Test drive Nissan Pathfinder 2005 - 2007 SUV

Seeker of adventures

Nissan Pathfinder found a way to Europe and Russia

Strictly speaking, the word Pathfinder can be translated as an incoming path or a ranger. But, given the capabilities of the car under this name, for some reason I want to call him an adventurer by analogy with the good old film. Two days of dough under Lisbon involuntarily inspired fantasies about happy holidays with a loved one somewhere in the wild, but not far from the benefits of civilization. The main thing is that Pathfinder himself is very suitable for this he can drive along the goat trail, and after a couple of hours to deliver you quickly and comfortably to a chic hotel, where it will look no less appropriate. SUV, in a word, is the favorite of the Americans, who now crossed the ocean and began to conquer Europe.

Everything is calculated

I want to start a story about the car with perhaps the most striking episode of the test on a specially prepared Nissan SUV. Some of my colleagues-skeptics, looking down from top to down at how the Pathfinder is subjected to torture, did not fail to notice that everything is calculated here, of course, and no real danger. One of them, unable to stand it, I replied: and you try! He tried, and it is unfortunate that his face at the time of the assault on many sections of the calculated route could not be removed in the photo. Personally, I experienced the most pleasant sensations and was quite convinced of the off -road qualities of the machine.

First of all, Pathfinder, as befits a true SUV, has a frame structure. A hard body, along with a 235 mm road clearance, short overhangs and, of course, all -wheel drive transmission allows him to confidently go where a normal person would hardly risk going. I climb a hill with which nothing but the sky is already visible in the windshield, I take a pass and see an almost steep descent in front of me. It is not necessary to put on the brake I hear to the right of the instructor. I do not press, and the car is without unnecessary acceleration (reduced gear, mode 4lo), but briskly crawls down. Then again the rise, a steep turn and soon we fall on the V-shaped, in the full sense of the word, a plot. It is necessary to go through one of the edges with a side slope of thirty degrees. I am on such tracks, I will report to you, reader, I have been many times, but still impressive! And here is a series of holes, with the storm of which one thing and in the air is one, and at some moments and two wheels. The car struck by mudguards, but, of course, overcomes this line. And most of all I liked the thirty -degree, no less, rise. More precisely, not the rise itself, but in which the SUV passed it. The instructor tells: hold the momentum no higher than a thousand seven hundreds of everything you will understand about the engine, and for sure, he understood incredibly burdens. The car on even gas confidently climbed down the slope, like a spider along the wall.

In this case, it was about a diesel power unit with a volume of 2.5 liters, only with it in the first pairs of Pathfinder will be delivered to Europe and to Russia, including. A few months later, Nissan promises to establish supplies and a gasoline version with a new V6, because its exhaustive characteristics are not yet given. By the way, I managed to drive a very frisky car on such a version. But after all, to say by honor, and the diesel is not bad. The only thing I would recommend to the future owner to opt for a 6-speed manual gearbox. The machine still steals the dynamics. And although in official data this theft is expressed in only one tenth second, by subjective sensations a car with mechanics faster.

As for the suspensions, they are ideally configured not only for the assault on off -road, but also for driving along asphalt roads on the steering wheel enough to move with decent speed. But I did not experience delight with the assault on the ligaments of turns on the mountain roads, nevertheless, a car was created for this. And the rolls are tangible, and the food wags, however, in those moments at which you are waiting for demolition. On the other hand, this has its own charm: you can, for example, select the 2WD rear -wheel drive mode and intentionally abandon the ass into the turn. If the regulator is installed in position 4HI Lock, you should know that the torque is distributed between the front and rear wheels in an equal proportion. But, I think, most car owners will often use Auto mode, in which electronics eliminates unnecessary thoughts and decides where and at what point to direct more power.

Outside and inside

The appearance of Pathfinder can be defined in one word courageous. The front line leaves no doubt about its belonging to the brand. If you look at the profile, then inclined racks and in general, the car looks slightly squat. So it, in general, is this SUV below competitors, which, by the way, made it possible to achieve a wonderful aerodynamic resistance coefficient for this class, CD \u003d 0.38.

The connoisseur will certainly note that Pathfinder is almost an exact copy of the Dunehawk concept in Frankfurt. And it will be right. It remains only to add that this is the third degeneration of the model, known since 1986.

Despite the low roof for the SUV, it is very spacious in the cabin. Seven people can accommodate here, however, the two will have to sit in the third row. The luggage compartment is simply huge: with folded seats of the third row, its volume is 515 liters, and if you fold the second row, forming an even floor, 2091 liters are released under the luggage. In addition, the salon involves 64 various configurations, has a lot of hidden and open niches and compartments. In general, a specialist in the dealer center will better tell about this. On duty, I only note that the driver’s place is organized very well, the seats are convenient, there is no need to reach out to any levers and switches. Plus, Pathfinder is equipped with a rear view camera, like Primera, has the latest ESP+dynamic stabilization system, as well as ABS (all disc brakes) and EBD, which provides uniform braking under any conditions.

What else? Headlights with xenon lamps, leather finish, climate control dual-zone system for the driver and front passenger and air conditioning for the back of the cabin, opening window in the rear door, there is even a rear-view mirror and windshield wipers with a rain sensor.

Briefly about prices

Honestly, I could tell about the car and in more detail, especially since I liked it. But in this case, it seems to me, photos can be given no less than information. Therefore, I cut the text.

I will add one in the Russian market Pathfinder prices will begin at $ 44 800. Not too cheap? And you try

Oleg Osipov
 

Source: Newspaper "Automobile Izvestia" [No. 6 (74), 2005]