliable. It's a shame they're overlooked for having a unibody but that unibody makes it 1000lbs less than the 3rd gen, and they have a solid rear axle so they're still pretty tough and decent off road. They deserve more credit.
A lot of people forget about the 2nd generation R50 (1996-2004) with either the VG33 (1996-2000) or the VQ35 (2001-2004). It was a unibody design like the Jeep Cherokee from the era, but like that Jeep it was very capable offroad. If you can find an R50 in good condition to review it would be great.
Solid review of the Pathfinder generations. I opted for the Xterra for it's rugged design. It rides extremely well on the interstate and the short turning radius is a major plus. Both are awesome vehicles. Thanks for the review.
Love the color on the 5th generation. Other then that so disappointed, no CVT is a great change but a no brainer. We really need another body on frame 4Runner rival. The 3rd generation is my pick, even with the build quality issues overtime that can be corrected. The 5th is fundamental weak in its design. No aftermarket fix for the engine facing the wrong way.
I loved my ‘87 2 door pathfinder. V6, Sunroof, manual, short wheelbase, very little bumper over hang. Would do donuts with very little effort in the dirt, treated that thing like RZR!! Perfect desert car!
I own two Nissan SUVs, a R51 and an Xterra both at approx 160,000 miles of hard driving. no issues of any kind. Neither vehicle has ever broken down for any reason in its entire lifetime. One has the radiator replaced prophylactically at 150,000 miles because it was one of the model years with the poor radiators.
Still driving my 3rd generation, R51 Pathfinder since new... a fantastic, reliable truck that's 15 years old with 140k miles on it. The new one looks good, too. It reminds me of a modern LR, but I still prefer my truck.
I have the 4th Gen which is very generic looking but it's still great with lots of room, relatively good fuel economy, and the third row is usable. I always liked the look of the 3rd Gen best but the 5th Gen looks great.
I bought a 1987 2 dr (first year) in loaded SE trim. It was at the time the best mid-size 4x4 SUV by a wide margin. V-6 power was adequate off-road but definitely not a speed demon on the pavement. Excellent build quality and fetched a nice trade-in value 6 years later. I'm hoping this latest gen Pathfinder can recapture some of the magic of the 1st gen.
In fact, in my country, the Pathfinder and Xterra were sold together at the same time, and they were also discontinued at the same time the third generation was discontinued. There was a big difference between them. The Pathfinder was considered a family car for trips and travel, and it had very high luxury and seven passengers. It did not have a differential lock, nor was it very high like the Xterra. As for the Xterra, it is true that it had the same engine and almost the same shape, but it was more off-road oriented. It only came with 5 passengers, and it was a little shorter and smaller, and it came with a slightly modified engine to give more power, and it was high, and had wheels designed for terrain, and smaller wheels, and a larger outer tire, and it came with a differential lock for all tires, and it was a strong competitor to the Toyota FJ. The Pathfinder is a competitor to the Toyota Land Cruiser Prado, so you can look at them this way: Xterra = FJ Pathfinder = Land Cruiser (in America, Prado in the rest of the world) Patrol / Armada = Land Cruiser / Sequoia
I love the 3rd gen pathfinder but the Spanish built ones snap in half along with the UK version of the fontera. See UK Nissan Navara snapped chassis. 🤦🏼♂️
The best and unique review of one type of vehicle. I feel like if i enter the showroom, i will be able to drive away instantly based on the great review plus knowing the complete layout. Nicely done.
Had the 2004 le model. Had some issues, but overall it was nice suv. The new one seems like it has a low ground clearance and won’t really compete with the 2004
Always loved the Pathfinder...In the late 90s if you had a Pathfinder in school, you were a cool kid. They've certainly changed alot, but I still like them. Owned a 1st gen "hardbody" and a 3rd gen R51...Both were excellent.
Another Pathfinder video. 🙂 Shame you didn´t get the V8. But do you do videos about it? Maybe a towing test? Also with the new one. Btw it´s a VQ35DD cuz direct injection.
Awesome video! I would have loved to hear the real cons with these things ESPECIALLY the R51. Faulty timing chain guides and tensioners, Strawberry milkshake of death, clogged cats, heater core, Camshaft Position sensor causes the truck to die randomly and not start. Almost got us hit on a 8 lane freeway doing a Uturn. I dont know about issues with the first and latest gen but I know for fact when Nissan merged with Peugeot it went down hill for a while. Again great video, thanks!
Don't judge to quickly just because its based on a FWD platform, and while it is less capable than the first gen, I don't really think it's noticeably less capable than the third gen(for most people that use the vehicle, off road) And it's still got that 6000lbs tow rate
We had a 1967 Ford Country Squire before the term SUV was coined! 390V8; great motor. 3rd row was 2 seats that faced each other crosswise of the rear compartment. Worked well for small children. Looking back I think there were seat belts all around.
You are right. The VG30 doesn’t get the respect it deserves. Very reliable engine. I have one in my beater 95 Hardbody mated to a manual. I could drive it across country at any time. It has 245,000 miles. There was never a manual in the 3rd Gen Pathfinder. You are thinking of the Xterra.
Actually there are plenty of 3rd Gen Pathfinder that comes with a manual transmission. Here in Costa Rica they came both diesel and gasoline and both had manual and automatic transmissions, also the Xterra. And the VG30 and the VG33 are bulletproof, I own a Nissan Pathfinder 1997 and it has 264,000 miles and it runs smoothly. My had used to have a Hardbody with the VG30 and it was a very reliable car.
I love that they didn't even bother with the R52 in this video. And rightly so, that thing was a huge fail. CVT, no 4x4 modes, mediocre space inside, it was not worthy of the Pathfinder name. It should have been called a mallfinder.
R50 (2nd Gen) Pathfinder FTW for me. They really got to their peak with those VQ35DE engines. Got an '03 that puts down 240 hp/265 tq. Does well off road and on the road and didn't break the bank for me and super reliable.
I had a 2004 Pathfinder until a texting driver torpedoed me 7 years ago and bent the frame, now looking at a 2005...might put on a 2.5" front and rear spacer lift for better ground clearance, still a solid SUV.
Find another R50. Because the 3rd gen is body on frame it drives much differently than your 04. Its also a much bigger and heavier vehicle that doesnt have the same capabilities as the R50.
Aaaand now I miss my old 1995 WD21 Pathfinder SE. They had character. Terrible timing belt changes though and it had the stupid busted exhaust manifold studs.
What I most dislike about new vehicles is how big they have gotten. I just bought a 22 Frontier in KC configuration, because it feels the smallest. We owned 2 first gen pathfinders when i was growing up, loved those trucks.
Hey guys, we filmed this before Nissan released pricing for the new Pathfinder. We *can* share that info now and have the pricing details on that over on TFLcar.com: tflcar.com/2021/06/2022-nissan-pathfinder-pricing-news-walkaround-video/
This is such a great video like all the others! I know Saturn vue suv cars are not. Made Anymore, but could you do a. Video comparing the years. My dad recently died and left me his 2006 V6 vue with 3.6 liter Honda engine inside. It has low miles for the year and I just cleaned it up after it was sitting and New timing belt. Runs beautifully! I love it. Hauls!! The beige Le is awesome! The new PF is nice but unobtanium. I. Love the seats in the old pathfinder. It's in great shape!
I have a 2012 Nissan Sentra S with over 223,000 miles on it. Never had an issue with the original CVT. I changed the fluid every 60,000 miles as required in the owner’s manual. Nissan is capable to be reliable as Toyota and Honda. You haters should learn how to read a manual and drive a car properly and you won’t have any problems long term.
You missed Showing the beloved 4 generation which I think was the best refresh of a generation bringing a needed fresh and joyful look to the Pathfinder. Said absolutely no one.
Nope how can u leave out the 2 generation pathfinder ? It’s like the monster of pathfinders I’ve bought mine for 2,200 with over 100,000 miles it’s at 300,000 and going strong this suv is seriously underrated
A little easter egg(or absolutely useless information depending on if you care or trolls will say something stupid) for you guys, here's how to decipher Nissan engine code. when he said VQ35DE, in technicality, it"s not a DE. It is technically a VQ35DD. because when you dissect the name it means: VQ(engine family), 35(displacement in L), D(Dual overhead cam(if it's a single overhead cam the D will not be present), and E(which is electronic fuel injection(D if it is direct-injected)), if it has forced induction, after the E it would have T for single turbo, TT for twin turbos, or R for the supercharger. the new VQ35 is direct-injected, just like the VR30DDTT which is also direct-injected, therefore, the 2022 pathfinder's engine is technically called a VQ35DD, not a DE. ( good riddance CVT, you will not be missed)
