Cargazing
By Derek Price
In my mind, the Nissan Pathfinder is still an adolescent little off-road SUV that hails from the 1980s.
In reality, it’s turned into something much more mature.
After a complete redesign for 2022, the freshly rethought Pathfinder is in its most complete form yet. It can still do some off-roading and tow up to 6,000 pounds, a nod to its rugged, truck-based roots, but it’s also designed much more for family-hauling duty than for climbing dunes and trails.
The changes reinforce that fact.
It’s bigger than ever, with three rows of seats that can hold up to eight people in a reasonably spacious cabin, now with 10.6 extra cubic feet to stretch out. Seats can be lowered easily with one touch, one of many family-friendly aspects of the cabin.
It’s also noticeably more comfortable, perhaps the biggest change of all.
Captain’s chairs are available in the second row for the first time, perfect for comfy highway cruising, while softer, smoother suspension tuning makes the outgoing Pathfinder feel choppy in comparison.
The bigger question, though, is how it compares to today’s best crossovers.
Born as a pure off-road SUV in the 1980s, the Nissan Pathfinder has grown much larger and more family friendly in recent years. A complete redesign for 2022 adds space and refinement.
From an equipment standpoint, it checks all the right boxes, including an excellent suite of driving assistance features. Nissan’s semi-autonomous ProPilot Assist can use GPS data to make driving easier on clearly marked highways, although the company is quick to point out that it’s not really “self driving.” You still have to pay attention 100 percent of the time.
Still, even as quiet and smooth as the new design is, it’s not as refined as the current segment all-stars. The Kia Telluride and Hyundai Palisade remain unimaginably buttery compared to most three-row SUVs for sale today.
The Pathfinder, though, appeals to people who want something more rugged.
It’s built to handle real off-roading, including hill descent control and a sophisticated 4×4 system with seven selectable modes for different types of terrain.
Perhaps just as importantly, it looks the part.
A 12.3-inch screen puts the new Pathfinder’s digital features at the center of attention. Like the entire vehicle, the cabin has been redesigned with comfort and travel in mind.
The new Pathfinder’s design is decidedly modern, including a trendy floating roofline and sleek lighting, but it’s also more boxy and robust looking than the slew of car-like crossovers for sale today.
It has an especially stout look up front, where an upright grille and tall, muscular shape would seem at home on the Titan pickup. It looks about as aerodynamic as a brick, yet in reality it’s slippery enough to earn a fuel-economy rating of 27 mpg on the highway with four-wheel drive.
Bizarrely, the two-wheel-drive version is rated slightly worse, getting a 26-mpg highway rating from the federal government even though it’s about 80 pounds lighter than the 4×4 Pathfinder. Go figure.
Every Pathfinder is powered by the same engine, a 3.5-liter V6 that makes 284 horsepower and 259 pound-feet of torque. A nine-speed automatic, the only transmission available, delivered confident, smooth shifts in my tester.
Pricing starts at $33,410 for the base S trim with two-wheel drive and tops out at $46,190 for the upscale Platinum trim.
Four-wheel drive, available on every trim, adds $1,900 to the price.
At A Glance
What was tested? 2022 Nissan Pathfinder SL 4WD ($41,490). Options: SL Premium Package ($2,900), captain’s chairs floor mats ($255). Price as tested (including $1,150 destination charge): $45,795
Wheelbase: 114.2 in.
Length: 197.7 in.
Width: 77.9 in.
Height: 70.7 in.
Engine: 3.5-liter V6 (284 hp, 259 lbs.-ft.)
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Fuel economy: 21 city, 27 highway
RATINGS
Style: 8
Performance: 6
Price: 8
Handling: 5
Ride: 8
Comfort: 8
Quality: 8
Overall: 8
Why buy it?
An all-new design makes the Pathfinder bigger, silkier and more family friendly than before, still with some off-road capability to respect its robust roots.