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4X4
The Pathfinder has its own distinct place in Nissan's 4x4 line-up, between the X-Trail and Patrol. It looks suitably rugged inside and out, but what it loses in outright style, it makes up for with hard-wearing practicality.
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The driving position is good, the dash is well laid out, and there's enough space for five adults, albeit a little less than in rivals like the Land Rover Discovery. In most models, there's also a folding third row of seats in the huge boot, to make the Pathfinder a seven-seater, but these are really only suitable for children. It's a fine off-roader, too, but shown up by rivals on the road. The ride is firm at low speeds, the body rolls a lot through bends and the diesel engine is noisy. All in all, a Discovery is a far better drive.
Running Costs
Compared with obvious seven-seat rivals such as the Land Rover Discovery and Volvo XC90, the Pathfinder is something of a bargain to buy - and that's despite the fact that most used models are still within the Nissan dealer network, something which helps to keep prices up. If you ignore the petrol engine, which is expensive to buy and keep going, the running costs on a Pathfinder don't look too bad. Both fuel and insurance costs are on a par with those for the Discovery and, while a diesel XC90 is cheaper to fuel, it's more expensive to insure. The routine servicing costs also look good - considerably lower than a Discovery's and slightly better than an XC90's. To cap it all, if you need unscheduled work on the car, there's more good news: a leading warranty company says both dealer labour rates and average repair bills for Nissans are at the lower end of the scale.