The Pathfinder is part of a trio of truck-based sport utility vehicles offered by Nissan, which includes the Xterra and the Armada. The Murano and Rogue - with car-based platforms - are Nissan’s popular crossover utility vehicles. While the SUV market has seen a general downsizing and a trend away from 4x4 truck-based SUVs and toward car-based crossovers, the Pathfinder is best-suited to families who want dual-duty capability.
Prices for the Nissan Pathfinder 4x2 start at $27,990 with three trims: S, SE and LE. Four-wheel-drive models start at $29,990 and range up to $40,990. The Nissan 4x4 adds two more trims, the SE Off Road and LE V-8. My test truck was the Pathfinder SE 4x4, with a base price of $32,510 and a total sticker price of $36,340.
The standard engine in the Pathfinder is Nissan’s 4.0-liter V-6, generating 266 horsepower and 288 lb.-ft. of torque. Fuel economy is estimated at 15 miles per gallon city and 22 mpg for the 4x2, and 14/20 mpg for the 4x4.
The 5.6-liter V-8 is rated at 310 horsepower and 388 lb.-ft. of torque, and gets an estimated 13 miles per gallon city and 18 mpg on the highway on the 4x4 models. Two-wheel-drive versions check in at 13/19 mpg. Maximum towing capacity is 7,000 pounds.
The maximum towing capacity on my SE V-6 tester was 6,000 pounds. Unless you’ve got a consistent need to pull an extra thousand pounds, I’d pick the six over the eight. In addition to its slightly better mileage, the V-6 has a lower entry price. While it’s not the quietest engine in the world at full throttle, it is responsive and capable - and notably snappy off the line. Regardless of engine choice, the transmission is Nissan’s five-speed electronically controlled automatic.
Pathfinder has a boxed, steel-ladder frame, fitted with an independent, double-wishbone suspension, front and rear. No sport utility vehicle could be confused with a sports car, but the Pathfinder feels, if not nimble, at least quite stable. Blind spots are typically a bugaboo of big SUVs, but they’re absent here, thanks to its large rear 3/4 windows.
Pathfinder is offered with two 4x4 systems, depending on trim level. Both have a low-range gear for off-road maneuvers. Pathfinder S and SE 4x4s are equipped with a part-time system, while Pathfinder LE 4x4s have an automatic mode system that can be used on wet or dry surfaces.
Nissan’s Vehicle Dynamic Control is standard on all models, and with optional beefier tread, Pathfinder makes a worthy adversary for winter’s worst. Though its size would keep you off the very narrow trails, the Nissan Pathfinder has relatively short overhangs at the corners, and in standard trim, the midsize 4x4 is well-suited to light off-roading. Stiffer shocks and skid plates help the SE Off Road model live up to its name.
Of course, even if this Nissan is taken off the beaten path, that’s no reason for the passengers to have to rough it inside. All Pathfinder models are equipped with three-row seating as standard equipment. Row three is suitably sized for kids, and as with most third rows, it pays to have a child’s limberness of limb to scramble in and out.
Cargo capacity is 16.5 cubic feet behind the third row, expandable to a generous 49.2 cubic feet with the third row folded. In max cargo mode with rows two and three folded, capacity rises to 79.2 cubic feet.
Upfront, the driver faces a straightforward gauge array. A two-level glove box, molded door pockets, cubbyholes and covered center console handle the inside storage. The center console would make a better inside armrest if the lid slid forward.
Pathfinder’s standard equipment list includes power windows and door locks, tilt steering wheel, remote keyless entry and climate control. The option sheet on the Pathfinder SE 4x4 included Bluetooth, Bose audio system, Nissan’s navigation system and a DVD entertainment system with rear-seat wireless headphones and a 7-inch color rear screen.
Do you need room for people and cargo, want to tow, and be able to go wherever the road takes you (even when it takes you off-road)? There’s a narrow field of vehicles that can handle that wide job description, and Pathfinder is one that has those bases covered.
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