2013 Nissan Pathfinder

Bringing their venerable SUV into the current crossover world, Nissan has reinvented the Pathfinder for the modern family.

There are 3 companies which dominate the minivan segment and Nissan isn’t one of them.  Though the Quest represents, its sales languish along with the Kia Sedona’s as America’s sliding door family hauler of last resort. Which brings us to this vehicle.  It’s called the Pathfinder but it has little to do with the swashbuckling, truck frame model you’ve known for over 25 years. With this all-new 4^th generation model, Nissan wants you to come see the softer side of Pathfinder.  For me, I felt like I had gone back to my Maine vacation last summer when I took the Infiniti JX on a trip. They’re corporate siblings and the differences between the two are negligible.  As a nod to the Pathfinder’s past, Nissan fits it with what they call an ALL-MODE 4×4-i system, allowing you to choose between 2-wheel drive, auto 4-wheel drive which balances power between the front and rear as the need arises, and a 4-wheel lock mode for full-time operation.  In the Infiniti, this knob would allow you to choose transmission settings spanning from Snow, to Eco to Sport.  Both have the same 6.5” of ground clearance, good for tackling that pot-hole ridden soccer field parking lot but far less than the 9” the Pathfinder used to have.  Approach, departure and ramp angles have been correspondingly reduced.  Welcome to what Nissan dubs The Next Gen SUV.

Though it still seats 7, the new Pathfinder does it much better with improved space and convenience.

Now for most car shoppers, this Pathfinder will be more practical.  Sure, it can’t go off-roading anymore but it’ll whisk you and 6 others around with the utmost competence wrapped in all of the creature comforts to which this generation has become accustomed.  The goal of the modern crossover is to make your already stressed out life easier when it comes to hauling the kids around and the Pathfinder is fully on point in accomplishing that.  The 2^nd row seats slide with the ease of 1 hand, allowing for a wide open step into the 3^rd row…a spacious area with ample head and leg room with the added benefit of reclining seats.  If you take your Pathfinder all the way to Platinum Premium status you’ll also get the airiness of the dual panorama moonroof, heated rear seats, dual DVD screens and tri-zone auto climate control.  The second row seats also slide and recline, though the same issue we had in the JX we had here…an uncomfortable middle seat position.  The kid that draws the short straw will end up there.  And of course you need cargo room, which is still usable with all seats up and really generous with them folded…an action performed with similar stress-free ease.  Throw in a power lift gate and intelligent key operation and you barely have to lift a finger.

From a driving perspective, the Pathfinder’s 3.5-liter V6 feels really strong and generates 260 horsepower.  Now where its competitors use 6-speed autos, Nissan buys themselves another 1mpg with the use of a CVT transmission.  And it’s about as good as they come so it shouldn’t scare you away.  With it, this 4WD gets 19mpg city/25mpg highway.  It can also tow 5,000 pounds.  The Pathfinder is smooth, quiet and relatively nimble for its size.  There’s also a panoply of safety and convenience features, with the highlights being the around view monitor…so helpful in busy parking lots, the Easy Fill Tire Alert System which honks the horn when proper inflation is reached, remote start, a highly capable navi and heated and cooled front seats with memory.

For me, the JX35 got all the looks in the family with the Pathfinder appearing bloated and oddly proportioned.  It also gets crazy expensive with this chock full tester coming in at $44,795.  And I’m also not in love with Nissan using the Pathfinder name on a vehicle that seems completely different from the original.  Still in all, it’s yet another excellent 3-row do-it-all kind of wagon that families with enough cash will surely appreciate.