I know a lot of you may be researching the new 2005 Pathfinder so I wanted to write something that may help. I've personally spent of and on 6 months looking for a new vehicle. Since July I've been in the BMW coma where I believed that nothing would compare. I also own a 1999 Explorer AWD Limited Edition and wanted an SUV that had a luxury interior, engine power, gadgets, navigation, mp3 support and a reasonable price. For the record, the loaded BMW X5 3.0, DVD player, Nav, rear climate etc was - $52356.87. Sadly nothing compared to the BM's handling and the 4 year 40K warranty that BMW provided include everything except tires, yes oil changes.
Needless to say, I just purchased the 2005 Nissan Pathfinder. Buyers should expect quality, luxury and performance. I was very hard on the demo, breakneck turns, ‘floored’ acceleration, emergency "brake slam" stop, garage & parallel parking, and 90 mph highway cruising. The results bested the BMW. I know it sounds crazy, but I encourage you to compare the two. I even took the Pathfinder to the BMW dealership to compare them, side by side – sticker to sticker. The Pathfinders ride was smoother and there was less noise that from the X5. The Pathfinder cockpit "feels" similar but is not as cradling as the BMW. The BMW holds the road better than any car imaginable but few passengers will appreciate or tolerate the performance characterists you'll try to extract from the X5. The Nissan has a 7 passenger seating which the BMW X5 will have in 2007, but the 3 row is honestly for kids or one adult stretched out diagonally. However, the seats completely disappear when folded down so all the better.
For buyers, you should be able to negotiate this vehicle to very close to the invoice. Invoice is not what the dealer actually pays, but that’s where their profit margins are, buyback, volume discounts are the icing. Right now, there are no incentives on this vehicle, it’s too new, too popular and in demand. Drive what you’ll buy. Find the exact vehicle with the options you want. If you want NAV and DVD for example, I suggest you do NOT drive one without those features. The features, interior and exterior, are how you’ll make your decision. Just want till they have what you want in stock with the options you’ll expect. Test driving isn’t about a 1-2 hour decision with some stranger in the car next to you and then you sign your life away. It’s about how the car will fit with your personality and your family. Sign a borrower’s agreement and take it home, overnight. See how it fits in your garage, how it feels on ‘your’ streets and most importantly, what your wife/lover/soul mate might think of it. This paragraph sounds a bit prescriptive, but take it for what its worth, just a casual writing style.
In the end, it was almost exactly 20K difference in price. Extending the warranty from 3 – 5 or seven years will add another 1K-1.5K. GAP insurance is around $400, get it, it’s negligible at this price point. Ask your dealer for 2 years, free oil changes but wait till you are close to the end of your negotiations. Then while you are in the financing office, ask for a free t-shirt or sweatshirt. If it isn’t obvious, value and performance are what I look for in both the dealer and the car. Also, this is hard for many people but if you don’t like the person helping you, ask for a replacement. While “Kelsey” was nice, he wasn’t of the ‘stature’ to fit in the Pathfinder easily. The last straw was that I had mistaken his unusual breath sounds as wind noise from the car. After a quick talk, the manager assigned me Jason and his energy and enthusiasm make the process more enjoyable.
Ford, Chevy and yes, BMW should take a hard look at this vehicle. It will quickly redefine the SUV segment as the Maxima have done for passenger cars.
I don't think you have to do too much convincing on this board to note the merits of Nissan products. I went through extensive research in 2001 when I purchased a new Pathfinder. I wanted a mid-size SUV, which was comfortable with adequate towing power for my 3000 lb boat and had an under carriage that resembled truck.
It came down to the Pathfinder for the money couldn't be beat. I didn't consider the BMW or Mercedes as their price tags are ridiculous for what you are getting. I have a friend in the car biz, who has told me used BMW and Mercedes SUVs are flooding the auctions at low prices. I guess they lost their glamour. I paid $25K for my PF for the extra $25K for the BMW, throwing in free oil changes is nothing.
I personally would not negotiate oil changes into my purchase, as I don't want whatever oil the dealership uses or care about a t-shirt. When I negotiate a new car, it's all about the purchase. Also, most consumer advocates warn about extended warranties as a waste of money. It might be worthwhile for a car with expensive parts or if you getting a Chrysler product. I have not used my warranty at 42,000 miles and don't expect to. Keep the $1500 plus interest in your pocket.
I don't think you have to do too much convincing on this board to note the merits of Nissan products. I went through extensive research in 2001 when I purchased a new Pathfinder. I wanted a mid-size SUV, which was comfortable with adequate towing power for my 3000 lb boat and had an under carriage that resembled truck.
It came down to the Pathfinder for the money couldn't be beat. I didn't consider the BMW or Mercedes as their price tags are ridiculous for what you are getting. I have a friend in the car biz, who has told me used BMW and Mercedes SUVs are flooding the auctions at low prices. I guess they lost their glamour. I paid $25K for my PF for the extra $25K for the BMW, throwing in free oil changes is nothing.
I personally would not negotiate oil changes into my purchase, as I don't want whatever oil the dealership uses or care about a t-shirt. When I negotiate a new car, it's all about the purchase. Also, most consumer advocates warn about extended warranties as a waste of money. It might be worthwhile for a car with expensive parts or if you getting a Chrysler product. I have not used my warranty at 42,000 miles and don't expect to. Keep the $1500 plus interest in your pocket.
Very good points. I would like to reply to some of the items you mentioned to give context to others. First, I honestly didn't care about oil changes, t-shirts or frivilous extras. Price was my first and only goal. Once I had achieved a resonable price and was ready to sign, then you start asking for other things. It's the momentum of the buying process that will get you car washes and oil changes. I plan on keeping this car for 7 years like my Explorer so an extended warrarty is justified on this vehicle for two reasons. First, it is a totally redesigned product and being a first model year, I expect issues. Sure, the existing warranty should be fine for 3 years, but there are other things to consider. So my second point is the 2005 Pathfinder does not compare to previous generations of Pathfinders in styling, technology, engine or luxury features. With the addition on an systematic on-board computer, DVD, Nav, etc, there will be a something that fails, especially if you plan to put miles on it. Not after 3 years, but at the 50K mile mark. The Nissan warranty was beyond what I had expected.
But you're right, there are opinions on if the extended warranties are worth it. I choose it as it represented a small percentage of the vehicle price and it's my first Nissan. Your mileage may vary.
I too have purchased an '05 Pathfinder, just this past Monday. I didn't consider an X-5, but I'll take your word for it on the favorable comparison, MegaJustice.
My own comparisons were against a VW Touareg V6, and the current Toyota 4Runner, of which I drove both the V6 & V8 models. I was replacing my old '96 4Runner, which I've had nothing but good things to say about. It was a very close call, and I almost bought another 4Runner. But the new Pathy won me over in the end.
As for deals, they are definitely out there, even at this point in the model year. I was able to find exactly what I wanted on the lot, cut a price of $500 over invoice, and took my vehicle home the same day.
I had also visited 2 other dealers before, and had an even lower offer of ... believe it or not ... $100 below invoice. But this latter price was from a dealer who didn't have what I wanted in stock, and wanted to do a locate for me. I obviously could've waited for him to bring in a vehicle, and saved $600 more, but then again, I probably wouldn't be enjoying my new Pathy right now, and would most likely still be waiting into the new year.
I also found consistent no-haggle on-line pricing in the neighborhood of $100 over invoice from CarMax.com's New Car network. For those who live within reasonable driving distance of the DC/Baltimore area, it may be worth your trouble to go check them out.
So there are definitely very good deals out there to be had already on 2005's.
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'05 Pathfinder LE 4X4 - Red Braun/Desert, Nav
'03 G35C 6MT - Diamond Graphite/Graphite, Premium, Nav
The dealer I am going to tomorrow is doing $500 under invoice. Yep, best deal I found. I went through edmunds.com, so I was contacted by multiple fleet/internet managers. I asked one if he's doing invoice, he said "Absolutley not." The dealership I am going to does have the car I want in stock. We shall see tomorrow what happens.
Which model and color did you guys get? I am looking at a SE, 2wd, premium/comfort package.
The dealer I am going to tomorrow is doing $500 under invoice. Yep, best deal I found. I went through edmunds.com, so I was contacted by multiple fleet/internet managers. I asked one if he's doing invoice, he said "Absolutley not." The dealership I am going to does have the car I want in stock. We shall see tomorrow what happens.
Which model and color did you guys get? I am looking at a SE, 2wd, premium/comfort package.
I got the Black Exterior, Gray Interior LE 2WD. So far, I'm getting around 18 mpg. The GPS is great, the MP3 ID3 tag support only works if you push DESC and alas I want it all all the time if I'm listening to an MP3 CD. I got pinged a few times, but yes, I did pay under invoice. It was a dealer demo with 1500 miles loaded with a sticker of 38K.
Also, when you get to the end of the negotiation and before meeting with the finance officer, ask and triple ask for competitive financing. If you have ok credit, don't let them throw a monthly payment number at you. Ask for a specific interest rate between 3.9 and 4.9 is fair, anything above that and you'd be better off getting your own financing. Many already know this stuff/process but hope someone finds it useful.
Good luck!
Last edited by MegaJustice : Dec 30th, 2004 at 01:03 AM.
Locked my keys in the new Pathfinder, day 2. I was pissed and called a locksmith. My Explorer had a key pad so I never carried keys. At any rate, the locksmith, 15 years experience, could not open it. This was both good and bad...
His secret code book on how to unlock any car didn't have the 2005 Pathfinder. He gave up, I asked to use his tools since he said, he wasn't comfortable with his attempting any further as the car was brand new. I said I would assume liability as long as I could use his tools. Long story short, used the Armada example and had to use tool that went under the glass to push the unlock button. Whala...this was a 2 hour endeavor.
So, the lesson here is that the extended menu in the nav provides the option to "Auto Lock after 1 - 5 minutes". I had gotten out to show the car to the folks, car locked with keys in the seat. Lesson learned.
Thanks for the emails and the replies. Let me know if this :dumbass: diary is helpful.
Last edited by MegaJustice : Dec 30th, 2004 at 01:04 AM.
I got the Black Exterior, Gray Interior LE 2WD. So far, I'm getting around 18 mpg. The GPS is great, the MP3 ID3 tag support only works if you push DESC and alas I want it all all the time if I'm listening to an MP3 CD. I got pinged a few times, but yes, I did pay under invoice. It was a dealer demo with 1500 miles loaded with a sticker of 38K.
Also, when you get to the end of the negotiation and before meeting with the finance officer, ask and triple ask for competitive financing. If you have ok credit, don't let them throw a monthly payment number at you. Ask for a specific interest rate between 3.9 and 4.9 is fair, anything above that and you'd be better off getting your own financing. Many already know this stuff/process but hope someone finds it useful.
Good luck!
Hey mega,
Thanks for the help. One question I have, which I'm sure will be answered tonight. The Bose system is mp3 with 6 disc changer, right? So can you in theory put 6 mp3 cd's in there? Or is it only one slot that will play the mp3?
Thanks for the help. One question I have, which I'm sure will be answered tonight. The Bose system is mp3 with 6 disc changer, right? So can you in theory put 6 mp3 cd's in there? Or is it only one slot that will play the mp3?
I would think it would play 6 mp3 CD's
I purchased my pathy on Tuesday, traded in my 2000 Frontier. Got it out the door for $35,700. It's a 2005 LE 4X2, Nav, DVD, Loaded. This thing is great, I tought I could live without the DVD, but to my surprise; I was able to hook up my iPod to it and have it play thru the car speakers...I'm looooooving this car!
I purchased an LE 4X4 in Red Braun, Desert leather interior, with Nav system, Body Color Side Moldings, and Splash Guards.
I also just ordered some matching rubber floor mats from CourtesyParts.com online, because my local dealers are not even stocking them yet for some reason ... and this is the sloppy season around here ... I can't really afford to wait.
My main paint color preferences were Avalanche and Red Braun, but I only wanted the Desert interior, because I already have a Graphite interior on my G35 Coupe (plus, my old 4Runner also had a beige leather interior). I'm gonna try to get some pics taken of it this weekend for posting.
Emil, I also used that Edmunds.com internet bidding service. I was somewhat skeptical about it, but it defintely saved me enormous time in negotiations. Very convenient and efficient service!
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'05 Pathfinder LE 4X4 - Red Braun/Desert, Nav
'03 G35C 6MT - Diamond Graphite/Graphite, Premium, Nav
I wasn't able to get the car tonight. No dealer has the one I want! Only 2 have a SE with premium/comfort package, but they aren't the colors I want. There is a dealer who says he will have one "any day now," so I'll wait. I'm not in a rush, plus it's my first brand new car, so I am going to get the color/options I want.
Thanks for the help. One question I have, which I'm sure will be answered tonight. The Bose system is mp3 with 6 disc changer, right? So can you in theory put 6 mp3 cd's in there? Or is it only one slot that will play the mp3?
It plays all 6 disks if they are mp3. I copied all my files to a single folder which is fine, but you might consider taking the approach of putting each album in a folder, it seems to be easier to navigate disk this way.
I purchased my pathy on Tuesday, traded in my 2000 Frontier. Got it out the door for $35,700. It's a 2005 LE 4X2, Nav, DVD, Loaded. This thing is great, I tought I could live without the DVD, but to my surprise; I was able to hook up my iPod to it and have it play thru the car speakers...I'm looooooving this car!
Agreed. 35K is a good price and as I am sure you have discovered, nothing in this class seems to match the value. Loving mine too.
So a few other items to mention. I was getting a tire pressure warning on the car, apparently in Texas the massive swings in tempreture sometimes cause the gague to go off on the dash panel. Ok, that's fine. Filled up all the tires, the next day, another tire warning but no massive tempreture changes. I checked the system and it said the right front had low pressure. Low and behold, a bolt, the size of a thumb was in the tire. I'm taking it in today as I believe it was already present when I bought the car since the light had been on. Another great stock feature. I'll let you know what the verdict is.
Did you hook your IPod to the aux in on the DVD player?
Agreed. 35K is a good price and as I am sure you have discovered, nothing in this class seems to match the value. Loving mine too.
So a few other items to mention. I was getting a tire pressure warning on the car, apparently in Texas the massive swings in tempreture sometimes cause the gague to go off on the dash panel. Ok, that's fine. Filled up all the tires, the next day, another tire warning but no massive tempreture changes. I checked the system and it said the right front had low pressure. Low and behold, a bolt, the size of a thumb was in the tire. I'm taking it in today as I believe it was already present when I bought the car since the light had been on. Another great stock feature. I'll let you know what the verdict is.
Did you hook your IPod to the aux in on the DVD player?
2005 Pathfinder v.s. X5? Guess which one wins.
Linear Mode
