2006 Nissan Pathfinder Reviews

Ewan Kennedy reviews the 2005-2015 Nissan Pathfinder as a used buy. Nissan Pathfinder has had a mixed career in Australia since it arrived in 1986 as a tough, two-door 4WD wagon based on the Navara pickup. Then in 1995 Pathfinder became more of a soft-roader than 4WD. To cause further confusion, the Pathfinder from

Nissan Pathfinder is a reasonably tough off-road station wagon that has gained a lot of respect amongst Australian buyers in the 25 years it has been on the local market. Pathfinder is chiefly aimed at the suburban user, though you will find a fair number in the bush.Whereas the first models had a separate chassis, the full-wagon variant of the Nissan Pathfinder used a monocoque body. Just to cause further confusion, the latest one, from July 2005, has reverted to a full chassis for added toughness and is again virtually a Navara with extra seats. Though this time there is a fair bit of work in the passenger comfort field as well.Pathfinder began its Australian career in December 1986 as a two-door wagon. Following the sales success of the then-new concept, in October 1992 it became a four-door. These older models may be near their use-by date, though we still see some good ones on the road. November 1995 saw the introduction of a virtually all-new Pathfinder that was aimed more at the passenger market than the ute-with-more-seats buyer.We have experienced some body movement on rough roads in the second-generation models, the ones with the monocoque body. This can get worse as the vehicle ages, especially if it has led a hard life. This probably explains the decision to go back to the separate chassis in 2005 Pathfinders. So it’s probably best to regard the 1995 to 2005 models as soft-roaders rather than off-roaders.The earlier Nissan Pathfinders had good ride comfort for their class and era and have a reasonably spacious interior. There is less headroom than you might expect in the pre-2005 models, and legroom in the back could be better, though it’s certainly not cramped.The 2005 Nissan Pathfinder is significantly larger than the previous ones and has seating that’s good for four adults, five without too much leg rubbing. Headroom is good and the front seats are well shaped. The rear bench seat is reasonably comfortable. Boot space is large and easy to load.Most older Pathfinder models have a petrol engine with a capacity of 2.4 litres. A smooth 3.0-litre V6 was added to the lineup in 1993, it is a punchy unit, though the revs do have to be kept up to get the best from it. The V6’s capacity went up to 3.3 litres with the 1995 model change. The 2005 Pathfinder uses a big 4.0-litre V6 that has plenty of grunt.Diesel engines, though common in the Nissan Navara, were not offered in Pathfinders until the introduction of the new 2005 model. The unit in this Pathfinder is a healthy 2.5-litre four-cylinder turbo that punches out more that 400 Newton metres. As its introduction coincided with the start of fuel price rises in Australia it’s no surprise that many buyers have opted for this oil burning option and it’s already being sought out on the used-car market.Pathfinders with four-cylinder petrol engines have a five-speed manual gearbox. The 3.0-litre V6 can be ordered as a five-speed manual or four-speed automatic. The 3.3 engine comes only with a four-speed automatic as does the 4.0-litre petrol. The turbo-diesel again wins out, having a choice between a nice six-speed manual  and a modern five-speed auto.Early Pathfinders used an old style 4WD system, but from the 1999 Pathfinder it came with a sophisticated all-wheel drive system with the title of All-Mode. This 4WD layout offers the driver numerous choices: everything from rear-wheel-only drive for easy on-road use, to four-low for seriously tackling tough off-road terrain. The Auto setting juggles the amount of drive needed to each end of the Pathfinder according to conditions under the wheels.On-road the later Pathfinders are almost car-like in their refinement and general feel. There is more wind noise than you would get in a passenger car of the time in the 1995 to 2005 models. Handling is reasonable in all models, but the centre of gravity is relatively high so you can’t drive a Pathfinder as though it’s a car.Nissan's dealer network is widespread with spare parts, repairs and servicing available in most areas, even in some pretty remote locations. Insurance isn’t usually over expensive as befits a vehicle that is seldom driven hard.WHAT TO LOOK FORRust can get into the lower corners of the door and the tailgate but is not common in vehicles that have been correctly driven and maintained. Check also for rust in the chassis rails, especially if you suspect it has been subjected to beach use.Look for damage to the protection plates, the sill panels and the underneath of the bumper-bar corners, all items that suggest rigorous off-road driving. Four-cylinder engines can sound harsh even when they have a fair bit of life left in them. Worn engines tend to be slow at picking up oil when started stone cold, resulting in low pressure. So listen for bearing rattle and watch for an oil-pressure warning light that’s slow to go off.Check for an engine that smokes from the exhaust. It is usually at its worst when the engine is accelerated hard after it has been idling for a minute or so.  Severe engine wear is the most likely cause.Gearboxes are generally tough, but try some fast gearchanges from third to second and feel and listen for worn synchros. Automatic transmissions should be smooth and quiet in operation and not have too long a delay when going into Drive from Neutral.If driven hard in tough off-road situations Pathfinders may suffer from suspension mounting or chassis cracks. Get an expert to do an inspection as these can be expensive items to repair.CAR BUYING TIPFour-wheel-drive purists scoff at those who never take their 4WDs off-road – that is until they come to buy a secondhand model for themselves. Then they opt for used vehicles that have never been taken off road… 

Nissan hoped that the new Pathfinder, with its four-wheel drive capability and seven-seat cabin, would take it right up to the Toyota Prado and Mitsubishi Pajero.

The 'roos and carcasses and wedge-tailed eagles feeding on last night's road kill are back there in the long shadows. Out here the Nissan wagon is now running through a harsh and timeless desert land, heading for Birdsville, that far back outpost of Queensland.It's been going on 2000km since Brisbane (with some exploring of boulder opal country around Quilpie soaking up more mileage). And it's now 200 kilometres since the bitumen gave out for good (ignoring those tarred streets of Birdsville). But that dual zone airconditioning is running sweet, the six-stacker CD player is shifting through the music and the Wrangler rubber is rolling on down the gravel track.All is well inside a cabin of leather and wood trim, all is secure and comfortable and assured. Turn up a little country. The radio stations have been left a long way back and anyway, that aerial in the back window is not too good at collecting long-distance radio waves.This Ti is Nissan's up-market Pathfinder, now available with handy 2.5 litre turbocharged diesel engine and five-speed automatic gearbox.This is the one packed with today's essential extras — leather-upholstered seats with electric adjustments for the front pair, DVD player and airconditioning for front, back and sides. There are rear parking sensors and vehicle dynamic control and ABS brakes. And there are airbags front and side plus curtain airbags for front, second and third row occupant protection.This is a competent, quite comfortable machine though on some lumpy highway bitumen there is not quite enough suspension soak. The Nissan wagon rides fine over the little stuff, swallows up big bumps and humps with ease; just on some corrugated bitumen a little more compliance would be nice.Yet further out, out here where the way turns to a three-car wide stretch of never-ending dirt and gibber road, the Pathfinder is strolling along with a smoother attitude. Perhaps it's that little bit of slip and slide, necessary to find traction, that disguises those mid-range intrusions found on some bitumen.And out here there is a reassurance in that sturdiness and full chassis down below. Listen to those little stones bouncing up underneath, steer around the severe lumps of rock, a little sideways through the washaways, find the sweet spot in the track and let it roll. Let the wagon move around a little, keep progress calm and measured without fighting each and every twitch of the steering wheel.The Pathfinder plays the part of a proper four-wheel drive as much as it looks the part. And it keeps the dust out, even the fine and powdery bulldust.This current model was launched here in 2005, all new and smart. It carries itself with a square-jawed style, ruggedly handsome with big chrome V on the bluff nose, flared guards to break up the lines of that simple, slab profile and a neat rear end. Still here, a carryover styling cue from the first Pathfinder, are the rear door handles set high on the door pillar.It looks right outside and works right inside. There is that extra row of back seats to allow the Pathfinder to carry seven but that would be mostly for cross-town touring. On a long day, long distance run, it is best used as a four-seater; this trip it is a two-seater with the rear seat and cargo space full of loosely packed gear and a spare, spare wheel.But over a round trip closing on 4000km there was never a worry with the big and beefy Wranglers and never a drama with the Pathfinder.It carried back to Brisbane a galah-dust smudged bonnet, a few bug scars, a bit of bulldust, and some sand from running down the old Birdsville track for a bit, exploring some fine old desert landscapes.It splashed through the last of the Cooper Creek's flooding outside Windorah, climbed Simpson Desert sand tracks and ran down far western highways at a steady 120km/h. All of this for around 11.5 litres/100km, a little closer to 13 litres/100km when running down loose dirt roads.It was out here, further out in Corner Country, where the Pathfinder shone.Running in two-wheel drive down the Birdsville Developmental Road the vehicle dynamic control allows for a pleasing modicum of rear end slip before it interferes to bring the wagon back on track. And there is also that option of switching to Auto four-wheel drive for this sort of work, allowing the centre differential to send help to the front wheels if the back pair start bogging down. This was most appreciated as the light faded on the afternoon run into Birdsville and hitting roadworks where the local council had just finished watering down the track for the night, making a good bit of out-of-place mud.On into town, drink up, rest up and then south down the Inside Track for a couple of days, the little diesel purring along, gearbox slipping easily through the ratios. Here and there the sequential gear shift is called into action, generally for a quicker downshift (rather than too much braking) when confronted by a nastier piece of track. For the most part the five-speed auto is best left alone.There was dust and sand and dunes and never a drama. A couple of times the Pathfinder was switched out of two-wheel drive to Auto, a couple of times into four-wheel drive High for the sake of more confident climbs.The Pathfinder Ti was a natural out here, trolling through the desert sands, down to the riverside camp on the Diamantina, scouring desolate landscapes for old skulls of long gone cattle. All the while the Nissan was comfortable and competent.Then there was the two-day haul back to the bright lights of Brisbane, tyres and body unmarked if bird-bloodied in a couple of spots. It was a decent drive in a decent wagon.