2005 Nissan Pathfinder First Drive

Finding its way among larger SUVs


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Click to enlarge. The 2005 Nissan Pathfinder

Make my pizza cheese, because the Nissan Pathfinder is like a good NYC double cheese pizza – mild mannered, but with a faint extra zing that hints at something more. On the road, it drives more like a truck when compared to the Murano, or other car-based SUVs. But a Murano can’t tow 6,000 lbs., or bash boulders into pebbles. Yet, because for most of us there are no boulders on the way to work, the Pathfinder also has to handle paved roads and travel like its weaker crossover/SUV car-based brethren. It does quite fine in the urban jungle, with an independent double wishbone suspension front and rear, and a body-on-frame construction that's based on the new F-Alpha platform.

The zing is there, however – and it comes to you when you’re off the road. The new 2005 Nissan Pathfinder works well among the boulders and streams, and keeps its 20-year heritage alive. High points include ground clearance and maneuverability – the Pathfinder was easy to navigate through a fairly challenging course with some tight corners, and the extra clearance came in handy in several spots. The Hill Descent feature, which offers more control over engine braking when going down a steep decline, works well, and it’s quite easy to switch the transfer case into 4LO.