USED Nissan Pathfinder 4x4 (05 - )

My car

What a great alterative to the Land Rover Discovery 3. It's thousands of pounds cheaper, but it is let down by very poor seating. Get into a Discovery 3 and you will see what I mean.

My car had a noisy turbo after 6300 miles, but it was changed under warranty by Murley Nissan of Warwick. I hope Nissan read these postings, because if my back gets any worse then the Aventura will have to go!

My car

I did a lot of research before choosing this vehicle and test drove all the competitors. I only test drove the Nissan to eliminate it from my options as the reviews were not as good as the Discovery or XC90 or even the Landcruiser.

I found the Pathfinder to be an equal to the Volvo and Discovery (the only negative is slightly higher noise levels) and far better than the Landcruiser.

I bought a demonstrator for £24k with every conceivable piece of kit on, including the auto box. To get a similiar spec Volvo would have cost £35k or Discovery£40k.

Those prices made my choice very easy.

My car

It is five years and 60,000 miles to the day since I bought my Pathfinder new. It has been totally reliable, having never made an unscheduled visit to the dealership. The only major expense has been the replacement of a suspension bush. I have wax oiled the underside because it was starting to rust. Its thirsty as an automatic and the tax at £460PA is expensive. However it is an extremely good and reliable vehicle of its type.

What Car say it is a traditional 4x4 and crude compared to civilized 4x4s. I say it delivers and the so called civilized 4x4 are heavy reliant on electronics which many of my Land Rover owning friends will tell you are a major liablity.

My car

The Pathfinder is well equipped and practical but is very much an "old school" 4x4 to drive. Engine noise when cold is barely acceptable. The gearbox is stiff and awkward with a heavy clutch. Handling is rather vague and ride quality poor. Performance is reasonable providing you don't mind the noise. Fuel consumption is better than most equivalent large 4x4's at 32 day to day and 36 on a long run (The trip computer over estimates mpg buy 10-15%). Off road and towing abilities are good. Despite the shortcomings, I still rate the Pathfinder. The Discovery may be quieter, smoother and better to drive but it is also £10-15k more for the same spec, more expensive to run and probably less reliable.