Price: $28,270 to $40,770
Competitors: Ford Explorer, Hyundai Santa Fe, Honda Pilot, Chevy Traverse, Toyota Highlander
Powertrain: 3.5-liter V-6; 260 hp, 240 lb-ft of torque; CVT transmission, FWD or AWD
EPA Fuel Economy (city/hwy): 20/26 (FWD); 19/25 (AWD)
What's New: Nissan is pushing fuel economy as the most important attribute in the seven-passenger-crossover segment, with admirable results. The new Pathfinder bests the outgoing version's mpg numbers by 30 percent, putting it well ahead of its competition (though it's still possible the AWD seven-passenger Hyundai Santa Fe could come close). Nissan's engineers achieved this by losing the body-on-frame setup of the old rig and cutting 500 pounds in the process. At the same time Nissan also managed to greatly increase interior volume; there's more headroom and legroom throughout, and far more cargo volume too.
The old five-speed automatic is history, replaced by a CVT with an equivalent gear range of a seven-speed auto, minus any hunting for power. Displacement drops from a 4.0-liter V-6 to a 3.5. That results in a loss of six horses. But, more noticeably, there are 48 fewer lb-ft of torque. Still, acceleration is plenty strong, and the biggest change in driving feel is a bit of torque steer because this crossover defaults to its fuel-sipping FWD arrangement unless there's wheel slip. Minus that blemish, the Pathfinders we drove proved smooth and comfortable over long miles of broken northern California asphalt?something we wouldn't have said about the outgoing model.
Tech Tidbit: Parents had a major problem with the old Pathfinder: They couldn't access the third-row seats without removing the child car seats in the second row?a cumbersome, annoying process. The 2013 Pathfinder has what Nissan calls EZ Flex seats, specially designed to slide forward while the child seat remains in place and allow third-row access without monkeying with the mechanics.
Driving Character: This Pathfinder is not like any that's come before it because of its distinctly carlike ride. That comes courtesy of not only a fully independent suspension like that of the new Ford Explorer, but of a center of gravity that has dropped nearly 3 inches. This new Nissan actually rides lower than a Subaru Outback, and barely an inch higher than an Impreza. As a result, the dreaded "head-toss" sensation that turn your children green in the third row when you're battling a country road on the way to the park pretty much evaporates.
We tested the AWD edition of the Pathfinder on an off-road course with some very steep ascents that required locking the transmission into a dedicated 50/50 split of power to both front and rear axles. The vehicle had no trouble, and even the CVT, which you might think would experience some sensation of slip, was perfectly adequate for the task.
But the Pathfinder is more at home on the asphalt, and the watchword here is "smooth." The new crossover has excellent on-center feel to the steering and just enough agility to make the Pathfinder reasonably sporty, minus some of the semistiff ride of the Ford or the occasionally brittle ride of the Honda Pilot. You could say it's closest to the Toyota Highlander because it's comfortable, but Nissan infuses just enough character to make it a little more entertaining than that rig. If you're bummed about the Pathfinder getting soft, Nissan says it will keep the Xterra "real"?and that almost nobody buys a seven-passenger crossover to drive off-road anyway.
Favorite Detail: There's a small cavity in the hatch area that's perfect for holding groceries. It's normally covered by a carpeted panel, the better to hide valuables. In the past Nissan didn't hinge this door in the floor with any sort of "stop" to hold it upright, meaning fragile items such as eggs or veggies in your grocery bags would get crushed by the lid. Nissan wisely updated the system, which now has a friction hinge that stops the lid in the upright position and holds it there even if you drive around in stop-and-go traffic.
Driver's Grievance: It's great that Nissan added a bullet-shaped third window to the Pathfinder. It brings just a little more light into the dark third row. The downside is that this row also features very large headrests that block a driver's rearward view. Sure, you can get Nissan's "around-view" camera system, but that's really only valid for parking lot duty. If you're driving in town, the over-large headrests are a hinderance to safer lane changes. You can get rid of them easily, but remembering to do this is another matter.
The Bottom Line: We agree with Nissan that customers really aren't buying vehicles like the Pathfinder for climbing 20-degree slopes of mud, so it's completely logical for them to make a vehicle that can handle some off-roading but really is a fuel-efficient, seven-passenger family wagon that happens to look like a crossover. Cross-shopping for the most similar car to the Pathfinder would probably bring you not to another traditional crossover, but to the perennially excellent Acura MDX, a vehicle with zero off-road pretensions but with all the creature comforts of a luxury sedan.
The Pathfinder is roomy, smooth as silk on the interstate, and church-quiet, as well as lounge-comfortable. And it's confidence-inspiring for the breed: At one point during our test, a young girl darted in front of us at a crosswalk and we were forced to stand on the brakes. The Pathfinder stopped on a dime, no harm done. Like we said: smooth, safe, and pretty darn smart too.
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