New one here...

[-CRAZY-]

Hey...

I am new to this forum, i am planning to buy a Nissan Pathfinder in a closest future.

I am only 21y.o., and my current car is 2000 mercury cougar... And i wanted to switch to some nice SUV...

i was looking on the market, and for the money i have ( and i don't have much) i found i could get as far as a 2000 pathfinder or a little younger grand cherokee...but my heart lies closer to nissan...

i figured out there are few models, but even going throught the forum i couldn't really figure what are the differences, and what to look for...

so if any1 could help me out - i would appreciate it...

thnx

[fueler]

any jeep = problems. dont waste your time with a jeep ill let the experts here tell you how great our pathfinders are

[99QX4]

any jeep = problems. dont waste your time with a jeep

And welcome to Nico!!

Well I have a QX4, but they are great cars. I can tell you though, if you can, get the year with the bigger engine!! My '99 is slowwwww. Maybe one of the Pathy owners can help ya out with that...I know the '01 QX4's came with the bigger engine but i'm not sure if it was the same for Pathfinders.

[03Chillinkoot]

And welcome to Nico!!

Well I have a QX4, but they are great cars. I can tell you though, if you can, get the year with the bigger engine!! My '99 is slowwwww. Maybe one of the Pathy owners can help ya out with that...I know the '01 QX4's came with the bigger engine but i'm not sure if it was the same for Pathfinders.

To answer that the VQ35 was available on the 01-04 pathys as well. If your lookin at the 2000 though they came with the VG33 motor which is a solid powerplant but like 99QX4 mentioned a little underpowered. There really isn't much difference between the pathfinders they had the 3 trim levels XE, SE and LE. The SE's had a bigger differential if im not mistaken, and besides things like AC, leather not much difference. Good luck in your search (I'd personally stick with nissan though)

[-CRAZY-]

i heard of jeeps having problems... my father used to have 91 cherokee, and it had constant problems with clutch and brakes...

as for the speed - doesn't really matter, u know how they say:"if u'r important - they will wait"... jk...

i would prefer the newer ones just because, i think, they look better....

what about things like locking differentials? probably it will never see anything more than mild off road course, but would be nice to have ability....

my actual concern is that since i am gonna be taking an older vehicle... hows the engine? transmission? electrical?.... i heard that some QX4 had problems with coil pack, or something like that...

[AJRK]

The only problems I've had with my 01 QX4 have been O2 sensors and the MAF Sensor. Other than that, its a great vehicle. I would recommend the 3.5 over the 3.3 though. The 01s and newer have the 3.5, as well as other cosmetic upgrades.Good luck with your search, shouldn't be hard to find one in the GTA.

[KoukiS14]

Good value!! I got my 99.5 QX4 a bit over a year ago for just under 10k, with 57k miles on it.To put that in perspective, my first vehicle was a 91 Isuzu Rodeo I bought in 1994 with 74k miles on it. It was a base model 2wd V6 (GM v6, ugh) 5 speed with manual windows and no tach . . price? 10k.

When I went to test drive the QX4, I expected it to drive like a truck. I was blown away by the comfort and the fact that it felt like I was driving a lifted Maxima. It's my first 4wd vehicle, and I'm still excited that I can drive in the rain without always being sideways (I'm coming from a 92 240sx, and then a 97 240sx).

Hasn't been flawless, I have a blown strut. . just been too lazy to fix it. I'll probably do that in the summer or something.

My engine preference is the 3.3. The downside to it is that you must change the timing belt at 105k miles -- the 3.5 never needs it changed (has a chain instead). You also get loads more power with the 3.5, but the 3.3 is very adequate IMO. I just found the 3.3 to be a much better value. I couldn't find what I wanted without a 3-4k dollar price increase.

[bmlawless]

My wife and I just spent months looking for a new vehicle. We looked at everything from a Ford Focus wagon, a Mercury Grand Marquis, to a Mazda MPV Minivan. After researching Consumer Reports and numerous calls/visits to our mechanic of 15 years, we decided that it had to be a QX4/Pathfinder. If you don't already know this, an Infiniti QX4 is a Nissan Pathfinder in a suit and tie.

We ended up with a 1999 QX4 with 112k miles which we found on Craigslist for $7,500. Our mechanic tested everything from the emissions to the compression and only found three things wrong: a leaking transmission pan gasket, a broken oil pressure switch, and an oil leak on the engine main seal. In other words, there is nothing wrong with the vehicle. The only urgent repair would be the oil pressure switch and that will run around $80 including the oil change.

We've had it for almost three weeks now and I've put about 400 miles on it. I love it! Every feature on the truck works perfectly except for the tape deck unlike other vehicles which tend to have little things like one power window, the remote gas tank lid, the power door locks, or the rear hatch, etc, go bad over time.

The vehicle handles and rides fantastic even though I am sure it is on the original shocks. There are no squeaks or rattles! The back window rattled when the temperature got below 20 degrees, but I put a small piece of mouse pad in the stock window bumper and it silenced it. Took about 10 minutes to diagnose and repair.

We test drove three pathfinders and one QX4 before buying this one. When we finally settled on what make and model we wanted there were several available and we were able to pick the one that had the best price and appeared to have been well maintained with no accidents according to CarFax.

One thing that I like to do to get a feel for the true reliability of a vehicle is to look at the ones that are for sale. If you see a lot of them with 150k miles out there, than that should tell you that they run a long time. Go to Craigslist and check other cities. Notice how many PathfinderQX4's you'll find with 150k+ miles you find. Compare that with how many Cherokees you see. I'll bet you find a lot more Nissans still running.

My old barber likes jeep Wranglers, but he is fond of saying, "Jeep equals junk". I believe that there is NO QUESTION that you will find better reliability in a Nissan product over a Jeep.

[KoukiS14]

The back window rattled when the temperature got below 20 degrees, but I put a small piece of mouse pad in the stock window bumper and it silenced it. Took about 10 minutes to diagnose and repair.

haha mine does this as well -- good to know I can kill the sound. I assume it's due to a combination of minimal body flex and icy seals. Probably unavoidable on a unibody.

[-CRAZY-]

Good to hear...

what about the nissans that i see with chilkoot signs on them? is it some dealership thing?

[AJRK]

Its a Canadian only edition that I believe was an XE that was dressed up a bit. This link should help you.

http://www.news-nouvelles.niss....html

[-CRAZY-]

Thnx a lot... once i get one - i'll post pictures...

btw - how r they on rust??

[KoukiS14]

My 99.5 has no rust anywhere, and it's now got 76k miles and is originally from Chicago. Chicago's no Canada, but they have some pretty crappy winter conditions.

And by crappy, I mean awesome.

[AJRK]

Mine has no rust. I've had it Krown rust-proofed many times, plus I've been going to school in California the last 4 years, so it has been out of Canada for the winters...but I have seen a few where the trim under and around the side windows are bubbling up, and sometimes under the taillights. Keep an eye on that when you're shopping.

[03Chillinkoot]

Its a Canadian only edition that I believe was an XE that was dressed up a bit. This link should help you.

http://www.news-nouvelles.niss....html

One thing it didn't mention though is the LSD, im not sure if all the chilkoots had them but mine did and im sure they made them all the same. But ya the chilkoots were made from 02-03 and then they released the "chinkook" edition for 04. just a note on the rust i've seen some of them with rust around the wheel wells so watch for that to.

[Buzzman]

I have an '02 Chilkoot edition. Yea, it's a Canadian only edition, and it's a dressed up version of the Xe, I think. Can't remember all the little extras, but it's mostly cosmetic. Looks good though.I'd go with the '01 or newer as well. The 3.5 engine is a good one. It's quick and pulls strong. Gas mileage is nothing to write home about, but that's to be expected in a heavy vehicle.Rust will be an issue at some point here in snow country. Try and find one that has been oil sprayed if you can. They tend to rust around the rear wheel wells first. Check there.The trim at the bottom of the windows has started showing rust on mine as well, but I'm not too worried about it yet.As for problems, I've replaced 02 sensors and had my exhaust repaired due to rattling. Other than that, nothing but routine maintenance. Oh yeah, the CD players are crap. I doubt you'll find any Pathy from '00 to '04 that has a working 6 CD changer. I have an Ipod adapter, so I don't care, but some other folks have changed out the whole stereo system. Good luck.Oh, I forgot to comment on 2 things. Read an article last week that the resurrected Cougar from '00 to '02 is one of the worst used cars on the market. Lots of problems. Due mostly to the fact it is built on the Ford Contour platform, which is crap.Secondly, Jeeps also have a major reliability issue, according to Consumers Reports. They suggest you stay away from them. They are unsophisticated, archaic garbage. It doesn't get any better for Chrysler either. The new Dodge Nitro they put out is particularly bad, in every respect. Consumers couldn't find one positive thing to say about it. Almost like the Caliber.

[fueler]

I agree with buzzedman about the cd players. My 6 disc changer is dead. (but the rest of the radio worked including the single disc player) Thats about as bad as the 3.3 Pathfinder gets. 3.5 has more power but u should buy some extra O2 sensors

[Buzzman]

Just got back today from a quick trip to Atlanta. 5,000 KMS in 6 days. Man oh man, what a difference no snow or salt makes.I saw some really nice older cars and trucks in really good shape. I wish I could bring some of them back.Wife probably wouldn't understand.Almost all Pathfinders around here (meaning Ottawa), that date from 1999 or earlier, are showing rust. Ford Explorers seem to be even worse. Sad really.
Modified by Buzzman at 12:22 AM 5/23/2008

[AJRK]

I have a 2000 Explorer and 2001 QX4. Neither have a spec of rust. Granted I have them rust proofed, and am a total fanatic when it comes to my cars, but still.

[KoukiS14]

I agree with fueler regarding stocking up on 02 sensors, granted being on this forum makes me a bit biased because people usually come on to post problems. I guess I just see way more issues with the 01-04 than I do with the 96-00 R50s. The VQ is a nice engine -- been on Ward's 10 best since 95, and I believe it still resides there. I know many run regular gas, but personally I'd do what the manual says and run premium only. This extra cost was a huge consideration for me, in addition to the (at the time) roughly 3-4k price jump to get a similar 01 model.

The extra power would be good, but the VG isn't that bad. I took on a Ford Explorer v6 of roughly the same vintage and won, and a new Escape.

I also beat a Caravan, but don't tell anyone I did that, that's sort of humiliating that I even tried. I didn't buy this thing to win any races. The VQ is still just under 9 seconds 0-60 (from what I've read). I think VG is closer to 11. Torque all comes on around 2k tho, so in-town driving feels much quicker than an econo car that would also go 0-60 in 11.

[KoukiS14]

I have a 2000 Explorer and 2001 QX4. Neither have a spec of rust. Granted I have them rust proofed, and am a total fanatic when it comes to my cars, but still.

I think Explorers have some of the most comfy seats ever. I looked into V8 AWD models before buying the QX.

[-CRAZY-]

that is a lot of info... will be looking carefully...

about my cougar - they are having load of problems with alternators, sunroofs, and fuel pumps... but i had mine for a year now, i have done 58K on it - not a single problem... except the time i gave it to my mom and she hit few bricks...

i guess it depends on the owner... i bet some ppl drive pathfinders to insane condition... they just don't care...

[Pathfinder995]

Get a 99.5 or newer Pathfinder. I have a 99.5 and love the 3.3 L engine--it does everything I need it to do, but on paper 240 HP (3.5 L engine) looks VERY nice Anyway, I've found my Pathfinder (also bought used on craigslist) to be a gem and I love working on it. Great car!

[Buzzman]

I think Explorers have some of the most comfy seats ever.

Have to agree with you there.My son had a 1993 Explorer for a while with leather seats, and of all the cars I've ever driven, and I've driven a lot, that one had the best seats. I wish I had them in my Pathy.As for the Explorer itself, we had to get rid of it because it self destructed. Too many problems to list here, plus RUST, big time.

[KoukiS14]

You're welcome here, just quit jockin' your dad's business on this forum. I know you love him and want the best, as do I, but it just makes more work for me.

[Buzzman]

You're welcome here, just quit jockin' your dad's business on this forum. I know you love him and want the best, as do I, but it just makes more work for me.

I have no idea what you're talking about. (My dad died over 20 years ago by the way.)Please explain.

[fueler]

He's not as think as you drunk he is.

[Buzzman]

He's not as think as you drunk he is.