Those who malign dual-purpose SUVs probably never drove one. Methinks there’s a trace of jealousy in those derogatory comments — from hatchback owners who have to recline their seats else they’d whack their heads on the ceiling every time they hit a bump; sports car owners who have to decide: overnight bag or laptop, no room for both; and pompous pratts in their luxury sedans who have hysterics when the route to wherever they’re going includes a couple of kilometres of dirt road.
Maybe the Pathfinder weighs as much as a Sherman tank, maybe it could drink a Kuwaiti oil well dry, and maybe it’s a bit of a bitch to park, but I actually don’t give a toss.
I love it. I love the feeling of security you get from being able to see over all the cars in a traffic jam. I love all the hidey-holes for storing little things, the cavernous boot space that can swallow up a week’s worth of holiday luggage for a family of four, and the seating arrangements that can put enough distance between two squabbling siblings so they can’t reach to kill each other.
I love that it took just two seconds to master the cruise control. I love that when you roar past those little Noddy cars on the freeway and change up to 5th, you still have another gear to go. And I love that changing CDs doesn’t involve faffing around in the boot or under the seat; the 6-CD front-loader is right where it should be — in the middle of the dashboard.
And WHAT a sound system! Driving around with Kelly Osbourne at full throttle and the sunroof wide open, I felt like Sergeant Oddball in Kelly’s Heroes.
The Pathfinder costs HOW MUCH?? I don’t care. I want one.– Sharon Gill
She sees it as a lovable, thirsty Sherman tank that is SOOOOO nice to take the kids to school in. That’s a typical female viewpoint. Why the hell doesn’t she buy a minibus then, and get the job done cheaper? She also misses out on the point that there’s a reason for the Nissan’s tank-like solidity -you’re meant to take it out and play with it, doll. Let’s answer all those questions she’s left hanging in the air, then you’ll know a little more about what the Pathfinder REALLY is.
Slotting in slightly below the Patrol in Nissan’s pecking order, the seven-seater SUV is very off-road capable, and because it’s built like an anvil you’re not likely to break it in the bush. The car we both spent time in, the 2,5 cDi six-speed manual, is the cheapest in the range, at R 398 800, and I’d rate it as the pick of the bunch. The same vehicle with a five -speed Tiptronic auto transmission adds R20 000 to the price, and the four-litre petrol version (auto only) will set you back R424 200.
The Pathfinder comes with a full box of toys – apart from the engines, all three models sold here in South Africa offer the same features. Climate control with controls for the rear seats, loads of electronic driver aids, a six-cd front-loader, airbags galore – the Nissan has pretty well everything you’d expect no, demand – from a car in this price range.
The Nissan is a big, heavy vehicle, so I expected the 2,5 litre turbodiesel to be a little overwhelmed by the car’s mass, but on the road the 128 kW / 403 Nm four-cylinder intercooled unit works well. It’s a little sluggish in getting off the line if the revs aren’t kept above 2 000 or so, but once the inertia is overcome the wagon performs well and is remarkably frugal – even with my notoriously heavy foot I averaged 9,7 litres per 100 km.
The Pathfinder’s rear seats fold away tidily into the floor to make room for loads more freight than the seven-seater configuration allows. There are storage bins galore, including under the middle seats, and the opulence level is high. The test vehicle let out nary a rattle or creak, and build quality gets an enthusiastic thumbs-up from me.
The Nissan is also a capable off-roader. A simple dial on the dash allows you to switch electronically between two-high, four-high, auto and four-low modes. In auto mode, wheel sensors detect slippage and then redistribute torque according to where it’s most needed. The system is effective, and the Pathfinder’s useful ground clearance and approach and departure angles mean that it can tackle most of the off-road scenarios a sensible driver would toss its way. It’s not a Defender or a Land Cruiser, but neither is it a Sandon “Mom’s Taxi. It’s also not cheap, but there are lots of 4X4s costing much more that aren’t really any better where it counts — in the dirt.– Gavin Foster