Towing Vehicle

[GoVols01]

Every manufacturer has its lemons. To say Nissan is worse than the others is simply an opinion. Look at the Initial Quality and Long-Term Quality ratings by Consumer Reports. Nissan and Infiniti are consistently above industry average, if not among the top few. The Q50 had its problems when it first launched, no doubt. Lessons were learned and the car is within the top 3 for quality in its segment. Rule of thumb: no matter what manufacturer it is, you don't buy a 1st model year vehicle. I've worked for Honda, Ford, and Nissan and have friends elsewhere throughout at Mercedes, GM, and Chrysler -- they all agree.

 

[swatski]

There is big difference in how particular models are made, with Nissan for sure.
I drove a Maxi for like 15 years, one of the best cars ever. Bought it new in 1998 or 9 I think, it is still on the road - one of my coworkers drives it. She loves it.

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[haknslash]

I never said they were worse than others. I just said we will never have another. That's not an opinion. We've had several recalls and issues within 4 years. Of course all brands will have issues. I've worked at Ford, Chevy and Dodge dealerships and worked at a few used car places as well so I have a good. It if history with many makes and models. I've had imports and domestics and not a brand loyal sheep. When a car has a bunch of recalls within a few years and many related to safety there's nothing there to give you confidence in the vehicle no matter who makes it.

 

[SamCF]

I'm with @haknslash. Never again another Nissan. I won't go into detail, but I wouldn't touch one at half price.

 

[robert843]

I'm with @haknslash. Never again another Nissan. I won't go into detail, but I wouldn't touch one at half price.

I have never owned a Nissan or infinity but my neighbor traded his Tahoe in on a new q56 last year and already went back to a Yukon. He said it was in the shop about 10 times in that first year and was just done with it. I think he probably had a lemon of sorts.

 

[seanmclean]

That CVT was something awful, but beyond that our Nissans (Xterra, Altima) were pretty reliable vehicles. Everything they offer feels so dated at the moment.

 

[GoVols01]

I towed my 19' Regal with our 2WD Pathfinder with CVT and never had a problem. I bought my 212X last June and the Pathy pulls it just the same. In fact, I average better MPG with my CVT Pathy than I do my Titan - 13mpg vs 10mpg. My wife loves the CVT in the Pathfinder and comments it's her favorite vehicle she's ever had. Never had any problems with it, not even a squeak and rattle.

If you're turned off by the CVTs due to older models that had them, auto writers agree that the latest generation CVTs that Nissan is producing are the best in the industry, beating the likes of Honda and Toyota. The latest models have what's called Xtronic CVTs, which have a simulated gear ratio to give the feeling of a tradition stepped transmission under normal acceleration conditions. If you floor the vehicle, yes, the engine will spike at close to red line and stay there as the CVT climbs through the ratios to get you up to speed more quickly than a stepped transmission would. People are not accustomed to this and, hence, are turned off by the 'rubber-band-like' acceleration. We rarely floor the vehicle anyway. Under normal driving conditions, the CVT is indistinguishable. It provides a very smooth ride and the most efficient use of the engine's power range, which results in better fuel economy. Most haters are basing their opinion on early CVT models or parroting what they've read from some writer's review of a vehicle with a CVT. We're not the only ones making CVTs and we're making the best ones.

 

[ripler]

Between me and my wife we've had at least 15 Nissan vehicles (I think) and have never had an issue until I bought a 2017 Titan, she has a 2012 Pathfinder that has been flawless. The tranny is garbage and the MPG is poor for a new generation engine. It's been to the shop multiple times for the transmission, 2 times there was a software update which temporarily fixed the tranny issue, but it returned. These issues will force me to trade in on another vehicle pretty soon. I traded a Ram 1500 on the Titan and wished I hadn't.

 

[synackattack]

This is a little late in the thread, but I have experience in one of the vehicles the OP was considering.

I towed with a Tahoe for the last two boats I've owned. Sea Ray 230, and now the AR210. I only had the 2WD version, and never had any issues towing, but depending on the incline of the ramp you're pulling out of, it does work a little (more so with the Sea Ray which was 4500 dry). I did find myself wishing I had 4WD a couple of times over the last few years because some of the ramps at low tide here have quite a bit of algae growth. Slick as snot.

Just traded in the Tahoe for a Tundra, so I dont really have to worry now.

No experience with X5, but the rating is 6k and your boat dry is probably around 3700, so it may struggle like the Tahoe did on the way out of steep ramps.