2005 Nissan Pathfinder Road Test

And to get that added girth going, Nissan has added some significant muscle in the form of a 4.0-litre V6, pumping out 270 horses

The Pathfinder's 4.0-litre V6, pumps out 270 horses and 291 lb-ft of torque. (Photo: Nissan Canada)

and 291 lb-ft of torque. The sole gearbox is a five-speed automatic.

So, in terms of physique, the new Pathfinder has about as much in common with its original ancestor as Yao Ming has with his. Which, in a way, is too bad as the original Pathfinder pretty much defined all the positive aspects of the SUV -- functionality, toughness yet not really truck-like -- while the 2005 Pathfinder embodies many of the SUV-world's worst traits -- massive size, brutal gas consumption.

But with North Americans lining up to buy this type of uber-SUV, it's no surprise Nissan has super-sized the Pathfinder. All the

While the original Pathfinder defined all the positive aspects of the SUV, the 2005 version embodies many of the SUV-world's worst traits. (Photo: Nissan Canada)

major manufacturers have these types of vehicles, and in fact Nissan has a bigger one yet in the Armada.

So, what's good about the new Pathfinder? First, it's a Nissan, which means the production values, the fit and finish and the overall design inside and out are first-class. Available in four trim levels -- XE, SE, SE Off-road and LE -- the 2005 Pathfinder comes with most, if not all, of the creature comforts buyers in this category demand, from the optional navigation system with 7-inch colour display to a six-CD/MP3 Bose stereo.