Test drive Nissan Pathfinder 2005 - 2007 SUV

Soldier of good luck

Nissan Pathfinder, which appeared in the spring of the outgoing year, came to our fellow citizens

True, it was equipped with only a 2.5-liter turbodiesel. And now the admirers of the model appeared on the market a top version of an SUV with a 4-liter V6 gasoline engine.

In statics, it is almost impossible to distinguish this car from his diesel counterpart. Before us is the same solid SUV with a branded three -section grille of the radiator and the family coat of arms in the center, embossed wheeled arches, faceted sides and an originally disguised rear door with a handle of the rear door, the sales of which in our country very successfully started about six months ago. However, people who know the gasoline version of Pathfinder identify it easily according to modest w6 nameplate on the side panels. It is they who indicate that under the high hood of Nissan, not a 2.5-liter DCI, but a top 4-liter six, aggregated with the only possible 5-speed sequential automaton, is located. And at the same time, in its salon there are guaranteed all possible benefits of civilization like electrified leather front seats with a memory block, hatch and separate climatic installation (a gasoline version is supplied only in the top design of LE). A full-fledged route computer, bixenon headlights, Intelligent Key chip key and cruise control in this case look, maybe optional, but quite appropriate and pleasant additions.

In general, inside it is presentable and comfortable, here, however, the seven-seater salon is still listed in the list of additional options.

But one way or another, the main advantage of the gasoline Pathfinder is in the engine compartment, and this is not a metaphor, although at first this car seems melancholy and excessively imposing. At low speeds, Nissan reacts to all the actions of the driver with some lazy, but it is worth drowning the accelerator pedal to the floor, the six under the hood seems to explode, sending 2200-kilogram SUV to a powerful and prolonged acceleration. What is gratifying, to the best of the thoughtful automatic machine does not spoil the overall picture, quite successfully coping with the task set for it. However, the further development of events directly depends on the skill of the driver.

According to the behavior, the Japanese suspension is similar to a passenger, but a heavy SUV still significantly falls in corners. In addition, he passes quite strictly joints and irregularities like perpendicular to the movement of tram tracks, slightly losing the trajectory. By the way, the sluggish steering wheel at speed only helps, since, given the mass of the car and the high center of gravity, more acute reactions can easily lead to the ears.

However, all this applies to the standard rear -wheel drive for asphalt roads, in pseudo -dysphenensa (4x4 Auto) reactions become more clear, and the behavior of the car is predictable. During the test, we had to use a rigid connection of the front and a demultiper. True, Pathfinder coped perfectly here without revelations with an off -road test. Although it is still worth noting that the diesel option here looked better.

At the end, it is customary to summarize, summarize all the pros and cons, and give grades. But in the case of Pathfinder, in my opinion, this is inappropriate, since any reasoning on this topic is subjective, and the facts are much more eloquent. Every day, your correspondent in a motley stream on the capital's streets meets at least a couple of these SUVs, and, given the volume of the fleet of our metropolis, this is enough to call Pathfinder in demand. After all, we are not talking about available and super popular hatchbacks like Ford Focus or Hyundai Getz, but about a car worth nearly $ 50,000. And this means that the buyer has already voted with a ruble for. In such an atmosphere, in the prospects, even more expensive gasoline versions, there is no doubt.

Text: Vladimir Zhidkov
 

A source: Mkobil magazine [26.12.2005]