How do you rate Nissan Pathfinders 2001 Ti?

[driquelme]

Hi guys,

Looking at a Pathy 2001 with 120k kms.

How do you rate these cars? Are they reliable? How is the fuel consumption?

Thanks

[driquelme]

Are the auto auto transmission boxes the main issue?

[Boozer]

Hi mate.
I have a 00 Ti that I have owned for 8 years.
I have nearly 300k on it and still runs sweet. The motors are very under stressed and are pretty bullet proof.
I have never had a problem with my tranny, but I do regular fluid changes on it.
Beach work, heavy towing etc and no problems. i have heard the odd story of one having a rest when overworked, but I think you really have to treat it rough!
mine has been reliable as....just normal things like brakes/timing belts etc. Keep up regular servicing etc. I have found parts are pretty cheap for it and it is quite easy to work on.
Fuel consumption on these are the major issue, they like a bit of a drink (bit like me ) and with massive 245 75 16
muddies on it I get anywhere from mid 13s - mid 14 litres per hundred kms.
They are a bit of a mountain goat and will go near on anywhere. It goes most places where my JK wrangler went , not as easy, and picking your line carefully, but it will get there.

Have a look on PCOA for heaps more info.

Cheers
B

[driquelme]

Hi mate,

How much did you used to tow? You think towing 2T will be ok with this car?

Thanks

[Peter Aawen]

Boozer's pretty well covered it for these, altho it is worth noting that their max tow capacity is 2 tonne, and if you tow at that limit you will use a bit of fuel, and you will benefit from running a larger than factory auto trans fluid cooler too!! The entire driveline is a bit agricultural but tough, and regular servicing should see them last well & handle most things you can throw at them with aplomb, if not ease... We have one, & it has been known to tow a fair bit pretty regularly; it manages well altho it does increase the amount of fuel used - we generally use somewhere near 15l/100 km when towing at/near capacity on marginal roads, not so much on good roads, and in general average around 13l/100 km running AT's.

Do bear in mind that they are a monocoque construction vehicle, ie there is no chassis underneath, everything hangs off the body shell which is built to carry it all on sub frames etc, and it is pretty strong... but it is something to consider if planning heavy/strenuous use - too much heavy or overloaded towing &/or really rough treatment off road might bring on some issues due to that lack of a chassis; altho we've certainly tested ours out without any signs of issues in 200K (yet, anyway...) But if you hafta tow 2t ALL the time, or you might possibly be going over that limit every now and then, it might be better to modify your plans & give yourself a little more leeway - no modern vehicle is intended or built to work at the extremities of it's capabilities/towing capacity for most of its life, and they will suffer if you try/expect it of them!!

The R50 Pathfinders have the same very good LSD up the back as the Patrols run, which helps make them very capable off road with a little bit of driver skill & care picking the right line - even without the need for big lifts (2" is probably the max sensible lift you'd ever want if you still want to use it on road/as a daily driver too - and it gets expensive fairly quickly to do a bigger lift properly anyway!) However, our Pathy has had that great LSD replaced with a Detroit Locker (same as the Patrol Front diff/locker) so while there is no impact from that on road, it makes it even more capable off road and the locker does make towing a lot better too - you can't spin a rear wheel due to lack of traction, altho you can spin them both at the same time due to a heavy right foot!

You could do a lot worse for a small family/daily driver that has more than just pretensions at being a bloody capable off roader!! Maybe not a heap of accessories at the hard core/extreme end of the range, but you can certainly get alloy bull bars, side rails, long range fuel tanks, basic suspension lifts/improvements, etc... altho a good looking snorkel might be a bit harder to find!

[driquelme]

Hi mate,

Thanks for the feedback. I am thinking of buying a boat near the limit. It wont be that often so i guess it will be ok.

The car has a full history, i service the tranny and will definitely add a bigger cooler.

Thanks

[Nickj2411]

R50 Pathfinder TI
I have owned one for 9yrs now. Love it! Mine has 2" lift, 265/70-16 BFG AT, front Lokka, 310000+km, LPG.
Would I tow 2T with it? Probably not, although it is capable of towing it. I do tow a large horse float with a big horse in it. Slow, but you will get there. Pulls the 700kg camper no probs, again, a bit slowly.
Fuel economy - not its best point. Mine is on LPG, no load, about 350 m- 380km to 60L. Loaded with camper, 220 - 250km.
Rear LSD - the series 2 are not as good as the earlier LSDs. Mine was replaced under warranty but still not great.
Off road - mine goes where others wont. Good driving, good tyres and front Lokka.
By now you have probably had your pathy for a year or so and enjoying it!
Nick