Looks great, comfortable ride ( I'm not doing serious offroad so I don't need a truck frame ), reliable, price.

Engine power( fixed in 2001 model so there ). Rear door entry ( A little tough with a car seat, but to be fair this is a midsize SUV ).

With the new 2001 model due. We were able to get a great deal (1500 under invoice), on a fully loaded SE. So far I've been very happy with the fit and finish. The ride is smooth and handling is good for a SUV. If I get power hungry I'll just get one of the bolt on exhaust/intake kits.

I have driven the Jeep and Toyota products and comparing cost vs. value IMHO the Pathfinder wins hands down.

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Jeep, Toyota. They drive like trucks. If you do serious offraod then you may want to go this route. If you just need it to get through the chains required area, this is a better deal.

I like Toyota, but I can't see paying that much of a price premium for a like outfitted vehicle.

The Jeep is getting nightmare web press on the new drive train. The Jeep I test drove made a ton of noise.

It looks great, reliable, smooth ride, interesting options, relatively low price.

The back seats are a little too high.

I am leasing this baby for over a year now and I love it. As a matter of fact, I will probably get another one once this lease is over - it is a great vehicle for city driving, it handles well, smooth and it look good. Comparing it to the Explorer or a 4Runner, Pathfinder beats them hands down - Explorer you need to get in a V8, otherwise you always feel like you are lacking power; 4Runner - it rides, feels and looks like a truck. The only other SUV I was considering was Grand Cherokee - but what did Jeep do to the design???
Anyways, if you are looking for an SUV in this price range, I would absolutely recommend it.

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Grand Cherokee, Explorer, 4Runner

it looks cool

unreliable
very limited interior space
uncomfortable ride
gutless
typical suv handling

i've never been a big fan of suv's; this is my wife's car and she's had a love/hate relationship with it. she loves the outdoorsy image the pathfinder projects. she hates the
bumpy ride, lack of room, regular breakdowns (electrical, mechanical,you name it), heavy spare tire carrier that must be moved to open and close the trunk,wind noise,etc. I'm not too wild about gas mileage in the low teens, and the fact that we're wasting resources and polluting the environment lugging around 4000 lb (including a rarely used 4wd system), without even receiving the benefit of either roominess or power.
it has been fun to take this thing out on the occasional jeep trail, but for the number of times we've used the pathfinder off road or in the snow, we would have been far better off to have rented.
like other suv's,the pathfinder is the automotive equivalent
of stiletto pumps: fashionable, impractical and uncomfortable.

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durable,excellant handling on/off road

gas milleage and short on power

paid 26k in 89 still no rust no major problems
best truck ive owned for durability 12 years old 279,000Km
never opened motor or transmission still looks new very
good resale value recomended

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compared to domestic brands

best engine in class bar none including v8s

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2001 pathfinder with 250 hp
and 265 ftlbs of torque
now it can be said the pathfinder is
the best suv of any size it always was
but the new engine caps it for sure

Tough vehicle. Excellent lines. A great set of head lights.

Slow as a post-Big Mac dumper. Drives like a semi. Horrendous gas mileage/power ratio. For a guzzler, this things crawls. Can't wait for the new one with nads.

Bang for the buck, this SUV is outstanding. Went with the 5 speed because I don't need some computer thinking for me. Be prepared, if you have test driven an 8-cylinder Jeep, the Pathfinder's accelerator will feel like stepping on a pillow in comparison. But, for overall quality (having come from a family that owned a CJ-8 and a CJ-7, and given that I have heard horror stories about Jeep) and overall value, this vehicle cannot be beat in its class. You will spend 10K more for a Toyota and get less of a vehicle. For the love of God, stay away from Jeep!!!!!!

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'96Pathfinder SE. Seems to have been a drop in power despite a larger engine. HMMMMMMM. Same excellent build quality.

Awesome interior design and fit for a person 60" tall, exterior design, quality paint job, great comfortable ride on and off road, shift on-the-fly 4x4

Weak engine, manual transmission cathes when shifting to second gear, dealership service and overall Nissan customer service and leasing contract

Currently leasing and I am not sure if I want to buy at the 20K residual after paying a total of $14,736 in lease fees over the past 40 months. Price to be paid including finance charges cold be $40,000. It's shady car dealers that make buying a car such a nightmare and I will never buy from a dealership again. It makes the thought of buying a car or even owning a car undesireable. If I had my choice, I would wish we never needed cars just because of all the greed and hassle one has to go through just to spend money on a vehicle. Car companies and dealerships need to be taught a lesson.

This is a great vehicle for a person who does light offraod and mostly city driving. Unless you stiffen the suspension, it should be driven cautiously off road. It handles well and rides smooth on and off road. I would like more horse for the money and definitely more quality service from Nissan. Lease terms are based on greed.

Engine is noisy and weather trimming is beggining to wear out making for highway wind noise at the windows. Roof racks are faded due to sun exposure. Like they should not be exposed to the sun?

THis is a good car for the money but like all SUV's, and cars in general, it's overpriced. IF you have 30,000 tyou want to spend and are thinking of a 4 runner or Pathfinder or Passport or Rodeo, or that Mitsubishi thing, go with the one that fits you well and responds to your driving style. The Pathfinder did that for me.

I do not have too much confidence in engine reliability because it makes noises.

5 stars for value-it's money well spent
1 stars for Nissan expereince. Buying a Nissan was not fun in the end as I look at my contract. Theives and greedy evil people!!!

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4 Runner, Navigator, Tacoma, Frontier, F150, various Chevy and Ford trucks, Explorer

very dependable, never in the shop, good gas milage, has served us well for 75,000 miles, no mechanical problems, great for hauling kids + athletic equipment.

not a "luxury" vehicle

Paid $16-17,000 9 years ago, have done nothing except basic maintenance and oil changes in 9 years, old blue has never been out of service due to mechanical problems. Nissans just don't spend time in the shop period.
We've driven this vehicle in all sorts of weather and in the mountains with no handling problems. As a paramedic I needed dependable transportation to get me to work when the town was shut down due to blizzards -- no problems using the 4WD, I always made it to work on time.

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had a Nissan truck prior to this, traded it in when the family outgrew the truck, haven't needed a new car since.

Solid....what else needs to be said?
Good Ride
Quiet when cruising down the open road
Good radio/CD player

It could use a little more power. Gas mileage, well we knew both of these when we bought it. Noisy when under strong acceleration (Although it didn't seem much worse than the 6 Cyl Jeep).

We bought this SUV just over a month ago and have put about 3300 miles on it. We have a 4 x 4 SE model with the Moonroof and limited slip differential.

We made a trip to Colorado and it was very comfortable. The ride is a little truck like, but I would classify it more as a firm car ride than a smoothed out truck ride. I like the ride very much and it is fun to drive around town or down the road. Headroom is marginal with the moonroof (I'm 6' with a taller than average upperbody).

We have had some snow in Iowa and we hit a little snow in the mountains when we were in Colorado. Handling on snow and ice seems to fantastic. We towed a loaded 5x8 U-haul back from Colorado. Part of the trip had a 30+ MPH side and head wind. Gas milease was awful, but it was more stable than I would have expected. We pull a 10 foot pop-up camper and it should be adequate, this summer will be the test.

We purchased this vehicle because we wanted a solid and very reliable vehicle that would be much better than our GM minivan. We were also looking for something with a bit more beef. The minivan had enough power and it was reasonably stable pulling our 1600lb pop up camper, it didn't break as well as we wished and the looser suspension adds a little more excitement than I wish at highway speeds. The workmanship is top notch and time will tell on the reliability, but we haven't had any new car fixes like we had with our last car. My initial towing experience tells me that I will be fine with the power. But, the stability and breaking ability of the vehicle will be much better.

I'm giving it four stars on the value rating. I would like to see a little more power and a full time 4WD option for 30k (however the limited slip differential makes even 2wd driving very stable on ice). I am going to give it 5* on the overall rating, this is mostly because of the reliability and quality of the vehicle.

If you are pulling a heavy load, this may not be the vehicle for you, but if you want a great looking (The 2000 model is much better than other years), solid, and reliable vehicle. The Pathfinder is a great choice.

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First SUV, previously had two mini-vans.

No problems yet except for a defective battery. Great ride, smooth.

Absolutely needs more power. Atrocious!Gas mileage. Transmission seems to change gears late. Did I mention it has atrocious gas mileage.

I purchased the vehicle in Dec of 98, for 27,000. Leather seats that are heated with the moon roof, and bose system. To date have had no mechanical problems. Overall I am pleased with the performance of the truck. I think it is a quality product, however unless Nissan increases the power and most importantly the GAS MILEAGE I do not see me purchasing another one. My recommendations are if you are a city dweller like my self, or a long distance commuter this vehicle is not for you. If you must have an SUV do yourself a favor and compare gas mileage of all available SUV's on the market. Likewise if you like power, considering the amount of gas this SUV uses it really should have a lot more power. I am keeping my truck only cause it has to date been problem free. Although, at the first sign of real problems I may decide that the cost of operating it may be to great. If you don't mind the lack of power, or poor gas mileage, this SUV is a good choice, it is attractive in appearance, and quality built.

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