Nissan Pathfinder

stvchang · February 2001

Hey out there,
This site has been very helpful in my quest for a new PF. Thanks to all. Was wondering if anybody knew if Nissan was still offering the $500 cash incentive for the PFs?

Steve

dennis1950 · February 2001

The cargo organizer is made of a hard rubber material. The storage bins are removable. There are no openings to the tie-down hooks. Have you looked at Husky liners? A lot of people on this board have gone with them. The Husky's are made of soft rubber and have a 2 inch lip. Great for people who get a lot of snow in the back. Same problem though with the access to the tie-down hooks.

the_gladiator · February 2001

Thanks stevinwshingtn,
I'll give Bill a call.

The Gladiator

li_sailor · February 2001

Thanks for the info...I had the same questions. But I think one of our questions is still unanswered - if you lift up the storage bins, is the entire cargo area still covered? I.e., does the mat extend under the storage bins or does it end there?

thanks

p.s. TonyC - it was Atlantic Nissan (West Islip). Overall, they were ok. For a car dealer, that amounts to a rave review :-)

xplorer2 · February 2001

Paco,

If it is the rubber ones you are looking for winter use, try futurenissan.com for them. I ordered them, they are exactly like the carpet ones, but thick rubber that catch dirt/water etc.. and they were inexpensive (40 for the set of 4). They were fantastic when I called there. I highly recommend this dealer, they are not shown on their website, but you can call and inquire.

Good Luck,
X2

lofquist · February 2001

the_gladiator (or anyone else):
One thing that you will need are details on how to get the importing done. Not difficult, but there are a couple pieces of paperwork. I get enough email with questions on the subject that I wrote up an "info" sheet. Just let me know where to send it and I will. Steve used it and also helped with some revisions when he bought.
-Jon
jonlofquist@aol.com

needanissan · February 2001

I am going to attempt to buy a Pathfinder by the end of Feb to take advantage of 3.9% rate. Had a few questions first if I might: 1)requires super unleaded gas? 2) I am a 4x4 novice. The truck is rear wheel until you engage the 4x4? Is there a speed limit while 4x4 is engaged? 3) Seems like all the car sites complain about rear seating room. Can I fit two car seats with easy access?

dennis1950 · February 2001

The mat covers the entire surface of the back. The organizer area is formed by plastic slats that fit into the sides of the mat. Remove the slats and the entire area of the mat is clear.

Karen_S · February 2001

I posted this in the Pathfinder club, but not sure if everyone saw it. If any Pathfinder owners are interested in Edmunds.com hosting a live chat for you, just let me know and I'll get the ball rolling.

KarenS
Host
Owner's Clubs

levko · February 2001

-fossfate: just been at my local Pittsburgh nissan dealer and got a quote -4,250 off MSRP for EL 4awd + everything except navig & enter. That would be some $400 less than invoice.
3.9% 60 month financing - effective till the end of February

dennis1950 · February 2001

Unless the economy continues to slide, the 3.9% financing looks good. I have been seeing ads for $4500 and $5000 of MSRP on the LE. You did not mention if you are looking at the XE, SE, or LE. Most people on this board like the AWD (all wheel drive) available on the LE. That's a system where the suv is in 2 wheel drive and automatically switches to 4 wheels when needed. My advice- go with the LE, especially if you want leather seats. The leather seat option in the SE pushes the price to basically that of the LE.

Most people have to agree that the back leg room is cramped. The trade-off is the back cargo space which is larger that most of the competition. Ask yourself who will be in the back seat. If you have kids, no problem. If the passengers are large adults- leg room is like coach seats on Southwest Air.

sanandton · February 2001

Have a 01 PF LE and two children in car seats. Both forward facing. NO problem with the back seat space for the kids. May be a different story if one of the seats were a rear facing infant type seat.

aris · February 2001

Hello,

I was wondering what i should do here....

found a 2001 LE 4x4 with everything including the nav. and ent. system.
question 1. the msrp is 38,560 , and the invoice is about 34,230. in the sunday paper, they were offering, "up to $3000" of on all 2001 PF, and i was wondering what price i should be offering.

anyone have an idea how to haggle? and what price?

Also, i noticed in the QX4, the cd changer is behind the nav. system... is this true on the PF also? or is it underneath the seat?

THANK YOU!
Aris

dennis1950 · February 2001

Just noticed that you asked about premium gas. Yes, the PF needs premium. After about 2k miles, I'm getting 17-18 mpg.

needanissan · February 2001

Thanks to all for the info.
One reason I was reluctant to go with the LE was
the leather seats. Would I be better suited with leather or cloth seats with two young children?
Is the AWD that much better than the standard
4x4?

frodo4 · February 2001

Hi All!

Please forgive this redundant posting and my ignorance - read everything on this site about buying and leasing, but prefer your feedback. I am looking into a PF LE 4x2 w/o Nav & Ent., live in Miami. Can't really decide what's better, to lease or buy because of benefits from each. I own my own business and usually drive more than 15,000 miles per year, but my accountant told me either way, purchase or lease is fine (for taxes). Has anyone in Florida received a great deal they can refer me to, or should I just try something like CarsDirect.Com? Please help compadres.....

dennis1950 · February 2001

I had a BMW with cloth seats and the kids trashed the seats. The cloth seats wore out from their constant moving and the inevitable juice stains. The worst thing about leather is the kids can cause rips with toys and pencils (in their pockets). Check out the "leather seat care" section of the Maintenance & Repair board. My kids would have probably trashed leather seats as well.

The AWD is definitely better than manual 4x4. Check out past postings on this board.

dennis1950 · February 2001

First, make sure the LE has AWD, not the earlier model with manual.

The $3000 discount is a bad deal. If the invoice is $34230, subtract:
$500 factory rebate
$1150 hold-back
$32580 net dealer cost

Don't be afraid to go down to net dealer cost. If you really want it, offer $33k and I bet they will go for it. The dealer also gets an end-of-year "points" kickback from the factory. Most people pass on the NAV and ENT options, so that PF is going to sit for a while. Be sure to get the 3.9% financing. Remember, with this economy, this is a buyer's market- the dealers know this!

efpi · February 2001

I'm negotiating purchase of a new PathfinderLE4WD with leather package, LSD,Trailer hitch,body side mouldings,cabin microfilter,mats,and sunroof wind deflector.Dealers "best priice" including $500 dealer rebate is $31,410 US. Is this a good price ? We have had good servicing experiences at this dealership with another car. Also, I saw a user comment on another website where someone said they lost control and flipped over in a Pathfinder when pulling a 16' U haul trailer.Since I'll be hauling a 3500Lb boat and trailer(which I'm able to do fine with my lighter and less powerful 89 Jeep Cherokee),this scares me. Has anyone heard of any unusual instability problems when hauling loads with the Pathfinder?

muttmbl · February 2001

Levko - can you say which Pittsburgh dealer? I am 3 hours away and the Nissan dealer here won't budge much (also doesn't have much inventory) even after I show him carmax.com prices.

li_sailor · February 2001

One of the main reasons I moved up to an SUV was to tow my sailboat. My boat and trailer is about 4000lbs. As you probably know, the PF is rated for 5000lbs (with auto trans)and 500lbs tongue weight with a class III hitch. This rating doesn't include the extra it takes to haul a boat out of the water up a ramp...you need a little more for that...how much?..20% more sounds good to me.

I just towed it for the first time (with fresh slushy snow on the ground) a week ago...no problems. Didn't go on the highway but went a few miles with some sharp turns. Without knowing what the person flipping his trailer did (what kind of maneuver/whether hitch was ok/load shifted/???) hard to say but you should have no problem with a 3500 boat/trailer with the PF.

Assuming this includes everything but tax+title+reg, that price is good...just about what I paid for the exact same equipment...a few have done a little better (not counting buying in Canada) but not much. As others have noted, just be sure that you're getting one with AWD.

richardmorris2 · February 2001

After much research and a few test drives I bought my red 2001 PF LE back in July. What a great vehicle. Very nimble. Love the engine. I can get out of trouble as fast as I get into it.
For those considering leather. Go for it. I was a little concerned about the heat here in Dallas Ft Worth, but it was not a problem. They smell great and my kids don't tear them up like they can with cloth. The Bose stereo is wonderful. Very natural sounding. Try Stevie Ray Vaughn for best results.
My only complaint. I'm not a big fan of the stock wheels. I've tried 3 differant sets of aftermarket mags without success. They all make the PF shimmy at highway speed.
Does anyone make a chrome mag that will work on the PF?

pathstar · February 2001

The vehicle you are looking at weights 4300 lbs. With the tubular loop receiver hitch and "reasonable" driving you will not have any problems. I hauled an 800 lb. utility trailer (12 ft. long) 1500 km through B.C. including mountain passes, and couldn't even notice it was there. Just don't try cruising at 100 MPH while hauling the trailer (braking distance gets ridiculous). Under the right circumstances you can crash anything. I'm sure it's not the Pathfinder's fault. It's quite powerful, low (for an SUV), and heavy, which is a perfect combination for hauling heavy trailers. When you exceed 1/2 the vehicles weight with the trailer, you need electric brakes on the trailer. Also, make sure the tongue weight is 10% or so of the trailer weight. Keeping to these norms will ensure a safe combination. When the 10% tongue weight exceeds the recommended tow vehicle tongue weight, you need an equilizer hitch. If you get to this stage, you might want to look at a bigger tow vehicle (Suburban or something).

li_sailor · February 2001

Pathstar makes a good point about the brakes...I do have 'surge' brakes on my trailer...they're not electric, though...they're hydraulic...and a necessity at these wieghts.

One thing, though...you can't (shouldn't) exceed the 10% tongue wieght with the PF since that would require excess of 5000lbs to tow...which exceeds its limit.

BTW...I'm assuming, EPFI, that your boat and trailer TOGETHER total 3500lbs. My boat is about 3000 and the trailer 1000. If 3500 lbs is just your boat, then you may be getting close, depending on the wieght of your trailer and whether you haul the boat up a ramp.

meca2 · February 2001

li sailer: What is your opinion on your surge brakes. Do you like them better than electric? At least you don't have to run wires for brakes.Steve

jambazi · February 2001

I'm very impressed with this "Pathfinder Club."

People are very helpful, friendly, and knowledgable. So why don't we have a FAQ? I've seen enough repeat questions to warrant one.

If you all think that's a good idea, I'd be happy to put it together and even post it on my own website. Here's a few questions right off the top of my head:

How does the Pathfinder compare to (4Runner, Xterra, etc.)?
What's a good price?
Does it really require Premium gas?
What's up with that shimmy thing?
Performance and maintenance stuff: best oil filter, air filter, and other mods. How to change that in-cabin microfilter. How to upgrade the audio system.

I'm sure there are others, but that's all that I thought of in the past few seconds.

I guess the best way to go about this would be to put together an outline, table of contents-style. Then we can go back and start filling in the answers.

Maybe we can "borrow" a format from one of the other discussion groups that already has a FAQ.

Let me know what you all think about that. I hope I'm not taking on too big a task here!

--Howie

phil47 · February 2001

Howie, that's a great idea. Why don't you ask our host, Karen, if it can be posted as a separate area of the Pathfinder Owners Club?

drew_ · February 2001

I'm sure that Karen can create a seperate folder for the FAQs. Just let her know in the Owner's club topics.

Drew
Host
Vans, SUVs, and Aftermarket and Accessories message boards

paco99 · February 2001

Thanks for the reply. Went to www.futurenissan.com and they have a pic of the floor mats (dark grey rubber; looks like only one color; my PF SE '01 is Sahara Beige) you suggested......$ 44.00 + $ 5.00 minimum shipping....no tax to me; I'm not in CA. Site doesn't say it's for 4 pieces; maybe I'll call them......

frodo4 · February 2001

Hey all,

I just looked at a comparison at PF LE 2001 with and was surprised to see that CarsDirect offer price was almost 1000.00 below Edmunds TMV price. What's the story? Is CarsDirect the onyl place to shop? They seem to always be the cheapest.

plwilliams · February 2001

I put Niche Pultec's on my EL. I have no shimmy!! If you would like to see what they look like I've got a few photo's my PA here: http://photos.yahoo.com/cc/plwilliams?I&.flabel=fld1&.src=oh . They are not great pics but I think you can get an idea of how they look

plwilliams · February 2001

Corrected link to photo's. Damned Spell checker. http://photos.yahoo.com/bc/plwilliams?d&.flabel=fld1&.src=ph

xplorer2 · February 2001

I did call them, they were nice, I didn't realize it was set of 4 until I got them. I forgot to ask! I live in MA, so it was still only 5 for shipping... a good deal I think, and they are just like the carpet mats that come with the car, with the logo, and they corral the dirt and water from melted snow (here in NE anyhow) quite well.

Mine were black when I got them, never thought to ask about colors either!! It just worked out for the best... good luck!

X2

vreffett · February 2001

I have a 2001 EL with 8K miles and it has started to pick up a slight vibration from the tires. It has BS Dueler H/T P255/65R16 tires. I recall in the past that references were made to Bridgestone's agreement to re balance these tires at no charge. My local Bridgestone dealer knows nothing of this agreement. Can anyone help me locate the necessary bulletin or info?

Other than a couple minor problems ( the driver's seat repositions itself only ocassionally and the outside temp is a joke ) I am extremely pleased with my Pathy.

Thanks for any help

cfd · February 2001

Take a look at post 538. It provides the necessary information.

drew_ · February 2001

You have 30 minutes to edit your message after it's posted. You can do that by hitting the "edit' button. No need to post another message to make changes.

Hope this helps!

Drew
Host
Vans, SUVs, and Aftermarket and Accessories message boards

sanandton · February 2001

Firestone/Bridgestone shops will rotate your tires for free for the life of the tire. They will not balance them for free. Post 538 is in regards to the dreaded "shimmy" fix. It is a Nissan TSB "NSB" that directs your local dealer step by step on how to fix the "shimmy". Your dealer may balance the tires for free. Mine did at 10k miles.

levko · February 2001

muttmbl: Bill Gray Nissan

2633 west liberty ave, pgh pa 15216-3493

ph (412)343-1111

it's about 2 miles from downtown

That price was the INITIAL dealer offer, i didn't negotiate yet.

Their web site is http://www.billgray.com/index-nissan.html

infiniti_lemon · February 2001

Still no resolution with Infiniti/Nissan about my lemon QX4 (upscale PF). 40 days of warranty repair, problems that continue to exist, and new problems. I have provided them with evidence that shows that a defective weld and their repairs to it have diminished the value of the vehicle by several thousands of dollars. In December they told me that they were looking at repurchasing it. Now they will not talk about that. I decided to put up a website, and now Nissan tells people I am not telling the whole story. They won't answer me when I ask what I am leaving out.

I have offered to Infiniti/Nissan the chance to settle this before I start appearing on television news shows. First interview scheduled for today. So far no word from Nissan.

I own one and I don't understand:

http://sleepwalk.home.mindspring.com

frodo4 · February 2001

Hi All,

Can anyone recommend a dealership in South Florida where they had a great experience in the purchase/lease of a PF LE? Looking to buy or lease shortly and the feedback would be appreciated.

Best regards!

meca2 · February 2001

vreffett: What's wrong with the outside temp?

sbelfield · February 2001

I need help deciding whether or not I need 4WD or AWD.

I live in the Virginia Beach area where we rarely see snow and if we do its only a couple of inches per winter. Also, friends of mine say that 4WD/AWD on the beach is really fun (Nags Head), but I have never done it. I don't know if I can justify the extra $2000 for it since I mainly drive on the highway. Any suggestions???

thanx guys.

mamae · February 2001

Fordo4,

I just bought a 4x2 QX4 with premium package (17" wheels and wood), sunroof and rear wind deflector. Not including taxes, tag or title I paid $32,775 in Miami. South Motors Infiniti.

This may help you negotiate a fair deal on your Pathfinder. Obviously, you should pay several thousand less than what I paid.

If you know the pros and cons of leasing v. buying you should be able to make your own decision. With 3.9% financing for me it made no sense to lease. Why pay $500/month for 3 or 4 years for nothing. Beacause I plan to keep the car more than 5 or 6 years it was better for me to buy.

Let me know if you have any other questions.
Mamae

goose1207 · February 2001

I compared my outside temp. guage to my sister's temp. guage in her Audi A6 when I saw her over the weekend. They seem to match pretty well, with a 1 - 2 degree F variance every now and again.

li_sailor · February 2001

I have no experience with electric brakes, so I can't compare. The surge brakes work well - I bought my boat in Maine and drove it (with a u-haul...wish I had my PF then) home to Long Island on I95 with little problem...a few firm brake situations and it worked fine. I think the design is good, when you brake the trailer pushes against a piston which compresses the fluid in the line, applying the brakes in the trailer - pretty foolproof and simple. I still have to hook up electric for the lights.

I assume vreffett refers to the oft-reported 'higher than actual' temp reading on the LE. As others have noted and I concur, it's only wrong when standing still...after driving a minute or 2 it seems to be quite accurate. So...keep moving :-).

Now my question to vreffett: what do you mean, 'the driver's seat repositions itself only ocassionally '? There are a few tricks to using the 'auto' setting so perhaps you're not using it right? Just wondering...

phil47 · February 2001

The temp gauge on my 2001 LE has been very good so far. Between radio reports and an electronic external temp gauge at my house, the match with my PF seems very good. In my '92 Jeep Cherokee the temp kept climbing at a standstill as road/engine heat built up. I've noticed that doesn't happen with my PF so they must have some sort of logic that prevents it from changing while your standing still.

pathstar · February 2001

Mine is also reluctant from time to time to move as it should as well. I finally got tired of the "whiz bang" seat movement and turned it off. It's basically useless (except to impress friends). The two position aspect works fine, it's the "move back when ign. shuts off - move forward when passenger seated" part that I found intermitant. I'm the only driver, so the two position part is also not very useful for me (I was going to have a "relax on long trip" position, but the seat was comfortable enough in the "good driving" position I never use the second one I programmed in).

phil47 · February 2001

In your situation, I would be thinking twice about spending the $$ on AWD. Beside the money up front and the increased cost of maintenance (or repair after warranty expires), it adds weight and increases fuel consumption. It's fantastic if you need it, but if you rarely see loose road conditions, why bother?

Having said that, you will likely see your $2000 come back to you during resale as many people want the added fun/security/image associated with 4WD. If you think you would be getting out regularly for recreational 4wd outings at Nag's Head, etc., then go ahead and spring for it. If not, I would at least get the LSD to help you out on those rare occasions when you do see loose road conditions. Hope this helps.

kaczor1 · February 2001

I too rarely use the 4WD, however, would not be without it. Although I live in Virginia, south of Roanoke, we do get snow every once in a while. But last fall I spent a week at Nags Head with my F. I bought mine before the WAD came out, so have the regular 4WD, however, came out of a pickup and am used to shifting. I loved it at the beach. Didn't know how it would do in the really soft sand, as it hadn't rained much last summer there, but it was great. The wheelbase is shorter than my truck was, so it goes like crazy in the sand. That is the only reason I go to Nags Head to drive in the sand and take my dog to the beach!

lofquist · February 2001

>> I don't know if I can justify the extra $2000 for it <<

Why not get the best of both! Run up to Toronto for a weekend. Get your Path with AWD and LSD for less than the price of the 2wd at home. And still have gobs of cash leftover...

For reference again, see post #2 above to get you started.

-Jon

Nissan Pathfinder

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