2009 Nissan Pathfinder Review
We put about 1300 miles on a 2009 Pathfinder. The following is our report:
Unless you're towing, the 266 horsepower of the 4 liter V6 is plenty big enough. The Pathfinder is built on the Armada platform, so it feels substantial, and rides solid, like it's bigger. It was not excessively hard, though.
The four-wheel drive system is pretty simple, you turn a dial on the dash, and off-road you go. We hit the sand dunes and felt pretty confident we wouldn't get stuck. It'll spin its tires, but there are places off-road where that's the best way to get through.
Among the features we enjoyed were the GPS Navigation system that warned us of construction in Nevada, but not Utah or Arizona. The talking turn-by-turn navigation system sampled some words, and synthesized others. Some of the synthesized ones were pretty funny-sounding.
It never sent us anywhere stupid (yes, some GPS systems put you on odd routes). With GPS, you can get the backup camera. In one parking lot, we saw nothing out the back window, nothing in the mirrors, but the backup camera saved us from whacking a shopping cart. The stereo/nav/screen thing also had a hard drive that recorded our CDs. We gave the car back with "Lido Shuffle" on it for the next fortunate driver.
It was too warm for us to evaluate the optional heated steering wheel; however, it seems pretty pansy for a truck.
The transponder key can stay in your pocket the entire trip. The truck knows when it's near, and will let you push a button on the door handle to unlock, or lock. Inside, just turn the ignition thing (not a key) and it starts up. No complaints until you go back into a car that doesn't have it, and you really miss the feature.
The running boards were a hindrance during serious off-roading, but let our smaller passengers get in and out on their own. The stylish high rear door handle is tough for little ones to reach.
Three long-trip annoyances showed themselves: The transmission bell housing area around the driver's feet is a little cramped. You notice this when you're on a long drive, using cruise control, and want to move your feet around. Your right foot gets few angles to rest. After some punk like me points it out, it gets worse.
Also, the cup holders are lacking for the rear seat passengers, if those passengers happen to be small. There are two fold-down holes at the middle passenger's feet, and kids in seat belts cannot reach them. The only other rear cup holders are for the third-row passengers.
Disappointment three (three's not bad) is the gas mileage. We averaged almost 18 miles per gallon, which is Chevy Suburban territory; and a two-wheel drive 'Burb can beat it.
The good side of its size is the comfortable room. We had plenty of space for three days' worth of stuff, and didn't even have to pack strategically. Also, the third-row seat is reasonably comfortable.
We seldom recommend SUVs, as they compromise so much by being built on truck platforms. However, if you must go SUV, and the three annoyances don't bother you, this would be an excellent choice.
