Used Nissan Pathfinder 4x4 2005 - 2010 review

The Nissan Pathfinder has its own distinct place in the brand'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. 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.

Compared with obvious seven-seat rivals such as the Land Rover Discovery and Volvo XC90, the Pathfinder is something of a bargain to buy.

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: Warranty Direct says both dealer labour rates and average repair bills for Nissans are at the lower end of the scale.

There's a choice of two engines, but the 4.0 V6 petrol comes only in the most expensive trim and has the highest running costs, so it's a distant second-best to the 2.5-litre diesel.

This comes in a variety of trim levels, and all but the most basic have seven seats. However, as these two rearmost seats are really only suitable for children, there's little point in buying a seven-seat version. Instead, treat it as a go-anywhere five-seat car with a huge boot.

All versions are well equipped, with even the basic S trim (our favourite) getting climate control, six airbags, four electric windows and a CD player. SE added a CD-changer and driver's seat height adjustment, while SVE had leather upholstery and T-spec included sat-nav.

From May 2006, the range was reduced to four trim levels: Trek took over from S, Sport replaced SE, and T-spec became Aventura. However, our favourite remains the most basic model.

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