This is one vehicle I wasn’t exactly looking forward to driving, but asked for one anyway due to popular demand. Our tester had been through many hands before finally reaching us, so it is a bit disheveled, but properly broken in. First impressions are as poor as when seen in photos, but we discovered its many practical aspects as we cruised around Dubai.
The pug-faced front is made to shine more with oddles of chrome, some of which were installed by the local dealer and looks a bit loose around the bumper already.
The back is more forgivable, with dual exhausts and a real metal skidplate, additionally dressed up by the dealer with more glued-on bumper chrome.
The cabin is largely made out of hard plastics, some of which are solid but ill-fitting — surprising for a Honda, but expected in an American-built car such as this. Our first positive reaction came from finding so many useful storage areas, including that shelf above the glovebox, the covered area in the center console, and the cubby under the armrest.
The covered part hid cupholders and the most amazing spring-action coin holder, that stores coins of different sizes like bullets in a gun magazine.
As if that wasn’t enough, another original feature is a sunglasses holder that doubles as a wide-angle mirror to give a clear view of every seating position, to watch over the kids (if we had any).
But wait, there’s more! The screen for the optional rear-view camera is hidden in the central rear-view mirror itself, appearing only when in reverse gear. Like the chrome bumper strips, this might be an aftermarket add-on by the dealer.
This top-of-the-range Pilot also features roll-up sun-screens on the rear side windows, like those found in more expensive cars. Our tester also already came with V-Kool tint.
In a rarity among midsize SUVs, the Pilot now has a full a/c system in the back, complete with vents, temperature and fan controls. In a bit of oversight, the driver cannot turn off the rear fan when there are no passengers in the back, so it took us a while to figure out why there was a propeller-aircraft noise coming from the back when we first picked up the car.
Rear legroom is simply enormous, much more so than the old model. It easily has more room than the Grand Cherokee, the Tahoe or the Pathfinder, while possibly surpassing the new Land Cruiser.
It took us a while, but we figured out how to access the third row. Average-sized people will have their knees scraping the second-row seatback, but it is manageable. People approaching 6-feet need not apply.
The rear luggage area fits a large suitcase with the third row in use. With the last row folded flat, there is almost enough space to lie down. What you see in the photo are nicely-packed-away pieces of plastic underbody cladding, broken off by a previous journalist’s off-road excursion. You’ll probably never read about it.
The Pilot may look like a dork, and designed for dorks, but it proved to be a rather interesting collection of practical engineering. Designed for the most boring people on the planet, the Pilot lacks certain features that make it look bad against the competition. There is no low-range gearing, no navigation, no Bluetooth and no keyless start. Everything else to be expected is included, but it drives unexpectedly flabby, with a softly-suspended chassis and uninvolving controls. At least the V6 engine is perfectly refined, and seriously economical for the weight it pulls. But more about that later, in the full review.
4wd, you see plenty of Xterra?? in which country? because here in uae you can see 3 or 4 xterras crossing the streets in a year.
i found a new way to get you out when you stuck.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HC7IL4bD0Sg
but that will cause scratches on rims.
I love the xterra, my next vehicle probably, the familys second vehicle,our trusty ol santa fe will have to be retired soon seen many years of service and some good hard runs. My familys gone Nissan crazy i guess, my dad and i share both vehicles and we both dont wanna drive a manual anymore simply because theres too much traffic. But the xterra is a simple basic 4wd much like the santafe, especially with that brush guard the dealer fixea looks real tough.
Anyways today on my way back home,it gave me another reason to hate toyotas!!! This guy on the fast lane wasnt bugging and probably doing bout 80!!My dad was driving this time since the whole family went out,this guy started making hand gestures which pissed me of real bad!!! Twas a camry 48** sumthing number plate.He probably though he owns the road!!Since ma mom was also in the vehicle we didnt wanna follow him although he was still making gestures. Sorry nothin against the toyotas but i gotta admit ive always had problems with people who drive them!! Sorry guys just venting out some frustration!!!
Sorry RayD..disagreeing with you in the case of Explorers. It is one of the best handling SUV’s out there in the market. Manage to get one, simulate a kind of emergency manouever that ppl try to do only with a car and not an SUV, and you will know what I am talking about!!..Morever, it is one of the best on-road cruisers too..An engine power of just 210 hp is a joke, as Mash had mentioned in his review, but apart from that and probably a weaker (than Toyota) resale value, you wouldn’t have anything else to blame about it! And yea, the power is adequate unless you are one of those SUV street racers who would want to eat up a Prado, Pathy, Xterras and even Patrols in frequent street or drag race challenges! Unlike many of it’s competitors, itz not overpriced! Off road performance is good too! It cannot conquer dunes like an FJ, but it can sure be somewhere close! And as far as i know, most of the Explorers are bought by private buyers these days unlike a few years ago; and not by any companies or as fleet vehicles (There is a friend of mine working at Al Tayer). What more; it is one of the Recommended vehicles by Mash..and tat says it all
How come Al Tayer doesnt bring the V8 here since the v6 is clearly lagging in power?? Im sure the Explorer is a good all round vehicle, but we know people who own explorers that complain about high maintenance costs,like premature break wear and couple o others.
well..not sure about that!..however, my friend’s 2006 Explorer still runs fine..it has 80+K on odo and my friend has no problems at all!!..and about the stigma of high maintenance costs – I think it is the mentality of the owners rather..I know a friend of mine who owned a Mondeo 2006..he paid an average of 400 dhs for every service (10K km is the service interval here)..and once he had to change the brake pads for which, al tayer charged him 900 dhs inclusive of labour charges..He curses the Mondeo, curses Ford, curses Al Tayer and blames himself for buying a Ford..He sold the ford and bought himself a 2nd hand 2005 Altima for a good deal!..he now pays the same 400 dhs on an average for every service which falls at every 5K km intervals..and whn he had to replace the Altima’s brake pads, it costed him 1200 dhs!!..And best part of all, he says it is still cheap!!!!!!
Though in reality he spends more for the Altima, deep in his mind, he b’lieves that Jap cars are cheap to maintain and tat thot rules over everything else!..the same goes to a vast majority of people here..Anyway, regarding the reliability part..I never faced any problems with my Mondeo ever inspite of driving it soo harsh durin it’s early years..Forget the Mondeos since Explorer is the subject..i know 3 friends and a relative of mine who owns Explorers..None has ever had any complaints with their vehicles, ever!
however, the unavailability of a V8 Explorer is something Al Tayer has to look into; if they wish to further give the sales figures of Explorers, a boost..or atleast, Ford could enhance the engine power of the V6 to match that of it’s competitors!
ohh well, just what ive heard..I like the mondeo always have, its a very comfortable car to be in..
Assassin after your comment, i observed the no. of xterras on road, i saw 2 on thursday evening and 7 on Friday full day out, 9 in 2 days, thats quite a lot compared to what you say. Though i own a very old pajero, but that doesn’t mean i will down other 4wds, you must a reach man leaving in posh street full of porshes, bms and mercs, may be thats why you can’t see cheaper but realibale 4wds.
Vivek – thanks for sharing your personal experiences with the Explorer. It’s not that I had a ‘bad’ impression or experience with the vehicle but i didn’t have a good one either. Yes, Mashfique has recommended it,which does say something good about the car. As for the Altima or any other Jap car,yes we do,sometimes,pay more on maintenance than a similar European or American car. Like you pointed out,it’s all about mentality – it’s actually very stupid! I sometimes feel sorry for such people. Vivek,another matter of interest(as you own a Mazda) is that the Mazda CX7 will be launching in the coming months. The car is currently undergoing local testing(Mashfique please note)
spyke – my friend I feel for you. I experience weird drivers everyday too. I have also noticed that people driving Toyotas & Hondas think they own the roads. Again it’s all about mentality – it may have something to do with the fact that they think they own superior cars so poeple should automatically get out of their way or something. I give 2 sh**s about it;if someone tries to make my life misreable I ensure I do the same to them but I do not break the traffic rules. Another way to tackle them is to drive a Hummer;no one will dare come in your way
Hi Boris, Neither did i read the manual nor did i read the Offroad UAE Map book, when i came back home, that was the first time i read about offroading, tips and tricks. Actually me and wife were interested in maps so we ignored other text written in book, in the vehicle manual also, exactly the same steps where written. I want to do a small course from EDI or Belhasa, and then join one of offroading events, normally Al Roastamani, All Futtaim group organize rally event in which many families and professionals participate, with experience i will learn slowly-slowly.
4wd, well that my be in dubai. But in sharjah where i live. It is too rare to see Xterra in the steets of sharjah. You will notice that when you come to sharjah show.
Guys 2009, xterra has new grill, roof lights from Nissan itself, and one special offroad edition. (Blestion Shock absorbers, Electronic Rear Differential Lock, it borrows some of electronic wizardry (Hill Assist) from more sophosticated brother Pathfinder). This xTerra is almost as expensive as a base Pathfinder. The front grill looks more nice now.
http://www.nissanusa.com/xterra/
hey spyke & RayD..had a bad experience with an Accord guy just yesterday night!!..I was on shk zayed road driving at 90 kph on the last lane; and there was an Accord guy (2008, full options), on the second last lane at a speed of abt 60-70 kph!..as i was approaching him, he makes an attempt to jump in front of me..i flashed at him once; but he continued; so i honked, jus a short honk to wake him up!..at tat, he moved; and the moment i passed, the moron comes right behind me, bumper to bumper, flashes at me and honks at me; and thn takes the yellow lane, comes beside me, showed me the finger, and thn cut me off!!..however, to my luck the road was sort of empty with hardly abt 3-4 cars around; so i caught up..and at a speed of 140, cut him off! i continued till abt 180 in the fast lane, while the chap was apparently trying hard to catch up..and when finally i started seeing more number of cars, I slowed down..However this time, the chap simply slowed down alongwith me, maintained a good distance until I moved off and gave him way; and he passed by without anymore gestures or rage out of superiority complex! I really don’t know what it with these Accord and Altima guys..Anyway, RayD, I liked your suggestion…Hummer is the solution to all this!
And RayD; do u think the CX-7 will be revealed here in the auto show? I saw the car in Mazda’s US website. Looks like a scaled down CX-9..
And assassin, the no.of Xterra’s in Sharjah are quite less..but it definitely is coming up. On the way to office and back, I do see some Xterras..What I feel is, Nissan should upgrade the Xterra’s interiors..the one that is thre right now is too basic & cheap-looking..but atleast, it is not over-priced!..
Well guys,it goes to show drivers of Toyotas,Hondas & Nissans have a superiority complex,only to be given the boot by some of us driving other brands of cars
As for the CX-7,i’m not sure if it will be displayed at the Auto Show. If you want to have a look first hand,just visit the Galadari service center in Dxb;there’s a grey one parked there 
It’s sort of a scaled down version of the CX-9 – lights are different and so is the interior to some extent. I even saw the new shape MX5 at the service center once. As for the Xterra,the ‘new shape’ has come with a revised interior(dashboard) similar in overall design to the Pathfinder. As for the price,when i checked in Jan. a full option model was going for 105k and now it’s going for 114k – a sizeable increase don’t you think? 
Vivek – 180 on SZR?? Didn’t you get caught by any of the cameras?? That guy you took on is probably wondering why he bought an Accord and will now trade it in for a Mazda6
i used to have bad experiences when i drive my old civic even i was driving carefully. but now, things changed, nobody wants to make a problem with me when i drive LC. you know, it has that great position in this region.
that’s why I preferred to buy LC, since i hate to have any bad things happening from other crazy drivers when i go out with my hole family
* Whole family.
RayD – I travel on SZR everyday, so I know the cameras
.luckily, I got this guy soon after passing MOE, towards sharjah; from there,there is good distance before you come across the next radar..however, they have just set up a new one just now..saw it only today!!..and yea, that guy wud not have ever imagined that he would get that kind of a blow!! poor chap!..anyway, he is a l’il wise..did not waste his time once he came to know that he cannot catch up 
..
Xterra for 114????
that is too much for an Xterra!..I would go for the base Pathy instead..Or would even consider a fortuner..
Vivek – i think that new camera was placed a while ago – these cameras apparently don’t flash
I suggest you get on the RTA website and check for fines!
yup..thre is a new camera thre!..did see that
and tat is why the race ended too early 
..it was sort of a surprise though; however, I noticed the new pole from a little far, so I had enough time to bring the speed down to 120 
..and by the way, the new cameras do flash..I have seen the one right after 3rd interchange flash in yellow, and that was during the night!! In another instance, and tis time during the day, I’ve seen the same camera not flash at a Murano cruising at 160+kph; however, I did notice a bright red LED light on it that blinked while the vehicle flew past it!
Heya i feel the pain Vivek, the thing is i was’nt driving the last time, if twas me i wouldve just stomped on the gas after passing him, but ma dad being the good driver didnt.wut to do..
Full option 114K damn,thats alot..But yeh i read in couple of the US mags that the Xterras now gettin leather seats, appaarently people wanted
a bit of leather as well.
From what ive seen, the front bumper, rear bumper and the interior has been redesigned, instead of the rotary dials you now get button operated AC controls. It looks a little better now. You also get lights on the roofs for the off road ediion like Royer said. The off road editions have always been available in the US again i dont know if it’ll be available here or how the vehicle will be configured.
One more thing, the CX7 was designed to be a sporty CUV, it has the same 2.3 turbo charged engine in the Mazda speed 3 i belive. Sure u guys already knew this but just for your info.Wonder why it took mazda so long to bring it here. It looks very much like a mini cx9.
The 2.3ltr turbo does duty in the Mazda Speed6 as well. I’m waiting to see if they will launch a new Mazda Speed6. Apparently this engine produces 260hp+
The CX-7 looks like a mini CX-9 but it has a different set of lights + interior is different as well. I tried to find out whether they would bring the RX-8 here but they do not intend to. Apparently the rotary engine will not be able to run in this weather. Then again,they are constantly developing new tech so hopefully we may see the RX-8 in the coming years.
Ive seen couple of RX-8s, imports may be..
mazda speed 6 is a 4wd too…if they bring it here, thn the Evo will face some more competition!
You sure about it being 4wd? i always though it was Fwd. Good performing cars though.
yup mazda speed 6 is a 4wd
Hey Mash quick question..Since you drove both the MRV and the Pilot, do they have any automatic rear locking diffs?? any LSD?? or is it just the manual switch operated centre diff lock that sends power to the rear wheels?? if for any reason you want to go off road..
It has a fake diff lock. I forgot the specifics, but their system simulates a locked diff. I might have mentioned in the review.