Review: Nissan Pathfinder is the SUV for drivers who can’t bring themselves to buy a minivan

The 2022 Nissan Pathfinder.Mark Richardson/The Globe and Mail

There are many SUV owners who really should be driving minivans. But despite the added comfort and convenience, they can’t face the stigma of a van. They want a macho off-road image with plenty of cup holders and space for the dog. Enter the new Pathfinder.

The fifth generation of Nissan’s venerable mid-size SUV is large and comfortable, with second-row seats that are cleverly designed to slide and flip forward for access to the third row while not having to remove any baby carriers (though you’ll need to slide the front seats forward). The top-end Platinum edition has six USB ports, 10 cup holders and six bottle holders, while also offering Sand and Mud/Rut options among its seven electronic drive modes. It looks like a sturdy, modern SUV that can pack seven or eight people inside for the run to school or soccer. The drive mode will spend almost its entire life in Auto.

This is a totally redesigned version of the previous Pathfinder, which skipped the 2021 model year. It’s now a little bigger in the back, providing more space and deeper leg room in the third row – officially, it can carry three adults back there, but they won’t be happy for long unless they have particularly short thighs. All but the least expensive of the six available trim levels include a panoramic moonroof that creates a more spacious, airy feel in all three rows.

The second-row seats of the Pathfinder come with either captain’s chairs and a removable centre console between them or seats and belts for three people.Mark Richardson/The Globe and Mail

The V6 engine is carried over from the previous edition, but the Pathfinder now has a proper nine-speed automatic transmission instead of its former, much-criticized continuously variable transmission (CVT). There’s no more whining and droning from the belts, and the transmission is strong enough to allow a 6,000-pound tow rating, which should easily cover most cottage-size boats.

The Platinum edition is fitted with twin captain’s chairs in the second row and a removable centre console between them, but the other trims have seats and belts for three people in that middle row. My adult passengers back there were impressed that they sat a little higher than in the front, so they had clearer views all around. Again, it’s all part of how Nissan made the Pathfinder feel more spacious inside without resorting to the size of its larger Armada SUV.

The Pathfinder at a lighthouse in Point Clark. Ont. The vehicle is thoroughly modernized, with a shorter overhang at the front and a more upright grille.Mark Richardson/The Globe and Mail

Tech specs

2022 Nissan Pathfinder

Base price/as tested: $44,838/$55,348, plus $1,860 freight and pre-delivery inspection
Engine: 3.5-litre V6; 284 horsepower, 259 lb-ft. of torque
Transmission/drive: Nine-speed automatic/all-wheel drive
Fuel economy (litres per 100 kilometres): 11.6 city, 9.2 highway, 10.5 combined
Alternatives: Mazda CX-9, Subaru Ascent, Kia Telluride, Hyundai Palisade, Buick Enclave, Toyota Highlander, Volkswagen Atlas, Ford Explorer

Looks

This latest generation is thoroughly modernized, with a shorter overhang at the front and a more upright grille and windows. The large 20-inch wheels of the test unit and even the 18-inch wheels of all the other trims make the Pathfinder look much more like a truck than a car or a wimpy crossover. And it definitely doesn’t look like a minivan.

The second row of seats on the Pathfinder are cleverly designed to slide and flip forward for access to the third row while not having to remove any baby carriers.Mark Richardson/The Globe and Mail

Interior

My tester was supremely comfortable, even on a couple of six-hour road trips through southwestern Ontario. It included costly quilted-leather seats, but I’m sure there would have been little difference with the regular material of the other editions. There is plenty of storage space and everything fell easily to hand. The head-up display of the Platinum was easily readable through polarized lenses, unlike many more expensive vehicles.

I appreciated that the central nine-inch touch screen included actual knobs for adjusting volume and radio tuning, though buttons on the steering wheel also took care of this. The touch system was intuitive to use and clear to read. The digital, configurable gauge display was modern. I really liked the short shifting-gear selector that slid forward and back on the centre console, creating more space through its lack of a stalk.

The Pathfinder comes with a nine-inch touchscreen and actual knobs for adjusting volume and radio tuning.Mark Richardson/The Globe and Mail

Performance

There’s a Sport option among the driving modes, but this is never going to be a sporty SUV. You can choose Manual and flip through the gears with paddle shifters to unleash your inner racer, but you’ll never win any races. That’s okay – the Pathfinder is more about passenger comfort and ability on all kinds of roads. In Canada, all Pathfinders are all-wheel drive, though Americans get a slightly cheaper option for two-wheel drive.

Fuel consumption is good for a three-row, all-wheel drive, automatic-transmission vehicle, with an official average of 10.5 litres per 100 kilometres using regular gas. My average was 9.8, but this included more highway than city driving.

There's a short shifting gear selector that slides forward and back on the centre console.Mark Richardson/The Globe and Mail

Technology

Nissan started early with developing semi-autonomous driving aids, and they’re all available on all trim levels. When my hands were off the wheel, however, the tester didn’t hold well to the centre of the lane, and when they were holding the wheel, it seemed to buzz at me constantly, so much so that I just turned it off. This was more likely to have been an issue with camera calibration and synchronization with the car’s radar than the system itself, but even so, I’d be annoyed as an owner if I couldn’t drive comfortably with this feature after paying for it.

Cargo

There’s reasonable space throughout: 470 litres of cargo room behind the third row, and 1,274 litres with the third row flat. When the second row is also flat (and it is truly flat), that bumps to a sizable 2,421 litres, with some hidden space beneath the cargo floor. That’s nowhere near minivan space, but it’s generous for a mid-sized SUV. There are cubbies everywhere, including beneath the front row console, and even thoughtful hooks in the very back for hanging grocery bags so they don’t spill on the drive home.

The Pathfinder comes with 470 litres of cargo room behind the third row (top), and 2,421 litres of cargo space when the second and third row are flat.Mark Richardson/The Globe and Mail

The verdict

The new Pathfinder looks good, performs well, and keeps its passengers safe and comfortable. Its automatic transmission is a definite improvement, and it doesn’t lack any of the important features of its competition. It doesn’t really stand out from its competition, but it’s not lacking either, and it’s definitely not a minivan.

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