Nissan Pathfinder (1995 - 2004) Reviews, Pricing & Specs

Not great gas mileage but acceptable. 99 was voted one of Nissan's best year for great mechanical reliability. Great handling in snow,rain and modest off road activity. Has a good set of running lights for fog and darkened wooded areas. Real roomy and spacious for trips: gear,sporting equipment and can easily carry or tow boats,campers,canoes, kyaaks,bikes, and trailers.May 13, 2014

Great vehicle! It looks better than most new SUVs on the road today and it has great handling. I never had any doubts that it won't get me and my family from point A to point B. That includes off paved roads! It's a very solid and reliable vehicle. Yes, sometimes I wish it was bigger and had more power accelerating, but overall, I'm very happy with it. Mine has every option imaginable (Platinum edition) making it even more of an enjoyable ownership experience. Apr 26, 2012

The engine is well powered for the car, with nice gears and a short final drive (4.35?) to compensate for the weight. The fit an finish of the interior is superb. No part of the car has failed on me. 150000 miles, no chronic problems, save for a mysterious vibration i cant seem to locate. The ride is comfortable, and the suspension take bumps and dings very well. Speed bumps and tables are no match for struts on all wheels. I hit a speed table, got a foot of air, and still didnt bottom out the suspension. Ride height is great. Body leans on tight turns, but its not a sports car.Sep 14, 2009

*sobs* we lost our Pathfinder this November, and I am still sad about it. The car was great in the snow, and when we took it off road, the few times I got to drive it, it was a blast. Never did this car go wrong once. The only problem was it was hard to shift into first gear sometimes, but it was towed cross country and back again, plus on several other trips as well. A little heavy as a tow car, but still great in very other way. Can't say, if you have a dark green 5spd with a tow package in the Portland Or area you have our car, treat it nicely please recommend this car enough for anyone looking for a good SUV. Penalty of room in the back for our two dogs as well. Aug 28, 2009

Performance: the 3.3L V6 is a little underpowered but it gets out of its own way. It brakes really quick so be careful, and the 4wd can handle the trails out here, they get pretty bad too, mud up to the top of your rims sometimes gets you stuck. Build quality: Its held together well, If you use 4wd a lot you will need to replace the axles at about 200,000 miles but only the front 2. Its quick breaking means it eats pads. Appearance: It looks okay nothing special, the inside is also pretty average, it had a center console with the shifter, which I like better than column shifters. Cost of ownership: Its gets 19mpg on low grade and 22-24mpg on mid grade. Parts are relatively abundant and low cost. Fun Factor: This car is very fun to do a little trail running with. Its not meant for mudding but it can hold its own going on that camping trip. May 18, 2009

For the price that i paid its really nothing to complain about. I really think that the performance is half decent it picks up quiet fast, although the engine revs a little bit too fast. Braking isnt good given the fact it has no ABS on it. And for the handling it like most SUV's of its sizes rolls in corners, but to be expected. The build quality is really not to bad a couple things are weird about it and arent very straight forward, but i would get into detail... considering it has 217,000kms on it and shifts perfectly whether cruising through gears or racing through them, the engine doesnt knock and doesnt emit any type of smoke at all, most surprisingly of all the AC still works and has never been serviced in its life. All in all it runs better then most newer vehicles that have half the km's of mine. The down side of this vehicle is its looks, I find it really looks ugly, and is really made with cheap steel for its skin, cause it rusts a lot (I took care of that with some body putty) what really strikes me to be the most ugly about it is its front end with small rectangular lights that really throws the look right off. The interior is nothing special with very plain looks and use of alot of inexpensive plastics, but at least the controls and dials are not to encumbersen like some others I have, favorite thing is the reclining rear seats that you dont see alot of in other vehicles always wondered why... The gas mileage is really terrible, at least for me but maybe its because of my foots density, gets about 400km to the tank but this is mostly caused because of its high reving engine 100km/h is about 2500 rpm. Also to get out of first gear i usually have to get up to 4000rpm. This truck is extremely fun to drive because of its light front end great for little burnouts and fishtailing in the rain, also im never afraid of taking an SUV off the road and going throught the mud, extremely capable, this vehicle is tough as hell. I recommend this to anyone who is looking for a fun first vehicle and is not afraid of putting in gas, also a person that doesnt want to really turn heads because its really not the most attractive looking vehicle but at least its reliable, and for me thats number one for any vehicle.Sep 01, 2008

We had driven several SUVs, such as the Durango, Expedition, Blazer, Trailblazer, and Rodeo. But it wasn't until we drove the Pathfinder that we finally found the right vehicle. We instantly impressed with the drive, the power of the 3.5L V6 and the looks of the vehicle. Once we had driven the Pathfinder, we knew we found the SUV we had been looking for.Aug 29, 2008