2005 Nissan Pathfinder First Drive

Finding its way among larger SUVs


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Click to enlarge. 2005 Nissan Pathfinder door handle remains mounted on the pillar.

Pleasant, though, is not the word to use to describe the exterior styling of the 2005 Nissan Pathfinder. Moderately edgy is closer to the truth, compassionately conservative and aggressive in a Grande Latte sort of way. With styling cues that come directly from Nissan’s Armada SUV, it folds neatly into the company’s big vehicle lineup, and offers SUV buyers a nice bookend to the coming Xterra. It’s an intriguing alternative to the Murano, a car-based vehicle meant for city driving and with looks to match. The Pathfinder is ruggedly truck-based (with four-wheel independent suspension), drives more like a truck than the Murano and, well, looks good dirty. Get the new Pathfinder muddy and park it next to a new one – you’ll see that a little California red clay looks quite nice. For the most part, the Pathfinder’s exterior attitude comes from the large hood, oversized angular headlights, and short overhangs. Fender flares give the vehicle’s stance a squatter, tougher look. Carryover Nissan styling cues include pillar-mounted rear door handles and a bold grille design. It’s truly all new, however – and compared to the previous version Pathfinder, the 2005 model is longer and bigger in just about every way. New to the exterior is an integrated roof rack, and a flip-up rear glass hatch opening -- a significant improvement over the previous Pathfinder, because it enables you to open the hatch and deposit items, or haul long items without opening the gate. Also available on the Pathfinder for 2005 are available running boards, power sunroof and heated outside mirrors.

Heated mirrors. That’s not exactly what the world has been waiting for, but it is a nice warm touch if you live in a cold place. Features like that, though, depend on which 2005 Nissan Pathfinder you purchase. All versions will come with a 4.0-liter V6 engine, derived from Nissan’s legendary VQ-series engine family. Choose between 2WD or 4WD; both have three rows of seats standard, and all are decently equipped – though at press time price is still a mystery.