The Nissan Path

well the long awaited purchase is upon me. i am trying to sell my 97 isuzu rodeo so i can purchase a newer SUV. i have it narrowed down to 2. an 02 supercharged xterra and an 03 pathfinder. both are manual trans, both 4wd. both are between 104-105k miles, and both are between 8000-8500 bux. i want something with more power than my rodeo at 195hp for towing a 5x8 enclosed trailor and something that will ride smoother than the rodeo (which a wooden roller coaster will do with ease). if my searching serves me correctly, the xterra is rated at 210hp and 231tq and the pathfinder is 250hp and 240 tq.

the price and miles are close enough together and they both have the basics for what i need: stick shift and 4wd. my question is that even tho the pathfinder is def more powerful than the xterra, are there any tuning options for the supercharged xterra that would bump it's power rating above that of the pathfinder? common sense would tell me a simple s/c pulley and ecu tune would give me a significant amount of power but i havent been able to find any credible info on any tuning companies at all let alone within a 200 mile radius of northeast pa. i like the idea of the supercharger whine but all the noise in the world wont mean anything to me if it wont make it any stronger than a pathfinder.

my original preference has been the pathfinder for 6 months now. but every now and then i see a vehicle that catches my eye and i do some research and find out that it is either out of my price range or has no power or isnt practical for me (ex: supercharged frontier, stick shift, 4wd, 4 door).

also, what are some practical mpg u guys are getting? my rodeo is a v6, 4wd, 5spd and around town i am getting 16-17 and 20-21 on the hwy. edmunds calls for 15-17.

i am looking to buy within the next 2 weeks so any help is appreciated!

IF you are looking for horsepower, it's going to take a lot of work and money to get the performance of the VQ35DE out of the VG33ER. The VG engines due have less power, but they are a strong, reliable engine and not too bad to work on. Gas mileage isn't that great and it does need to have the timing belt replaced every 105,000 miles. Look to Jim Wolfe Technology for performance possibilities. The VQ engine has the power, but there have been some problems on some engines, including power valve screws falling out and into the engine, failing ignition coils and a few have developed oil burning problems. One advantage of the Xterra if you do any off-roading is that it has a full frame, whereas the R50 Pathfinder has a unibody chassis. Look for rust issues on the bottom of the front strut towers on the Pathy and for bad rear suspension link bushings. On the plus, it is a timing chain engine and gas mileage may be a little better than the Xterra.

well, my rodeo is sold.. i think i have my new r50 picked out.. here it is..
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/2001-NIS ... 047wt_1100

looks like a 1 owner car. it is listed on ebay, cars.com, and autotrader.com. doesnt look too bad and has just over 100k miles.

i was wondering tho. from the research i have done, i understand that the 2001 with the 3.5 has the 250hp. what is the big difference between the 01 and the 02-04? the 02-04 are going for almost $3K more than the 01. all i can see is a dif steering wheel, and a dif grille. is there something else? should i stay away from the 01?

I just bought a 2001.5 Pathy SE Auto last week. One key thing to look for is WHEN the 2001 was built. Early 2001 models have the much weaker 3.3L V6 (about 190HP) whereas the late 2001 (2001.5) models have the powerful 3.5L V6 (240 HP).

I have read that the 2001 year have some engine issues, which may be why the 02-04 models are selling higher. However, the 2001.5 engine is the same as in the 02-04, and I don't believe any modifications were made.

I, myself, debated between purchasing a first gen Xterra or an R50 pathy. My choice came down to the engine, mostly. A pathy is going to ride a little nicer, and it has an auto 4WD option available (not available in xterras; however, I don't know if manual pathys have them either). The ground clearance difference is a bummer, but I will compromise later by throwing on a modest lift on my pathy. The engine is way more powerful in the pathy, even compared to the S/C Xterra.

Also, something to note: Super charged engines spike up the insurance on the vehicle, so that was something I considered in my decision, plus they drain gas and require premium fuel at the pump.

A pathy is going to be able to tow your trailer, and it is going to be fully capable of light to moderate off roading (if you know how to handle the vehicle).

Bottom line: I would go for the pathy, 10 times over again (unless you can afford the second gen Xterra which is 05-present) because of gas efficiency, comfort, and the wicked engine. However, do make sure to do a background check on the pathy, and make sure it is loaded with that bigger engine... I drove the weaker engine version, and it is just disappointing by comparison.

I found an 02 pathfinder with a 5spd which means its 250hp. Tows the trailer really good! Rides nice too! 114k miles and only paid 6700.. awesome truck