iPath Posted December 23, 2010 Share Posted December 23, 2010 Seems like it would have added to the "rugged" image that Nissan was trying to portray, the more power the better, right? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tekazgtr1984 Posted December 23, 2010 Share Posted December 23, 2010 (edited) You're referring to the D22 Xterra (pre-2005), correct? Not sure what Nissan's reasoning was, even with the offering of the VG33ER. What really baffles me in regards to VG-equipped Nissan vehicles is that R&D never produced a DOHC VG-series engine for use in a vehicle besides the Z32 Fairlady/300ZX. I think the first gen R50 and the D22 Xterra/Frontier would've benefitted greatly had they been powered by a VG33DE/VG33DER. Just my Edited December 23, 2010 by tekazgtr1984 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
adamzan Posted December 23, 2010 Share Posted December 23, 2010 Because the VG is a proven reliable workhorse engine. It is not uncommon to see them with over 500k and running strong. At least that is why I thought they did it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XSrcing Posted December 23, 2010 Share Posted December 23, 2010 Build cost. The VQ engine costs a heap more money to build (especially during design phase) than the VG engines and would have raised the cost out of the target demographics price range. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kingman Posted December 23, 2010 Share Posted December 23, 2010 And it's probably a good thing they didn't, the VQs are not as reliable as the VGs. A good cast-iron block engine is perfect for a truck/SUV, not an aluminum one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Simon Posted December 23, 2010 Share Posted December 23, 2010 It's a combination of things. PRice point being the biggest. The fact that, fully equipped, there would have been very little to entice a buyer to pay more for a Pathfinder if the same motor would have been available in either vehicle. The VQ is a very reliable motor as well, with plenty of them in the 300-400k range. Remember, VQ owners don't have to tear the front of the motor off every 60-100k miles for "maintenance" like the VG owners do. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nunya Posted December 23, 2010 Share Posted December 23, 2010 Because Xterras are for trailers and losers! kidding of course... (or am I?) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesRich Posted December 23, 2010 Share Posted December 23, 2010 The xterra was meant to be the mid line SUV. If you wanted more engine or amenities you bought the pathfinder. Personally I bought my older WD pathfinder because I wanted the smallest SUV I could find for squeezing it in the woods, but it sure could use more power! James Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GrimGreg Posted December 23, 2010 Share Posted December 23, 2010 What really baffles me in regards to VG-equipped Nissan vehicles is that R&D never produced a DOHC VG-series engine for use in a vehicle besides the Z32 Fairlady/300ZX. Maximas had DOHC from about 90 on. Pretty sure they used it in the I30s too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tungsten Posted December 23, 2010 Share Posted December 23, 2010 *facepalm* THE VQ35DE WILL NOT CLEAR THE WD22 XTERRA ENGINE BAY BECAUSE OF THE FRAME Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pathfounder Posted December 23, 2010 Share Posted December 23, 2010 Tungsten's sobering fact aside, one reason I can think of right away is that if the Xterra had a VQ35, it would be faster than the Pathfinder because it weighs less. People would be hard pressed to spend the extra bucks on a vehicle that is _slower_. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JamesRich Posted December 23, 2010 Share Posted December 23, 2010 Maximas had DOHC from about 90 on. Pretty sure they used it in the I30s too. Maximas had a regular VG30E until 94. In 95 they got a VQ30DE. The Infiniti I30 had the VQ also. Now the Infiniti J30 which was rear wheel drive had a VG30DE like the 300Z. James Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nunya Posted December 23, 2010 Share Posted December 23, 2010 Maximas had a regular VG30E until 94. In 95 they got a VQ30DE. The Infiniti I30 had the VQ also. Now the Infiniti J30 which was rear wheel drive had a VG30DE like the 300Z. James actually 92 saw the VE30DE option which was a DOHC engine (in the SE Maximas, the GXE package having the VG30E) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laxman0324 Posted December 24, 2010 Share Posted December 24, 2010 And it's probably a good thing they didn't, the VQs are not as reliable as the VGs. A good cast-iron block engine is perfect for a truck/SUV, not an aluminum one. For all the good things you say, that is garbage...stop being so ignorant about anything other than small block chevys or ancient pathfinders...R50's are great trucks and VQ35's are great motors. As are VQ40's. Get over it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
01silvapathy Posted December 24, 2010 Share Posted December 24, 2010 People who drive xterras dont deserve the privilege of driving a VQ powered vehicle....simple fact. They are just not cool enough Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nunya Posted December 24, 2010 Share Posted December 24, 2010 People who drive xterras dont deserve the privilege of driving a VQ powered vehicle....simple fact. They are just not cool enough Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
5523Pathfinder Posted December 24, 2010 Share Posted December 24, 2010 Wow guys! Cool the jets! From what I have heard at training, yes, it was a cost issue. Nissan still had the VG33 in production at the time. Nissan badly wanted a "framed" vehicle back in its lineup, as that is what the market was demanding at the time. they basicly threw what they had in it, and would make a change at the first redesign. The VQ has had some issues, we all know that. Ask any 350z/G35 owner about engine issues. Yes, internal issues. Things like that have to have time to "trickle down". Plus you have to throw in the change of power at the end of the 90's, had something to do with it. As you can see, the 4.0 has held its own with only a few issues(sans the radiator problem). Heck, my buddies frontier has got 112,000 on it now and it purrs like a kitten. I do believe the frontier was named on of the best midsize pickups recently(im only going off of a memory at the moment). If I had the time/money/test mule, I would try and stuff a 3.5 into a WD21! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Precise1 Posted December 24, 2010 Share Posted December 24, 2010 Bah, a free breathing/farting VG33 does a WD21 fine in my book!! That said, let me do it first. Seriously though, HP is a good thing, as long as the rest of the power train can handle it, but is that the definition of a good vehicle?? If that was the case, we would all still be driving 1963 Ford Galaxies... B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nunya Posted December 24, 2010 Share Posted December 24, 2010 ...which could be cool in its own way Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Precise1 Posted December 24, 2010 Share Posted December 24, 2010 Yeah, the dumb ones would Darwin a lot faster.... *imagines a ricer in a Super Bee* *cries for the car* B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nunya Posted December 24, 2010 Share Posted December 24, 2010 *imagines a ricer in a Super Bee* B so Kyle in a Falcon (4 door) with a Super Bee style wing old school 'street freak' style graphics, Cragar S/S's on the front AR Torque Thrusts on the rear (close enough, right?), the 'big foot' gas pedal, cherry bomb muffler used as an exhaust tip...etc etc. I'm getting a bit too off topic here... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Precise1 Posted December 24, 2010 Share Posted December 24, 2010 Yeah, but it has to have 350+hp and not corner any better than a wounded water buffalo. I want to see then end results... My wife is bitching about your wife not policing you properly. Just passing it on without her knowing. Back to Nissans... B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XSrcing Posted December 24, 2010 Share Posted December 24, 2010 *facepalm* THE VQ35DE WILL NOT CLEAR THE WD22 XTERRA ENGINE BAY BECAUSE OF THE FRAME When they decided to not put the VQ in it in the first place there was no need to design the frame to fit it. They didn't design the car, then figure out which engine would fit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kingman Posted December 24, 2010 Share Posted December 24, 2010 For all the good things you say, that is garbage...stop being so ignorant about anything other than small block chevys or ancient pathfinders...R50's are great trucks and VQ35's are great motors. As are VQ40's. Get over it. Niiiiiice... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laxman0324 Posted December 24, 2010 Share Posted December 24, 2010 Niiiiiice... thannkkkkksssss...... sarcasm is fun! But seriously, that came out a little more ferociously than I intended...my bad. Reliable power is a good thing and thankfully when looking only at the Pathfinder world of VQ's we have been fortunate to not have any serious repetitive issues (yes the butterfly valves are an issue but 10 minutes or research and a little bit of time remedies that, so as intelligent car people I think we can look at that as a minor issue). Back to the Xterra issue. I think I would actually prefer the VG in an X instead of a VQ because the VG behaves more like a truck motor. It is torquey and has lots of balls down low which I think fits the feel of something like an X better than a smooth high revving VQ motor. Having had both motors with over 100k miles I think they are both great, but personal preference in my Pathfinder led me to the 5 speed VQ motor, it is much better suited for my 90% highway driving. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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