Wagons in Nissan's 2005 collection consist of five different nameplates.
There are truck-based SUVs in three sizes with the king-size Armada, mid-size Pathfinder in a new design, plus the compact-class Xterra, also in new format.
Quest takes a fresh approach to that familiar suburbia denizen, the people-hauling minivan, with stylish designs.
Murano, a crossover SUV with car-like ride quality and a continuously variable transmission (CVT), fuses preferred traits of a high-rider SUV and a pavement-hugging sports sedan.

The big idea behind Nissan's full-size SUV is big-time space in a vehicle with overwhelming power. The cabin is configured in three rows of seats with fold-flat benches on tiers two and three or optional captain's chairs in place of a second-row bench. Built alongside Titan at Nissan's Mississippi assembly plant, Armada rides on a boxed-rail frame derived from Titan and uses Titan's dual-cam 5.6-liter V8 engine, which delivers 305 hp and tall torque.

When properly equipped with a tow rig, Armada brings towing capacity to 9,100 pounds. Nissan constructs Armada with either two-wheel-drive (2WD) or four-wheel-drive (4WD) mode for three trim variations -- Armada SE, SE Off-Road and luxurious LE.

Standard equipment for all ranges from a floor-mounted shifter stick for the five-speed automatic transmission, adjustable brake and accelerator pedals and a broad floor console plus an overhead console with map lamps and ventilation ducts. Optional packages are also offered, such as a sunroof package for the SE Off-Road and a leather package for SE with leather upholstery, side air bags and a Bose premium audio system.

With stylish exterior shapes and a comfortable cabin that accommodates five, mid-size Murano is a fun-to-drive wagon that looks like an SUV but behaves more like a sports car. It rides on the front-wheel-drive (FWD) chassis of a car. Pushing wheels to the edges of the chassis brings stability to the stance and enhances Murano's agility when cornering. Murano offers high-tech hardware such as vehicle dynamic control (VDC) with a traction control system (TCS) and Nissan's all-wheel-drive (AWD) equipment for dependable grip on slippery pavement.

The AWD system normally operates in FWD mode, although if front treads begin to slip, this smart rig can divert as much as half of the engine's muscle to run the wheels in back. For locomotion Murano pulls from a juicy dual-cam 3.5-liter V6. Output reaches to 245 hp through an advanced CVT that Nissan calls Xtronic. The cabin layout pitches a pair of bolstered buckets in front flanking a large console with covered recesses to stow gear as large as a purse or laptop computer. On the second row a bench is designed to seat two comfortably but hold three. The seatback splits and reclines or folds down to expand the cargo area. (CONTINUE...)