R51 styling out of date?

Any topics related to 2005-2012 R51

Moderator: volvite

Kestral
Moderator
Posts: 689
Joined: Sat Apr 12, 2014 3:22 pm
Location: MA

R51 styling out of date?

Postby Kestral » Thu Sep 03, 2015 11:45 am

So this am today at work my friend stopped by with his new Toyota 4Runner and everyone at work was outside drinking there coffee he parked right next to my 2012 Pathy so we decided to get some opinions on styling and overall flexibility. All 10 employees agreed that my 2012 Pathy does not look dated a few people felt that it looks a little out of date from the side but the front and back look just as current as the 2015 Toyota 4Runner. As a matter of fact more than half 6 people felt my 2012 Pathy looked better then the 4Runner. From the inside all 10 people felt the seating position and the seats were better on my truck (a common complaint of 4Runners are the seats and seating position). Most felt the dash material on my Pathy looked old and out of date but no one felt it was terrible just not as good as the Toyota. Everyone felt the back was much more useful on the Nissan with more space and better tie down positions. I have driven both and much prefer my 2012 Pathfinder to the new 2015 Toyota 4Runner. So there you have it our old R51 Pathfinders are not so old after all.


User avatar
eieio
Sponsored Member
Posts: 1841
Joined: Fri Jul 17, 2009 6:42 am
Location: Prescott, Az.

Postby eieio » Thu Sep 03, 2015 2:07 pm

no, they're not so old
one of the main reasons i bought my Pathfinders out of the whole field of SUVs at the time was the seating position
i also liked the visibility from the inside, lots of big windows to see out of
the R51s, to me, have a utility (almost military) appearance, especially the back half and forward slanted rear windows, and the rear end viewed from behind, which i find to be a great styling design
i also like the design of the front end/grill/headlight/front fender/turnsignal area - very clean
also very nice wheels, especially on the Off-Road model
actually, i like darn near everything about these trucks
at the time of purchasing, i purposely left them to be the last of the SUVs that i looked at, so i had a very good idea of what the other brands had to offer
the 4Runners, since then, have (to me) become uglier & uglier
especially their front end/turnsignal/grill area (oh!, those grills :roll:)
i'm at least as happy with my R51s as i was when i bought them, maybe even happier :D

skinny2
Sponsored Member
Posts: 1531
Joined: Sat Dec 26, 2009 10:07 pm
Location: BFE, Ohio

Postby skinny2 » Fri Sep 04, 2015 4:43 am

eieio wrote: one of the main reasons i bought my Pathfinders out of the whole field of SUVs at the time was the seating position
This is exactly why I ended up with the PF. I bought a Tundra in '06 but the seats were just not comfortable on longer trips. Decided I wanted an SUV so shopped the 4Runner in '09 and absolutely hated the seats. Couldn't get comfortable and the head room was miserable. I had never considered (or even noticed) the Pathfinder before but stumbled onto one and was very impressed with the interior, features, and comfortable seating position. This is the longest I've ever kept a vehicle so I'm pretty pleased with it, even if it's a bit dated. Still looks better than the egg-shaped crossovers regardless.

User avatar
NVSteve
Sponsored Member
Posts: 1987
Joined: Thu Feb 01, 2007 11:27 am
Location: Salt Lake City

Postby NVSteve » Fri Sep 04, 2015 9:22 am

Kind of a similar story here. When it came time to buy, I already knew I wanted to continue with another SUV. Scratched Jeep off the list because of too many friends & family, along with all of their associated Jeep problems. Narrowed it down to the FJ, 4 Runner and Pathfinder. Biggest requirement for me was interior space and 4x4 capability. When I went and saw the 3 models in person, the Pathfinder stood out in a number of ways for me, so that's when I decided to order one. Probably could have gone with the 4 Runner, but I didn't see anything to justify spending almost another $10k for the same vehicle.

It's been a great, problem-free ride. I just really wish they would have continued the line with an updated model (no, I do not consider the current CUV Pathfinder even remotely related to the R51). This is the longest I've had a vehicle as well. I'm pretty sure I'll be going with a 4 Runner next. Going to wait and see what the next refresh will bring to the table. Rumor has it that it will incorporate a modified version of the new Taco 3.5 liter, 6 speed auto, etc. If they turn it into a CUV like the current Pathfinder, I'll order up the current 4 Runner. I keep wondering what, if anything, will be around 10 years from now.

User avatar
disallow
Site Admin
Posts: 2820
Joined: Wed Aug 13, 2008 9:02 am
Location: Winnipeg, Canada

Postby disallow » Fri Sep 04, 2015 11:24 am

We were originally in the market for a Ridgeline or Pilot. When I discovered they were not going to cut it from the power and versatility perspective, we started looking at the Xterra and 4Runner. The 4Runner seating position sucks, with your legs sticking straight out, and to be honest, it felt a little cheap inside. With 2 kids at the time, the Xterra rear door openings were just too small. Next logical step was the Pathfinder. The Pathfinder was a perfect size, and had towing capability, and drove like a beast. We ended up buying an 05 pre-owned that had 60k miles on it.

Interestingly enough, this is also the longest I've ever owned a vehicle. We've have 100k miles of essentially trouble free driving, since the summer of 2008. Not really planning on getting rid of it either. I would like to get something else in the next 3 years, but will probably hang on to the Pathfinder as a project/fun vehicle.

Maybe with this! :

http://www.nissan.ca/en/trucks/2016-titan/

User avatar
Zen_master
Posts: 276
Joined: Fri Apr 12, 2013 7:42 pm

Postby Zen_master » Fri Sep 11, 2015 6:46 am

One aspect that helps to mitigate dating the R51 is the fact Nissan killed the mid-size SUV and turned the R52 into a minivan/XUV. I picked up a 2011 V8 when Nissan announced the R52. It is one of the last of a dying breed as CAFE standards force many manufacturers into fewer truck (body on frame) platforms.

staynlean
Posts: 197
Joined: Wed Oct 17, 2012 11:28 pm
Location: Memphis Tennessee

Postby staynlean » Fri Sep 11, 2015 2:55 pm

Well, this is also the longest I've ever kept a vehicle as well. I shopped then xterras and full size Tahoes, then came across the Pathfinder.

I always like the overall appearance of the outside body, the front is stylish and I think the back look awesome. At first, I was thinking it's going to be too small but once I got in it and configured all the back seats different ways then layed them all down I saw that there was tons of room. And the tie downs were awesome as well.

I didn't even consider that the Pathys may have 3rd row seats, I thought that would be for full size SUVs only. So far it's been the most practical vehicle I've ever owned.

It drives very similiar to a full size as well, it feels big and stout. Plenty of power from the V6 as well, the gas mileage in my opinion is great as well. I average 17.5 with oversize tires and a small lift. Down 1 mpg from stock configuration.

After my suspension overhaul I just recently completed, I'm in Love with this thing once again. The old suspension was starting to get a little scary on the interstate. Hitting bumps would sometimes be a life or death situation, sending me into the next lane sometimes. New parts fixed all that.

Happy owner here, and I don't feel the appearance of them is dated at all.

dano99
Posts: 14
Joined: Thu Apr 03, 2014 7:26 am

Postby dano99 » Tue Jan 12, 2016 4:26 am

staynlean wrote:Well, this is also the longest I've ever kept a vehicle as well. I shopped then xterras and full size Tahoes, then came across the Pathfinder.

I always like the overall appearance of the outside body, the front is stylish and I think the back look awesome. At first, I was thinking it's going to be too small but once I got in it and configured all the back seats different ways then layed them all down I saw that there was tons of room. And the tie downs were awesome as well.

I didn't even consider that the Pathys may have 3rd row seats, I thought that would be for full size SUVs only. So far it's been the most practical vehicle I've ever owned.

It drives very similiar to a full size as well, it feels big and stout. Plenty of power from the V6 as well, the gas mileage in my opinion is great as well. I average 17.5 with oversize tires and a small lift. Down 1 mpg from stock configuration.

After my suspension overhaul I just recently completed, I'm in Love with this thing once again. The old suspension was starting to get a little scary on the interstate. Hitting bumps would sometimes be a life or death situation, sending me into the next lane sometimes. New parts fixed all that.

Happy owner here, and I don't feel the appearance of them is dated at all.
What parts did you replace? Im in the same boat, Pathy is sending me all over the place on the roads.


Return to “R51 General Chat”