Road & Travel Magazine

Auto Advice & Tips
Auto Buyer's Guides
Car Care Maintenance
Climate Change News
Auto Awards Archive
Insurance & Accidents
Legends & Leaders
New Car Reviews
Planet Driven
Road Humor
Road Trips
RV & Camping
Safety & Security
Teens & Tots Tips
Tire Buying Tips
Used Car Buying
Vehicle Model Guide


Travel Channel
Adventure Travel
Advice & Tips
Airline Rules
Bed & Breakfasts
Cruises & Tours
Destination Reviews
Earth Tones
Family Travel Tips
Health Trip
Hotels & Resorts
Luxury Travel
Pet Travel
RV & Camping
Safety & Security
Spa Reviews
Train Vacations
World Travel Directory

Bookmark and Share


2006 New Car Model Guide, Model Guide, New Car Reviews, Nissan Cars, Trucks, & SUVs

2006 NISSAN NEW SUV MODEL GUIDE
NISSAN SUVS

2006 Nissan New Car Model GuideVehicles fashioned as wagons for the Nissan line of 2006 include five nameplates. There are truck-based SUVs in three sizes with king-size Armada, mid-size Pathfinder and the compact-class Xterra. Nissan's people-hauling minivan in stylish design is called Quest, while a crossover wagon with car-like ride quality carries the tag of Murano.

Nissan Armada
2006 Nissan Armada

The big idea behind Nissan's full-size SUV is vast room in a huge vehicle with overwhelming power. The cabin has three rows of seats with fold-flat benches on tiers two and three or optional captain's chairs in the second row. Armada rides on a platform derived from the full-size Titan truck and uses Titan's dual-cam 5.6-liter V8, which delivers 305 hp and tall torque.

Nissan outfits the SUV with two-wheel-drive (2WD) or four-wheel-drive (4WD) traction for three trims-- Armada SE, SE Off-Road and luxurious LE. Standard equipment for all ranges from a floor-mounted shifter stick for the five-speed automatic to a dual-zone automatic air conditioning system. Optional gear includes factory-installed equipment for satellite radio service, a sunroof package for SE Off-Road and a leather package for SE with side air bags and a Bose premium audio.

Nissan Murano
2006 Nissan Murano

Revisions to Nissan's fun-to-drive crossover wagon include a restyled grille and chrome bumper, new wheels and aluminum roof rails. Murano rides on the front-wheel-drive (FWD) chassis of a car with high-tech hardware aboard like vehicle dynamic control (VDC) with traction control system (TCS) and Nissan's all-wheel-drive (AWD) equipment. Powertrain is a juicy dual-cam 3.5-liter V6, which delivers 245 hp through an advanced continuously variable transmission (CVT) called 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 for two will hold three. The seatback splits and reclines or folds down to expand the cargo area. Murano trims out as SL and SE, with a new LCD color display added to the dash of all 2006 models and a leather package available.

Nissan Xterra
2006 Nissan Xterra

Nissan's five-door wagon for the compact class works as a pure SUV that's part cushy transportation vehicle for riders and part tool box for hauling lifestyle sports paraphernalia like a load of mountain bikes, gear for camping or rock climbing, skis or kayaks. Platform and powertrain come from the Frontier pickup with 2WD traction or a part-time 4WD device with 2WD/4WD-high/4WD-low modes. The 4.0-liter V6 in Xterra achieves 265 hp with a six-speed manual shifter or five-speed electronic automatic.

Revised trim designations apply with Xterra X as the new base grade. Xterra S stocks preferred equipment, Xterra OR stands for Off-Road and brings traction choices, while Xterra SE is the top trim with a Rockford Fosgate audio kit aboard. Xterra's cabin carries twin front bucket seats and a second-row bench with split/folding seatback. The rear cargo floor is flat and made of hard vinyl for easy cleaning.

Nissan Pathfinder
2006 Nissan Pathfinder

Frontier the truck serves as the building block for Pathfinder, Nissan's SUV in the mid-size class that's assembled in Tennessee. The five-door passenger compartment, expanded for a new version of 2005, has room in the rear for a standard third-row seat that folds into the cargo floor when not needed for extra riders. Seats on the second row split 40/20/40 and also fold, as does the seatback of the front right bucket, providing ample cargo space.

Pathfinder has three trims -- entry-level XE, upscale SE and deluxe LE -- but a special Off-Road package goes to SE with hardware for serous 4WD trekking including hill descent control (HDC) and hill start assist (HSA). Interestingly, all three trims show 2WD traction or Nissan's automatic 4WD system with an electronically controlled transfer case for 2WD/Auto/4WD-high/4WD-low modes. Pathfinder's powertrain is the aluminum-block 4.0-liter V6 with 270 hp through a five-speed electronically controlled automatic.

Nissan Quest
2006 Nissan Quest

More equipment like Michelin PAX run-flat tires and a RearView video monitor pile on Nissan's slinky minivan in 2006. Quest has the longest wheelbase in class to forge a five-door cabin with considerable space arranged in an artful manner. Bucket seats on the second tier and the third row bench flip and fold to form a flat floor for hauling more cargo. A sliding slab door on either side is the widest portal in this minivan's segment, while the optional Skyview roof adds multiple glass roof panels.

Power flows from a dual-cam 3.5-liter V6 worth 240 hp through an automatic transaxle. Gear increases up the model ladder with Quest 3.5 S, 3.5 SL and 3.5 SE. New-for-2006 Quest 3.5 S Special Edition adds extra equipment like power to the right sliding door and liftgate, upgraded audio gear and a rear sonar warning device.

[MORE INFORMATION FROM NISSAN]