Back in black

Looks like the car decision has been made. I did something I have never done in my life, I bought the same model car I am already driving. When I originally bought my first Pathfinder it was the best car I could find to fit my needs. The same holds true today. The finalists came down to the Ford Edge, the GMC Acadia and the Audi Q7. The reasons for crossing the others off the list were as follows.

Ford Edge – Too small. For whatever reason I feel like I need 7 seats in a pinch. The Edge tore at my geek side with Microsoft sync and I loved panorama glass roof. I didn’t like the grill and I was starting to see them at every stop light. The plastics were also typical american cheap plastics and the the ride was less than sporty. I also felt it would be week in off road situations I may encounter like giant midwest pot holes. The Edge also doesn’t appear to lease well. The lease payments for the Edge were almost identical to the Pathfinder but the Pathfinder cost $8,000 more than the Edge.

GMC Acadia, I never really gave this one a fair shot. Seems like a good car but it just didn’t feel right. Something was just slightly off and I couldn’t pin point it. I like the looks from certain angles but it seems awkward from others. Kind of like it was just stretched instead of designed to be that size from the drawing board.

Audi Q7 If money was no object this is the car I would have bought. Unfortunately it was an object and I couldn’t look beyond the outrageous nickel and dimming you with options. Starting at $48K, and adding the options I got on the Pathfinder I would be nearing the $60K mark on the Audi. I don’t doubt the Audi is a much nicer care than the Nissan (my last car was an Audi A6) but I didn’t want to pay the up front costs or the cost for service. Things like $100+ oil changes much higher for other routine maintenance.

And the winner is the 2008 Nissan PathFinder LE in Super Black with Graphite interior. I did go bigger this time by adding the Navigation system which I normally tell people to skip. You can get a $300 Garmin that works as well or better. With the Pathfinder things are a bit more complicated. The model I have and bought is the LE. The LE only has 2 options. The DVD player for movies in the backseat. Not a chance I am ever getting that. The price is ridiculous and I can’t stand the kids fighting over which movie they watch for a 5 minute trip to the store. Option 2 is the Navigation system. They bundled the Navigation with other cool things that would be hard to add later. Things I have been wanting to get and have even tried after market toys on my current Pathfinder with less than stellar results. Bluetooth phone pairing. I like this more for my wife than me. She talks on the phone 24/7 when driving on business trips. I see this as a safety feature more than anything. I also like the intelligent key. Open the door and toss the key fob in your pocket or purse. Start the car without a key as long as it is nearby. Sure this is more of a cool factor than anything but I like the minimalist thought of not carrying any keys.

The stars also seemed to line up for the Pathfinder. After I bought the car I realized that this is the 22nd year of the of the Pathfinder and I bought in on February 22nd.

22 has always been a significant number in my family. I even have the number 22 flickr group.

After driving the new Pathfinder and playing with some of the new toys I am very happy with my decision. Some of the audio options were not well thought out but that is for another post.