[cwa107]

I thought I'd get some conversation going for those of us early adopters. Obviously, every car has its share of strong points and weak points. Up until today, I haven't found anything I truly dislike.

Today was the first day I ever had to put gas in the tank with just under 400 miles on the clock. I pulled into a gas station and went to reach for the remote fuel door release, only to come up empty handed. I searched high and low until I finally reached for the manual (gasp!).

As it turns out, there is no remote fuel door release, though the fuel door is certainly locked. Evidently, with the vehicle doors unlocked, a mechanism is trigger to release the fuel door - but it doesn't exactly pop open like I'm used to on... say... every other vehicle I've ever owned. Rather, you must push on the hinged side of the door to get it to release so that you can open it all the way.

What a hair-brained compromise! So fingers crossed that the (apparently) electronic locking mechanism never fails - otherwise, this might just lead to a tow to the dealer (don't test the 'E' on the gas gauge!).

 

[EnigmaCanada]

Good thread.

I suppose the fuel door is something to get use to. Have you tried without the Key Fob? ie. by inserting the fob in to the manual slot?

How is the USB drive and the sound system?

 

[cwa107]

Good thread.

I suppose the fuel door is something to get use to. Have you tried without the Key Fob? ie. by inserting the fob in to the manual slot?

I'm not sure how to do that. I realize the key can be removed from the fob and that is some kind of a manual bypass - but the fuel door doesn't appear to have any kind of a manual bypass. Really, I know it's a remote chance that there will ever be a problem - just something that caught me off-guard.

How is the USB drive and the sound system?

Mine has the Bose system - and it's very good. I have an iPod that lives in my car full-time - and I haven't had to disconnect it yet. Everything is very intuitive and easy to control through the LCD screen.

Now, I will say, the standard 6-speaker system is really weak. I drove a demo SV for a day and the sound was pretty bad - muddy and low to the floor. I fooled around with the bass/treble adjustments to no avail. I was really glad to get back into my SL Premium

 

[Ambrosius007]

You don't have to push on the hinge side. Just push on the non hinge side. It is spring loaded. When you do that the door springs open.

 

[cwa107]

You don't have to push on the hinge side. Just push on the non hinge side. It is spring loaded. When you do that the door springs open.

Indeed it does spring open if pushed at the other side... oh wow, I feel stupid.... thanks for that tidbit!

 

[bigabqbill]

I have bought a 2013 SL. I have been driving it for a month. I love so far but my mileage is terrible. 16.6 so far

 

[cwa107]

I have bought a 2013 SL. I have been driving it for a month. I love so far but my mileage is terrible. 16.6 so far

Unless you're driving it like you stole it (and that would be a bad thing during break-in - keep the RPMs under 4K), that doesn't seem right. Mine has been getting around 18.5 around town. I haven't done much highway driving yet.

How are you tracking the mileage? One of the demos at the dealership was showing really low MPG (cumulative) on the built-in display. But a lot of that was due to the dealer leaving it running while demoing the car (parked). That will reduce the MPG measurements in the trip computer severely.

Best thing to do to get a true rating for your tank is to reset the trip odometer at next fill up. Fill the tank (completely full). Then, at your next fill up, note the miles traveled and divide by the number of gallons you added to the tank. Reset the trip odometer at each fill up so that you can repeat each time.

You may also want to reset the mileage tracker in the system if you don't feel like doing the math (note that in-vehicle MPG trackers are notoriously fickle - if you want an accurate record, I recommend a Smartphone app like Gas Cubby for the iPhone, which is what I use).

 

[bigabqbill]

Not a theif yet!!!

Unless you're driving it like you stole it (and that would be a bad thing during break-in - keep the RPMs under 4K), that doesn't seem right. Mine has been getting around 18.5 around town. I haven't done much highway driving yet.

How are you tracking the mileage? One of the demos at the dealership was showing really low MPG (cumulative) on the built-in display. But a lot of that was due to the dealer leaving it running while demoing the car (parked). That will reduce the MPG measurements in the trip computer severely.

Best thing to do to get a true rating for your tank is to reset the trip odometer at next fill up. Fill the tank (completely full). Then, at your next fill up, note the miles traveled and divide by the number of gallons you added to the tank. Reset the trip odometer at each fill up so that you can repeat each time.

You may also want to reset the mileage tracker in the system if you don't feel like doing the math (note that in-vehicle MPG trackers are notoriously fickle - if you want an accurate record, I recommend a Smartphone app like Gas Cubby for the iPhone, which is what I use).

No I haven't taken it yet for a long highway drive yet, just around town. These are the readings off the wehicle settings. I have also reset the onboard settings. I was just wondering if anyone else has had these readings.

 

[cwa107]

No I haven't taken it yet for a long highway drive yet, just around town. These are the readings off the wehicle settings. I have also reset the onboard settings. I was just wondering if anyone else has had these readings.

OK - I'd be willing to bet at least some of that is due to idling at the dealer. A few other tidbits that might help:

Make sure "tow mode" is not turned on (this is one of the buttons at the lower-left side of the dash, near your left knee while sitting in the driver seat). Tow mode changes the behavior of the CVT to optimize it for towing, but WILL reduce your economy.

Turn the A/C off if you're not using it. The only time the A/C needs to be on is if it's hot outside, or if you're defogging the windows. It gets turned on automatically if you're using the HVAC in "AUTO" mode. I typically hit the AUTO button, then hit the A/C button right away to disable it.

Put the car in 2WD unless the weather is bad. Sending torque back to the rear wheels will make it less efficient.

The remote start is a great feature, but keep in mind that when you let the car sit idling, it is achieving zero miles per gallon. I recommend leaving it idle for just a minute or two to warm up.

Lower tire pressures increase rolling resistance. 33PSI is the recommended inflation, but you can safely increase the pressure, which will also have the effect of improving the tread wear. I recommend running at 35PSI, which should give you a good balance of ride quality and fuel economy. Don't exceed the max PSI indicated on the side walls.

Turn on the real-time mileage indicated on the VID (the display between the speedometer and the tach). You can then see how your throttle input effects fuel economy. This can help you temper your driving habits to maximize economy. I see a lot of people do stupid things like braking while going uphill - using the VID can help you to see what habits work well and what kills your economy.

Weight will always dramatically effect economy. So, try to keep the trunk empty of everything but what you need. Also, do note that things like bull bars, oversized wheels/rims and step bars WILL reduce your fuel economy. These things don't really exist for the 2013 Pathfinder yet, but they will, and it won't be long before we see people on here with fully pimped out Pathfinders complaining about bad economy (hopefully this makes some think twice about buying this kind of crap).

Lastly, you can expect your fuel economy to improve as the engine gets fully broken in. It's not uncommon to see an overall improvement of +1-2 MPG after about 10,000 miles.

Having come from a Honda Pilot, which is less aerodynamically efficient, weighs a good deal more and lacks low-end torque has really helped me understand how to improve fuel economy. I can tell you that over the same driving conditions, the Pathfinder has been besting the Pilot by 2-3MPG thus far. So, I think you should be able to achieve the EPA ratings easily.

 

[bigabqbill]

Thanks for the tips. I'll check them out

 

[FourWD]

I thought I'd get some conversation going for those of us early adopters. Obviously, every car has its share of strong points and weak points. Up until today, I haven't found anything I truly dislike.

Today was the first day I ever had to put gas in the tank with just under 400 miles on the clock. I pulled into a gas station and went to reach for the remote fuel door release, only to come up empty handed. I searched high and low until I finally reached for the manual (gasp!).

As it turns out, there is no remote fuel door release, though the fuel door is certainly locked. Evidently, with the vehicle doors unlocked, a mechanism is trigger to release the fuel door - but it doesn't exactly pop open like I'm used to on... say... every other vehicle I've ever owned. Rather, you must push on the hinged side of the door to get it to release so that you can open it all the way.

What a hair-brained compromise! So fingers crossed that the (apparently) electronic locking mechanism never fails - otherwise, this might just lead to a tow to the dealer (don't test the 'E' on the gas gauge!).

I don't own a Pathfinder but did test drive a couple and didn't pick up on that issue with the gas door since it's not typically something you look into on a test drive.

Hopefully they "correct" this on future models. In winter months some fuel door mechanisms are prone to fail, hopefully this wont be the case with the pathfinder, would suck to tow it to the dealer just for something such as that.

Thanks for pointing it out!

 

[cwa107]

I don't own a Pathfinder but did test drive a couple and didn't pick up on that issue with the gas door since it's not typically something you look into on a test drive.

Hopefully they "correct" this on future models. In winter months some fuel door mechanisms are prone to fail, hopefully this wont be the case with the pathfinder, would suck to tow it to the dealer just for something such as that.

Thanks for pointing it out!

It's actually not so bad, now that I'm pushing in the right spot. It was kinda clunky, pushing on the hinged-side. All you need to do is gently push the non-hinged side and it pops open on a spring-loaded assembly. It will do this so long as the doors are unlocked.

I suppose the locking mechanism could fail, but I'd imagine the chances are pretty slim - probably equal to a failure of the mechanical release on a car with a standard fuel door.

 

[cwa107]

New like:

Just figured out that there's a shelf in the glove box (at the top of the glove box housing) where the manual fits in perfectly. The glove box is huge in this car, and between the pocket on the door and the shelf, you can easily keep things organized. Heck, you can even stick a laptop in there if need be. Very nice design.

 

[cfrp]

^ yes a very smart design. Manuals are getting way too big to hog up the glove box. It's about time they gave it somewhere logical to rest.

 

[rach1fun]

still in the looking process, but I am fairly certain we will be getting the pathfinder.

I love the intelligent key, and the extra computer on the dash. those are the 2 main things that put it over the Pilot for me.

Like and Dislike... I like that the SL comes with auto start built in, but I DISLIKE that its range is only 200 feet. Not near enough for me to be able to start in the parking lot from the window at work....ugh

So is there any way to improve the range OR if I want it to work, I have to purchase an after market starter?

 

[bvk84]

No I haven't taken it yet for a long highway drive yet, just around town. These are the readings off the wehicle settings. I have also reset the onboard settings. I was just wondering if anyone else has had these readings.

I have seen ~19.3-19.6 in city driving. I recently went on a 200+ mile highway trip and recorded 23.1 and 23.4 with average speeds of ~70MPH. I have a 4x4 platinum premium but drove it in 2WD mode till now. Also for the highway trip the car had 4 adults, 1 infant and plenty of luggage.

 

[cwa107]

still in the looking process, but I am fairly certain we will be getting the pathfinder.

I love the intelligent key, and the extra computer on the dash. those are the 2 main things that put it over the Pilot for me.

Like and Dislike... I like that the SL comes with auto start built in, but I DISLIKE that its range is only 200 feet. Not near enough for me to be able to start in the parking lot from the window at work....ugh

So is there any way to improve the range OR if I want it to work, I have to purchase an after market starter?

I think it's unlikely that you'll be able to improve the range of the factory remote start. Aftermarket systems that have phenomenal range have purpose-built antennas and fobs. From what I can tell, Nissan's fobs are roughly equivalent to a standard keyless entry system. You'd have to re-engineer it in order to significantly boost the range - and I'm not sure that hacking these systems would be desirable on a new, $40K+ vehicle

That said, installing an aftermarket remote starter might be even more ugly - given the potential for conflicts with the factory system and the need for intelligent key authentication.

Definitely something to run by the dealer before you make any firm plans.

 

[cwa107]

I have seen ~19.3-19.6 in city driving. I recently went on a 200+ mile highway trip and recorded 23.1 and 23.4 with average speeds of ~70MPH. I have a 4x4 platinum premium but drove it in 2WD mode till now. Also for the highway trip the car had 4 adults, 1 infant and plenty of luggage.

Wow, that city mileage is great. May I ask how many total miles you have on the odo at this point? I am expecting it to improve as it breaks in - was just curious how close (or beyond) you are to the break-in.

 

[bvk84]

Wow, that city mileage is great. May I ask how many total miles you have on the odo at this point? I am expecting it to improve as it breaks in - was just curious how close (or beyond) you are to the break-in.

I do not recall the exact mileage but it is somewhere ~1500 miles now.

 

[eman76b]

My only complaint so far is the headlights. They seem too yellow and I am not impressed with the light output. I am used to my G37 which has xeon lights. Anyone know what type of lights come with it? I have searched everywhere and I can not find out.