rjs5689

Oh yea, I'm definitely open to traveling; I don't mind that all. If I were in the position to buy right NOW, I would have a look at this one immediately.

Great information, thank you! I wish the QX4 came with a manual and I wish manual Pathfinders were more common.

I will have to look into this issue. I've found some very nice QX4s local to me, but I'm reading that the VQ35 power valve screw has caused many engines to grenade. I can't seem to tell how widespread of an issue this is, but it's not a chance I'm willing to take. Is there any way of knowing if the issue has been addressed, when looking at a used vehicle?

It sounds like you're confusing the WJ with a LR Disco . The reliability reports put the WJ in the middle of the road--not the most trouble-free, but not the most problematic vehicle, either. I'm still on the fence about the WJ. I love it. I really, really do; however, I want to feel comfortable with my purchase and not worry about running into major problems. I'm definitely going to look at Pathfinders. I've been told they had some serious rust problems around the struts; wasn't there a recall in 20 winter states? This should be easy to spot during an in-person inspection, I'd imagine? So, overall it sounds like the Pathfinder is extremely reliabe, just watch out for rust/rot and be aware that there's little to none in the way of aftermarket support? Small world! Are you on miata.net? Here's my NC: I'd imagine this problem also plagues the VQ35 in the QX4?

I appreciate everyone's feedback. Yes, I plan for the WJ, R50 or whatever I decide on to be my "beater". It will be the car I daily drive in the winter months, rainy summer days or days on which I'm working on the Miata. Rust does seem like it'll be a big issue to overcome, especially on a Northeastern vehicle. I do plan to expand my search to warmer, snow-free climates. Someone told me that the Nissan SUVs have a worse rust problem than the Toyota trucks (Tundra/Sequoia and Tacoma) but I don't know if there is any validity to the statement. Ahh the good ole VQ35. My first car had the VQ35 in it. A rebadged Nissan Maxima, aka an Infiniti I35. That was a torquy engine, held back by the 4-speed auto. Thankfully I'm in no hurry to buy, so I have time to do research.

Hey everyone, I wanted to make a post introducing myself and explaining a bit about what I’m considering. I’ve been a car enthusiast for my entire (short) life. I’ve owned three very different vehicles. I started with a MKV GTI (which I went to town modifying). I moved north and sold the GTI for a Subaru Legacy GT SpecB (also very modified). After I moved back to NY, I decided it was time to switch cars for something small, light, fun and very trackable. I now own an NC Miata, which rides on custom coilovers and has some other work done as well. It makes a great daily/commuter car and is a warrior out on the track. I throw snow tires on in the winter time; coupled with the mechanical LSD I’ve never really had any trouble in the snow (unless it gets really deep—there’s only so much you can do with 3-4” ground clearance). I’ve thought about retiring it for the winter and picking up some sort of beater. The two strong contenders for me are: a WJ Grand Cherokee, which I really like. I also think looking at a Japanese truck would be wise. I want to consider an R50 Pathfiner, but I know absolutely nothing about them. The Pathfiner would serve as a second vehicle for me. I’d like to keep it under about $8,000 and would plan to buy sometime mid/late summer. What should I specifically look out for with a used R50 Pathfiner?? Are there certain common problem/weak areas? Is the engine overall very reliable? How about the transmission and drivetrain in these vehicles? I’m open to any and all advice, problem areas, cautions, etc. to look out for when shopping for an R50 Pathfiner!