dhardison Posted July 11, 2010 Share Posted July 11, 2010 So here's my problem. My biggest cash cow consulting job has been expanded and I'm driving 60 miles roundtrip, mostly interstate, almost every day, from the burbs to downtown Nashville. When the weather's been good I've been taking the Z but it's racking up miles in the process and like my other Zs I'm gonna keep this one for at least 4 or 5 years and I'm just not gonna mile it up like that using it for a daily commuter. When it's raining, and just to try to spread the miles out, I've been driving the Path but at 200k miles I hate to rack a bunch more miles on it. I never intended to use it as a commuter in the first place. It was always supposed to be just my nice old WD21 that I kept to drive a few miles one or two days a week and when I needed to haul stuff or extra people. If I keep driving it at this rate I'm afraid I'll drive it into the ground. Lately I've been looking on craigslist at some R50s and QX4s for around 9 grand thinking maybe I'd buy one for a daily commuter and the payments would be pretty cheap. Now I'll get to the guts of this post. In 2005 I helped a girl that was a co-worker spec out and buy a new 05 Xterra. On my advice she bought an 05 2nd generation SE with 4X4, auto, Rockford Fosgate and power everything. Now she wants to sell it and get a new Mustang convertible and said If I want it I could have it for what they want to give her for trade in, about 9500. This sounds cheap to me. She's put 74,000 miles on it. Never been smoked in and it's in perfect shape with a recent brake job and tires. So what to do? Buy her X I've known since new even though I'm not really an X guy, Keep looking for an R50 or a Q? Either way it's got to have a VQ for the kind of interstate driving I'll be doing. Or the third option just go ahead and kill my old Pathfinder by subjecting it to high speed, high mile commuter duty that it's really to old to handle without spending hundreds and maybe thousands in maintenance costs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ahardb0dy Posted July 11, 2010 Share Posted July 11, 2010 I've always liked the xterra's especially the older one's, but you know if you buy it you will start to modify it than you won't want to drive it that much either,lol If you have to commute that far I would just buy a cheap good gas mileage car just for getting to work and back Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daftpup Posted July 11, 2010 Share Posted July 11, 2010 I've always liked the xterra's especially the older one's, but you know if you buy it you will start to modify it than you won't want to drive it that much either,lol If you have to commute that far I would just buy a cheap good gas mileage car just for getting to work and back x2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Precise1 Posted July 11, 2010 Share Posted July 11, 2010 Well, if the $ doesn't really matter, buy the X!! That said, I found a 99 R50 with 150k miles, clean and loaded for $4k and put $1k into it. The wife commutes 60 miles a day and this is her winter and our trip vehicle of choice. Maybe if you are a little patient, you can find a similar deal... Then there is the option of buying a 3.3l motor and putting it into the Pathy with headers, good exhaust and intake and drive it like it is supposed to be driven... That would actually be the cheapest. B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ahardb0dy Posted July 11, 2010 Share Posted July 11, 2010 I drive 72 miles round trip 4 days a week and normally drive my 90 sentra as it gets about 30 MPG and the AC is a lot colder, I don't drive the PF everyday as it costs twice as much to fill it up, same with the titan we had before getting the PF, I could almost see the gas gauge moving when driving the titan. Like precise1 said if the money isn't an issue go for it, at least you know the xterra wasn't abused or anything Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ANDY Posted July 11, 2010 Share Posted July 11, 2010 you should buy the X and buy a gas saver and build the X up Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5523Pathfinder Posted July 11, 2010 Share Posted July 11, 2010 9500? Sold! Good price for what it is. Plus, you will like the 4.0L! I drive approx 100 miles everyday on I-5. I average 18mpg doing somewhere around 60-70mph. Maintenence hasnt been that bad, but Im tech so it doesnt bother me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dhardison Posted July 11, 2010 Author Share Posted July 11, 2010 (edited) Well, if the $ doesn't really matter, buy the X!! That said, I found a 99 R50 with 150k miles, clean and loaded for $4k and put $1k into it. The wife commutes 60 miles a day and this is her winter and our trip vehicle of choice. Maybe if you are a little patient, you can find a similar deal... Then there is the option of buying a 3.3l motor and putting it into the Pathy with headers, good exhaust and intake and drive it like it is supposed to be driven... That would actually be the cheapest. B I like that idea and always have but I just don't have the cash to start spending like that. I need something that's new enough to have a loan value with no huge down payment. The motor's great in my truck now and I'm not afraid to keep the pedal down to keep up with 75 80 mph traffic. What bothers me the most is the 12 or 14 times during the trip that the tranny does that downshift to keep up the cruise set speed. If you drive an auto you know, first the lockup comes off, ugghhh, then out of overdrive, uggghhhh, then the tach's bouncing off 4000. Then the interstate levels back out and it's all upshifts. It's annoying. Then new rubber seals for the wind noise, the list goes on and on to make it comfortable at those speeds and the dollar signs add up quick. Edited July 11, 2010 by dhardison Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesRich Posted July 11, 2010 Share Posted July 11, 2010 I drive 72 miles round trip 4 days a week and normally drive my 90 sentra as it gets about 30 MPG and the AC is a lot colder, I don't drive the PF everyday as it costs twice as much to fill it up, same with the titan we had before getting the PF, I could almost see the gas gauge moving when driving the titan. Like precise1 said if the money isn't an issue go for it, at least you know the xterra wasn't abused or anything I wouldn't buy the X because I would have to start modding it too. Go with a small car that gets 30+ mpg. Or do like I did and buy a motorcycle, even a big one like my boulevard 109 gets 40mpg on the highway doing 80mph. I get 45 to 50mpg going 60mph. My Titan gets 18 to 19 on the highway, it's the in town that sucks at 12 to 14 depending on how many idiots on cell phones I have to pass on my 4 mile drive to work! James Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
muddfildvaynes Posted July 13, 2010 Share Posted July 13, 2010 http://nh.craigslist.org/cto/1839589332.html Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dhardison Posted July 13, 2010 Author Share Posted July 13, 2010 http://nh.craigslist.org/cto/1839589332.html Yep that's it, the perfect Xterra to make a 60 mile round trip commute on the interstate at 75 80 mph. Plus I've probably got way too many teeth to be living in Tennessee, we have one of the lowest ratio of teeth per capita, this would be a chance to rattle a few loose. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nunya Posted July 14, 2010 Share Posted July 14, 2010 Sure... Buy an X ...trailer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MAXEDpath Posted July 22, 2010 Share Posted July 22, 2010 (edited) Having an 06 xterra se 4.0L I can tell you even if you modify it like what we done with ours you will still get 14-18 mpg.......So if you want another rig you can take modify and go off-roading the X is the better choice but if you just want something to go back and forth from work I do agree with most of the guys just go buy a high mileage car for cheap. Edited July 22, 2010 by MAXEDpath Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dhardison Posted July 22, 2010 Author Share Posted July 22, 2010 Having an 06 xterra se 4.0L I can tell you even if you modify it like what we done with ours you will still get 14-18 mpg.......So if you want another rig you can take modify and go off-roading the X is the better choice but if you just want something to go back and forth from work I do agree with most of the guys just go buy a high mileage car for cheap. I'm thinking that's probably what I need to do, buy a cheap car that gets good mileage. I just thought that X sounded cheap compared to what I usually see them go for, and I forgot most VQs aren't gas friendly. At least none of the ones I've owned are. Right now I'm just trying minimize the trips by rearranging my schedule, 4 trips a week total. 2 days in the Pathfinder, 2 days in the Z. I'd like to put 6000 miles a year on the Pathfinder and 6000 miles a year on the Z. That's my perfect world but making this commute I've got to get a third vehicle to take the rest of the miles. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silverton Posted July 22, 2010 Share Posted July 22, 2010 get one of Nissan's SE-R cars. like the sentra or the 200sx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrimGreg Posted July 22, 2010 Share Posted July 22, 2010 Save your $$$ for a Leaf and use it for nothing but the commute, that is all they will be good for anyway. Then you save miles on both your other Nissans. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dhardison Posted July 22, 2010 Author Share Posted July 22, 2010 Save your $$$ for a Leaf and use it for nothing but the commute, that is all they will be good for anyway. Then you save miles on both your other Nissans. UGH the Leaf, well whatever it takes to keep my fellow Tennesseans in Smyrna-saki working but I'm not feeling it. I could try bio-diesel and creep down the road in a clapped out rabbit on free used french fry oil. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nismothunder Posted July 22, 2010 Share Posted July 22, 2010 Do what I did,go buy a cheap beater for driving/commuting.I got a 99 saturn sl1 and it gets nearly 40mpg going 80mph Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Creekkid Posted July 22, 2010 Share Posted July 22, 2010 (edited) To put those kind of miles commuting on either of your vehicles is ridiculous....or even to drive an X that far, definitely go for something more efficient for those kind of miles...if you want to stay Nissan go late model Versa's, if that's not your thing go with Early 2000's Maxima's or Sentra's with the 3.5 for some extra umph. Both of those are pretty sweet rides if you find the right model. Or look at same year Infinity's M models, I believe. If you got to travel like that might as well be in comfort. Makes more sense financially and enviromentally to get something more efficient if it is your means. Too much gas for the Pathy and who wants to put those kind of miles on a Z. http://vancouver.en.craigslist.ca/van/ctd/1854195325.html Edited July 22, 2010 by Creekkid Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tmoore4512 Posted July 22, 2010 Share Posted July 22, 2010 Dude, that X in that craigslist ad is huge...reminds me of my buddies, but he hasnt done anything to his. The price on that X you are talking about does sound good, and if you know how it was treated, (especially a woman driver) then dude, I would say I am all in.... One catch... A commute like that, is going to hurt your wallet one way or the other...add another car payment...and wow... I hate to, but I would say get a gas mileage car... My old civic was ranging 42 mpg at "speed" on I24 every day. Ran about 105 miles a day from Shelbyville to Antioch, and back. Not including driving it to different jobs... It was ugly, and was previously owned by one of those rice kids, but after a new motor build, it was MPG heaven! Good luck D. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrimGreg Posted July 23, 2010 Share Posted July 23, 2010 UGH the Leaf, well whatever it takes to keep my fellow Tennesseans in Smyrna-saki working but I'm not feeling it. I could try bio-diesel and creep down the road in a clapped out rabbit on free used french fry oil. I'm not a fan of crappy little commuters either, but it sounds like what you need. My wife and I talked about getting her a Leaf for a work vehicle, and she only works 5 minutes from home. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beavis0076 Posted July 23, 2010 Share Posted July 23, 2010 I just went through the same decision you are now... got an 02 4 runner and am going to save the pathy for beating the hell out of ( i mean having fun)in the mountains. I'll slowly build up the 4 runner to take its place when my pathfinder blows up... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Manifesto Posted July 23, 2010 Share Posted July 23, 2010 (edited) Get a late model Tercel =) those things are bullet proof little Yota's, cheap, and get ridiculously awesome gas mileage xD or... get a bike =) lots of cheap late 90's / early 00's cruisers and crotch rockets going for cheap from guys having middle aged crisis' that ride them for 2 weeks then put them in the garage and never ride them again... or young guys that get them to be cool, but then realize that education costs money and end up having to sell them RIGHT NOW so they can pay for next semester... or rent after blowing their paychecks on beer... I'm looking at a 2008 KTM 300 2-stoke that's been supermotarded it still does 160km/h and has been fitted with a 21L fuel tank (2x original tank size) so it's still usable on the highway, around the city for work and back anyway anyway, there's only 25 hours on the clock and the guy is only asking $1700 for it I'm fairly certain if I show up with $1200 cash with another $200 in my back pocket just in case-- I can get it for even less Bike when it's sunny Z when it's raining Pathy when it's snowing (if it ever snows there?) ANYWAY, moral of the post: lots of more economically friendlier options for a long drive commuter vehicle than buying yet ANOTHER SUV with all that money you save on gas, you can build up the pathfinder Edited July 23, 2010 by Manifesto 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MAXEDpath Posted August 9, 2010 Share Posted August 9, 2010 getting a bike isn't a bad idea either and taking one of you other rigs on bad days but then with the car you can drive all the time so its up to you Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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